On the Road With U2

DAYS 72&73 – JULY 24&25

I left Minneapolis just before 11am the morning after the U2 show. I was in a great mood because it was such a great show, but I was exhausted. I stopped one time in Wisconsin before stopping for the night at a Motel 6 in Joliet, Illinois. The next day I drove through Indiana and Ohio, again, and made it to Pittsburgh for my final show of the U2 360 tour. I had driven 16,888 miles since I left Memphis 73 days prior. Neil McCormick was showing Killing Bono that night in the Pittsburgh area, but I was too exhausted to go. Plus I had already seen it at the Seattle Film Festival in June.

U2 in Pittsburgh

DAY 74 – JULY 26 – U2 360 #16 – PITTSBURGH

My final U2 360 show (my 16^th of that leg, my 24^th of the tour, and my 75^th U2 show overall) ended on amazing high note, more than I could have hoped for, more than I imagined – Larry hugged me on his way to the stage! So the first few songs on my last U2 360 show were pretty much a blur. It was a standard set list but then U2 ended the show with Bad, one of my favorite U2 songs – haven’t heard it since Chicago1 in 2009. So glad Bad was the last song I heard U2 perform. When Larry walked off the stage and toward the tunnel, he saw me, smiled and gave me a thumbs up – twice. So glad Larry smiling at me was the last image I have of the U2 360 tour.

U2 360 Pittsburgh 7.26.11

I began the day in Pittsburgh just as I had for the previous 15 U2 360 shows – walked the dogs, ate breakfast, watched tv, napped, ordered lunch and went to the stadium in the afternoon to wait for U2 to arrive. I met Abbey and Anisha in the lobby of my hotel the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh, and we took the free shuttle over to the stadium at 2pm, even though it was close enough to walk. It was a beautiful day – 80s, sunny, breezy, and not humid. I saw many friends old and new, including Jennifer and Chris, Tyler and his dad, Tim, and Sarah. But the surprise was Matt, Melissa, her parents and Kim. I had no idea they were coming and very happy to see them – and it turned out to be very fortunate for me as well.

me, Abbey, Sarah waiting for the band

U2 arrived just around 5pm. Bono and Edge came out to greet the fans. I couldn’t get close enough to talk with them, but I did see Larry and Adam get out of their cars and walk inside. Matt and Melissa talked with Bono and selflessly told him about me and how I had driven to every US show and would like to meet Larry. Brian, Bono’s security guy, told them to wait there and he would see what he could do. Brian came out later and told me Larry was in a meeting, but he told Larry about me and Bono told Larry about me. Maybe Bono and Larry knew he was talking about me, since I talked with Bono in Seattle and Oakland about meeting Larry and Larry sometimes waved to me as he walked to the stage – and Brian said he had seen me at the shows. Brian took my phone number and said he would look for us inside. He also gave us wristbands for the soundboard and for the red zone.

Bono talks with fans in Pittsburgh

Although I had the credentials to go to the soundboard and the red zone, I went to my usual spot on Edge’s side of the inner circle to wait for U2 to enter. Abbey was with me and Deb and her husband and Melissa’s parents were also there. Brian came over and told me that he was still working on getting me to meet Larry. Interpol didn’t take the stage until about 7:45 and played their usual set.

inside Heinz Field waiting for U2 to walk in

I’m not sure when U2 came out, probably just about 9pm. When they walked out of the tunnel (on Adam’s side) I noticed that Larry wasn’t first as usual. Adam and Edge were first and Larry and Bono were behind them, so I kind of thought something was up. But then somehow Larry moved up front. As Larry walked up the ramp, he locked eyes with me and was smiling. He walked across the platform, jumped down to me, and hugged me. He didn’t say a word, he just put his arms around me. It felt like the hug lasted forever. He definitely pulled away first because I kept hanging on. I think I muttered a ‘thank you.’

Larry looking at me (photo by Deb Pruitt)

here he comes! (photo by Tony Chiapetta)

Larry jumping down to hug me (photo by Kari Moore)

Larry leaving me (photo by Izzy Ciszewski)

Congrats from my friends after Larry hugged me (photo by Tony Chiapetta)

Larry gave me the biggest, best hug ever and then went on stage. I burst into tears, as I am doing now while writing this. My friends around me congratulated me and hugged me, which made the moment even more special. I was so excited that I don’t really remember Even Better Than the Real Thing or The Fly. I don’t think I came to until Mysterious Ways when Larry’s drum kit turned around and faced me behind the stage. I never in a million years thought Larry would walk over to me and hug me on his way to the stage before the show. I have four videos (sort of) of Larry hugging me on his way to the stage in Pittsburgh.

