Archive for the Adam Clayton Category

360 in Las Vegas 2009

Posted in 'On the Road with U2', 360 (2009), Adam Clayton, Bono, Larry Mullen, The Edge, Tours, U2 with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 22, 2011 by DeenasDays

Friday October 23, 2009 – U2 Las Vegas

I flew into Vegas around 10am (cst), waited an hour to get my rental car and got to the hotel around 12:30 (pst). Tasha and I had lunch at the Red Rocks casino buffet where we were staying, and we were at Sam Boyd Stadium at the University of Las Vegas by 3. We saw Ruth, Melissa and Matt (who just married), Babette, Ayaz, Otto, Melissa. Bono stopped and signed autographs and talked with everyone waiting. Unfortunately, we were stuck behind the fence, so we just got pictures.

view from our room at Red Rock casino

U2 360 in Vegas

U2 arrives in Vegas

Bono stops to chat

U2 360 Las Vegas 10.23.09

This is my favorite show of the tour – Tasha’s too! It was so relaxing and we were at the rail – side of Adam. Same set list as Oklahoma, except Bono sang ‘Viva Las Vegas’ after ‘Still Haven’t Found/Stand By Me.’ And during the band introductions before ‘Still Haven’t Found’ he called Larry the ‘Elvis of U2.’ And the vocals were really loud, so I could really hear Larry’s ‘Hey Hey Heys’ during ‘Boots’ again. I left the front rail at the end of ‘Vertigo’ so I could see Larry start ‘I’ll Go Crazy.’ I was back there alone again wearing my Larry Mullen Band tee but I wasn’t jumping and screaming this time, but he still saw me, smiled and waved. And then he went right instead of left, so I could follow him! I stayed back and watched the rest of the show behind the stage. He was facing the back during ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday.’ Then Bono came back and was singing to me. I took so many pictures of Larry behind the stage. I love it back there. Black Eyed Peas opened again, but they weren’t as good as they were in Oklahoma. Bill Clinton was at the show, but we didn’t see him. Larry’s dad was there too, but we didn’t see him either. We thought U2 would come out after the show, but they didn’t. Vegas set list:
   Breathe
   Get on Your Boots
   Magnificent
   Mysterious Ways
   Beautiful Day / In God’s Country / Fix You
   (band intros – Larry as Elvis)
   Still haven’t Found / Stand By Me / Viva Las Vegas
   Stuck in a Moment
   No Line on the Horizon
   Elevation
   In a Little While
   Unknown caller
   Until the End of the World
   Unforgettable Fire
   City of Blinding Lights
   Vertigo / All These Things Ive Done
   I’ll Go Crazy (larry waved to me)
   Sunday Bloody Sunday
   MLK
   Walk On / You’ll Never Walk Alone
   One / Amazing Grace
   Streets
   Ultra Violet
   With or Without you
   Moment of Surrender

our view at the rail

BEP in Vegas

HEY HEY HEY!

Get on Your Boots

Larry Mullen Jr right behind you

Adam

Larry beginning of I'll Go Crazy right after he smiled and waved at me

Larry Sunday Bloody Sunday

Bono Sunday Bloody Sunday

Larry and Bono Sunday Bloody Sunday

Moment of Surrender

The U2 tour for this year is over, but it was great! My shows in order 1 Vegas, 2 DC/Oklahoma, 3 Chicago1, 4 Raleigh, 5 chicago 2, 6 atlanta, 7 Charlottesville. Now its Elvis and Vegas the rest of the weekend! Hopefully my fat burger veggie burger will settle soon and I’ll get tired and fall asleep.

 

Saturday October 24, 2009

Woke up at 8am, got ready and hit the slots. Played for about 2 hours and was down $33. Tasha woke up and we went to lunch at 11:30. We went downtown to Freemont Street to recreate the Still Haven’t Found video. I saw Joe Espisito, met him, and he autographed his picture book ‘Elvis Intimate and Rare.’ I was wearing an Elvis tee which he said he liked – twice. I told him I lived in Memphis. I asked if he was going to be there for birthday week, but he said he was going to be in Vegas for the opening of Viva Elvis Cirque de Soleil show. It was SO cool to meet Joe, and so unexpected! I was SO excited and nervous.

i finally saw the Vegas sign - only took me 3 visits

didn't even know about this downtown vegas sign

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

Joe Espisito

talking with Joe while he autographs his book

thank you Joe!

Got back to room after midnight. Had a wonderful Italian dinner with Tasha and her co-workers. So yummy! Then we played the slots for about 4 hours. I was down about $150. but at the end I’m up $33., so now tomorrow I’ll head to the Strip with $400 tomorrow!

Sunday October 25, 2009

So tired. Been a great 3 full days in Vegas, but I am happy to go home and not travel until Christmas. Tasha and I had pizza for breakfast then gambled for a couple of hours – she’s totally hooked now! She went to her meeting, and I went to the Strip. I gambled from 1:30 to 9:30 and lost $300. I was going to lose $440, but hit $170 on my last spin. I gambled in Ballys, Billy Bobs, Flamingo, Harrah’s, Imperial, Paris. I really love Ballys. I found Happy Days slots – 3 different versions. So cool! I left for the airport early because everyone said it was be so crowded. It’s empty. So I’ve eaten and now have 2 more hours to wait for my plane.

the 2nd happiest place on earth

Happy Days slots!

love the flamingo!

 

If you would like to see all my pictures from Las Vegas, please click http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=119169&id=734599167&l=b7991603d5 or the link on the right of my homepage U2 360 2009 Tour pics.

