U2 w/ the Black Eyed Peas, Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, NV - 10/23/2009

Many moons ago, my girlfriend and I decided to head out to Vegas and see U2, as the closest they were playing otherwise was Chicago, and we both liked having an excuse to get back out to Vegas. I have mixed feelings about the city, but I always have a blast there.

We got in Thursday night and serendipitously were able to meet up with my cousin and his friend for dinner at the Strip House. I've eaten at the Strip House in NYC and had one of the better steaks of my life. This was probably not at that level but was fantastic ... a 16 oz. strip with blue cheese cooked on top. Not shabby. We ate around 10 PM Vegas time (1 AM our time) and didn't make it much later than that. We spent the weekend at the not-so-luxurious-but-reasonable-and-just-fine Bill's Gamblin' Hall and Saloon. I have a Player's Club card there (don't ask) and now get pretty crazy good promos from them. So we stayed on the cheap but saw shows and ate on the not-so-cheap.

Before the U2 show, we went hiking at Red Rock Canyon, which is only 25 miles from the Strip. Great hiking including a 6-mile loop around the White Rock area. We saw a ton of folks sport-climbing on the way in, too, which got me excited about a future trip. We then ate at In-N-Out Burger, which is always a treat. 2 for 2 on food selections thus far.

We then rested up and headed out to Sam Boyd Stadium for the big show. As we approached the stadium, we saw what looked like a UFO landing on the field. Turns out it was just the U2 stage. Seriously crazy ...



After a bit of wine in the parking lot, we headed in and got situated for the Black Eyed Peas, who were entertaining as hell. They've got a lot of hits, which is no news to anyone but someone like me who never listens to popular radio.



Then it was the big show. I saw U2 only once before this - back in high school at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, SC, with Big Audio Dynamite and Public Enemy opening up. We had 3rd row seats on the floor, which was just silly. The setlist back then (9/23/1992, according to www.U2setlists.com):

Zoo Station, The Fly, Even Better Than The Real Thing, Mysterious Ways, One, Until The End Of The World, New Year's Day, Wild Rover, Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World, Angel Of Harlem, When Love Comes To Town, Satellite Of Love, Slow Dancing, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet The Blue Sky, Running To Stand Still, Where The Streets Have No Name, Pride (In The Name Of Love), I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Stand By Me
encores: Desire, With Or Without You, Love Is Blindness, Can't Help Falling In Love

So this show was huge and hugely entertaining. It sounded great, it looked great, some moments were quite spine-tingling and, dare I say it, tear-inducing ("I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" was a big one). There's not a lot I can say that hasn't been said before about U2. Bono kept the proselytizing to a minimum. There were no miscues or misfires whatsoever, which is kind of amazing given the scope of this show. The setlist for this show:

Breathe, Get On Your Boots, Magnificent, Mysterious Ways, Beautiful Day, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For / Stand By Me (snippet) / Viva Las Vegas (snippet), Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of, No Line On The Horizon, Elevation, In A Little While, Unknown Caller, Until The End Of The World, The Unforgettable Fire, City Of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight, Sunday Bloody Sunday, MLK, Walk On
encores: One / Amazing Grace (snippet), Where The Streets Have No Name, Ultra Violet (Light My Way), With Or Without You, Moment of Surrender



Saturday included some gambling wins (bet on Ohio State to beat a 17-point spread against Minnesota and Vandy to keep within 13 points against South Carolina) and losses (blackjack) as well as seeing another friend during the afternoon. Nothing like catching up over beers in a casino. We had brunch at the Flamingo Paradise Garden Buffet as I had another comp thanks to Bill's ... it was pretty darn good, too.

But our dinner Saturday night at Nobhill was extraordinary. I cannot begin to describe how every aspect of this meal ... the food (Noelle had the Kurobuta pork chop with braised swiss chard, bacon lardons, toasted farro; I had the Atlantic salmon with shallot potato salad, roasted mushrooms, mustard) the crazy good house cocktails (esp. the Cablecar - Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum, orange curacao, fresh sweet and sour and simple syrup served up in a cinnamon and sugar-rimmed cocktail glass), the desserts, the wine ... it made me want to weep.

We finished things off seeing The Beatles: LOVE that night. A fantastic show if I do say so. Flying out Sunday morning was necessary, as being in Vegas wears me out, even when I don't do anything too crazy. A great trip ...