Today U2 performed the first of two concerts in East Rutherford, New Jersey this tour. It is a city they enjoy playing in; of the previous 28 full tour gigs in the state, 24 of them (and every one from The Unforgettable Fire Tour onwards) has been in East Rutherford. The last time they played a New Jersey concert outside the city was all the way back on 12 May 1983 on the second leg of the War Tour, when they played at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic. Despite being in a separate state, East Rutherford is considered a suburb of New York City and many are considering these two gigs the New York concerts of the tour. U2 have not played a stadium concert in New York City since 30 August 1992 in Yankee Stadium.

Though U2 reportedly rehearsed A Sort of Homecoming last night (we are told MetLife Stadium uploaded a clip of it online before taking it down), U2 stuck with Bad in the third slot. Accordingly, it was played tonight for the eighth show in a row, its longest run since the opening eight gigs of the Elevation Tour's first leg in 2001. If it is performed tomorrow as well it will be the longest streak since it was played every night on ZooTV's first two legs. As fans know, for years Bad was the song with the most number of different snippets in it until Beautiful Day took that title in recent tours. With tonight's snippet of Starman, Beautiful Day is now at 99 different snippets, just one short of that elusive 100 milestone.

There were some interesting stats related to performance counts tonight as well. Red Hill Mining Town ties the least-played song from Boy, Shadows And Tall Trees, on 19 known performances each (it is likely that due to incomplete early setlists, Shadows And Tall Trees actual performance number is higher). Trip Through Your Wires (x105) has now been played more than Stay (Faraway, So Close!) and All Because Of You (x104 each) and is rapidly closing in on A Sort Of Homecoming (x109). One Tree Hill (x63) moves ahead of Miami (x62), and Exit (x130) passes both Get On Your Boots and Love And Peace Or Else (x129).

Perhaps the most shocking stat of all is that Elevation (x411) has overtaken 40 (x410) on the performance count list (though as with Red Hill Mining Town, missing/incomplete early setlists means that 40's count is likely still higher)! It is now the 15th most-played U2 song.

The full set was:

1. Sunday Bloody Sunday
2. New Year's Day
3. Bad / America (snippet)
4. Pride (In the Name of Love)
5. Where the Streets Have No Name / California (There Is No End To Love) (snippet)
6. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
7. With or Without You
8. Bullet the Blue Sky / America (snippet)
9. Running To Stand Still
10. Red Hill Mining Town
11. In God's Country
12. Trip Through Your Wires
13. One Tree Hill
14. Exit / Wise Blood (snippet) / Eeny Meeny Miny Moe (snippet)
15. Mothers Of The Disappeared

encore(s):

16. Miss Sarajevo / The New Colossus (snippet)
17. Beautiful Day / Starman (snippet)
18. Elevation
19. Vertigo / It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (But I Like It) (snippet) / Rebel Rebel (snippet)
20. Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
21. One / Hear Us Coming (snippet)
22. The Little Things That Give You Away

All details for this show including reviews, videos and photos can be found here.

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Posted on June 29, 2017 by Matkin