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360 in Oklahoma 2009

Posted in 'On the Road with U2', 360 (2009), Adam Clayton, Bono, Concerts, Larry Mullen, The Edge, Tours, U2 with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 21, 2011 by DeenasDays

Friday October 16, 2009

Tonight Tasha flies in and then we head to Oklahoma. We’re gonna drive a few hours tonight and hit Stillwater tomorrow. Robin Ventura is getting inducted into the OSU Hall of Fame. He is Tasha’s favorite. He’s going to be in the parade. Then we’re going onto the Riverwind Casino that night in Norman. The U2 show is Sunday, Tasha’s birthday, at the University of Oklahoma. Then back to Memphis Monday and Tasha is staying through Wednesday.  

Saturday October 17, 2009

What a day we’ve had! We left Ft. Smith, AR just before 9am. We arrived in Stillwater, OK around 11:30am. We were at OSU for their Sea of Orange Homecoming parade because Robin Ventura (tasha’s favorite), Garth Brooks and Barry Sanders were grand marshals of the parade and being inducted to the OSU Hall of Fame because they all went to school there. So after circling the campus a few times, we decided to park and eat lunch at Panera. Then we walked to where the parade began and waited for Robin, Garth and Barry to arrive and get into their cars, and then we followed along side them in the parade. After the parade, we followed this girl to the stadium where we discovered Robin, Garth, Barry were inside doing a press conference. They came out and we got to meet them. Robin came out first. I asked him ‘Will you please take a picture with her (tasha)? Her birthday is tomorrow.’ He said, ‘Yes.’ And put his arm around her tightly and said, ‘Happy Birthday early.’ I got the picture then they dispersed, so I only got one. We didn’t actually speak to Garth Brooks or Barry Sanders, but we got pictures.

OSU Sea of Orange Parade

the parade begins

Tasha and Robin

Garth Brooks, Barry Sanders, Robin Ventura

We headed for Norman, OK at the University of Oklahoma where the U2 show is tomorrow night. We went to the stadium to see the stage. We saw The Claw, but couldn’t tell if it was in the middle or one of the endzones. Then we came to our hotel at Riverwind Casino. We had a yummy dinner at the buffet then played some slots: devil something, star wars, fish something and viva las Vegas. I came out $30 ahead. I’ll probably go back in the morning. Now we’re in our hotel room watching the OSU game with hopes of seeing Robin.

The Claw in Norman

Sunday October 18, 2009 – U2 Norman

Tasha’s birthday was a good day. In the morning, we had our free breakfast buffet at the casino, and then I played the slots for over 2 hours while Tasha watched. I only lost $100 though. Not too bad. In the afternoon, we stayed in the hotel room watching football and eating pizza. We left for the show at the University of Oklahoma around 2:15. No traffic, easy parking. Waited out for the band. They arrived a little after 5. Bono rolled down his window and waved, but no one else did. Then we went into Oklahoma Memorial Stadium after the GA line. The stage was in the middle of the field, which is actually 360 – finally! But the circle almost took up the entire GA section. Not only was the stage in the middle of the field, but it faced the sidelines, not the endzone. The people in the front row of the seats, which were bleachers, were almost at the catwalk.

U2 360 Norman 10.18.09

U2 OKU parking pass

U2 arrive in Norman

true 360 stage in Norman (not my pic)

This was my favorite show along with DC – definitely better than Raleigh. I had the same relaxed, happy feeling I did at the DC show. Highlight of this show was during ‘I’ll Go Crazy,’ I went behind the stage where Larry was going to be with his conga. Wearing my Larry Mullen Band tee, jumping up and down yelling Larry, and being the only one back there, Larry saw me, waved and nodded! Highlight/different songs were ‘In a Little While’, ‘Unknown Caller’ was back, ‘Until the End of the World’. We stood Adam side – directly side stage. We had plenty of room to stand and move around, which I did every time Larry did. I went behind the stage when Larry turned back for ‘Beautiful Day’ and ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday.’ Black Eyed Peas opened and were really good, better than Snow Patrol and Muse. The set list was:
    Breathe (behind stage to watch Larry walk in)
    Get on Your Boots
    Magnificent
    Mysterious Ways
    Beautiful Day/GodOnlyKnows(behind stage to watch Larry)
    Still Haven’t Found / Stand By Me
    Stuck in a Moment
    No Line on the Horizon
    Elevation
    In a Little While (total surprise)
    Unknown Caller (finally back)
    Until the End of the World (always fun)
    Unforgettable Fire
    City of Blinding Lights
    Vertigo
    I’ll Go Crazy (behind stage-Larry waves,smile,nods at me)
    Sunday Bloody Sunday (behind stage to watch Larry)
    MLK
    Walk On – You’ll Never Walk Alone
    One / Amazing Grace
    Streets
    Ultraviolet
    With or Without You
    Moment of Surrender (I yell Larry, he looks n leaves)
So the Norman show was amazing! One more u2 show and it’s all over – until next year!

our view from inside oklahoma memorial stadium

Black Eyed Peas open

Tasha and Paul McGuinness

LET ME IN THE SOUND!

Bono up and down

Tasha taking Adam's picture

Beautiful Day

Bono

Unknown Caller is back!

Bono between Adam's legs

Bono kisses Adam

Until the End of the World

right after Larry smiled, nodded and waved at me

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Yay!

Goodbye Norman

If you would like to see all of my pictures from U2 in Oklahoma (yes there are more), please click http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=116432&id=734599167&l=9be78eb9a4 or the link on the right of my homepage U2 360 2009 Tour Pics.

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360 in Atlanta 2009

Posted in 'On the Road with U2', 360 (2009), Adam Clayton, Bono, Concerts, Larry Mullen, Tours, U2 with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on March 18, 2011 by DeenasDays

Monday October 5, 2009

I’m in Atlanta. Left Vicki’s around 6:30am and got here around 1pm. I could barely walk when I got out of the car because my knees are so stiff and sore. My hotel is right downtown close to everything and a nice room with a king bed, fridge and microwave. I went to Martin Luther King birthplace, gravesite and Ebenezer Church. Then I went to The Varsity, which is the largest Drive-In in the US, but I didn’t eat because I was feeling horrible. So I came back to the hotel, drank cranberry juice, took ibuprofen and laid down for a while. Then I put all my u2 pictures on Facebook and ate the leftover pizza from yesterday. I’m feeling better, but my knees are still sore. Hopefully I’ll get a lot of rest for U2 tomorrow night.

