U2 Closes Las Vegas Sphere Residency With A Host Of Famous Friends
U2 has officially finished their residency in Las Vegas–the first of its kind. The band introduced the world to the city’s new high-tech venue, The Sphere, which has hosted the rockers for months now. At the final show in their successful run, the Irish outfit played to a sold-out crowd of superfans, mixing things up and welcoming a number of celebrities who were in the audience.
Perhaps most exciting for the general crowd was the fact that the First Lady, Jill Biden, was at the concert. Her husband was in Las Vegas for a work event, and she apparently took in U2’s residency. Frontman Bono let the audience know who was sitting amongst them when he dedicated the song “All I Want Is You” to “to all the great women in our lives–our partners, our mothers, our daughters, all the women on the U2 crew,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. He also made sure to mention “all the great women in our audience that we feel we know,” and even, in typical form, became slightly political–though vaguely—by adding, “and all the great women in parts of the world going through very difficult circumstances that we could never know.”
He then quickly pointed out “one woman in particular who is with us tonight.” He referred to her first as “a teacher,” before finally giving away the exciting news: “She’s your First Lady, so this is for Jill Biden.”
The First Lady of the United States was not the only well-known figure who was in attendance at Saturday night’s (March 2) last performance of the U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency. The band also welcomed their sometimes-producer, Daniel Lanois, who has worked with them on some of their most iconic releases, including the one the run of shows is named for.
“There would be no Achtung Baby without Daniel Lanois,” Bono commented matter-of-factly, and he’s right. Lanois produced the classic album alongside Brian Eno, who is similarly revered in the rock world, especially for his work with U2. In addition to Achtung Baby, Lanois also helped produce fellow U2 favorites like The Joshua Tree, All That You Can’t Leave Behind, and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, among others.
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