U2 360 Tour Baltimore

‘What a beautiful midsummer nights dream’ said Bono, towards the end of one of the hottest nights of the tour in Baltimore. ‘Unbelievable…’

And so it was as the forecasts of thunder and rain failed to materialise and the storm clouds disappeared by the time the band took the stage at the home of The Ravens tonight. We were expecting ‘Real Thing’ to open the show but still a surprise to hear Edge wind up The Fly after that – hard to beat the ‘Kraut Rock – circa 1991′.

‘It’s great to be back, it’s so beautiful, Maryland…’ The rolling hills reminded him of Wicklow – that went down well.

After introducing everyone else, first of several special mentions to Clarence Clemons as ‘Still Haven’t Found’ featured snatches of Springsteen before we were all singing Stay (Faraway So Close).

Full U2.COM review here

Once again, Bono mentions the late Clarence Clemons after ‘Moment of Surrender’. Below, you can see the best videos we got so far and link to constantly updated photo albums, credit to the several U2 fans attending the show and press.

SETLIST

Opening Act(s): Florence and the Machine

Main Set: 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 – The Promised Land, Stay, Beautiful Day – Space Oddity, Elevation, Pride, Miss Sarajevo, Zooropa, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, I’ll Go Crazy (remix) – Discotheque – Psycho Killer, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Scarlet, Walk On – You’ll Never Walk Alone

Encore(s): One, Amazing Grace – Where the Streets Have No Name – All You Need Is Love, Ultraviolet, With or Without You, Moment of Surrender – Jungleland

VIDEOS

Fan Videos

Compiled by U2News. Arrows for navigation to all videos.

PICTURES

Click in the link below to see all photos

Band Members Off-Show: Here
Show Photos: Here

As an expected 75,000 fans enter M&T Bank Stadium for the U2 concert Wednesday evening, they’ll see a concert setup like they’ve never seen before in Baltimore.
It will also be a different experience than what fans are used to when taking in a Ravens football game at the 71,000-seat venue.

A crew of hundreds were putting the final touches Tuesday afternoon on a massive 90-foot steel stage boasting a center pole reaching 150 feet.
And that’s just the start.
A huge cylindrical videoscreen — 4,300 square feet when closed and opening to 14,000 square feet — is made up of a million pieces and was also being put into place.
The stop in Baltimore, part of U2’s 360-degree tour, will be the biggest — and likely the most expensive — concert to ever play the city.

“It has been an incredible business proposition,” Craig Evans, U2’s tour director, said Tuesday but declined to disclose specific dollar figures. “It was ambitious.”
Evans said the enormous production “actually makes stadiums feel smaller” and builds “intimacy.”

The steel structure takes four days to build and 48 hours to dismantle and load out of the stadium once the show is over. From start to finish, the production takes eight days. Each stop of the tour employs 380 to 520 crew workers, Evans said. An additional 1,500 local workers are also hired for support.

When asked if any surprise guests would appear on stage for Wednesday’s show, Evans said “the band always has surprises.” He was also asked if the Irish rockers — led by front man Bono — were aware that Gov. Martin O’Malley was Irish, he replied: “Very much indeed.”

The U2 360-degree tour launched June 30, 2009, at Soldier Field in Chicago and has set the record for the most successful tour of all time. The tour has played to 5 million people across the world.

Sources: Baltimore Business Journal and WBAL.com

The Claw is already visible in M&T Bank Stadium. U2 will perform there next June, 22, right before the Glastonbury appearance.

Lenny Kravitz ended his journey as opening act, giving his place to Florence and the Machine. Tickets are still available for what will be an amazing night.