MLK

MLK birthplace

MLK grave

 

Tuesday October 6, 2009 – U2 Atlanta

I got in bed at 7pm last night and didn’t get out of bed until 9am this morning. Still don’t feel great, but hopefully just warn down. I got in the GA line at the Georgia Dome just before noon, and I was probably about 350-400 people back. Met some nice people from Nashville. I was so sick that I actually fell asleep in my chair. It was a very organized GA line. Single file. Let about 50-100 people in at a time, but then there were a few gates and you had to walk around to get down to the floor. I ended up at the rail in front of Adam – about 3 people to the right of where I was in DC. It’s a good thing I had the rail to hold me up during the show. The vocals were loud like Charlottesville, so I could really hear Larry’s ‘Hey Hey Hey’s during Boots again. They played Until the End of the World. No Pride even though I was wearing my U2 MLK Pride shirt, and we were in Atlanta! I think Adam smiled at me a couple of times – he was probably looking for Tasha. No Larry moments though. But I videoed ‘I’ll Go Crazy’ with my iphone. Muse opened. I can’t wait to get home tomorrow. I was so sick during the show that I left during One. First time ever I left a U2 show early, but I was so sick I just couldn’t make it.

U2 360 Atlanta 10.6.09

Georgia Dome

Atlanta GA line

my view from the front rail

Muse

Breathe

Adam looking for Tasha

and if the mountain should crumble, or disappear into the sea

Larry's leaving

One from across the stadium

 

If you want to see all of my pictures from Atlanta, please click  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=112503&id=734599167&l=eea5c32857 or click the link on the right of my homepage U2 360 2009 Tour pics.

Please watch my very short and very loud iphone video of ‘I’ll Go Crazy’ in Atlanta http://www.youtube.com/user/MemphisMullen?feature=mhum#p/f/3/K9uj53NKcgc

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360 Charlottesville October 1, 2009

Posted in 'On the Road with U2', 360 (2009), Adam Clayton, Bono, Concerts, Larry Mullen, Tours, U2 with tags , , , , , , , , , , on March 16, 2011 by DeenasDays

Thursday October 1, 2009 – U2 Charlottesville

I still hate Virginia! Traffic sucks! Left Mom and Dad’s around 11:15am and got to Charlottesville at 2:30pm. Had to wait in line to check in at the hotel for an hour. Then Tasha and her sister met me at the hotel. We left at 4:15 for the concert and didn’t find our parking lot at Scott Stadium at the University of Virginia until almost 6 – hate Virginia traffic. We stood inside the circle side stage – Adam side on the front rail, but literally on the side.

U2 Charlottesville 10.1.09

our view from the side front rail

Tonight U2 played No Line on the Horizon, which was the only difference from the DC show – but they changed the order. Bono sang the beginning of ‘Unforgettable Fire’ to Tasha and I before he went on the bridge. the vocals were turned up so loud that we could really hear Larry screaming the Hey Hey Hey’s during Boots. Bono said something about ‘Edge’s ass’ during ‘New Year’s Day.’ I followed Larry to the back during ‘I’ll Go Crazy.’ And we went to the back during ‘Moment of Surrender’ to see them leave but they went the other way. I got to see Abbey, Jennifer and Mike Elms. Muse opened. It only took us 5 minutes to get back to the hotel after the show.

HEY HEY HEY!

Bono on the bridge

With or Without Adam

Goodbye Charlottesville

empy Scott Stadium

 

During the tour I said Charlottesville was my least favorite show of the 8 I saw, but after hearing the bootleg, it was a really good show. I was just jaded by all the traffic in Virginia.

If you would like to see all of my pictures from this Charlottesville show, please click http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=111755&id=734599167&l=8738a6ee17 or click on the link on the right of my homepage under U2 360 2009 Tour Pics.

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360 in Maryland / DC 2009

Posted in 'On the Road with U2', 360 (2009), Adam Clayton, Bono, Concerts, Larry Mullen, The Edge, Tours, U2 with tags , , , , , , , , , on March 15, 2011 by DeenasDays

Saturday September 26, 2009

The first day of my 12 days of crazy is over. And it is was worst day – the longest driving day. I took Elvis and Cilla to the vet this morning. Can’t believe I’m not going to see them for 12 days! I left at 8:20am and 8 hours 40 minutes later (568 miles) I’m in Wytheville, Virginia. It’s 55 degrees and it was 77 when I left Memphis. I’m freezing – and in shorts. It was a horrible drive – rain from Nashville to here. A pouring, steady rain and it was foggy and hard to see.

Sunday September 27, 2009

Today was a great day! I left Wytheville at 7:45am and got to Cindy’s before 12:30. It was so much fun playing with Tabitha and Keira. I’m glad they remember me and are excited to see me. We had Ledo’s pizza and Cindy made me cupcakes for my birthday and gave me presents. We watched football and hung out until after 5. Then I went home and saw Mom and Dad, but then we went immediately to Jilly’s to eat and watch football. Denver 3-0! Then we stopped by Mike’s house to get the Vegas U2 tickets. Then came home and I got my presents from Mom and Dad. We watched tv until now. Great day!

Monday September 28, 2009

Another great day. Mom, Cindy, Kathy and I went to Charlestown Casino. I only lost $100 and we were there from 10:30 to 4:30. I played a lot of new games. After we got home Kelly Brewer came over to buy my extra U2 DC ticket. It was great to see him again. Mom, Dad and I watched the sit coms tonight. Tomorrow starts the week of U2 – 4 shows in 7 days. I’m going to be SO tired, and I already feel like I’m getting sick. Hopefully not.

