Irish supergroup U2 perform Sunday evening at Spartan Stadium. The band was supposed to stop in East Lansing last year as part of their U2 360° tour but were forced to reschedule after lead singer Bono underwent back surgery.
In a hot pink dress to match her flaming red hair, Florence Welch, of Florence and the Machine, stormed the stage at Spartan Stadium — as the opening act for U2’s 360° Tour — greeted by thousands of screaming fans.
In a concert that was postponed for a year, Welch and Bono proved to be a perfect vocal pair whose sounds of indie rock and post-punk rebellion unexpectedly complimented each other.
As Welch took advantage of the circular stage — sprinting a full lap around the 400-ton structure — her music loosened up the crowd with some lesser-known songs before finishing off with her most popular hit, “Dog Days Are Over.” Her powerful, but soothing voice warmed up the crowd for a more spectacular show than it ever imagined.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I love the crazy outfit,” state Sen. Gretchen Whitmer said. “She was running around, and I love her music. Her voice is so deep, and I really enjoyed it.”
Once Welch left and the crew set up, the much-anticipated moment had arrived. Larry Mullen Jr. walked up to the stage and sat down behind his drum kit. The Edge and Adam Clayton quickly followed, and as the crowd’s excitement filled the stadium, Bono came out.
Borrowing lines from David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” and Bruce Springsteen’s “The Promised Land,” the band stunned the 70,000-plus fans.
Performing songs like “Mysterious Ways,” “Get On Your Boots,” “Pride” and “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” and the band lived up to its reputation.
Bono truly charmed his audience by starting a “Go Green, Go White” chant and talking about the beauty of Michigan.
Before performing “Stay,” Bono said he wanted to bring the crowd together as if the stadium was an intimate pub, like when he performed at Dooley’s — now Harper’s Restaurant and Brewpub, 131 Albert Ave. — in 1981.
“U2 became our university, and Rolling Stone became our textbook,” Bono said.
Carrying through the night with “Walk On,” “One” and “Vertigo,” Bono’s athleticism and animation hid any signs of back problems from his surgery as the band took advantage of the 360-degree stage.
As the night went on, the ever-impressive screen expanded to the floor of the stage, lighting the stadium with a spectrum of colors as the band played “City of Blinding Lights.”
Playing through the encore with a disco ball glowing and sticking out of the stadium at the top of the stage, U2 reminded everyone why it receives international stardom and reassured everyone the show was worth waiting an extra year.
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