Vegas: January 2024: Day 2: U2

Vegas

January 2024: Day 2

Morning over Las Vegas.

Overview of the menu at Mikiya.

Got this one.

Full spread of dipping sauces.

Octopus salad. Nom. Wasabi FTW.

Beef tartare was okay.

Waygu nigiri was forgettable as well.

Pearl is very excited.

I think this is the Australian waygu chuck ribeye.

Veggies and seafood. Seafood is good but kind of distracting, and the crab was not properly cracked.

I think this is the Australian waygu brisket.

I think this is the Australian waygu shoulder cut.

Dipping.

Fried buns and ice cream with condensed milk for dessert. Inside.

Inside.

A beautiful freezer.

Full of Miyazaki waygu grade 5.

Outside.

Dragon for Lunar New Year inside Caesar's Palace.

Pisa Pizza at the Grand Bazaar Shops (the former Bally's).

Grand Bazaar Shops.

Pizza is pretty meh.

Back to The Sphere.

Heading up to the upper levels.

Show is about to start.

View from section 300's.

You can really appreciate the scale of Sphere from unobstructed seats.

U2 takes full advantage of what The Sphere can do.

Elaborate visuals.

Bit more conventional with rapidly spinning lights.

Phones out, lights on.

So many lights as you zoom over the landscape.

Bono just touching the crowd. (and almost getting pulled in!)

Video screen flames have never looked so real.

Fireworks? Embers? Whatever it is, it is impressive.

Many many bright lights too.

Simulated balloon (with actual rope dangling).

Even the stage floor itself is a visual.

Tried to get a pano of this and failed.

Don't forget to look up.

Simulating nature landing everywhere. Just as impressive the second time.

Deconstructing Las Vegas.

Bono looks like a superhero in this scene. Target?

Target?

The desert landscape and a gassy/smoky pole?

With or Without You.

Beautiful Day.

Crazy U2 fans.

Pearl's early morning arrival in Vegas meant time to hit Eggslut (still good, almost as good as the OG one!), soak in the view from the terrace, get some work done, and then off to Mikiya for lunch.

Mikiya, part of the growing Chubby Cattle brand, slots in as fairly affordable hot pot/shabu shabu. Their higher-end menu options at Mikiya do get a little more pricey, but still not too bad (not nearly as crazy as The X Pot!), and the collection of American, Australian, and Japanese waygu on the respective menus (basic, Silver, Gold) is impressive. The seafood platter was kind of distracting, but the overall experience is pretty good. Like the seafood, the beef tartate and the waygu nigiri were more forgettable than anything, although the manager (Jon?)'s suggestion of ice cream with the fried buns and condensed milk was genius.

Dinner before seeing U2 at Sphere was the decidedly unimpressive Pisa Pizza, but honestly, no one expects good pizza on that part of the strip. Speed was key because we didin't want to miss the concert-- and as always, U2 puts on a staggering performance at Sphere. Almost the same set as the last time, with some minor changes to the visuals... but this time we had seats instead of GA's (floor), and the unobstructed view from center section 300's-- along with the added distance from the stage vs. GA's-- lets you take in just how impressive the interior visuals of Sphere are.

You can also see that the floor of the stage itself is used as a visual from the seats, which does add another dimension to the experience. Like the first time, the second time is can still only be described as impressive.

Setlist via setlist.fm:
Zoo Station
The Fly
Even Better Than the Real Thing
Mysterious Ways
One
Until the End of the World
Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World

All I Want Is You
Two Hearts Beat as One
Seconds
Don't Dream It's Over (Crowded House cover)

Acrobat
So Cruel
Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
Love Is Blindness

Elevation
Atomic City
Vertigo
Where the Streets Have No Name
With or Without You
Beautiful Day