 

Tuesday September 29, 2009 – DC U2 Show
Today started with me waking up at 5am for no reason. I left the house at 2pm, was parked at FedEx Field by 3, said Hi to Jennifer in the GA line, got my red zone ticket from Shannon, and was in the red zone line by 3:30. I was about 10th in line. Kelly Brewer came and stood with me and we talked. Then they split the line into boys and girls to search us. They let us in around 5:15 when everyone else went in, but no one told us where to go. We weren’t at field level. It took forever to get down there. Instead of going into the designated Red Zone, I went inside the circle on the front rail in front of Adam. I had my doubts that the stage was too high and I wouldn’t be able to see that well, but it turned out to be a blast and my favorite show so far this tour (better than Chicago). Muse opened. There were ok. I see them 3 more times, so I’ll form an opinion later.

U2 360 DC 9.29.09

the redzone line at 4pm

my view from the front rail

U2 took the stage and of course Larry came out first, so there was screaming. The set list:
                                              Breathe
                                              Magnificent
                                              Get on Your Boots
                                              Mysterious Ways
                                              (introductions as politicians)
                                              Still Haven’t Found/Stand By Me
                                              Elevation
                                              Your Blue Room
                                              Beautiful Day / Black Bird
                                              New Year’s Day
                                              Stuck in a Moment
                                              Unforgettable Fire
                                              City of Blinding Lights
                                              Vertigo
                                              I’ll Go Crazy
                                              Sunday Bloody Sunday
                                              MLK
                                              Walk On
                                              One / Amazing Grace
                                              Streets
                                              Ultra Violet
                                              With or Without You
                                              Moment of Surrender
There was no No Line on the Horizon or Unknown Caller and of course no Bad or Pride. During City of Blinding Lights, Bono brought up a kid on the catwalk and ran around with him then gave him his glasses. During Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bono pulled this guy up on stage who was standing not too far from me holding an American flag. They sang and hugged. Apparently many politicians were at the show. I saw lots of security. My favorite part of the show was when Larry saw my Larry Mullen Band shirt and smiled and nodded. I was taking a picture of Adam for Tasha with the bright light behind him so he looked almsot angelic. The bright light was on Adam and I was right in front of Adam so the light was on me. Larry was turning around to face the back for Beautiful Day. And as he was turning, I started jumping and screaming and that’s when he saw me. A girl 2 people down came up to me after the show and said, ‘I saw Larry smile at you.’ AAAHHHH!!!! Great show! I’m standing rail again!

Edge, Bono and Adam in DC

LET ME IN THE SOUND!

Angelic Adam (my iphone pic i took right before Larry smiled at me)

Larry right after he smiled at me

Edge and Bono

is adam a bit confused?

Edge and Larry rock out

Bono finds a friend

sunday bloody sunday

 

The DC show was my closest, most centered spot of the tour. DC is still one of my favorite shows of the tour. Even though it didn’t have the best set list, there was a great energy from the band and the crowd. And it didn’t hurt that Larry noticed me and smiled, although he did that a few other times along the tour, but this was the first. The guy pulled up on stage happened to be friends with a lot of my U2 friends. And the kid getting bono’s glasses during City of Blinding Lights happened at most shows, but this was the first time I saw it so I thought it was cool.

If you want to see all of my pictures from that DC show please click http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=111193&id=734599167&l=e44e835afd or the link on the right of my homepage for 360 2009 pics.

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the End of Elevation – Tampa & Miami December 1-2, 2001

Posted in 'On the Road with U2', Adam Clayton, Bono, Concerts, Elevation, Larry Mullen, The Edge, Tours, U2 with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on February 25, 2011 by DeenasDays

December 4, 2001 – the final elevation shows in Tampa and Miami

The glorious Elevation Tour has come to an end. Very sad, but what an amazing time we had!

Tasha, Jenny and Paola came over Thursday night, and we watched U2 stuff until about 1am. We left Friday morning December 1st at 5am, flew to Tampa, and arrived around 11am. Our hotel was absolutely beautiful and right next to the Ice Palace. We had lunch outside on the water at this nice restaurant. We got into the GA line around 1:30pm. We were numbers 6, 7, 8, and 9. We ran into some people we knew like Anna and Melissa. We had pizza for dinner in the GA line. We got silly around midnight. We slept on and off outside and in the hotel. The U2 trucks came in around 7am. We had a nice buffet breakfast at the hotel. We didn’t try to meet the band because we weren’t allowed to leave the GA line after we got our wristbands. But we heard that Bono and Edge stopped around 6:30, so I least I didn’t miss Larry.

U2 Elevation Tampa 12.1.01

Tasha, me, Jenny, Paola in Tampa GA line

Even though we were at the front of the line, it got chaotic with people running and pushing, but somehow we got right up at the rail between Bono and Adam – a bit closer to Bono than we were for Providence2. From left to right, it was Jenny, me, Paola, Tasha. Paola and I wore our ‘Larry Mullen Band’ shirts,  Tasha wore her ‘Adam Clayton Band’ shirt, and Jenny wore her MLK Pride shirt. Garbage opened and during their set, Shirley Manson looked at us and said something like ‘We have some fans of the Larry Mullen Band here. What else does your shirt say? It’s All About Drums. Yes, it is.’ That was very cool. When U2 came out, I tried to make eye contact with Larry. Paola had a sign to get a drumstick. Larry walked over and gave her one. I don’t really remember it, which is weird but Tasha took a picture of Larry leaning over as he’s handing the drumstick to Paola.

Garbage opens in Tampa

Larry giving Paola his drumstick

Bono wearing a way too small NY tee a fan gave him

The show in Tampa December 1, 2001 was SO amazing! I was just REALLY into it! U2 played Angel of Harlem instead of Wild Honey, which was great. They played all of Peace on Earth for the first time. They played My Sweet Lord in honor of the passing of George Harrison a few days earlier. It was very touching. They played Wild Horses during Bad! I liked the Tampa show as much as the Baltimore show. It just had an amazing energy!

