I love blogging the A to Z Blog Challenge - blogging everyday in April, except Sundays, on a specific theme. I loved doing it last year, and I enjoyed it even more this year. I think I enjoy the challenge so much because I am one who likes to to lists things, rank my favorites. This year’s theme, in case you missed it was ‘My U2 from A to Z’ – about what aspects of U2 that has influenced me. It was fun, and it seemed I may have introduced a few new U2 topics. Just in case you were away from the internet in April, the following is what I wrote about: Achtung Baby, Bono, Can’t Help Falling in Love, Drums, Elevation Tour, First U2 Show, Get on Your Boots, Hallelujah Here She Comes and all B Sides from R & H and JT, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, Joshua Tree, Kentucky Lexington Elevation 5.4.01, Larry Mullen Jr, Memphis Mullen, No Line on the Horizon, October, Popmart, Quest Field Seattle 360, Rattle and Hum, Storm Electrical, Three-Sixty (360) Tour, Unforgettable Fire, Vertigo Tour, War, X-Factor Fake U2 Audition, Yahwey, and ZooTv.
Larry hugging me
I also blogged the A to Z Challenge on my other blog Deena’s Days about ‘My Music’ – music I love from A to Z. I am not sure what I am going to write about U2 now since the new album and tour won’t be for several months, so if you have any suggestions please let me know.
I really don’t think I can fit everything about U2′s 360 Tour into one blog post. It changed my life, literally. I saw 8 shows on the first US leg in 2009 and all 16 shows on the second US leg in 2011. The 2009 US leg of the 360 tour was what I normally did on U2 tours – saw as many shows as was geographically and financially possible with my old U2 friends. It was the 2011 US leg of the 360 tour was what changed my life. I took three months off of my life and drove across the country with my two dogs to all 16 US shows – and saw so much of America along the way. I made so many new friends, visited many great cities, started this blog, wrote a book (which I’m still trying to publish) about my adventures on the road with U2.
My rate the shows I saw on the U2 360 2009 Tour as follows: Las Vegas my favorite and DC, Oklahoma, Chicago1 are close seconds. The other four are probably in the order of Raleigh, Charlottesville, Chicago2, then Atlanta being my least favorite. For me how I rank a U2 show is more than just how the actual U2 concert was, although that’s a big part of it. It’s about who I saw the show with, what city we’re in, where in the concert we’re standing and unfortunately what happened that day leading up to the show. And if I’m going to be completely honest, what sort of Larry moment I had. The Las Vegas show was my favorite because it was a great U2 show, and it was in my second favorite city Las Vegas. It was a great set list that included ‘Viva Las Vegas’ as well as a snippet of In God’s Country. During the band introductions, Bono said Larry was the ‘Elvis of U2.’ Those two Elvis moments really made the show for me. Another great moment was when Larry smiled and waved to me at the beginning of I’ll Go Crazy. The Vegas show was also great because the whole day was relaxed, hanging out with everyone outside before the show and having the freedom to move around wherever I wanted during the show. The DC, Oklahoma and Chicago1 shows were tied for second for very different reasons. I loved the DC show even though it had my least favorite set list because U2 did not play No Line on the Horizon and didn’t replace it with anything. Even though I went alone, the DC show had a great energy from both the audience and the band. This was my hometown show plus it was my first time at the front rail on this tour, and the most centered I ever was. And I did have my Larry moment when he smiled at me from the drumkit while I was jumping up and down in my Larry Mullen Band shirt. And I didn’t imagine it either because someone came up to me after and told me she saw Larry smile at me. Oklahoma was great because it was the first time I was really relaxed and moved around the concert. The first time I went back behind the stage to watch Larry and have room all to myself – not worrying about ‘my spot.’ Larry smiled and waved at me at the beginning of I’ll Go Crazy. Chicago1 was amazing because it was my first show of the tour, and it had the best set list of the tour. I heard Unforgettable Fire for the first time and Pride and Bad, two of my all-time favorite songs, were played for the only time of the eight shows I saw that leg. Chicago1 was very stressful though and very exhausting because we waited in the GA line all day in the hot sun and then had people all around us smushed up against us during the concert. The Raleigh show was good because it was my birthday show (a day early), and I heard In a Little While (my favorite song off All That You Can’t Leave Behind) for the first time since the Elevation Tour. We also go to hear the sound check and had the perfect spot on the catwalk where Larry, Adam and Edge each stopped in front of us during I’ll Go Crazy. The Charlottesville show was good because we stood at the front rail on the side of the stage, Bono sang a verse of Unforgettable Fire to us, and I could really hear Larry’s ‘HEY HEY HEYs’ during Get on Your Boots because the vocals were SO loud. At the time, I did not appreciate the Charlottesville show because of all the horrible traffic we encountered getting to the show. The Chicago2 show was good because Your Blue Room was played for the first time ever, and it was a very relaxed show. The Atlanta show probably would have been better if I wasn’t sick and alone. I had a great spot at the front rail in front of Adam and Larry gave me a nod from the drumkit during Beautiful Day even without my Larry Mullen Band tee. For the first time in my life, and I hope the only time, I left a U2 show early. I left during One because I was so sick, but at least I got to see a little of the show from across the stadium for the first time. A great thing about 360 2009 was that I got to see U2 in cities I had never seen them in before and obviously visit cities I’ve never been to. My whole life I had wanted to visit Chicago and go to Wrigley Field. Because of U2, I got to do that and now I love Chicago! I had always wanted to visit Atlanta as well and got to do that. Although I’m not a huge fan of Atlanta, but I am glad I got to visit the Martin Luther King sites. I had never really wanted to go to Oklahoma, but it was cool to see it. And I had been to Las Vegas twice before, so any excuse to go to Vegas. I love Vegas! 360 2009 was also great because I got to see and hang out with a lot of friends that I hadn’t really seen since the Elevation Tour, because I wasn’t really into the Vertigo Tour.
