U2 brings eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour to Las Vegas

Editor's Note: Robert Kinsler's eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour concert preview was originally published on The Orange County Register website on May 13, 2018. You can read Robert Kinsler's concert review of the May 12, 2018 concert here.

6 things to know about U2’s eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour that comes to the Forum this week

U2’s eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour comes to the Forum in Inglewood on May 15 and 16.
(Photo by Danny North)

By ROBERT KINSLER | rockwrite@yahoo.com | Orange County Register

PUBLISHED: May 13, 2018 at 10:01 am | UPDATED: May 13, 2018 at 11:24 am

For almost 40 years U2 has been thrilling audiences and connecting with new generations of listeners with compelling song craft and rousing performances while expertly capturing the pulse of current events and an ever-changing world along the way.

Both diehard and casual fans of U2 were justifiably pleased with The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 that was staged in massive stadiums throughout Europe and North and South America last year; that 51-date tour reportedly grossed $316 million and racked up 2.71 million in ticket sales. Compared to the two shows this writer caught in Vancouver and San Diego last year, the 2018 eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour is decidedly more intimate even while offering up dazzling sonic and visual thrills at every turn. Based on U2's second performance at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas this writer caught on Saturday (May 12), here are five key things to understand about the eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour that includes two upcoming stops at the Forum in Inglewood on Tuesday, May 15 and Wednesday, May 16.

U2’s eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour comes to the Forum in Inglewood on May 15 and 16.
(Photo by Danny North)

The Songs Remain the Same…and Not

Music fans that only know U2's radio hits or their beloved '80s and early '90s albums will certainly be treated to some favorites this time around. But it is a good idea to be at least familiar with the band's two most recent studio albums (2014's "Songs of Innocence" and

Bono as seen on the interactive screen.
Photo credit: Robert Kinsler

2017's "Songs of Experience"); almost half of the 25 songs performed in Las Vegas came off those two LPs. There have been a few new songs added (and others removed) in the first six dates of the tour, but there is a high chance those hitting the Forum this week will hear newer tracks such as "Love Is All We Have Left," "The Blackout" and "American Soul" as well as bona fide classics "I Will Follow," "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "One." U2 has also dug a bit deeper into its classic catalogue to feature the driving "Acrobat" from "Achtung Baby," which the Irish quartet had never performed live until the start of this tour on May 2, and "Staring At The Sun" (not performed by U2 in concert since 2001). As a result of focusing on newer and rarer gems, the band's 130-minute sets have been omitting much-loved concert staples such as "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," "With or Without You," "Bullet the Blue Sky" and (most surprisingly) "Where the Streets Have No Name."

An Intimate Affair

U2 works hard to connect with every member of the audience. On the "eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour" that effort includes performing a good chunk of the second half of the concert at a second stage on the opposite end of the main stage. In addition, because many concertgoers filled the seats located behind the main stage, both Bono and The Edge would frequently turn and perform for those folks. And because of the sparse and uncluttered design of the main stage, there were clear views of the proceedings from every corner of the venue.

Bono, left, with The Edge seen performing
"Acrobat" on May 12, 2018. Photo: Robert Kinsler

Technology on Display

While there was a secondary stage at U2's stadium shows in 2017, for many concertgoers the best views were watching the gigantic screens positioned above and around the main stage. Not this time around; the arena is essentially separated into two halves with a state-of-the-art video screen running the length of the floor that allows the band to actually perform within and below throughout the immersive screen. It is impressive.

U2, seen here performing on May 2, 2018, brings their eXPERIENCE
+ iNNOCENCE Tour to the Forum on May 15 and May 16, 2018.
Photo credit: Danny North

Political Theater

Anyone who has been to a U2 concert recognizes the band's commitment to the poor, social justice and women's equality. On this tour, the band continues to make its powerful points, in part via documentary footage of hate groups in the U.S. including Nazi and KKK rallies staged in recent years. The leads up to U2's performance of "Pride (in the Name of Love)" with images of the Martin Luther King Jr. and those opposing the hate groups offering the better side of the America Dream. There are obvious jabs at Donald Trump (at one point a Refugees Welcome" sign is projected overhead) as well as supporters of the Second Amendment notably with messages projected before and during the show. 

A massive screen was utilized throughout the concert in
Las Vegas on May 12. Photo credit: Robert Kinsler

Crowd Matters

Anyone who has gone to a concert where everyone is engaged (think Bruce Springsteen or Radiohead) and then caught a favorite classic rock act at the Pacific Amphitheatre knows the difference between a discerning audience and one that is there simply to party, go on beer runs and take selfies with their phones. U2 continues to strive to provide the musical might and immersive experience that makes it worth the time and money to get to a concert. There were countless times in Las Vegas when it was clear U2 sets the bar for how great a rock concert can be; a moment that stood out for yours truly was the crowd's unprompted and enthusiastic chanting vocals on the band's 2014 track "Raised by Wolves."

U2

U2 is that super rarefied top-tier classic band with its original line-up intact. Those going to U2 at the Forum will view that magical chemistry that happens when Bono (vocals), The Edge (guitar, keyboards), Adam Clayton (bass) and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums) join forces and create something very special. 

U2’s eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour

When: 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 15; 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 16

Where: 3900 W. Manchester Blvd.,  Inglewood

Tickets: $46-$176, plus fees

Information: ticketmaster.com