 

We headed to Miami immediately after the Tampa show. After a long time at Denny’s, we arrived at American Airlines Arena just before 5am. We were numbers 108, 109, 110, and 111 in the GA line. We slept in the car until about 9am. We hung out with some folks like Claudia and Kathleen and then checked into our ghetto hotel. We showered, got our pictures developed, got lunch, and checked back into line. Then we went over to this cool Irish pub in South Beach to pick up our ETS tickets. We got tee shirts with 12.2.01 Miami and an Elevation picture on the back, as well as a poster with the 3rd leg cities on it. We checked back in the line to get our wristbands and then went over to wait for U2 to arrive. A limo drove in around 4:30 and supposedly it was Larry, but I couldn’t tell who it was. We waited until just before 6, but no one else ever came arrived. We found out later U2 came in around 7, but didn’t stop so we didn’t miss anything.

U2 Elevation Miami 12.2.01

sleeping in the car in Miami

We ended up one person back from the rail in front of Adam. We were pretty far to the right – just 3 people from the end of the rail. Garbage again opened. Before their last song, Shirley said their drummer was fired and he left. All of a sudden, I see Sammy dart out to the drum kit. Then Larry walks out on stage in a navy blue shirt – a new shirt! He played the drums to ‘Only Happy When it Rains,’ which is now my favorite Garbage song. He was so into it and so happy. When he walked out onto the stage, I put my hand on Tasha’s shoulder to stabilize yself, since we weren’t at the rail, so I could jump and down. My heart was pounding so fast! I was SO excited!

Larry plays drums with Garbage (shirley autographed this pic later)

Larry is Only Happy When It Rains

now on to U2

This Miami show on December 2, 2001 was awesome! I got to hear ‘In God’s Country’ for the first time ever!!! Bono played the harmonica at the end of it. Ahhh! U2 played Mysterious Ways, which was the first time I heard it on this leg. They played Wild Horses and My Sweet Lord again. Matt was pulled up on stage to play Knockin on Heaven’s Door with the band. Dan was pulled up again during Stuck in a Moment. And Tasha finally had her concert moment with Adam. She was wearing her bright orange PopTart shirt, and Paola had a sign that read, ‘PopTart needs a pick’ with an arrow pointing to Tasha. So after Pride, Adam reached out to give Tasha his pick. We he gave it to her, he squeezed her hand. I broke down crying during the show. I started crying during Streets, all through Still Haven’t Found and into Pride. It just hit me that this was the last show, plus I was exhausted.

Matt plays with Bono and Edge

Dan and Bono

Larry and Bono in Miami

Adam and Edge in Miami

the End of Elevation

After the show, we hung out with everyone outside the arena: Ayaz, Dan, Mike, Dan, Anna, Ruth, Alice, Gabriella, Khelia. U2 had already left, so we just watched the trucks pull out.

 

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Elevation Philadelphia 11.2.01

Posted in 'On the Road with U2', Adam Clayton, Bono, Concerts, Elevation, Larry Mullen, The Edge, Tours, U2 with tags , , , , , , on February 24, 2011 by DeenasDays

November 2, 2001 Philadelphia, PA

I drove down from Providence Thursday and arrived in Philadelphia around 4:30pm the day before the show. I was number 21 in the GA line. Tasha and I went to a diner for dinner, then got our pictures developed from Providence and got some snacks for the GA line. By 9:30pm everyone had arrived at First Union Center – Kate, Cathy, Jennifer, Paola, Valerie, Abbey. We ended up sleeping in my car (Tasha and I) for about 3 hours. Laura was nice enough to lend us her shower. Dan, Jenny, Ayaz showed up in the morning. It was the most organized GA line ever. It was fun and relaxing and warm. Just a Beautiful Day all around.

U2 Elevation Philly 11.2.01

We got at the rail in front of Adam. We wanted to be a little more center, but we were fine. Stereophonics opened. Tasha wore her ‘Adam Clayton Band’ shirt, and I of course wore my ‘Larry Mullen Band’ shirt. We showed Sammy and Stu. Sammy seemed very excited. I held up my ‘Larry thanks for the drink’ sign as U2 walked on stage. Larry saw it and gave me the Fonzie thumbs up with a smile. The set list was pretty much the same except they played Out of Control and Peace on Earth. Of course I went nuts when Bono introduced Larry during Out of Control. At the end of the show when they were all waving, Larry looked at me, smiled and nodded.

Bono, Edge, Adam in Philly

We all met out front after the show and took a group picture. We tried waiting for the band, but they had already left. Me, Tasha, Paola, Jennifer and Ayaz went to IHOP and spent the night at Tasha’s.

the Elevation crew

 

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Larry’s 40th Birthday – Elevation Providence October 30-31, 2001

Posted in 'On the Road with U2', Adam Clayton, Bono, Concerts, Elevation, Larry Mullen, The Edge, Tours, U2 with tags , , , , , , , , , on February 23, 2011 by DeenasDays

October 30, 2001 Providence 1

I drove up to Providence Monday morning after the Jersey show. I got in the GA line at Dunkin Donuts Center around 3:30pm the day before the show and was number 12 in line. It was a pretty chill line. I went up to my hotel room around 9pm to eat and watch tv. I went back down to the GA line for a little bit until 11:30 when Gabriella, Alice, Khelia, Ruth and I went back to my room to watch U2 on David Letterman. U2 played New York and Stuck in a Moment, then Bono was interviewed. I slept in my room until about 5:30am and then got back into the GA line. Paola flew in around noon. We hung out in line and then went to the mall for some food. We waited for the band to arrive, but they didn’t arrive until after 6pm.