I had always wanted to drive across the country, and I had always wanted to follow U2 on tour – the whole tour. And last summer that is exactly what I did. I wasn’t working and barely had enough money, but I packed up the car and Elvis, Cilla and I left our house for three months to drive to every U2 show in the US on the last leg of the 360 Tour. Along the way, I visited great American sights, saw 16 fantastic U2 concerts and met many great people.
the traveling threesome
We drove over 18,000 miles through 31 states – some states we drove through multiple times. We drove through and/or stayed in Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Delaware, New Jersey and Minnesota. I visited Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Deadwood in South Dakota, Red Rocks in Denver, Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Reno and Lake Tahoe in Nevada, the Experience Music Project and Kurt Cobain’s house in Seattle, Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, Harmony Hotel, Joshua Tree Park and Elvis’ homes in Palm Springs, took a bus tour of LA and Hollywood, visited Johnny Cash’s grave outside of Nashville, Bronz Fonz and Summerfest in Milwaukee, the Football Hall of Fame, and saw Soundgarden in Philadelphia. My favorite places were Mount Rushmore, Palm Springs, and Milwaukee.
I saw all 16 U2 360 shows in the US. My favorite moments (my squealing moments) of each U2 360 concert were the following: watching U2 walk through the crowd and walk to the stage, Larry banging the drums to open Even Better Than the Real Thing - boom boom! boom! boom boom!, when Larry and his drums turned around to face behind the stage (where I was) during Mysterious Ways, Larry standing up (back to back with Bono) banging the drums singing “LET ME IN THE SOUND” during Get on Your Boots, Larry walking around with his conga during I’ll Go Crazy, Larry and his drums turned around to face behind the stage (where I was) and then Bono rapping at him during Sunday Bloody Sunday, Larry’s drum solo during Scarlet, and watching U2 leave the stage and walk through the crowd to the tunnel leaving the stadium.
it’s all about Larry
My favorite U2 360 shows were Anaheim2, Chicago, St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Seattle, but each of the 16 US shows were special. The Denver show was special because it was the first U2 show in the US on the last leg of 360, it was the first time I heard Zooropa and Scarlet, it was in the stadium where my beloved Denver Broncos play, and I met Beth. The Salt Lake City show was special because I heard Love Rescue Me, one of my favorite songs, for the first time. The Seattle show was one of my favorites because I talked with Bono before the show about meeting Larry, Larry walked over to me smiling and shook my hand as he walked to the tunnel as he left the stadium, I watched the show with Jenny, and I met Chuck. The Oakland show was special because Larry sang a part of Lou Reed’s A Perfect Day and I talked with Bono again before the show about meeting Larry. The first show in Anaheim was special because it was the first time Paul McGuinness had ever been on stage. The second show in Anaheim was my favorite 360 show because U2 brought back my favorite song I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For for the first time that leg and I cried, and they completely changed the set list by opening the show with five straight songs off Achtung Baby then played Streets. The Baltimore show was special because it was the loudest audience of the tour, Larry took off his shirt on the way to his car after the show, I got the set list and I watched the show with Tasha. The East Lansing show was special because it stayed light through Elevation and U2 entered through the bleachers up top behind the stage. The Miami show was special because it was the first time U2 played North Star in the US. The Nashville show was special because it was the first time U2 played The Wanderer, in honor of Johnny Cash, they brought up a blind guitar player at the end of the show to play All I Want Is You, and it was the first time I saw Larry get out of his car at the stadium. The Chicago show was one of my favorites because it was the first time I had ever heard One Tree Hill, which was completely spontaneous and the first time it was played in the US since 1987, U2 played Out of Control for the first time in the US that leg, and I shook Edge’s hand before the show. The Philadelphia show was special because U2 brought back the original version of Magnificent and moved it down in the set list, I watched the show will old Elevation friends, and I met Natasha. The St. Louis show was one of my favorites because of the amazing energy both from the audience and U2, and I got a little shout out from Bono about the Larry Mullen Band. The New Jersey show was special because it ended with Out of Control, it was the longest show of the tour, and I met Anisha. The Minneapolis show was special because it was the only show in the US that leg that it rained, a drenching downpour complete with lightning, and I danced in the rain throughout the show with Deb and her husband. The Pittsburgh show was one of my favorites because it was the last US show, Matt and Melissa danced on stage during With or Without You, U2 closed with Bad (one of my favorite songs which was played for the first time in the US that leg), watching the show with Abbey, and my favorite moment of the entire tour was when Larry hugged me on his way to the stage.
I had the best summer of my life on the U2 360 Tour. I learned there really is humidity in Southern California, to never drive around Chicago or Atlanta (especially on July 4th weekend), don’t avoid an outdoor concert in Miami in the summer because you think it is going to be too hot because the shows in St. Louis, Baltimore and Nashville were much hotter, and U2 fans really are the greatest. But the most important thing I learned is to always follow your passion, even if you think it’s impossible or impractical. If I had thought logically and practically, I would have skipped the second Anaheim show to make it an easier drive from California to Maryland to make it to the Baltimore show, but then I would have missed my favorite show of the tour. And if I had been thinking logically and practically, I would have never even gone on the trip to begin with because I couldn’t really afford it, but then I would have missed out on the best summer of my life On the Road with U2 on the 360 Tour.
This blog post is part of my A to Z April Challenge about ‘My U2′ – what I love about U2 from A to Z. Thanks for stopping by. I am also blogging the A to Z Challenge on my other blog Deena’s Days about ‘My Music’ – music I love from A to Z.
Sorry, but I had to fudge this one a bit. I really wanted to include Electrical Storm video in ‘My U2 A to Z’ and I couldn’t leave out the Elevation Tour, so here you have it Storm, Electrical aka Electrical Storm. It is a good song, but it is even a better video. Electrical Storm is really U2 porn. Seriously, watch the video below and you’ll see – especially if you love Larry Mullen like I do. The video is all about Larry – Larry wet, Larry in the tub, Larry in the ocean, Larry kissing. Sigh! Every time I listen to Electrical Storm, the video plays in my head.
This blog post is part of my A to Z April Challenge about ‘My U2′ – what I love about U2 from A to Z. Thanks for stopping by. I am also blogging the A to Z Challenge on my other blog Deena’s Days about ‘My Music’ – music I love from A to Z.
The U2 360 show in Seattle was better than the previous two shows I had been to in Denver and Salt Lake City. Even though it was the same set list, the audience was much more into it, the band was having a blast and actually seemed a little more into as well, Lenny Kravitz was a better opening act than The Fray, and oh yeah I talked with Bono before the show about Larry and Larry shook my hand as he was leaving the show.
