Elevation 2001: Live from Boston

Production

For the filming of U2’s Elevation 2001: Live from Boston, Hamish Hamilton directed while Ned O’Hanlon produced. O’Hanlon’s company, Dreamchaser Productions, had already handled two earlier U2 concert videos: Zoo TV: Live from Sydney and PopMart: Live from Mexico City. Drawing on that experience, O’Hanlon knew they would need two separate shoots to properly capture the show, calling such a double opportunity rare because of the high cost. The June 5 concert acted as a dress rehearsal for the crew, with the official filming set for the next night. As shown in the DVD’s “Making of” feature, that dry run did not meet everyone’s expectations.

Before the June 6 show, FleetCenter security chose certain fans from the general admission line and let them in early, ahead of people who had waited over 24 hours. Bono explained that this was meant to place local Bostonians at the center of the heart-shaped stage and to bring in a “fresh audience,” since many fans had been following the band from city to city, which he found “a little disorienting.” The move angered others in line, who believed the selected fans were chosen for prime camera spots because they looked more telegenic. During the concert, about 50 people inside the heart-shaped stage protested by turning their backs and sitting down, and their actions appear on the home video release. Earlier that same day, Bono gave a speech to Harvard University’s graduating class and received an honorary degree.

The DVD includes two Easter eggs: Bono Cam views of “Until the End of the World” and “Elevation” from the June 9, 2001 Boston show. Despite being labeled as from June 6, the DVD and VHS actually mix footage from June 5 and 6, with extra Bono Cam material from June 9.

Release and promotion

Part of U2's 6 June concert was televised on NBC during halftime of Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals, featuring a live performance of "Where the Streets Have No Name" and a pre-recorded performance of "Elevation". The video was released on a two-disc DVD set for US$32.98 and on VHS for US$19.98. In North America, Interscope Records gave retailer Best Buy a two-week exclusivity window starting 20 November 2001, before offering it to other retailers on 4 December. The promotion was proposed to the band by a consortium of media partners—DirecTV, VH1, Clear Channel Communications, and Best Buy—who committed US$10 million to market the video. The original proposal would have given Best Buy exclusive rights, but Interscope negotiated a reduced exclusivity. The concert was televised on VH1 on 24 November and on DirecTV on 2 December. Many retailers reacted negatively to the exclusivity agreement. Glen Ward, president of North American operations for Virgin Entertainment Group, said Interscope was acting irresponsibly and stated his chain would not sell Elevation 2001 or feature the band's album All That You Can't Leave Behind in promotions. Smaller merchants considered collaborating to send a unified statement, fearing the promotion would hurt independent stores.

Reception

Elevation 2001: Live from Boston received generally favourable reviews. Nick Lewis of the Calgary Herald praised the DVD, calling the set crisp and the song selection on point. Paul Connolly of The Times described the set as simple and gorgeous, calling the concert footage sublime. Curtis Ross of The Tampa Tribune said the video set a new standard for concert DVDs, noting the band eschewed pomp in favor of a direct, emotionally charged approach. Raoul Hernandez of The Austin Chronicle singled out "Kite" and "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" among new songs that often surpassed old favorites, and highlighted "I Will Follow" and the orgiastic end-run of "Bad", "Where the Streets Have No Name", and "Bullet the Blue Sky". Ben Wener of the Orange County Register called it a two-disc dazzler befitting the biggest tour of the year, praising the driving pacing, genuine between-song banter, and ideal mix of unavoidables and lesser-knowns.

Bonus features

Disc 1 includes "The Making of the Filming of 'Elevation 2001: Live from Boston'" and an Easter egg accessed by clicking a Bono head on the Dreamchaser logo in the credits, then entering "1 enter, 9 enter, 7 enter, 6 enter" on a flashing cube screen to view the first 4 minutes of "Elevation" from Bono's in-ear monitor audio. Disc 2 contains "Another Perspective" with alternative angles (fan cam, director cam), "Road Movie" time-lapse footage, additional tracks including "Beautiful Day" from Dublin (listed as Toronto), "Elevation" from Miami, and "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" from Hanover, Dublin, and France, plus trailers for Zoo TV: Live from Sydney and PopMart: Live from Mexico City. A second Easter egg in the help menu, entered as "1 enter 9 enter 9 enter 1 enter", plays "Until the End of the World" from the Bono Cam perspective.