As U2 was about to perform the final number of their Chicago show the other night, Bono dedicated "Moment of Surrender" to former friend and personal assistant Greg Carroll who passed away twenty-five years ago this week. As the band finished the song Bono sang a snippet of "One Tree Hill", a song from 1987's The Joshua Tree written specifically for Carroll. The song has only been performed sporadically since being written and considering the level of perfectionism the band employs, I wasn't expecting them to do a full blown band version of the song; but they did. U2 is often maligned for their over-the-top spectacle and arena rock audaciousness but as the band dexterously made its way through "One Tree Hill", you couldn't help but be overcome with a sense of wonderment. At their best, U2 has always been a band about big ideas but whose songs appear to be written specifically for your experience. At Soldier Field earlier this week, the band delivered a twenty-five song set that wasn't just entertaining but downright exemplary.

When U2 kicked off their North American 360-spectacle in September of 2009, they commenced the tour (and every show) with a four pack of songs from their vastly underappreciated No Line on the Horizon. The key word in the previous sentence is "underappreciated". No Line was a sprawling and ambient record never destined to be performed in the largest music venues in the world, let alone in a daring four song opener amidst the largest crowds these stadiums have ever housed. You have to give U2 props for their (foolish?) audaciousness. Their reach is so wide that there are times where they strike out they at least do so swinging. However, the band took note and when they returned to US shores in May, a year later than had initially been expected, they streamlined their show into a more digestible feast ready made for stadiums. Instead of the tour being in its infancy, it's in its final sprint where the band arrives on stage as masters of the universe rather than a band still finding a groove where new and old mix seamlessly.

Larry Mullen Jr. stepped behind the drum kit and as he began to strike his drums his coolness spilled over onto not just the stage but to his other three band mates. Opening with a raucous four pack of songs from their 1991 release, Achtung Baby U2 captured the crowd's attention and never relinquished it for the next 145-minutes. The opening drum roll from Mullen on "Even Better than the Real Thing" educed a crowd reaction so vast it nearly swallowed the band whole. "The Fly" and "Mysterious Ways", despite being performed hundreds of times in the last two decades felt fresh with the band jumping out of their skin on the performances. "Until the End of the World" and their first single from 1979, "Out of Control" further solidified the confidence the band brought to the stage. Despite the largest concert stage ever built, the four members of U2 spent much of the first part of the show within reach of one another on the main stage. They stood shoulder-to-shoulder, eye-to-eye celebrating a collection of songs that have only gotten better with age. U2 showed us all there is an art to aging gracefully and these opening four numbers sounded larger-than-life in what could arguably be defined definitive performances of each song. Bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen Jr. laid the tracks while Bono and The Edge steamrolled over them on a musical locomotive with their towering vocals and stadium-conquering riffs.

"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is one of those rare number-one singles where the verse and chorus are sung by the crowd with Bono ever needing to let a word escape from his lips. Anyone can concoct a pop song that wraps itself around your head but how many can compose something that wraps itself around your heart? When The Joshua Tree was released in 1987, the band had back-to-back number one singles in "With or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I Am Looking For". Neither song fits into what I would consider a typical radio playlist. Even compared to their previous work, these songs are confessional declarations of the soul. Hitting number one didn't have to do with marketing so much as it is a testament to U2's ability to inspire.

Despite performing several well known classics, U2 also skimmed beneath the surface pulling lost nuggets of mystery proving they are still a band willing to take their audience on a roller coaster ride. "Stay (Faraway, So Close)", possibly the greatest U2 song that was never a hit, ascended into the Chicago night through as Bono and the Edge's voices melded evoking a sense of familiarity even to those within the crowd unfamiliar with the Zooropa tune. It is possibly the supreme amalgamation of their two voices in the entirety of the U2 catalog. "Miss Sarajevo" was understated and graceful with a reminder that even in the darkest of places, there is beauty abound. "Zooropa" was beautifully icy and tight which was performed on the main stage as a series of screens surrounded the band in the shape of a beehive. Adam Clayton's bass was especially expressive as an nuance of sentiment seeped through the moody meditation of the title track of their 1993 album with possibly, the greatest final line of all U2 songs; "She's gonna dream out loud". Zooropa and Pop are U2's most misunderstood records. The trippy echoes and production alienated some listeners, but more than anything, it appeared to have confused their audience simply because they didn't spend as much time with either record as they had with Achtung Baby. Even the hypnotic drums of "Scarlett" proved to be captivating. Despite the song's lack of a chorus (with only the word "Rejoice" being repeated) the song led marvelously into "Walk On".

"Sunday Bloody Sunday", "City of Blinding Lights", "Walk On" and "One" never seem to wear out their welcome because not just of the sweeping stature but because of how they make the listener feel; as if they were written just for you. "Pride (In the Name of Love)" found the crowd chanting the sing-a-long chorus long after the song had ended. The encores were nothing short of magnetic with the stadium erupting for the always stupendous "Where the Streets Have No Name", the wailing fade-out of voices on "With or Without You" and the piercing comic book noir of "Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me", which is being performed for the first time in thirteen years. Each and every moment took the crowd to a new level of not just excitement but exorcism.

It's no easy feat to craft something people can see themselves in, but to do it at U2's level isn't just scary it's astounding to see how well they do it. As the band tentatively began "One Tree Hill" the world's biggest and best stadium act took the crowd to a higher plane in a burning and utterly visceral experience. Much is made of the stage and theatrics that surround a U2 tour, but during "One Tree Hill", it was all broken down to the most basic elements; the music. We watched the band not merely perform this hymn, but bond as they paid respect to a lost but not forgotten friend. A tidal wave of emotion rippled through the audience. U2 fans tend to be forgiving of the band and the reason is because of moments like these. When Bono, Edge, Larry and Adam hit the stage, we don't merely believe we are watching a band but a group of friends who at their core profoundly love one another. They share their profits equally, when one encounters trouble, they all step off stage and wait for that member to find their place before returning to the spotlight. In a day and age where musicians air their dirty laundry daily, it's refreshing to witness a band that puts friendship first. In many ways, when we watch the four members of U2 on the concert stage, we see the best pieces of ourselves and it's a reminder of what we're capable of. Their music isn't merely a form of escapism but a reminder of our dreams. Most music is about finding yourself and uncovering your identity but U2's significance is grander. While they thrust the listener into expansive worlds they urge you to be a participant of life and not merely a spectator. Life consists of a gray canvas and it's up to us to color it. U2 always finds a way to brighten and bring out the best in each of us. While we may never finish the canvas we call life, we need to view our life the same way U2 views themselves as a band; "a work in progress".

Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network. His daily writings can be read at The Screen Door. He can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com and can be followed on Twitter