U2's captivating journey into the center of the mind
FOXBOROUGH --Call it 21st-century rock opera. The Who had "Tommy." And U2 has "Zoo Station," a fiery, industrialized maxi-drama with songs and special effects more fit for a space station, but which still touches every human emotion from sadness to exultation. This journey into the center of the mind is nothing less than the most captivating stadium rock show since Pink Floyd's "The Wall" in 1981.
Dublin's U2 scored a direct hit on 50,000 fans at Foxboro Stadium last night, playing a show that not only unleashed a technological frenzy that would make Stanley Kubrick weep, but managed to include a bellydancer (on ''Mysterious Ways") and a tribute to the retired Larry Bird by drummer Larry Mullen Jr., who dedicated "Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World" to him -- after he'd sung a surprise Irish folk song, "Whiskey in the Morning."
In short, the entire spectrum pf human behavior -- and misbehavior (the heroin-injecting pantomime in "Running to Stand Still") was addressed before the U2 called it a night.
Along the way, lead singer Bono, again scampering down to a mini-stage in the middle of the crowd, spun off industrial-rock morality tales (a head- splicing "Until the End of the World"), coupled with U2 anthems (the inspired "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year's Day," both newly added to the set) and sudden dips into pop history for the Righteous Brothers' ''Unchained Melody" and Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love," a moving final encore that let everyone come up for air.
The "Zoo Station" assault -- a vastly expanded version of last spring's tour that hit Boston Garden on St. Patrick's Day -- was accompanied by six TV- like towers, eight video screens (with blitzing images that made it seem like Sartre's "No Exit" on acid), an airport-like tower with a pirate's flag of a skull and crossbones on top, and, oh yes, an Irish flag raised at the opposite end zone.
The show threatened to splinter off in all directions, yet remained extraordinarily well-organized. Songs from the new "Achtung Baby" album still opened the set, giving way to a proving, folk-style coffeehouse set on the mini-stage at mid-field, where Bono, Mullen (with congas), The Edge (with acoustic guitar in hand) and bassist Adam Clayton played a stirring "Angel in Harlem" and "Love Comes to Town." Those are two tracks from their underappreciated "Rattle and Hum" album, but their R&B flavor lifted the crowd handsomely after a razor-edged industrial-dance opening that seemed more like the "Bladerunner" soundtrack.
But Bono kept embracing the crowd whenever things tended to get too remote. He broke open a bottle of champagne and danced with a female fan. He sang ''New Year's Day" with a male fan at his side, singing along boozily. And, smiling, he dedicated "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" to "any Irish people who are here illegally." There was a loud cheer.
Meanwhile, several East German Trabant cars were carried overhead on cranes. One had the words "No drugs please" and "Misplaced farm girl." And the video images, which again started with a computer-edited sample of President Bush saying, "We will rock you," were ultimately deeply absorbing, sometimes off-putting (burning crosses on "Bullet the Blue Sky"), but also laced with uplifting messages and images of kaleidoscopic flowers (on the song ''One").
When the show wound down to the Martin Luther King tribute, "Pride (In the Name of Love)" and "Desire," the audience definitely knew it had seen one of the best shows of its life. This 21st-century rock opera was worth every minute of the trip.
