Elevation Tour
The Elevation Tour was a concert tour by the Irish rock band U2, launched to promote their 2000 album All That You Can't Leave Behind.[1]
Running from 24 March 2001 to 2 December 2001, the tour featured three legs—two in North America and one in Europe—totaling 113 shows across 14 countries and performing 51 unique songs a combined 2,334 times.[2][3]
The production emphasized intimacy with a heart-shaped catwalk stage encircling fans and shows starting under full arena lights to a remix of the title track "Elevation," marking a return to arena-scale events after larger stadium tours.[4][5]
Grossing $143 million from 2.18 million tickets, it ranked as the top-earning tour worldwide that year; the third North American leg, announced days before the September 11 attacks, incorporated tributes to the victims in subsequent performances.[4][6][4]
Background and Conception
Album Context and Tour Planning
All That You Can't Leave Behind, U2's tenth studio album, was released on October 30, 2000, in Europe and October 31, 2000, in North America.[7] The record represented a deliberate pivot from the experimental electronic elements and irony of the band's late-1990s work, particularly the 1997 album Pop, which had received a lukewarm commercial and critical reception.[8] [9] Producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, longtime collaborators, helped steer the band toward a more straightforward rock sound emphasizing emotional directness and anthemic structures, as evidenced in lead single "Beautiful Day," which topped charts in multiple countries upon its October 2000 release.[10] The album achieved significant commercial success, debuting at number one on charts in 22 countries and selling over 12 million copies worldwide, including 4.3 million in the United States.[11] In the US, it recorded U2's highest first-week sales to date with 428,000 units, surpassing previous records set by earlier releases like Pop.[12] This resurgence validated the band's strategy of reconnecting with core fans through accessible, guitar-driven tracks, contrasting the divisive abstraction of their prior phase.[13] Tour planning for the Elevation Tour began during the album's recording sessions in 1998–2000 at Dublin's Hanover Quay Studios, aligning production discussions with live performance concepts to ensure cohesion between studio output and stage delivery.[10] [14] The tour was formally announced on January 9, 2001, with an initial North American leg of arena shows commencing March 24, 2001, in Sunrise, Florida, and extending through June, followed by European dates that summer.[15] [16] Strategically, U2 opted for a stripped-down approach to counter the elaborate, irony-laden PopMart Tour (1997–1998), prioritizing intimacy and musical focus over theatrical spectacle—featuring a simple heart-shaped stage extension for closer fan interaction rather than massive props.[17] [18] This "back-to-basics" ethos, named after the album's track "Elevation," aimed to rebuild audience connection amid the post-Pop recovery, ultimately expanding to 113 shows across three legs upon strong initial demand.[14] [4]Post-Experimental Revival Strategy
Following the experimental electronic and postmodern elements of their 1990s albums such as Zooropa (1993) and Pop (1997), along with the elaborate PopMart Tour (1997–1998) featuring oversized props like a giant lemon and mirrored mirrorball stage, U2 pursued a deliberate revival strategy with All That You Can't Leave Behind and its supporting Elevation Tour.[19] Released on October 30, 2000, the album shifted toward a return to the band's rock foundations, emphasizing melodic songwriting and anthemic structures reminiscent of their pre-1990s work, as a response to perceived creative overextension in the prior decade.[19] The Elevation Tour, commencing on March 24, 2001, in Denver, Colorado, embodied this "back to basics" approach by prioritizing musical intimacy over technological spectacle.[17] Unlike the high-tech extravagance of prior tours—including live Sarajevo link-ups and Trabant cars—U2 opted for arena venues with a minimalist heart-shaped catwalk stage design that facilitated closer proximity to audiences, reducing barriers between band and fans.[20] Bono described the shift as focusing "simply the songs," with performances stripped of excessive production to highlight raw energy and direct interaction.[20][17] This strategy aimed to rekindle fan connection amid criticisms of the band's 1990s reinvention, which had alienated some core audiences despite critical acclaim. Warm-up shows, such as the February 17, 2001, performance at Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow, previewed the simplified format without giant screens or elaborate visuals, reinforcing a revival vibe centered on the quartet's live prowess. The tour's setlists blended new material from All That You Can't Leave Behind with classics from The Joshua Tree (1987) and earlier eras, fostering a narrative of artistic renewal that commercially succeeded, grossing over $110 million across 113 shows.[21][20] Critics noted the approach's effectiveness in restoring U2's stadium-rock stature, with the Elevation Tour's emphasis on emotional immediacy—exemplified by Bono's audience exhortations and unadorned renditions—contrasting the irony-laden detachment of 1990s productions.[21] This revival not only boosted album sales to over 12 million copies worldwide but also positioned U2 for sustained relevance, influencing subsequent tours like Vertigo (2005–2006) to balance intimacy with scale.[19]Production and Design
