{"id":292066,"date":"2023-09-30T16:46:38","date_gmt":"2023-09-30T21:46:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?p=292066"},"modified":"2023-10-03T00:12:41","modified_gmt":"2023-10-03T05:12:41","slug":"stars-show-for-u2-debut-at-sphere-las-vegas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/stars-show-for-u2-debut-at-sphere-las-vegas\/","title":{"rendered":"Stars Pack U2 Debut at Las Vegas Sphere"},"content":{"rendered":"

Not often in Las Vegas are the members of a headlining act far from the most famous people in the venue. But when U2 opened its “UV Achtung Baby” residency at the MSG Sphere on Friday night, it audience\u00a0included Jeff Bezos, Oprah Winfrey, and a childhood hero that the legendary Irish rock band’s singer made a confession to from the stage.<\/p>\n

\"Bono\"
Bono engages with the crowd on Sept. 29, 2023, the opening night of U2’s first Las Vegas residency. (Image: Rich Fury\/rockcellarmagazine.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cMacca is in our presence,\u201d Bono said from the stage, referring to Paul McCartney after U2 segued its song \u201cDesire\u201d into the Beatles\u2019 \u201cLove Me Do.\u201d<\/p>\n

It’s like having Mozart,\u201d<\/strong> he announced to McCartney. “Your songs will be played in a thousand years, dude. Just know that we love you, and we’ve stolen a lot of your songs.” (In the encore, U2 also took on the \u201cSgt. Pepper\u2019s\u201d reprise and \u201cBlackbird.\u201d)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Also lurking among the crowd were actors Matt Damon, Jon Hamm, Bryan Cranston, Orlando Bloom, and Neil Patrick Harris, as well as vocalists Katy Perry, Snoop Dogg, Jon Bon Jovi, and sports stars LeBron James and Oscar De La Joya — among many other luminaries.<\/p>\n

Even Better Than the Real Thing<\/h2>\n

But the real star was the Sphere itself. Las Vegas publicity firms have cried wolf overusing the word \u201cimmersive\u201d to describe their clients\u2019 latest attractions. But the visuals accompanying U2\u2019s two-hour at the $2.3 billion venue, displayed on a giant video screen that enveloped the audience,\u00a0were truly next-level.<\/p>\n

\"\"
This photo, shot with a fisheye lens from the floor as U2 performed, gives a true sense of what the Sphere’s screen can accomplish. (Image: Rich Fury\/rockcellarmagazine.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During U2\u2019s 2004 hit, \u201cVertigo,\u201d the screen\u2019s 260 million pixels created the illusion of two helicopters hovering above a desert landscape, shining spotlights on Bono.<\/p>\n

At another point, the screen transformed into the Las Vegas Strip at night, making the Sphere appear to vanish and leaving U2 performing outdoors.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a fancy pad,\u201d Bono said with sarcastic understatement.<\/p>\n

\"U2
This is NOT a photo of U2 performing an outdoor concert in Las Vegas. (Image: Facebook)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The audio was equally breathtaking, prompting Bono to thank MSG Entertainment owner James Dolan, who built the venue: \u201cI\u2019m thinking the that the Sphere may have come into existence because of Jim Dolan trying to solve the problem that The Beatles started when they played Shea Stadium. Nobody could hear you. You couldn\u2019t hear yourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bono, guitarist The Edge, bassist Adam Clayton and substitute drummer Bram van den Berg (filling in for a surgery-sidelined Larry Mullen, Jr.<\/a>) performed a slew of its obligatory hits on its imitation-turntable stage, as well as dropping in a Prince song and, for Vegas\u2019 sake, some Elvis and Sinatra. (The full setlist is below.)<\/p>\n

During the show, Bono said the band would play selections from a different album in each show. This is probably why the screen went dark during its four-song exploration of 1988\u2019s \u201cRattle and Hum.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band\u2019s 25-show residency, which runs through Dec. 16, is completely sold out.<\/p>\n

\u201cU2:UV\u201d Opening Night Setlist<\/h2>\n

\u201cAchtung Baby\u201d Part 1<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. \u201cZoo Station\u201d
\n2. \u201cThe Fly\u201d
\n3. \u201cEven Better Than the Real Thing\u201d
\n4. \u201cMysterious Ways\u201d
\n5. \u201cOne\u201d\/\u201dPurple Rain\u201d\/\u201dLove Me Tender\u201d
\n6. \u201cUntil the End of the World\u201d
\n7. \u201cWho\u2019s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses\u201d
\n8. \u201cTryin\u2019 to Throw Your Arms Around the World\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRattle and Hum\u201d Interlude (album to change nightly)<\/strong><\/p>\n

9. \u201cAll I Want Is You\u201d
\n10. \u201cDesire\u201d\/\u201dLove Me Do\u201d
\n11. \u201cAngel of Harlem\u201d\/\u201dInto the Mystic\u201d\/\u201dDancing in the Moonlight\u201d
\n12. \u201cLove Rescue Me\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAchtung Baby\u201d Part 2<\/strong><\/p>\n

13. \u201cSo Cruel\u201d
\n14. \u201cAcrobat\u201d
\n15. \u201cUltraviolet (Light My Way)\u201d
\n16. \u201cLove Is Blindness\u201d<\/p>\n

Encore<\/strong><\/p>\n

17. \u201cElevation\u201d\/\u201dMy Way\u201d
\n18. \u00a0\u201cAtomic City\u201d
\n19. \u201cVertigo\u201d
\n20. \u201cWhere the Streets Have No Name\u201d
\n21. \u201cWith or Without You\u201d
\n22. \u201cBeautiful Day\u201d\/\u201dSgt. Pepper\u2019s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)\u201d\/\u201dBlackbird\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Not often in Las Vegas are the members of a headlining act far from the most famous people in the venue. But when U2 opened its “UV Achtung Baby” residency at the MSG Sphere on Friday night, it audience\u00a0included Jeff Bezos, Oprah Winfrey, and a childhood hero that the legendary Irish rock band’s singer made […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":292068,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3313,81886],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nStars Pack U2 Debut at Las Vegas Sphere - Casino.org<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Not often in Las Vegas are the members of a headlining act far from the most famous people in the venue. 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