U2 360 Seattle 6.4.11
To conserve energy on that rare sunny day on June 4th, Jenny and I took a cab to Qwest Field – even though it was just under a mile away. We got to the stadium at 3:00, got in the GA line just long enough to get our wristbands and then walked around to wait for U2 to arrive. We met some new folks and talked with old friends. I met Chuck and Michelle whom I’ve stayed friends with. Chuck and I would go on to see many other shows together. They told us Larry had just went in, so I was a little disappointed – but they were wrong.
U2 in Seattle
Qwest Field
After a short time, we saw the flashing lights of the police escort and black SUVs. Edge, Bono, Adam AND LARRY drove into Qwest Field right in front of us. We looked down the long driveway and saw Bono get out and head back toward us. He hopped on the back of the policeman’s motorcycle and in seconds was talking with us. Jenny and I were in our ‘Larry Mullen Band’ shirts as usual. I shouted, “Is Larry ever coming out to greet the fans?” Bono responded, “He only likes you. I love you.” Then Bono went on to say, “You like that kind of cold stare” (referring to Larry). Before Bono was about to leave, he asked the small crowd of about 30 people, “Where are the Larry Mullen people?” I shouted, ‘Right here!” and pushed my way toward Bono. He read my shirt as if to make sure I was the ‘Larry Mullen Band’ girl he had been talking to earlier. Then Bono asked, “Do you have a message I can deliver?” I was confused and frantic. I thought he was going to tell me a message from Larry, but I quickly realized what he had said and I replied, “Yes, tell Larry to come out in Oakland since he didn’t come out here.” He said, “OK.” I then went on to tell him that I would be at all the US shows, but I don’t think he heard me. Bono then asked my name and repeated it back to me, “Deena.” When he got in his golf cart to go back, I saw him write something down. I was hoping it was my message to Larry. I had no idea what this conversation would eventually lead to almost two months later in Pittsburgh.
Chuck, Bono and me
The Larry Mullen Band
We got in the GA line and had about an hour wait in the hot Seattle sun before we were let into Qwest Field. While waiting we got to hear the sound check. I was quite excited to hear The Fly, but disappointed it wasn’t included in the set list later. Once inside, we got a nice spot in the inner circle on Adam’s side – a great view for Lenny Kravitz. Lenny was a great opening act, a lot better than The Fray. He didn’t take the stage until 7:30 and only played 45 minutes, but played the four songs I know – It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over, American Woman, Fly Away, and Are You Gonna Go My Way. Lenny had these great female backup singers that reminded me of Elvis’ Sweet Inspirations. Lenny also did karate moves that reminded me of Elvis. Could Lenny be a fan of The King? Please watch my video of an overview of Lenny Kravitz opening in Seattle.
Lenny Kravitz
After Lenny Kravitz’ performance, we went over to Edge’s side and stood behind the stage to wait for U2 to enter. It was odd getting our neck’s stamped (instead of our hands) for re-entry to the inner circle, but this was to be the practice for most of the tour. Security kicked us off the rail where we were waiting for U2 to enter, claiming the fire marshall wanted that space cleared. So instead of having us lined up along the rail like we were, they had us lined up horizontally sort of blocking the way to the inner circle. Not sure how that wasn’t a fire hazard. This was also to happen for most of the tour. But as soon as U2 came out of that tunnel, security couldn’t hold us back and we were again on the rail. Larry came by and smiled at me, and I think he may have waved – of course I was screaming his name and wearing my Larry Mullen Band shirt. We decided to stay on Edge’s side for the show, and it was a good decision. We had a great view of the show. It was side view, but we could see everything. During Even Better Than the Real Thing, Bono shouted, “The Emerald City shining in the sun.”
the Edge
During Get on Your Boots right before my favorite “LET ME IN THE SOUND”, Bono said, “Larry Mullen!” Apparently he did this at most shows, but I never heard him because I was too busy screaming. I would get SO excited for Get on Your Boots! Before Magnificent, Bono said, “Here comes the Boss – the Arch” (referring to Arch Bishop Desmin Tutu and his part in the Magnificentremix.
U2 in Seattle
Before Until the End of the World, Bono sings, “It’s the end of the world as we know it. Edge feels fine.” Some folks from REM were at the show. During the band introductions, Bono talked about how June 4th was a date we are all going to remember. He again mentioned the rare sunny day in Seattle. He said the band was going to start again and we should pretend we didn’t know them. Bono said, “You think of him as a tough guy, but he’s a very thoughtful man. On the drums, Larry Mullen Jr!”
Bono
For the first time, video of Commander Kelly at the Space Station is shown before Beautiful Day. He is holding words from the song and then says, “Tell my wife I love her.” Video of Kelly is shown later in the song as he recites the lyrics. Commander Kelly is married to Gabby Gifford who was shot months earlier. This video was played before Beautiful Dayfor the rest of the tour. The audience would get really excited each time he would say their city’s name. I don’t think they realized it was recorded and he was actually talking to us from space.
where’s adam?
At the end of Vertigo, we went behind the stage to wait for Larry and his conga to start his walk for I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight. He again smiled at me as I screamed his name and jumped up and down – actually I think he was laughing at me, but I’ll take it. For Moment of Surrender, we moved behind the stage to wait for U2 to leave. Instead of standing by the stairs at the stage where we could have gotten a good picture, we waited back toward where the tunnel is. As Larry was walking out, Jenny shouted, “Larry!” He smiled and made a b line for us. He shook Jenny’s hand and then mine – still smiling. I thanked him. Excited as I was, I thought to myself that this does not excuse Larry from coming out to meet me in Oakland, assuming Bono gives him my message.
my favorite picture of Larry I took this tour
As we were walking through the crowded parking lot, we passed by Eddie Vedder and his bodyguard looking for their car. I of course ran after them to try to get a picture, but was unsuccessful. I did manage to snap one just before Eddie was getting into the car, but it was of course blurry and of the back of him.
chasing Eddie Vedder
The set list for the June 4th 360 show in Seattle was as follows: Even Better Than The Real Thing, I Will Follow, Get On Your Boots, Magnificent, Mysterious Ways, Elevation, It’s the End of the World as We Know It / Until the End of the World / Where Have All the Flowers Gone, All I Want Is You, Stay, Beautiful Day / Space Oddity, Pride, Miss Sarajevo, Zooropa, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, I’ll Go Crazy / Discotheque /Life During Wartime / Psycho Killer, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Scarlet, Walk On /You’ll Never Walk Alone, One / Will You Love Me Tomorrow, Where the Streets Have No Name / All You Need is Love, Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me, With or Without You, Moment of Surrender.
