Looking back: U2 played Autzen Stadium in Eugene in 1997. The Register-Guard was there

The Irish rock ’n' roll sensation U2 kicked off its U.S. PopMart Tour in Las Vegas in 1997 and two weeks later brought the show to Autzen Stadium in Eugene for its fifth stop.

The Register-Guard sent a reporter and photographer to Las Vegas that year for the April 25 show at Sam Boyd Stadium for an advance story leading up to the Eugene performance on May 6.

The stage during the tour featured a yellow arch, LED TV screens, a 40-foot lemon and a raised stage that allowed performers to interact with fans in the front rows of seating.

The height of the speaker array may have contributed to the nearly 150 formal noise complaints to Eugene Police during the show.

Crowd estimates for the Eugene show at Autzen Stadium were between 26,000 and 35,000.

See the gallery above for a trip down memory lane.

Contact photographer Chris Pietsch at chris.pietsch@registerguard.com , or follow him on Twitter @ChrisPietsch and Instagram @chrispietsch

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Looking back: U2 played Autzen Stadium in Eugene in 1997. The Register-Guard was there