Saying it was sold out was an understatement for U2’s first of two shows in Detroit; on their seven month long “Vertigo” tour. A crowd of 21,000 filled the aisles and any open space possible to see the legendary Irish band deliver a stunning two hour set; with an array of visual and musical highpoints.

Complete with state of the art lighting and display system and a circular catwalk that spanned almost the entire width of the main floor; the band mixed some new tunes, classic hits and obscure material that most people hadn’t heard in decades, if ever.

Lead singer and cause-fighter Bono and the band gave the fans an “Entourage” moment as the band kicked off with “City of Blinding Lights”. If you remember the U2 episode of the show, you will know what this reviewer is talking about (fortunately; there was no “Happy Birthday, Johnny Drama” moment). From there; the band whipped through the tour’s namesake song, “Vertigo”, and followed by the early U2 smash “I Will Follow”.

As with past shows the band played with a solemn intensity that showed in slower tracks, such as “In A Little While”. The crowd itslef hit a vocal highpoint, in the always moving and poignant “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, as the crowd seemed to sing louder than Bono at certain points.

The older material seemed to be the fan’s favorites; with a loud reception for “Pride (In The Name of Love); and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”. The newer material was kept to a minimum, but the songs that were played fit well with the set, such as “Sometimes You Cant Make it On Your Own”.

Towards the end of the set, there was a short lull with a Bono improv stage banter story about guitarist The Edge being from outer space. Also, many messages about ending poverty and solving the world’s issues were slightly distracting. Where the famous Bono propaganda machine DID work was during “One”; where electronic displays scrolled down various countries’ flags, while Bono soothed the crowd with the tune.

The group took a mellower route during the encore; where the band went into “Walk On” (dedicated to a jailed Burmese political prisoner); an strictly acoustic “Stuck in A Moment”, and the always chilling “With or Without You”, which gave some good closure to the show; even though they played three more songs.

As usual, the band displayed why they are still one of the most important groups in rock. U2 has decided to stick with the honest music they have done well with for years. Even though it was hard to notice; the stage production lacked to over the top scale of the “PopMart”, and “ZooTV” tours. But this reviewer was a little surprised that more was not played from the “Achtung Baby” album. Even after 25 years; and numerous tours, U2 proves that a rock show can still seem important and meaningful.