Hey Griffin here. I write this as my wife drives us back home from Vegas to Los Angeles. A few months back Taylor was thoughtful enough to go ahead and buy some U2 tix for us and our wives and a few friends. I must say I’ve never been the biggest U2 fan. Not because I don’t love their music, I do. It just never hit me the way that it hits many.
Anyway my feelings on the music were secondary last night. That venue is INSANE. I think I laughed through most of the set as I processed the sheer immensity of it. Bono referred to it more than once as the place where ‘science meets art’. This seems apt to me. As cool as it was seeing the quartet in action (minus Larry Mullen jr) it wasn’t really about that. It was about the induced psychedelic trip that is the sphere in action. They did a good job at dialing it back a bit in the middle of the set so as to bring the focus back to the band. There were several moments during which the production was in full force where I had to remind myself that one of the coolest Bands ever was playing and that I should pay more attention to that. U2 sounded perfect. But it felt like we were all witnessing something more than a band. This was a hybridized artistic endeavor that superseded either music or production. It’s exciting to think of what will happen there. I like the idea that music will be made with the sphere’s capabilities in mind. With the intent of it only fully flourishing in that room or a room like It.
Anyway. My minds blown and I’m so grateful to have witnessed that!
Here’s Taylor covering Until The End Of The World - one of the best tunes of the night. Also, originally written for Wim Wenders 4.5 hour sci-fi epic under the same name. Check that out too.