U2 Elevation Providence1 10.30.01

Because of a slow wristband-er, I didn’t quite get the spot at the rail that I wanted. I ended up a bit too far to the right, but I was right in front of Adam. Paola was excited because it was her first time inside the heart up front at the rail. Stereophonics opened.  During Out of Control when Bono introduced Larry, I went nuts screaming and jumping up and down. The security guard John motioned to me, then said something to one of the other guards. A bit later, John came over to read my shirt – ‘The Larry Mullen Band. It’s All About Drums.’ He smiled and gave me the set list. The only difference to this set list was When Will I see You Again was played before Walk On. After the show, we got in the GA line for the next night because it was Larry’s 40th Birthday show. I was number 7 in line. Tasha had driven up and met us after the show. We got some food, then Tasha slept in the hotel while Paola and I slept outside in line.

Bono in Providence

U2 in Providence

Elevation Providence1 set list 10.30.01

 

October 31, 2001 Providence 2 Larry’s 40th Birthday

This was the best show ever! There will never be another one like it! I woke up outside around 8am – pretty good sleeping outside in 30 degrees for 5 hours. I went up to the warm hotel room until about 10am, then had some breakfast. I stayed in the GA line all day without leaving, except to take a shower around 3:30. I got everyone in the GA line to sign the big orange birthday card I made for Larry. I put my name and email address on the back just in case. The band didn’t arrive until after we were inside. Me, Tasha and Paola wore our Larry Mullen Band shirts. We got our spots at the rail up front and center between Bono and Adam. I held up my birthday card for Larry as they walked on stage, but he didn’t notice it. There were many, many signs including one saying, ‘Bono let Larry sing.’ During Elevation, Bono sang, ‘ Celebration’ then said, ‘Happy Birthday.’

U2 Elevation Providence2 10.31.01

After Stuck in a Moment, Larry’s 40th birthday celebration began. We sang Happy Birthday to Larry. A birthday cake was brought out and Larry pretended to throw it out into the audience. Larry took the mic and came to the front to talk while Bono sat behind the drums. Larry said, ‘Bono couldn’t play drums. It took me 40 years to get up front. I’m glad I’m spending my birthday with 18,000 of my closest friends. I feel like I could borrow money from you.’ Then Bono asked for a bottle of champagne, which he shook up a la ZooTV and sprayed the audience. Edge took a swig, then Larry drank and continued to drink for the next few songs. After Kite, Larry got off the drums and made a B line for me. I got my card and shirt in hand so I could give it to him, but that’s not why he was there. He gave me the champagne bottle – with champagne still in it. I drank some and shared it with Paola and Tasha. Larry wanted to share his birthday with ME! He wanted ME to have a drink on his birthday. I was SO excited I didn’t even know they played Wild Honey. I thought it was Staring at the Sun. I didn’t really come around until Please. After Pride, Larry came back over to me so I could give him the birthday card and Elvis tee shirt. I said, ‘Thank you. Happy Birthday.’ He smiled and said, ‘Thank You.’ He looked into my eyes, just like he had in Jersey. Then Paola gave Larry her Larry scrapbook, which contains the picture of him hugging me. Later on, Bono noticed our shirts, shook his head and smiled. Before leaving the stage Larry took Michelle’s Elvis sunglasses with sideburns and put them on. I was so elated after the show – walking around hugging the champagne bottle. I told my story on video for this women making a U2 GA documentary. I’m sure I made a fool of myself, but I was just VERY excited. Paola, Tasha and I went up to our warm, comfortable hotel room, ordered pizza, watched tv and went to sleep. What an amazing Larry night!

Larry in Providence

Bono and Larry in Providence

Larry's birthday cake

Bono plays the drums

the champagne

Larry drinks the champagne

right after Larry gives me the champagne

Larry loves me - haha

Larry taking birthday card and elvis tee

Yay Larry!

Me with Larry's champagne bottle after the show

Providence 2 set list 10.31.01: Elevation, Beautiful Day, Until the End of the World, New Year’s Day, I Will Follow, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Stuck in a Moment, Happy Birthday Larry, Party Girl, Slow Dancing, Kite, Wild Honey, Please, Bad / 40, Where the Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, Pride, Bullet the Blue Sky, What’s Going On, New York, One, When Will I See You Again, Walk On

This Providence 2 was my favorite U2 show, not only on the Elevation tour, but favorite U2 show ever. I doubt there will ever be another night like it. Granted it was Larry’s 40th Birthday, and I love Larry. But also for the rarities U2 played that night. Slow Dancing was played for the first time on Elevation, and only the 11th time ever. Party Girl and Wild Honey were played for the first time on that leg of Elevation – and I’ve only heard those songs a couple of times ever. Apparently I was so enamored of my night of Larry moments that I forgot to write about the rare set list in my journal that night. I have still have that champagne bottle on my shelf, along with Larry’s drumstick he gave me in Jersey.

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Elevation New Jersey 10.28.01

Posted in 'On the Road with U2', Adam Clayton, Bono, Elevation, Larry Mullen, The Edge, Tours, U2 with tags , , , , , , , on February 22, 2011 by DeenasDays

October 28, 2001 East Rutherford, New Jersey

Tasha, Paola and I went to the Continental Airlines Arena right after the New York 3 show. This was to be Paola’s first GA show. We got our numbers (I was 46) and went back to our hotel to sleep. We were back in the GA line at 7am. It was the most relaxing GA line – a nice change of pace from the NY shows. We went to wait for the band to arrive from 3:00 to 5:15, but they never came. There was chaos when we returned to the GA line. The idiot security people opened up 3 gates, so those of us who had been waiting all day were right next to people who had just arrived. And all 3 of these lines were to go through one door. Sensing severe danger, Tasha, Kate and I decided to get out of ‘line’ and go back to wait for the band to come in and go into the show later. Unfortunately we missed Bono and Edge by about 10 minutes. But we did arrive in time for Paul McGuinness, but he was too mobbed to talk to. We went into the show after 7, leisurely went to the bathroom, got a snack, and watched the show from the soundboard. It was surprisingly close. Not a bad view at all. Stereophonics opened. U2 played All I Want is You instead of Bad. Jersey wasn’t as good to me this time around.