That Seattle show is still one of my favorites of the 360 tour. It had a much a better energy than the previous two I had seen in Denver and Salt Lake City. Also, it was great to see it with my old Elevation friend Jenny – I had been alone at my first two shows. It was also the show where I met Chuck, whom I have stayed friends with and saw many shows with on 360. Seattle was where I met and spoke with Bono about meeting Larry and where Larry shook my hand as he left. It was a great night!
This blog post is part of my A to Z April Challenge about ‘My U2′ – what I love about U2 from A to Z. Thanks for stopping by. I am also blogging the A to Z Challenge on my other blog Deena’s Days about ‘My Music’ – music I love from A to Z.
I love Larry Mullen Jr, U2′s drummer. He is my favorite drummer, and my second favorite man – a close second behind Elvis. And ironically Larry is a huge Elvis fan and even named his son Aaron Elvis. I have been a U2 fan for 25 years. I was a freshman in high school when The Joshua Tree was released in 1987. I remember hearing With or Without You and realizing it was by the same band that sang that song Pride I had heard a few years earlier. Luckily a classmate had a picture of U2 because at the age of 14 it is VERY important what the band that you might be interested in looks like. Out of the four guys, one stood out. His name was Larry Mullen Jr., and I have been in love with him ever since. Besides being gorgeous, Larry is my favorite member of U2 because he is very matter of fact, no nonsense, and always says exactly what he is feeling. I admire that about him. He loves Elvis Presley, and I have loved Elvis since I was five. My favorite part of Rattle and Hum, is when U2 visits Graceland and Larry talks about how much he loved the Elvis movies. The first time I saw a Sun Studio tee shirt was on Larry in Rattle and Hum.
I have had a few personal encounters with Larry Mullen over the years on various tours. The first time I saw Larry in person and not on stage was at Giants Stadium on August 12, 1992 before the opening of the ZooTv Outside Broadcast Tour. A bunch of us fans were waiting outside the stadium in the afternoon before the show, and Larry drove by us on his motorcycle. He did not stop, but he did wave. I got a picture and then ran away screaming – he just has that affect on me. That night in concert Larry came to the front of the stage and sang Dirty Old Town as only he can. I was so excited that my friend Jonathan tried to hold me back, so I hit him to get him off of me and he fell off his chair. During Popmart, the only time I saw Larry outside of the shows was in Philadelphia on June 8, 1997 walking from the bus into the stadium. I do have a HitMan shirt though – like the one he wore in concert.
On the Elevation tour, I had three fantastic encounters with Larry, including the only time I have ever met him. But before any of those, a Larry Mullen Band shirt was thrown onto the stage in Philadelphia on June 11, 2001. Larry placed it on his drum kit where it stayed for the rest of the show. I found out later that Paola had thrown this shirt on stage. It was her birthday, she is a huge Larry fan and had made the shirt for him. Because I took pictures of this and posted them online, Paola, Jenny, Tasha and I became friends. Paola made us all Larry Mullen Band shirts, which I wear to every U2 show. On June 21, 2001 in New Jersey at the end of the show, Larry walked to the front of the stage, leaned over, looked into my eyes and handed me his drumstick. I cried. I clutched that drumstick as I walked out of the arena. It is now in a glass case on my shelf.
On October 19, 2001 in my hometown of Baltimore, I finally met Larry Mullen Jr. This was the first time U2 had played Baltimore, so when they arrived for sound check Larry, Bono, Edge and Adam walked out to meet us fans waiting outside the arena. When Larry walked over 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. After Larry hugged me, 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! Then less than two weeks later, I attended my favorite U2 concert ever – Larry’s 40th birthday in Providence, RI, October 31, 2001. This is what I wrote about that night:
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.’ 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 woman making a U2 GA documentary. I’m sure I made a fool of myself, but I was just VERY excited. What an amazing Larry night!
I did not have any encounters with Larry during the Vertigo tour, except when I would jump up and down screaming when he sang ‘RELEASE’ during Love and Peace or Else. I may have gotten a nod. On the 360 Tour in 2009, Larry gave me a few waves, smiles and nods during the shows when he saw me in my Larry Mullen Band shirt jumping up and down screaming his name. Of course no one else was behind the stage waiting for him to walk down with his conga during I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight.
I had a few great encounters with Larry on the 360 tour, including one I still can’t quite believe. Since I was driving to all 16 US shows, I thought it was a good opportunity to try to meet Larry. I arrived at each stadium by 3pm to wait for U2 to arrive. I wore my black Larry Mullen Band shirt and straw cowboy hat to every show. At the first show in Denver, Bono and Edge stopped and met with everyone but there were too many people around for me to get close. For the next show in Salt Lake City I didn’t wait for U2 to arrive because I came across the GA line first and started talking with people, so I just got in line at 4pm.
I arrived to the stadium in Seattle just before 3:30. There were about 20-30 fans waiting who said that Larry already went in, so I was really upset. But they were wrong – can’t believe they didn’t even know what Larry looks like! A few minutes later U2 arrived, including Larry. Bono came back out riding on the back of a policeman’s motorcycle. He was talking with the fans, and I interrupted and shouted, “Is Larry ever coming out to meet the fans?” Bono replied, “He only likes you. I love you. You obviously like that kind of cold stare don’t you?” He continued to talk to others, I walked away, and then Bono shouted, “Where are the Larry Mullen Band people?” I responded, “Right here!” and then pushed my way toward him. Bono asked me, “Do you have a message I can deliver (to Larry)?” So I asked Bono to please ask Larry to come out and greet the fans in Oakland, which was the next show. Bono asked my name and then repeated it back to me. When he got in the golf cart to leave, it looked as if he wrote something down. At the end of the concert, I stood by the tunnel to watch U2 leave. Larry saw me, smiled, walked over, and shook my hand. So maybe Bono did say something to Larry.
Three days later in Oakland, I arrived at the stadium by 3pm to make sure I didn’t miss Larry arriving because I was sure that Bono would deliver my message and I would finally talk with Larry. U2 arrived and Bono was in the first car as usual and stopped right in front of us. As soon as Bono got out of the car, I pointed at him and then at my Larry Mullen Band shirt and said, “Now Bono…” He put his hands in the air and said, “I tried.” He walked over to us, and I said, “So he’s not coming (referring to Larry)?” Bono said, “I tried.” While he was signing autographs, I told him that it’s ok because I’ll be at other shows. Bono asked me, “What is your name Deah?” I said, “Deena.” He said, “Yes, I remember.” He went on to talk to others. Before he got back into the car to go inside, Bono looked over to me and shouted, “I’ll try again.”
