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I can�0�9t believe the news today
I can�0�9t close my eyes and make it go away�0�7
But I won�0�9t heed the battle call
It puts my back up, puts my back up against the wall

Monday night I saw U2 play at the United Center. It was the best concert I�0�9ve seen. Bono is very talented at interacting with the crowd. It makes the concert so personal. Given the bands political bent and the escalating war on terrorism, Sunday Bloody Sunday was especially poignant and emotional.

Garbage was the opening band. Shirley Manson is definitely the coolest female in rock. Gwen Stefani ain�0�9t got nothing on Shirley Manson. She does an emphatic kick that is so hot (stupid girl…kick!). I�0�9m Only Happy When It Rains was intense.

U2�0�9s performance had the feeling of a religious revival. In between verses of Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bono said �0�6Look at the doors. They�0�9re crosses.�0�7 Indeed, the light coming in through the exits doors looked like glowing crosses. They ended their main set with a medley of I Still Haven�0�9t Found What I�0�9m Looking For and In the Name of Love, two their most spiritual songs. During their second encore, a list of the victims of the four flights that crashed on September 11 scrolled behind them, while they played One. Then, they ended with New York, improvising many of the verses (e.g. �0�6Even Chicago loves New York�0�7).

The show was amazing. All other concerts I’ve seen pale in comparison (even Smashing Pumpkins in the Infinite Sadness tour). U2 deserves to be the best band in rock ‘n’ roll.

[Also check out Greg Kot's review for the Trib]

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