U2 to the Max, plus tips

U2 TO THE MAX

I haven’t seen many 3D movies, but I’m a willing learner when it comes to the new concert version of U2’s last tour in South America. Entitled “U2 3D,’’ it’s a true must-see for U2 fans. It is booked into the IMAX Theatres (in Boston, Natick, and Reading) until Feb. 13, so pack up your family and/or friends and treat yourself to a new way of appreciating this increasingly global band.
Can you believe this film is produced by the National Geographic? Neither could I, but no complaints. Any skepticism vanished immediately when I sat down at the Natick IMAX and my seat vibrated from the excellent sound system and I nearly had Bono in my lap during the opening song, “Vertigo.’’
The 3D effects (thanks to oversized yellow glasses that everyone gets at the ticket counter) made it seem as if you could touch Bono as he reached out in his patented, open-hearted way. The band’s LED lights jumped off the screen and twinkled somewhere around your ears, while your face was suddenly greeted with The Edge’s guitar, so close that you felt you could strum a couple of chords with him or sing harmonies into his microphone. The giddy feeling was felt throughout the show, which started in Buenos Aires and incorporated footage from several other stadiums on the Southern hemisphere.
A unique moment came with the scrolling of the Declaration of Human Rights on the LED screen – a staple of the group’s previous American tour – but this time it was in Spanish. A nice touch. And Bono often spoke Spanish within the songs and between them. I didn’t know he was this multi-lingual.
The songs crunched through the IMAX’s ridiculously powerful speakers – “New Year’s Day,’’ “Sunday Bloody Sunday’’ and “Pride (in the Name of Love),’’ stood out. But another great touch was having cameras placed in the general-admission crowd area in front of the stage, so the view was of the outstretched arms of the fans – and the 3D effects put you right in the middle of it. I’m as big a lover of U2 as anyone, but this gave me a new way to enjoy them and I intend to go back and see it again.

CRITIC’S TIPS
G Love & Special Sauce – at Lupo’s in Providence on Friday, Jan. 25.

Sticky – at Toad on Friday, Jan. 25. A reunion of one of Boston’s most fun-loving roots bands. Member Jonas Kahn also books the up-and-coming Sally O’Brien’s Bar in Somerville.

Miss Tess – at the Plough & Stars on Saturday, Jan. 26. A personal favorite, Miss Tess is a kind of latter-day Bonnie Raitt with colorful doses of New Orleans-steeped festivity.

Age Against the Machine – at T.T. the Bear’s on Saturday, Jan. 26. Hey, cut these guys a break. They’re local veterans paying tribute to Rage Against the Machine and they’re purported to be quite good.

Xavier Rudd – at the Paradise Rock Club on Wednesday, Jan. 30. The singer-songwriter from Australia is a unique talent, to say the least.

Lenny Kravitz – at the Orpheum on Thursday, Jan. 31. Lenny is almost money in the bank when it comes to rocking a crowd with classic-rock style and showmanship.