For the next month, U2 did not stop on their way into any stadium in the US. But luckily in Nashville we were able to stand in the parking garage overlooking the area where U2 got out of the cars and went into their dressing rooms in the building next to the stadium. Larry waved to everyone as he walked by.
A few days later in Chicago, Edge stopped on his way into Soldier Field. I shook Edge’s hand – his guitar playing hand! I asked him if Larry was coming out. He said, “I can’t say for sure. I can’t speak for Larry.” I thanked Edge for coming out to greet us, but I think it was too late and I had already offended him. I don’t think Edge had a sense of humor about it like Bono did in Seattle. A week later, Bono came out to greet everyone before the show in Philadelphia, but people were crazy and swarming him so I couldn’t get close enough to see him let alone talk with him. In St Louis a few days later, there were only a few of us waiting for U2 to arrive, but no one stopped to greet us. Larry did wave as he drove by though. Inside the stadium, I stood at the stage to watch U2 walk to the stage (as I did every show), and Larry and Bono noticed me (as they did most shows) and smiled and waved. During the band introductions Bono said, “Larry is still upset that we changed our name to U2 from the Larry Mullen Band and there are some people here that agree with him” – and Larry busted out laughing. Everyone thinks Bono was referring to me, and maybe he was. A few days later Edge stopped on his way into the stadium in New Jersey stopped to greet the fans, but since I had already met him in Chicago I stood back and let others meet him – besides he didn’t seem too interested in delivering a message to Larry for me.
A week later at the final US show in Pittsburgh both 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. My friends Matt and Melissa talked with Bono and selflessly told him about me and how I’ve 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 waves to me as he walks to the stage – and Brian said he’s seen me at the shows. Brian took my phone number and said he would look for us inside. I waited on Edge’s side of the inner circle to wait for U2 to enter, as I always do. Brian came over and told me that he was still working on getting me to meet Larry. When U2 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 and then down to me and hugged me. He didn’t say a word, he just put his arms around me. I think I muttered a ‘thank you.’ Larry gave me the biggest, best hug ever and then went on stage. I burst into tears. Everyone 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 thought Larry would walk over to me and hug me on his way to the stage before the show. That was my favorite moment of the U2 360 tour and a perfect ending to my Musical Journey! I keep replaying it over and over in my head. Larry walked 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 videos, it was only a few seconds – but those were some magnificent few seconds!
Because of Larry Mullen, there is U2. He started the band with a note on the school bulletin board. And for a few minutes, the band was known as The Larry Mullen Band. Because of Larry Mullen, I got into U2. I heard With or Without You, saw a picture of U2 and noticed Larry, and my passion for U2 quickly grew. Because of Larry Mullen, I have met many great people and visited many great cities.
This blog post is part of my A to Z April Challenge about ‘My U2′ – what I love about U2 from A to Z. Thanks for stopping by. I am also blogging the A to Z Challenge on my other blog Deena’s Days about ‘My Music’ – music I love from A to Z.
U2’s Elevation Tour is my favorite U2 tour and one of the most amazing experiences of my life! From the tour opener on March 24, 2001 in Ft. Lauderdale to the final show of the tour on December 2, 2001 in Miami, I went to 27 U2 shows, had 3 amazing moments with Larry Mullen, traveled to 17 cities, and met and made many great friends. My favorite show of the Elevation Tour and of any tour was Providence 2 – Larry’s 40th Birthday on October 31, 2001. Other special shows were Baltimore, the final show in Miami, Jersey1, Boston4, Philly2, and Tampa. The entire Elevation tour was great, but these seven shows were stand outs for me.
Elevation Tour program
My Larry moments were more than I could have ever hoped for. I’ve been in love with him since I was 14. My first Larry moment was on June 21, 2001 Jersey1 when Larry looked into my eyes and gave me his drum stick. My second Larry moment was on October 19, 2001 in Baltimore when Larry hugged me and smiled. This was the first time I met Larry. My third Larry moment was Larry’s 40th Birthday on October 31, 2001 Providence2. Larry gave me his champagne bottle. This was cool because I didn’t ask for it like I had the drumstick or the hug, he just gave it to me. And then Larry came back to me so I could give him his birthday card and tee shirt. I thanked him for the champagne and wished him a Happy Birthday and he thanked me.
I ended U2001 by having a U2-themed New Year’s Eve party at my house with all of my friends I had made on the Elevation Tour.I decorated the basement with U2 posters and photos. We watched U2 videos, discussed the tour and shared pictures. I am still friends with these great people today.
the heart
This blog post is part of my A to Z April Challenge about ‘My U2′ – what I love about U2 from A to Z. Thanks for stopping by. I am also blogging the A to Z Challenge on my other blog Deena’s Days about ‘My Music’ – music I love from A to Z.
When most people think of U2, they think of Bono. In fact some people even refer to U2 as Bono and the Boys, which really annoys me but that is a topic for another time. Bono is the lead singer of U2, the front man, the one who gets all of the publicity. He is also the one who writes the lyrics, which is my favorite part of music – along with drums. The first time I met Bono was 21 years ago in 1992 before the opening of the ZooTv Outside Broadcast tour at Giants Stadium. There were a bunch of fans standing outside Giants Stadium on the afternoon of August 12th waiting for U2 to arrive. Bono came out and went down the line talking with each of us, signing autographs and taking pictures. When Bono came to me, he noticed the tee shirt I had made with ‘One’ on it. I handed him my Outside It’s America book for him to autograph. I noticed he was taking a while, so I looked at what he was doing and saw he was misspelling my name. I said, “No, Deena is spelled with two e’s.” Bono kind of gave me this sly smile. In my book, he wrote, “A nice t-shirt Din…Deena Bono 92” I asked Bono if they would ever play Heartland in concert. And he answered that they were thinking of putting out an album of B sides. Huh? That’s not what I asked. Then I threw my camera to my friend Mike, so he could take a picture of us. Bono threw his arms around me and put his head on my shoulder. Bono autographed the photo for me a few days later before the show in DC. Bono isn’t my favorite of U2. If you know me, you know that Larry is – more on him later on the L part of the A to Z Challenge. But Bono is a great guy, a great performer, a great lyricist, and so very entertaining both on and off the stage. Another reason why I love Bono is that he has been an integral part of the few encounters I have had with Larry. Just listen closely to his video, especially the end…
This blog post is part of my A to Z April Challenge about ‘My U2′ – what I love about U2 from A to Z. Thanks for stopping by. I am also blogging the A to Z Challenge on my other blog Deena’s Days about ‘My Music’ – music I love from A to Z.
