SOMERVILLE, Mass. — U2 shook a small city, and riled up a core of rabid fans, when it gave a private concert in a venue a tiny fraction of the size of the stadiums it plans to fill later this year.
The Irish rock band played the 1,000-seat Somerville Theatre in Davis Square on Wednesday night as fans swarmed the area, looking for a way into the show or for just a glimpse of the musicians. The group played five songs, four from its new album, “No Line on the Horizon.”
U2 was big in the Boston area before it was big everywhere, and played the Paradise club in Boston in 1980 during its first North American tour.
“This is where it all began for us, Boston, Mass.,” said lead singer Bono.
There were several days of rumors and speculation before the location for the concert was revealed. Tickets were long gone by showtime, many offered through local radio stations.
The theater is just one of the small venues U2 is playing as it promotes its new album.
