“Magnificent”: U2 Concert
Oct. 26 2009, Published 3:50 p.m. ET
The only place to be in Southern California on Sunday night was at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for U2's only California stop on their 360 Tour. An estimated 97,000 people were part of history as it was the largest concert crowd at the Rose Bowl, and for the first time ever, the concert was streamed live in real time to a global audience on You Tube on seven different continents.
Fans knew they were in for something special when Slash joined the opening act, the Black Eyed Peas on stage and performed Sweet Child of Mine.
U2's Hollywood pals showed up in force for the concert, Cindy Crawford and her husband Randy Gerber, Barbra Streisand, fellow Irish mate, Pierce Brosnan, Demi Moore, Chris O'Donnell, Danny DeVito,and Alyssa Milano were just some of the stars in attendance.
Bono's voice has simply never sounded better. Bono ran around the entire length of the circular stage, while singing and hit every note. U2's hypnotic melodies kept the crowd on their feet for the entire show.
Crowd favorites were "Magnificent," from the new album, No Line on The Horizon, Walk On, Where the Streets Have No Name, Sunday Bloody Sunday, and Elevation.
Edge was simply mesmerizing on the guitar, Bono playfully introduced him as the "mad scientist," of the band. Bono and Edge drove the crowd into oblivion and beyond when they performed Until The End Of The World. Adam Clayton whom Bono said was "the Rhett Butler of our time, and so cool he doesn't even care," and Larry Mullen Jr. seemed to be feeding off the crowds energy, which was optimal because the concert was filmed for the official DVD release of the 360 Tour.
U2 announced they will be coming back to the U.S. next summer, kicking off on June 6th 2010 in Anaheim, with the North American leg wrapping up in New York on July 19th, 2010. Get your tickets early, the shows will certainly sell out in record time.
After almost 30 years of playing together, these four Irish lads are still the same young men that formed a band because of their love of music. U2 knows no limits, period. U2's music brings people together, and makes the global world seem smaller than it is. For a short time tonight, 97,000 people, and a global web audience were ONE.