I must admit that when Achtung Baby was released in November of 1991, I did not like it. It was such a departure from The Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum, and actually from all of their previous albums. I had to listen to it several times before I fell in love with it, and then AB was the only thing I listened to for the next several months. It had a completely different sound from any of U2’s previous albums, but the lyrics were still amazing. And for me, music is all about lyrics – and drums. Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses is my favorite song off AB and one of my top five favorite U2 songs. It is a very emotional and angry song. In fact, I made my first love sit down and listen to the lyrics as I read them to him after he had broken up with me. If I could have written a song about us, Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses would have been it. Other favorites of mine off AB are One, So Cruel, Acrobat, and Tryin to Throw Your Arms Around the World - but really all the songs are my favorites. AB has become my second favorite U2 album (since I consider The Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum one album).
Achtung Baby
Besides being a great album, AB is significant to me because the ZooTv tour (in support of AB) was my first U2 tour and it was during this time between the release of AB and the ZooTv tour, that I was transformed from a U2 fan into a U2 fanatic. This was the start of my ‘On the Road with U2.’ I was almost 20 and drove around the East Coast going to eight shows on the ZooTv tour: Hampton VA, Philadelphia, Hershey PA, two shows at Giants Stadium in New Jersey, two shows in Washginton DC, and back to Philadelphia again. AB was also the start of “it’s all about drums” – one of my favorite quotes that I have repeated constantly over the past 20 years. The first time I ever heard it was on the Achtung Baby documentary when Larry said, “I don’t think the lyrics are worth a shit to be honest if you ask me, I think it’s all about drums.”
Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
You’re dangerous, ‘cos you’re honest.
You’re dangerous, you don’t know what you want.
Well you left my heart empty as a vacant lot
For any spirit to haunt.
You’re an accident waiting to happen
You’re a piece of glass left there on a beach.
Well you tell me things
I know you’re not supposed to
Then you leave me just out of reach.
Who’s gonna ride your wild horses?
Who’s gonna drown in your blue sea?
Who’s gonna ride your wild horses?
Who’s gonna fall at the foot of thee?
Well you stole it ‘cos I needed the cash
And you killed it ‘cos I needed revenge.
Well you lied to me ‘cos I asked you to.
Baby, can we still be friends?
Who’s gonna ride your wild horses?
Who’s gonna drown in your blue sea?
Who’s gonna ride your wild horses?
Who’s gonna fall at the foot of thee?
Ah, the deeper I spin
Ah, the hunter will sin for your ivory skin.
Took a drive in the dirty rain
To a place where the wind calls your name
Under the trees, the river laughing at you and me.
Hallelujah! Heaven’s white rose
The doors you open I just can’t close.
Don’t turn around, don’t turn around again.
Don’t turn around your gypsy heart.
Don’t turn around, don’t turn around again.
Don’t turn around, and don’t look back.
Come on now love, don’t you look back.
Who’s gonna ride your wild horses?
Who’s gonna drown in your blue sea?
Who’s gonna taste your saltwater kisses?
Who’s gonna take the place of me?
Who’s gonna ride your wild horses?
Who’s gonna tame the heart of thee?
Not only is today Larry Mullen Jr’s 51st birthday, but it is also the 11th anniversary of the night Larry and I shared a drink – the second Elevation Providence show on Larry’s 40th birthday 10.31.01. Here is what I wrote about that night:
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 Dunkin Donuts Center. 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.’ After Stuck in a Moment, Larry’s 40th birthday celebration began. We sang Happy Birthday to Larry. A birthday cake was brought out and presented to Larry. Bono said, ‘Larry loves chocolate cake!’ Larry pretended to throw the cake out into the audience. Larry took the mic and came to the front to talk while Bono sat behind the drums. Larry said, ‘Bono can’t play the 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 present 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 then 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 that 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 had for him. I said, ‘Thank you. Happy Birthday.’ He smiled and said, ‘Thank You.’ He looked into my eyes, just like he had in Jersey a few weeks earlier when he gave me his drum stick. 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. What an amazing Larry night! I will never forget it!
close up of Larry either giving me the champagne or taking my birthday card
Larry taking my birthday card and elvis t I had for him
Yay Larry!
me with the champagne bottle after the show
That Providence 2 Elevation show was my favorite U2 show, as well as my favorite concert 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 energy and for the rarities U2 played that night. Slow Dancing was played for the first time on the Elevation tour, 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. There was just a great energy in Providence that night that I haven’t experienced since. I still have that champagne bottle, displayed on my shelf along with Larry’s drum stick he gave me in Jersey.
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
Today is the 11th anniversary of the first time Larry Mullen Jr hugged me – October 19, 2001 in Baltimore on the Elevation tour. It was the first time U2 played Baltimore. It was also the first and last time I met Larry – outside of a concert. I had been waiting 14 years to meet Larry Mullen Jr. When Larry walked up to me, I told him I didn’t have anything for him to sign, but may I have a hug? Larry looked at me kind of strange, then smiled and said yes. We hugged and without a word, he was gone. Then I immediately turned around and hysterically cried. Hours later, I witnessed the most emotional U2 concert out of the 75 I have been to. It was just over a month after 9/11, and it was as if U2′s All That You Can’t Leave Behind was written especially to heal everyone – even though it was released the previous year. This is what I wrote after that wonderful U2 Elevation show in Baltimore on October 19, 2001:
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. 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! 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 ofControl, 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!
camping out for U2 Elevation Baltimore 10.19.01
Larry hugging me
crying after Larry hugged me
singing with Bono
Bono hugging the American flag after 9/11
10 years later Larry hugged me again, but this time I didn’t have to ask him. On his way to the stage in Pittsburgh on July 26, 2011, Larry walked over to me and hugged me without saying a word. I again cried hysterically. Larry Mullen Jr is a man of few words, but he is a great hugger!
