U2 3D

-Matt Frank

I’m not a big fan of U2’s latest album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. Their classic albums such as War are much better, so when I heard they had a recorded concert at the IMAX of them playing How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb in Buenos Aires I didn’t mark my calendar for it. However, when I read a spectacular review of it in the Austin American-Statesman and got invited to go, I thought, “Why not?”

My skepticism was proven very, very wrong. Everything about the show was amazing. First of all, U2’s performance was incredible to begin with. Bono, of course, was belting it out, running all over creation, interacting with the crowd. The lead guitarist was simultaneously playing guitar and piano and rocking at both of them, while also running around the stage. Needless to say all of the band members were extremely talented.

But this wasn’t even the best part of the performance. What made the show so amazing was the 3D part of it. The 3D effects are so realistic that halfway through the show, you catch yourself thinking that you are actually at the performance—especially when the camera view is coming from the middle of the crowd and it seems like you’re in the audience. However, this isn’t like a regular 3D show where every once in a while a dinosaur will pop out of the screen and the audience gasps and gives a nervous giggle. The 3D glasses are much bigger and the effects are constantly there every second of the concert. The reason the producers do this is so you quickly become accustomed to it, giving you a better feeling of actually being there. But not only do they make it look like you are there, they also play the music at concert-like volumes. However, the producers don’t stop there with the 3D. Another affect they add is having words that pop out during some of the songs to further convey the message of their music, but this doesn’t take away from the pragmatism of the performance like you might think as the realism of the regular 3D visuals keeps it in check. 

This is a show that you cannot pass up, what with all of the extraordinary aspects of the 3D and a cost that’s only a third of a regular concert price. How many chances will you have to see U2 live without actually being at their concert? More than likely, only this once.