This is the video I took as I usually do when U2′s entered the stadiums. I stopped the video when I saw Larry was walking toward me.

This is the video Deb’s husband took of Larry hugging me. He was 3 people down from me. It isn’t of the actual hug, but you can see Larry jumping down to me and then see him jumping up again.

In this video, you can see Larry jump down to me, but you can’t see me. And then you can hear Melissa’s dad say, “Deena got it!”

This is the only video of Larry hugging me. It’s hard to see so keep your eye on Larry, even when that woman’s head is blocking him. In the far right bottom corner beyond the pink squiggly lines, you can see Larry hugging me. This video is by Rick Long.

During Even Better Than the Real Thing Bono said, “Hot summer night in the Burgh!” Bono introduced The Fly saying, “Some crowd rock circa 1991! Achtung Ya’ll!” Instead of singing Until the End of the World, I kept singing “You were acting like it was the end of the tour.” During the band introductions, Bono said, “This is the last night of the 360 Tour in the United States. We’ve had some cool people come out of our town. Would you say behind me you might call this man the Charles Bronson of U2? Larry Mullen on the drums. Our very own movie star.” U2 again wore their LED jackets during Zooropa and City of Blinding Lights. I love Larry in that black, leather, 1950s Elvis looking jacket. He should always wear black! At the end of Vertigo, Bono sang a snippet of Two Hears Beat as One. During I’ll Go Crazy if I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight, Larry looked at me and I shouted ‘Thank you!’ What a dork I am. At the end of Where the Streets Have No Name Bono shouted, “Tuesday night in the old steel town!” I decided to go over to Adam’s side of the inner circle during Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me so I could watch U2 leave.

Larry's hot black jacket

Larry I'll Go Crazy

Matt & Melissa on stage with Bono during With or Without You

As With or Without You started, Bono brought my friends Matt and Melissa on stage and said, “60 shows. Matt and Melissa. Where love stories begin.” Matt and Melissa slow danced while U2 played. It was beautiful. After Moment of Surrender, U2 took their bows, huddled together and then played Bad with a little snippet of 40 at the end! It was fantastic! It lasted for almost nine minutes. Bono dedicated Bad to Andy Rowen who was at the show and whom the song was written about. Andy Rowen is the brother of Bono’s friend Guggi and the brother of Peter, who is on the cover of Boy.As U2 were walking off stage, I could have sworn I saw Larry looking for me on Edge’s side where I was when he hugged me at the beginning of the show. But when they were almost at the tunnel, Larry saw me, smiled and gave me a thumbs up – twice. It looked as if Larry was going to walk over to me, but then he was ushered toward the tunnel.

Goodbye Larry (photo by Julie Dixon who was right near me)

After the show I saw Chuck and Tasha and told them about Larry hugging me and then I met up with Beth and shared my story with her. I walked back to the hotel alone (with thousands of other happy U2 fans) across the bridge looking back at the claw for the last time. I got back to the hotel and talked with Patty and her husband. Then I took Elvis and Cilla outside where Abbey met us, and we chatted for a bit. Then I went back inside and wrote in my journal about my last night on the U2 360 tour. I barely slept that night, only 3 hours.

me and Beth

The set list of the U2 360 show in Pittsburgh was as follows: Even Better Than the Real Thing, The Fly, Mysterious Ways / Someone Somewhere in Summertime / Promised You a Miracle, Until the End of the World / Anthem, I Will Follow, Get On Your Boots, I Still Haven’t Found / The Promised Land, Stay, Beautiful Day / Space Oddity, Elevation, Pride, Miss Sarajevo, Zooropa, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo / Two Hearts Beat As One, Miss You / I’ll Go Crazy / Discotheque / Psycho Killer / Life During Wartime / Please, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Scarlet, Walk On, One, Hallelujah / Where The Streets Have No Name, Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me, With Or Without You, Moment Of Surrender, Bad / In The Garden / Walk On The Wild Side / 40. My video of an overview of the U2 360 show in Pittsburgh, my last show.

My Musical Journey ended with Larry hugging me on his way to the stage of the last show in the US on U2′s 360 tour. I keep replaying it over and over in my head. Larry walking toward me, smiling, jumping down to me, putting his arms around me without saying a word, and hugging me. It seemed like it lasted forever, but after watching the videos, it was only a few seconds – but those were some magnificent few seconds! That was definitely my favorite moment of the tour and a perfect ending to my Musical Journey! I finally Found What I Was Looking For on the U2 360 Tour!

Goodbye U2 360 Tour