U2 Elevation Jersey 10.28.01

Bono kisses Adam in Jersey

U2 says Goodbye to Jersey

 

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Elevation New York October 24, 25, 27, 2001

Posted in 'On the Road with U2', Adam Clayton, Bono, Concerts, Elevation, Larry Mullen, The Edge, Tours, U2 with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 21, 2011 by DeenasDays

October 24, 2001 New York City 1 at Madison Square Garden

Tasha and I arrived in New York City at Madison Square Garden at 5:15am. We were 39 & 40 in the GA line. For whatever reason, I was VERY excited to see Macy’s a block away and then I noticed the Empire State Building. Around 9am, we saw Sammy and Dallas come in. We saw a lot of familiar faces. We made a new friend in Babette. After a stressful GA line procedure, we managed to get great spots at the rail between Bono and Adam. Garbage opened. NY1 rivaled the Baltimore show, but not quite as good. Same set list, except U2 played Bad instead of Please. I had a great Larry moment! During Kite, the spotlight wasn’t on Larry yet. When it finally came on, I screamed, clapped, jumped and down. He looked at me, nodded and smiled. Our friend Dan got pulled up on stage during Stuck in a Moment. Our friend Ruth got pulled up on stage and played guitar and sang Knockin on Heaven’s Door with U2. All the policemen and firemen who died on 9/11 were listed on the screens during One. We hung out a bit with everyone after the show, then Tasha and I took the train back to Princeton, then drove back to Tasha’s place in Philadelphia.

U2 Elevation NYC 10.24.01

Tasha & I at U2 at the Garden

 

October 25, 2001 New York City 2 at Madison Square Garden

Tasha and I had seats for NY2, which was quite relaxing but we realized that being in the GA line was half of the fun. We got to MSG early to buy tee shirts, programs and eat dinner. Our seats were behind/side stage between Adam and Larry. No Doubt opened. The set list was actually a little different. U2 played I Will Follow instead of Out of Control, Stay instead of Staring at the Sun, and Unchained Melody instead of Peace on Earth. We again took the train back to Princeton and then drove back to Tasha’s in Philadelphia.

U2 Elevation NYC 10.25.01

Adam, Edge, Larry at the Garden

Bono at the Garden

my Elevation 3rd leg tee (front)

my Elevation 3rd leg tee (back)

my Elevation tour hat

 

October 27, 2001 New York City 3 at Madison Square Garden

Tasha and I drove up to Jersey Friday night. We went to our hotel while Jenny, Kate, Jennifer and Valerie got in the GA line. Tasha and I slept then took the bus into New York City in the morning arriving at MSG around 7am. This GA line was even more stressful then Wednesday’s, but somehow we ended up at the rail in front of Adam. Stereophonics opened. The set list was pretty much the same, except U2 played Please acoustic as well as Bad. The highlight of the night was when Bono pulled Jenny up at the tip of the heart during New York and kissed her on the lips. It was great because she’s been a U2 fan since 1981 and nothing like that has ever happened to her. But the truly inspiring part of the night was during Walk On when Bono had the FDNY come on stage. They shook hands, the firefighters spoke, Bono sang with his firefighter hat and FDNY shirt on. After Walk On, the firefighters spoke and kept speaking after U2 left the stage. Then U2 came back out and played Out of Control with the firefighters on stage. It was an absolutely amazing experience. Absolutely moving!

U2 Elevation NYC 10.27.01

Pride (in the name of Love)

Bono at the Garden

Larry and Adam at the Garden

Bono and FDNY

 

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The Day I Met Larry – Elevation Baltimore 10.19.01

Posted in 'On the Road with U2', Adam Clayton, Bono, Concerts, Elevation, Larry Mullen, The Edge, Tours, U2 with tags , , , , , , , on February 18, 2011 by DeenasDays

Sunday October 21, 2001 Baltimore, MD

I started the third leg of the Elevation Tour in my hometown of Baltimore, and am going to the next 7 shows. The U2 show at the Baltimore Arena on October 19, 2001 was absolutely amazing! The best I’ve seen out of ZooTv, Popmart and the first leg of Elevation! Our adventure started Thursday when me, Jennifer, John, Tasha, Dan and Jenny met downtown for dinner to celebrate Tasha’s birthday. After, we drove by the arena to check out the GA line. There were already about 50 people in line at 10:30pm. Jenny and Dan got in line while the rest of us went back home to get our stuff. We got in line around 1:30am. We had fun hanging out with everyone, but it was quite cold. Tasha and I slept in my car for about an hour.

U2 Elevation Baltimore 10.19.01

We went over to meet the band around 3pm. They finally came in at 4:30pm. I videotaped them driving in, Bono walking out, Edge walking out, Larry walking out, Adam walking out, and all of them signing autographs. We could barely believe that they were all four outside signing autographs. This was the first U2 played Baltimore and they all four came outside to meet all the fans. Adam signed Tasha’s purple pants. She was VERY excited. He said, ‘They’re great ones.’ When Larry came one person away from me, his bodyguard told me to turn off the videocamera. So I did not get video of my encounter with Larry, but Tasha took a great picture of it. Larry walked to me. I said, ‘I don’t have anything for you to sign, so can I have a hug?’ Larry looked at me a little strange, then smiled and said yes. Then we hugged and it was a nice, strong hug. In the picture, Larry has a big smile on his face. After the hug, I thanked him. Tasha hugged me and then I cried like a baby. I was so overcome with emotion. I had been waiting to meet Larry for 14 years!

