Okay, I admit it. U2 rocks.

Sure, I knew they were a great band with staying power and that Bono has been doing great political things with his star power.

And I have a sentimental fondness for them because theirs was one of the first records (The Joshua Tree) my brother ever received that belonged to him alone. And they were one of the first groups I downloaded onto my iPod (and onto iTunes back on my Wesleyan computer, so Di and I could sing along when they came on).

But I didn’t understand until tonight what a good show they could put on.

In my mind, you go to a live show to get an experience you couldn’t get at home listening to a cd in the comfort of your living room. The second time I saw Sting? Could have saved $35 and stayed home with the stereo.

But this show was great. They maintained a nice blend of showmanship with audience interaction. and walked with ease the fine line between old and new songs. They also did a nice job tweaking the songs enough to make them fresh, but without altering them so much you couldn’t enjoy your favorite song. And Bono preached to the crowd a bit, but in a complimentary, empowering way.

The best moment for me was when Bono and the Edge came out to do a couple songs by themselves. The Edge pulled out the acoustic guitar and they did a gorgeous rendition of “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get out of,” which they dedicated to Michael Hutchence of INXS.

(Thanks to Rudi for inviting me to go with him to the concert and for putting up with my whining about being on the floor in inappropriate footwear.)