U2 Ends Tour on Red, White and Blue Note

By Stephen M. Silverman

Monday December 03, 2001 12:40 PM EST

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Brushing aside their past criticism of some American policies, socially active Irish rockers U2 ended their hugely successful "Elevation" tour Sunday night at Miami's American Airlines Arena, after having played to some 2 million fans in the U.S. and Europe. Sunday's show poignantly reflected the events that have shaken the world since the band set out nine months ago, especially since Sept. 11. "I'd like to say how much we love this country and we wish you safety and prosperity," lead singer Bono told the crowd at one point. Songs such as the vintage "Sunday Bloody Sunday," about political violence in Northern Ireland, were delivered with new fire and relevance in light of current events. During the song, Bono picked an Irish tricolor and a U.S. flag from fans in the crowd, tied them together, then buried his face in them. Though the singer has been performing gestures such as wrapping himself in an American flag onstage for many years, the gesture was greeted with cheers by the audience. The show moved to an emotional climax with the encore "One," a plea for peace and harmony, with Bono donning a New York Fire Department T-shirt as a screen behind the band scrolled the names of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks.