The band 's 2001 Elevation Tour commenced in March , visiting North America and Europe across three legs . For the tour , U2 performed on a scaled-down stage , returning to arenas after nearly a decade of stadium productions . Mirroring the album 's themes of " emotional contact , connection , and communication " , the tour 's set was designed to afford the group greater proximity to their fans ; a heart-shaped ramp around the stage extended into the audience , encapsulating some concertgoers , and festival seating was offered in the US for the first time in the group 's history . During the tour , U2 headlined a pair of Slane Concerts in Ireland , playing to crowds of 80,000 . Following the September 11 attacks in the US , '' All That You Ca n't Leave Behind '' found added resonance with American audiences , as the album climbed in the charts and songs such as " Walk On " and " Peace on Earth " garnered radio airplay . In October , U2 performed at Madison Square Garden in New York City for the first time since the attacks . Bono and the Edge said these shows were among their most memorable and emotional performances . The Elevation Tour was the year 's top-earning North American tour , grossing US$ 109.7 million , the second-highest figure ever for a North American tour at the time ; in total , the tour grossed US$ 143.5 million globally from 2.18 million tickets sold . '' Spin '' named U2 the " Band of the Year " for 2001 , saying they had " schooled bands half their age about what a rock show could really accomplish "
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
U2