Zooropa

U2 @ TCF Bank Stadium Minneapolis 2011.07.23

One could joke that Bono even has the power to influence the weather, seamlessly integrating it with the largest concert tour in history.  The TCF Bank Stadium show in Minneapolis was a combination of circumstances that came together in a way that could never be repeated, resulting in an incredible night and show.  U2 braved the weather, performing in hard rains on a flooded stage with a massive lightning show that extended the stage lighting effects all the way to the horizon.  In addition, Minneapolis decided to set off a fireworks show, the finale of which occurred during Bono's opera part of Miss Sarajevo.  The rain only served to enhance the expressionist effects of Bono's vocals, especially when projected on the video screen.  In celebration of the twentieth anniversary the show started off with four tracks from Achtung Baby and the inclusion of One and Zooropa into the setlist further revisited the spectacle that U2 managed to create in the early 90s, only this time the result was less artificial and cynical.  This concert would have been a great opportunity to play the rare Electrical Storm, but the only real letdown was the omission of Magnificent, easily the most energetic and interesting track on their latest release and underrepresented in U2's  public image in the last two years.  It will be exceedingly difficult for U2 to top this show and tour in future endeavors, and this performance may remain a pinnacle in U2s career for many years to come.

Setlist:

Even Better Than the Real Thing / The Fly / Mysterious Ways/ Until the End of the World/ I Will Follow / Get On Your Boots /  I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For / Stand By Me / Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of / Beautiful Day (Space Oddity) / Elevation / Pride / Miss Sarajevo / Zooropa / City of Blinding Lights / Vertigo / I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight / Sunday Bloody Sunday / Scarlet / Walk On / One / Where The Streets Have No Name (Hallejulah/ Purple Rain)/ Hold Me Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me / With Or Without You / Moment of Surrender

+: Acthung Baby! Zooropa, Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me

-: I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For.  No Magnificent. Ultraviolet, The Unforgettable Fire, All I Want is You have all been rotated out of the setlist.

133rd Air Expo

To celebrate the 90th annivesary of the Minnesota Air National Guard, the 133rd Airlift Wing held an open house at MSP.  The show was light on combat aircraft, featuring only an A-10 and MSP's old F-16 block 15 museum display.  It would have been great to see Duluth bring down some of their latest block 50 F-16s.  The show was loaded with heavy aircraft, however, displaying all of the Air Force's lift capability with the C-130, C-17, C-5, KC-10, KC-135 and C-21. The only aerial performance was a SOCOM jump team, but the event did allow time for venturing through the cockpits, cargo holds, and refueling stations of those large aircraft.