After writing about my five favorite U2 songs and their theological references, it is now time to go through each U2 album – chronologically backwards starting with No Line on the Horizon. I am not going to write about every song, but my favorites from each album and the most spiritual ones. Get On Your Boots is my favorite song from NLOTH, mainly because of last summer’s 360 tour when Larry would stand up back to back with Bono and sing/scream “LET ME IN THE SOUND!”
That chorus is my favorite lyric from Get On Your Boots and was my anthem for last summer while driving to all 16 U2 360 shows in the US. I like to pair it with Breathe‘s, “I’ve found grace inside a sound.” To me that is spiritual, “I’ve found grace inside a sound. Let me in the Sound.” So I wanted to see if there were any biblical or theological references in Get On Your Boots. I believe Bono said Get on Your Boots was a song about first love set at a carnival where he and Ali go. But maybe he got the idea of ‘get on your boots’ from Isaiah 52:1-2, “Wake up, wake up! Pull on your boots, Zion! Dress up in your Sunday best, Jerusalem, holy city! Those who want no part of God have been culled out. They won’t be coming along. Brush off the dust and get to your feet, captive Jerusalem! Throw off your chains, captive daughter of Zion!” And maybe the first line, “the future needs a big kiss” is referring to God’s grace and love - how his kiss will remove the hate and violence in the world. The song ends with a plea to God, maybe asking to know him and to be with him, “Let me in the sound, now God, I’m going down. I don’t wanna drown now. Meet me in the sound. Let me in the sound.”
The future needs a big kiss
Winds blows with a twist
Never seen a moon like this
Can you see it too?
Night is falling everywhere
Rockets at the fun fair
Satan loves a bomb scare
But he won’t scare you
Hey, sexy boots
Get on your boots, yeah
You free me from the dark dream
Candy floss ice cream
All our kids are screaming
But the ghosts aren’t real
Here’s where we gotta be
Love and community
Laughter is eternity
If joy is real
You don’t know how beautiful
You don’t know how beautiful you are
You don’t know, and you don’t get it, do you?
You don’t know how beautiful you are
That’s someone’s stuff they’re blowing up
We’re into growing up
Women of the future
Hold the big revelations
I got a submarine
You got gasoline
I don’t want to talk about wars between nations
Not right now
Hey sexy boots…
Get on your boots, yeah
Not right now
Bossy boots
You don’t know how beautiful
You don’t know how beautiful you are
You don’t know, and you don’t get it, do you?
You don’t know how beautiful you are
Hey sexy boots
I don’t want to talk about the wars between the nations
Sexy boots, yeah
Let me in the sound
Let me in the sound
Let me in the sound, sound
Let me in the sound, sound
Meet me in the sound
Let me in the sound
Let me in the sound, now
God, I’m going down
I don’t wanna drown now
Meet me in the sound
Let me in the sound
Let me in the sound
Let me in the sound, sound
Let me in the sound, sound
Meet me in the sound
Get on your boots
Get on your boots
Get on your boots
Yeah hey hey
I’ve found grace inside a sound. Let me in the Sound!
My favorite U2 song that begins with E is Electrical Storm. I have to admit the entire reason it is one of my favorites is because of the video. Every time I listen to Electrical Storm, the video plays in my head. And the video is all about Larry. Larry wet, Larry in the tub, Larry in the ocean, Larry kissing. Sigh! Electrical Storm is a great song that is made even better when the images of its video play in my head when I listen to it.
The sea it swells like a sore head and the night it is aching
Two lovers lie with no sheets on their bed
And the day it is breaking
On rainy days we’d go swimming out
On rainy days swimming in the sound
On rainy days we’d go swimming out
You’re in my mind all of the time
I know that’s not enough
If the sky can crack there must be someway back
For love and only love
Electrical Storm
Electrical Storm
Baby don’t cry
Car alarm won’t let you back to sleep
You’re kept awake dreaming someone elses dream
Coffee is cold but it’ll get you through
Compromise that’s nothing new to you.
Let’s see colours that have never been seen
Let’s go places no one else has been
You’re in my mind all of the time
I know that’s not enough
Well if the sky can crack there must be someway back
To love and only love
Electrical storm x 3
Baby don’t cry
It’s hot as hell, honey in this room
Sure hope the weather will break soon
The air is heavy, heavy as a truck
We need the rain to wash away our bad luck
Well if the sky can crack there must be some way back
To love and only love
Electrical storm
Baby don’t cry
What is your favorite U2 song that begins with E?
This blog post is part of my A to Z April Challenge – my 26 favorite U2 songs. Thanks for stopping by. I am also blogging the A to Z Challenge on my other blog DeenasDays.
25 years ago today U2′s The Joshua Tree, my favorite album, was released. It was March 9, 1987, and I was a freshman in high school. I heard With or Without You and liked it. I realized that it was by that same group who sang that song Pride I had heard before. But I had to check out and see what U2 looked like because at 14 it is very important to a have a crush on the band you like. I noticed a picture of U2 that a classmate had. Larry stood out right away as the attractive one and someone whose pictures would soon decorate my locker. I immediately bought The Joshua Tree. That summer, I remember walking along the beach in Ocean City, Maryland with my big boom box blaring I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, which became my favorite song and still is today. I noticed U2 because of With or Without You, but I fell in love with U2 because of Larry Mullen and I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.
By the time Rattle and Hum came out, I had all of U2’s albums and recorded all of their appearances on television. I loved Rattle and Hum almost as much as The Joshua Tree. To me it is just an extension of it, sort of a Joshua Tree part 2. But more than a great album, Rattle and Hum is also a movie about U2’s travels across America on their Joshua Tree tour. On November 4, 1988, exactly one month after my 16th birthday, I piled a bunch of my friends into my GMC Jimmy and went to the movie theatre to see the premiere of Rattle and Hum. People were dancing in the aisles.
