U2. Gillette Stadium. Foxborough, MA June 25, 2017

There aren't many bands that have the stature to do stadium tours anymore. You can probably count them on two hands and most of them are probably over the 30 year mark in their careers. It is a simple fact of the state of contemporary music that we don't create these kinds of icons anymore. Enough has been said of U2 and their politics and their music and their celebrity so I'm not even going to bother going in that direction. If you don't have any idea at this point then you probably aren't reading this review anyway. So click away as you wonder "U2 who?"

This is the 30th anniversary of their seminal album "The Joshua Tree," the album that catapulted them into the stratosphere of rock super stardom. It is also, in many ways, an album that speaks to the band's experiences with America in the 80s and as such cannot help but come across as a commentary on contemporary America. This juxtaposition was made evident several times during Sunday's show as I watched some audience members scream along with "Pride (In the Name of Love)" and then squirm when Bono spoke about Syrian refugees and showed images of women wearing a hijab on screen. Oh, and speaking of a screen, they had one. And it was MASSIVE! Billed as "the largest high-res LED video screen ever used in a touring show" the screen covered one entire end of Gillette Stadium. So, I'm gonna have to say that, yeah, it was the largest ever. And it was used to maximum effect. Long time collaborator, filmmaker Anton Corbijn produced a whole new series of videos and imagery to accompany the songs from "Joshua Tree." It added much needed bombast to a show that basically consisted of one rock and roll band. A very talented and popular band obviously but when your performing in front of sixty thousand people the actual people on stage disappear behind the spectacle.

While the whole "let's do a classic album" seems to have passed its prime, one of the most powerful aspects of this show was hearing those songs that spoke to the American experience 30 years ago and seeing how or if they resonated today. It is safe to say that "Mothers of the Disappeared" was pretty much one of the strongest moments. Accompanied by imagery of political prisoners it was a stark reminder of the political stance of the band then and now. And putting aside my cynic hat for a moment, it was actually refreshing to hear words of inclusion and the power of people to affect change. Especially when several people around me were visibly cringing and looking disgusted when Bono spoke truth to power. Oh I'm sorry, you're just now realizing that U2 is a political band? It was one of those moments when you realize that some people only want to hear a song they don't actually want to hear the words. It was a reminder that while Massachusetts is a blue state there are some Trump people out there and hearing Bono talk about helping people and fighting AIDS just straight up made them uncomfortable (there was a special area set up close to the stage that was occupied by people and organizations that work with those with HIV/AIDS which was a nice touch).

Aside from the "Joshua Tree" material the show was bookended by older work in the beginning (with them playing "clublike" on a smaller stage in the center of the stadium and newer songs during the encore. U2 closed out the concert with the one new song, "The Little Things That Give You Away" (from their forthcoming album "Songs of Experience") that sadly played as most people were filing out. It was a nice little coda to the show and a nod to the bands close relationship to the Boston area, having made their U.S. debut decades ago at the Paradise Rock Club. Boston takes a certain kind of ownership of U2 and the band really did their best to connect with the audience despite the monstrous scale of the setting and the band itself nowadays.

For more on U2, visit the band's website.