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U2 at the Silverdome: Even Better Than the Real Thing [Video]
The Popmart tour took U2 around the world, but those who were in Detroit on Halloween of 1997 will always remember the show on Larry Mullen Jr.'s birthday.
Many of rock's legendary acts played the Pontiac Silverdome over its lifetime. The Who opened the venue on December 6, 1975. Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band would play for the first of many times in '76. Led Zeppelin and Peter Frampton played in 1977 at the height of their careers, with the Rolling Stones, KISS, Pink Floyd, and Bruce Springsteen all playing at least one night at the 'Dome. Monsters of Rock was huge in 1988 with Van Halen, Metallica, Scorpions, Dokken and Kingdom Come and when it was time to ring in the new year, it was time for Whiplash Bash and the Motor City Madman Ted Nugent at the Silverdome.
Superstars U2 were there on the Joshua Tree tour in 1987 and returned to the Pontiac Silverdome ten years later for the Popmart trek. It was Halloween, and bassist Larry Mullen Jr.'s 36th birthday. In fact, during "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," Bono led a chorus of "Happy Birthday." The setlist encompassed 16 songs, plus 2 encores, comprising 23 songs in all, making it a night to remember.
U2 at the Pontiac Silverdome | 10/31/1997 | setlist.fm
- Mofo
- I Will Follow
- Gone
- Even Better Than the Real Thing
- Last Night on Earth
- Until the End of the World
- New Year's Day
- Pride (In the Name of Love)
- I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
- All I Want Is You
- Desire
- Staring at the Sun
- Sunday Bloody Sunday
- Bullet the Blue Sky
- Please
- Where the Streets Have No Name
- Discotheque
- If You Wear That Velvet Dress
- With or Without You
- Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
- Mysterious Ways
- One
- Wake Up Dead Man
Like the Zoo TV tour, Popmart was a huge stage production with a 100' high golden arch, 165' wide LED screen and the gigantic mirror-ball lemon. Watch video of the entire show from the Pontiac Silverdome on 10/31/1997 below.
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