During my recent stay at the homestead that included virtually uninterrupted contact with my wife of nearly 14 years, my 3.75 year old and my newborn, it came to our attention that it was pretty amazing that we (the wife and I, that is) didn't have one single fight or (to the best of my recollection) even a disagreement in that time.

As a matter of fact, we were both pretty bummed about me having to go back to work instead of being able to be at home with her.

That said, I'd have much MUCH rather have been at work in November and December than doing what I was doing as it relates to my surgery, but it was still kind of an eye opener to know that even after all of these years, we're still great friends too and enjoy each other's company so much.

Also, during an early part of my recovery and during a trip either to or from St. Joe's for either a consultation, a checkup, or something else, we got on the topic of talking about U2's Joshua Tree album.

(Come to think of it, it may have been during either one of my days coming home from the hospital or from the ER).

Anyway, 99x was playing stuff from people's iPods and this guy submitted a series of live cuts or possibly a bootleg of a show from the Joshua Tree tour in 1987 or so.

(For a point of reference, the wife and I both attended the December 8th show in 1987 at the Omni which was the first of two shows here in the ATL. We didn't go together or even know the other one was there, yet we were only about 5 seats, one row and an aisle apart).

Anywho, even listening to the show now, nearly 20 years later, we were both taken aback by how powerful the performance was and how moving an experience it had been. Here's the set list from that night:

Where The Streets Have No Name
I Will Follow
Trip Through Your Wires
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For / Exodus (snippet)
MLK
The Unforgettable Fire
Bullet The Blue Sky
Running To Stand Still
People Get Ready
Bad / Ruby Tuesday (snippet)
Sympathy For The Devil (snippet)
Out Of Control
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Exit / Riders On The Storm (snippet) / Van Morrison's Gloria (snippet)
In God's Country
Pride (In The Name Of Love)

encores:
With Or Without You
New Year's Day
40 / Help (snippet)


Now, how amazing is THAT?

I mean, it's not even that the show was 95 percent hits, but they were songs that were meaningful and powerful (at least to me) and I'm amazed that they still hold up today. I would kill for a bootleg of that show or even from that tour as good as that was.

I remember sitting there on the inside aisle of the 3rd row about halfway thru the show and thinking that this was as close to a religious experience as I'd ever experienced, and later I found out that the wife was thinking the same thing.

Oh, and in case you think that show was a fluke or that the band mailed in the same setlist every night, here's the one from the next night at the Omni (where tickets were going for over $500 bucks a piece, which was unheard of in the days before teh internets and the information superhighway):

Where The Streets Have No Name
I Will Follow
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For / Exodus (snippet)
MLK
One Tree Hill
Gloria
Exit / Riders On The Storm (snippet) / Van Morrison's Gloria (snippet) / Silver And Gold (snippet)
In God's Country
Helter Skelter
Help
Bad / Candle In The Wind (snippet)
Bullet The Blue Sky
Running To Stand Still
Sunday Bloody Sunday
New Year's Day
Pride (In The Name Of Love)

encores: With Or Without You / Shine Like Stars (snippet)
People Get Ready
40 / Do They Know It's Christmas (snippet) / We Are The World (snippet)

See? Sure, there are similar songs in both, but that's a show that's not only chock full instead of the 13 song shows you get today for $48 bucks, but it's dynamic and almost a living thing.

Why am I writing about this? I have no idea. It just came into my head and I thought it might provoke some thoughts in a reader or two about moving or powerful shows they've seen or heard.