Stage and Technical Setup
The Elevation Tour's stage design emphasized intimacy and simplicity, departing from the elaborate productions of prior tours like PopMart. Crafted by architect Mark Fisher in collaboration with U2's longtime creative director Willie Williams, the setup centered on a heart-shaped catwalk that extended from the main platform, encircling a central open pit accommodating several hundred fans directly amid the performance area. This configuration allowed the band members to traverse the elongated runway, fostering close proximity to the audience while the stage itself rose 5 feet high at the base with 7-foot elevated wings, projecting approximately halfway into the arena floor.[5][14] Technical rigging supported the structure via ChainMaster Vario-Lift motors, enabling truss adjustments from 12 to 50 feet in height for versatile positioning. Overhead, a 20-foot-diameter circular truss spanned the central pit, augmented by four linear trusses—two at 48 feet and two at 54 feet—to accommodate lighting and video elements without overwhelming the minimalist aesthetic. The stage incorporated integrated channels, including 6-inch gutters along the runway edges housing 300 T3 quartz lamps for foundational illumination, underscoring the production's focus on organic band-audience interaction over spectacle. Fabrication was handled by Tait Towers, ensuring modular assembly suitable for rapid arena turnarounds across the tour's 113 shows from March to December 2001.[5][14] Video technical setup complemented the physical layout with a 13-piece LED wall, approximately 8 feet tall, positioned at the rear of the main stage to project visuals without dominating the foreground intimacy. Four E\T\C Audiovisuel PIGI projectors, augmented by custom mirror arrays, handled additional imagery curation under the direction of Catherine Owens, integrating seamlessly with the stage's contours. Control systems, including Avolites Pearl and Jands Hog 1000 consoles, facilitated pre-programming at Prelite Studios, prioritizing equipment efficiency to align with the tour's back-to-basics ethos as articulated by Williams: "I believe the ideas should come first, then you find the equipment to put them into play."[5]Lighting, Sound, and Visual Elements
The Elevation Tour featured a minimalist production approach emphasizing intimacy and raw performance, with lighting, sound, and visual elements designed to support this aesthetic without overwhelming spectacle. Lighting designer Willie Williams, who also served as show director, prioritized white light as the dominant element to evoke a sense of purity and focus on the band, incorporating limited colored washes for specific songs such as blue tones during "Mysterious Ways."[5] The rig included 54 Vari*Lite VL2416 units for primary wash lighting, supplemented by 24 customized LSD 4-way DWE Mole striplights, 300 T3 quartz footlights, and 400 Egg/Star strobes embedded in stage gutters for dynamic effects.[5] Custom elements like ripple drum machines from Light & Sound Design were used exclusively for "Bad," while 30 modified police beacons provided sweeping beams during "Where the Streets Have No Name."[5] Truss structures consisted of a 20-foot-diameter circular truss and four straight trusses (48-54 feet long), hoisted by ChainMaster Vario-Lift motors and controlled via Avolites Pearl and Jands Hog 1000 consoles.[5] Sound design was handled by Joe O'Herlihy, utilizing a Clair Brothers audio system tailored for arena coverage from the central heart-shaped stage. The main PA comprised two I-4 line arrays, each with six 8-cabinet columns and a 14-box "banana" configuration for even dispersion, augmented by 24 I-4B bass cabinets and P-2/ML18 subwoofers for low-end reinforcement, plus a P-4 center cluster.[14] Monitor mixes combined wedge speakers—such as 12-inch models for bassist Adam Clayton—with in-ear systems from Future Sonics to accommodate the band's mobility on the elongated stage.[14] Visual elements were subdued compared to prior tours, featuring a 13-panel video wall (8 feet high) supplied by XL Video that hydraulically rose from the stage center for select segments, displaying hand-drawn, organic imagery curated by Catherine Owens and her team of artists.[5] Four PIGI projectors from E\T\C Audiovisuel, equipped with custom mirrors, projected large-scale visuals onto arena surfaces and the audience for immersive effects.[5] Additional "Whales" screens (10 units) captured and relayed close-up band footage, while the overall design by architect Mark Fisher integrated these with the heart-shaped stage to maintain visual simplicity and audience proximity.[14][22]Tour Execution