Larry hugs me in Baltimore

Bono talking to me in Baltimore

Edge, Adam and Bono meeting Baltimore fans

The concert itself was so unreal! We stood at the tip of the heart on the outside. It was me, Tasha, Jenny, Cathy, and Kate. Garbage was supposed to open, but the drummer got sick, so Graham Parker & the Figgs filled in at the last minute before heading over to their own show. As soon as ‘All You Need is Love’ came on, the crowd went wild, and even crazier for ‘St. Pepper’s.’ And then ‘WOO-OOH-HOO! ELEVATION!’ During ‘New Year’s Day,’ Cathy and I held up her American Flag that she had brought. Bono took it from us. He hugged it. He looked at me and said, ‘You take it back.’ He handed it back to me so gently. He said, ‘Thank you.’ I said, ‘Thank you.’ Then he started walking away, turned to me, gave me the peace sign and nodded. Best Bono concert moment EVER for me. I have a fantastic picture of the Bono hugging the flag. Song highlights of the Baltimore show for me were: I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (I cried), Pride (with MLK’s speech a la ZooTV), Out of Control, Staring at the Sun and Please. A guy behind us was pulled up on stage to play Knocking on Heaven’s Door with the band. During One, all of the names of the passengers on the flights from 9/11 were displayed – and then they went right into Peace on Earth. I cried through all of this. They ended the show with Walk On. It was the most emotional and spiritual and uplifting U2 show. Just unbelievable!

Tasha & I singing in Baltimore

holding the flag in Baltimore

Bono hugs the American flag in Baltimore

 

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MTV Video Music Awards – September 6, 2001

Posted in 'On the Road with U2', Adam Clayton, Bono, Fans, Larry Mullen, The Edge, U2 with tags , , , , , , , on February 17, 2011 by DeenasDays

Friday September 7, 2001 VMAs New York City

Arguably the best night of my life last night. Tasha and I were in New York City at the Metropolitan Opera House right at the rope on the red carpet for the MTV Video Music Awards. We were diagonally behind the MTV News desk. We had signed up to be seat fillers for the VMAs, but we did not get into the award show, instead we were on the red carpet for the arrivals. Jennifer Lopez arrived first, but the first person I was excited for was Chris Kattan from Saturday Night Live. We kept shouting ‘Mango’ and he waved. Then we saw Will Ferrell from Saturday Night Live. We cheered at him and said we liked his pants – he interacted with us. We then saw Fatboy Slim and nobody else knew who he was. We wished him luck and he waved and thanked us. We then got VERY excited for Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. They smiled and waved at us.

It got to be 8:45pm and still no sign of U2, and we were getting a little worried. Then all of a sudden, I saw Larry down at the other end of the red carpet. I began SCREAMING! Then I saw Adam, and then Bono and Edge. Larry was the first to make it to us. I lost it! Blowing kisses, holding my heart, screaming, pretty much making a fool of myself. He smiled and waved at me. Edge then came over and smiled and waved. Then we saw Paul McGuinness on our side of the rope. We thanked him. He looked at us strangely, then he smiled. Tasha shook his hand, and I patted him on his back. Then all of a sudden, I see Adam on our side of the rope as well. He tripped on the red carpet. We shouted his name, so he turned around. I was holding his hand. He was kind of bent over as if he was limbo-ing. He had this goofy look on his face. He was acting like he was going to fall. Then Bono came over the rope to shake our hands. We will probably never again meet all four of them at once. It was absolutely amazing! We then watched as John Norris interviewed U2.

After the pre-show was over, we went to this bar called O’Connor’s (or something like that) on 64th Street and Columbus. We watched the VMAs there, ate chicken pot pie and drank iced tea. Then we took the train back to Jersey, then I drove home and was asleep by 5am

 

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Elevation Boston June 8-9, 2001

Posted in 'On the Road with U2', Adam Clayton, Bono, Concerts, Elevation, Larry Mullen, The Edge, Tours, U2 with tags , , , , , , , on February 11, 2011 by DeenasDays

Saturday June 9, 2001 Boston, MA

The Boston shows on June 8 and 9 were amazing! I’ve only slept 7 hours in 2 days, but it was worth it. I flew up to Boston on June 7th. I waited in the GA line at the Fleet Center from 7am to 6pm before each show. I got to hang out with a lot of great people like Tasha, Aaron, and Mike. There were four Boston shows, but I only went to the last two. I was up front at the rail in front of Adam for both shows and PJ Harvey again opened.

Boston GA line

PJ Harvey in Boston

Last night’s show (Boston 3 June 8th) was great. U2 played Ground Beneath Her Feet, All I Want is You, Angel of Harlem, and New Year’s Day. They did not play Bad, In a Little While or Pride. When they played 11 O’clock Tick Tock, the crowd went nuts! I wore my Elvis tee again and took my sign, but no drumsticks. I may try again in Philly.

U2 Elevation Boston 6.8.01

Bono and Adam in Boston

Larry silouette in Boston

Tonight’s show (Boston 4 June 9th) was absolutely amazing! The set list was as follows: Elevation, Pride, Until the End of the World, The Fly, Even Better Than the Real Thing, Mysterious Ways, In My Life / Stuck in a Moment, Kite, Gone, New York, Out of Control, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Desire / Van Morrison’s Gloria, Party Girl, Stay, Bad / Allison, Where the Streets Have no Name, Beautiful Day, Bullet the Blue Sky, With or Without You, One / She’s a Mystery to Me, Walk On. I found out later that they were supposed to play an acoustic version of I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, which is my favorite song, but played Stay instead. A fan got on stage during Walk On and U2 security tackled him right in front of us. Bono tackled the security guard to let the guy on stage. Wow! Intense! Boston Red Sox third baseman Nomar Garciapara stood behind us.

U2 Elevation Boston 6.9.01

Larry in Boston

Bono in Boston

Edge, Adam, Larry in Boston

Bono blows bubbles in Boston

Larry leaves Boston

 

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