Itinerary and Logistics
The Elevation Tour comprised 113 concerts across three legs, primarily in arena venues to emphasize intimacy amid high demand, spanning North America and Europe from March 24, 2001, to December 2, 2001.[3][1] The itinerary was coordinated by promoter Arthur Fogel, who managed routing efficiency and venue logistics for the band's return to smaller-scale productions following stadium-heavy prior tours.[23] The first leg focused on North America, running from March 24, 2001 (Sunrise, Florida), to June 25, 2001 (East Rutherford, New Jersey), with 50 shows in arenas such as the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim and the United Center in Chicago.[3] This phase sold out rapidly, prompting general admission "heart" areas near the stage for fan proximity, though logistics included security measures to handle crowds exceeding capacity expectations.[3] The second leg shifted to Europe from July 21, 2001 (Copenhagen, Denmark), to September 22, 2001 (Mannheim, Germany), encompassing 33 performances across cities like Birmingham, Paris, and Slane (Ireland), where an outdoor show accommodated 80,000 due to venue constraints.[3][4] Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the planned continuation of North American dates was postponed for safety and national mourning considerations, with the band participating in tribute events before resuming.[24] The third leg recommenced October 1, 2001, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and concluded December 2, 2001, in Miami, Florida, featuring 30 shows in venues including Madison Square Garden (New York City, three nights) and the Air Canada Centre (Toronto).[3][25] Logistical adjustments included enhanced security protocols and flexible scheduling to accommodate post-attack travel disruptions, while maintaining the tour's pared-down transport needs via a compact stage requiring fewer than later tours' 40+ trucks.[24] Overall, the routing prioritized regional clusters to reduce fatigue, covering 14 countries with minimal cancellations beyond the 9/11 impact.[1]| Leg | Region | Approximate Dates | Shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North America | March 24 – June 25, 2001 | 50 |
| 2 | Europe | July 21 – September 22, 2001 | 33 |
| 3 | North America | October 1 – December 2, 2001 | 30 |
Setlists and Performance Structure
The Elevation Tour's setlists primarily drew from U2's 2000 album All That You Can't Leave Behind, featuring up to 10 songs from it per show, alongside classics from earlier albums such as The Joshua Tree (six songs commonly played) and War (two to three tracks).[3] This emphasis marked a deliberate shift from the experimental, electronica-influenced sets of prior tours like PopMart, prioritizing high-energy rock anthems and fan favorites to foster intimacy on the heart-shaped stage.[26] Performances typically lasted 2 to 2.5 hours, structured as a continuous main set without formal breaks, followed by two encores that built to emotional crescendos, often closing with "Walk On" after its introduction mid-tour.[27] Opening with "Elevation" as the consistent tour opener—performed at all 113 shows—"Beautiful Day" immediately followed in nearly every concert, establishing an uplifting, arena-rock tone with minimal production effects to highlight the band's raw delivery.[28] Mid-set segments incorporated mid-tempo reflections like "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" and "Kite," interspersed with high-octane tracks such as "New Year's Day" and "I Will Follow," allowing Bono to engage the audience via the stage's catwalk extension into the crowd.[29] Snippets of covers or non-album tracks, including "Creep" by Radiohead or "Two Tribes" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, were frequently woven into songs like "Until the End of the World" for spontaneous variation, though core sequencing remained stable to maintain pacing.| Position | Typical Songs (Frequency Across Tour) |
|---|---|
| Opener | Elevation (113/113 shows) |
| Early Main Set | Beautiful Day (112), Until the End of the World (110), New Year's Day (95) |
| Mid-Main Set | Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of (102), Kite (78), Gone (70) |
| Later Main Set | I Will Follow (89), Sunday Bloody Sunday (65), In a Little While (60 post-9/11) |
| First Encore | Where the Streets Have No Name (108), Pride (In the Name of Love) (75) |
| Closer | Walk On (late-tour addition, 50+ shows), Bullet the Blue Sky (45) |