Even though I had all of U2′s albums, The Joshua Tree was what I listened to constantly from 1987 to 1991 – along with Rattle and Hum. Besides I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, my favorites off The Joshua Tree are Red Hill Mining Town (I was obsessed with this song!), Running to Stand Still, Trip Through Your Wires, In God’s Country, and b-sides Luminous Times (one of my all-time top 5 favorite songs), Walk to the Water, Deep in the Heart and Spanish Eyes. I love the b-sides of The Joshua Tree as much as, if not more than, the songs that actually made it onto the album. My favorites off of Rattle and Hum are Heartland, Love Rescue Me, Angel of Harlem, and b-sides Hallelujah Here She Comes and A Room at the Heartbreak Hotel. The Joshua Tree was also all I watched for five years. I taped everything off MTV – the documentaries, the videos, the concerts, the award show appearances, and the interviews. My favorite is the the first U2 I ever taped off tv, the documentary Outside It’s America – I know it by heart because I used to watch it everyday.
Even though it has been 25 years, The Joshua Tree is still my favorite album. It is truly a part of me. I think because it was my first U2 album and all I listened to and watched for five years. It’s just so ingrained in me. Its songs are second nature to me. Like being home, they are comforting. The Joshua Tree changed my life.
I have finished writing my memoir, On the Road with U2: my musical journey, about my adventures the past 20 years on the U2 tours from ZooTv to 360, including all 75 concerts, the places I’ve seen and the people I’ve met. It has been a wonderful journey, both living it and reliving it while writing about it. I am working with a literary agent and currently searching for a publisher. There are many books about U2, in fact amazon.com lists over 5000. Most of the U2 books are biographies about the band, some are written by fans about their own U2 experiences, and I think I am the only one who has written a U2 book with a Larry Mullen theme. In addition to writing about the places I’ve seen, the people I’ve met, and reviewing the 75 U2 concerts I went to the past 20 years, I also write about every Larry Mullen moment in those concerts. But don’t worry, I also write about the other three guys in U2.
I had always wanted to drive across the country, and I had always wanted to follow U2 on tour – the whole tour. And last summer that is exactly what I did. I wasn’t working and barely had enough money, but I packed up the car and Elvis, Cilla and I left our house for three months to drive to every U2 show in the US on the last leg of the 360 Tour. Along the way, I visited great American sights, saw 16 fantastic U2 concerts and met many great people.
the traveling threesome
We drove over 18,000 miles through 31 states – some states we drove through multiple times. We drove through and/or stayed in Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Delaware, New Jersey and Minnesota. I visited Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Deadwood in South Dakota, Red Rocks in Denver, Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Reno and Lake Tahoe in Nevada, the Experience Music Project and Kurt Cobain’s house in Seattle, Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, Harmony Hotel, Joshua Tree Park and Elvis’ homes in Palm Springs, took a bus tour of LA and Hollywood, visited Johnny Cash’s grave outside of Nashville, Bronz Fonz and Summerfest in Milwaukee, the Football Hall of Fame, and saw Soundgarden in Philadelphia. My favorite places were Mount Rushmore, Palm Springs, and Milwaukee.
I saw all 16 U2 360 shows in the US. My favorite moments (my squealing moments) of each U2 360 concert were the following: watching U2 walk through the crowd and walk to the stage, Larry banging the drums to open Even Better Than the Real Thing - boom boom! boom! boom boom!, when Larry and his drums turned around to face behind the stage (where I was) during Mysterious Ways, Larry standing up (back to back with Bono) banging the drums singing “LET ME IN THE SOUND” during Get on Your Boots, Larry walking around with his conga during I’ll Go Crazy, Larry and his drums turned around to face behind the stage (where I was) and then Bono rapping at him during Sunday Bloody Sunday, Larry’s drum solo during Scarlet, and watching U2 leave the stage and walk through the crowd to the tunnel leaving the stadium.
it's all about Larry
My favorite U2 360 shows were Anaheim2, Chicago, St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Seattle, but each of the 16 US shows were special. The Denver show was special because it was the first U2 show in the US on the last leg of 360, it was the first time I heard Zooropa and Scarlet, it was in the stadium where my beloved Denver Broncos play, and I met Beth. The Salt Lake City show was special because I heard Love Rescue Me, one of my favorite songs, for the first time. The Seattle show was one of my favorites because I talked with Bono before the show about meeting Larry, Larry walked over to me smiling and shook my hand as he walked to the tunnel as he left the stadium, I watched the show with Jenny, and I met Chuck. The Oakland show was special because Larry sang a part of Lou Reed’s A Perfect Day and I talked with Bono again before the show about meeting Larry. The first show in Anaheim was special because it was the first time Paul McGuinness had ever been on stage. The second show in Anaheim was my favorite 360 show because U2 brought back my favorite song I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For for the first time that leg and I cried, and they completely changed the set list by opening the show with five straight songs off Achtung Baby then played Streets. The Baltimore show was special because it was the loudest audience of the tour, Larry took off his shirt on the way to his car after the show, I got the set list and I watched the show with Tasha. The East Lansing show was special because it stayed light through Elevation and U2 entered through the bleachers up top behind the stage. The Miami show was special because it was the first time U2 played North Star in the US. The Nashville show was special because it was the first time U2 played The Wanderer, in honor of Johnny Cash, they brought up a blind guitar player at the end of the show to play All I Want Is You, and it was the first time I saw Larry get out of his car at the stadium. The Chicago show was one of my favorites because it was the first time I had ever heard One Tree Hill, which was completely spontaneous and the first time it was played in the US since 1987, U2 played Out of Control for the first time in the US that leg, and I shook Edge’s hand before the show. The Philadelphia show was special because U2 brought back the original version of Magnificent and moved it down in the set list, I watched the show will old Elevation friends, and I met Natasha. The St. Louis show was one of my favorites because of the amazing energy both from the audience and U2, and I got a little shout out from Bono about the Larry Mullen Band. The New Jersey show was special because it ended with Out of Control, it was the longest show of the tour, and I met Anisha. The Minneapolis show was special because it was the only show in the US that leg that it rained, a drenching downpour complete with lightning, and I danced in the rain throughout the show with Deb and her husband. The Pittsburgh show was one of my favorites because it was the last US show, Matt and Melissa danced on stage during With or Without You, U2 closed with Bad (one of my favorite songs which was played for the first time in the US that leg), watching the show with Abbey, and my favorite moment of the entire tour was when Larry hugged me on his way to the stage.
I had the best summer of my life on the U2 360 Tour. I learned there really is humidity in Southern California, to never drive around Chicago or Atlanta (especially on July 4th weekend), don’t avoid an outdoor concert in Miami in the summer because you think it is going to be too hot because the shows in St. Louis, Baltimore and Nashville were much hotter, and U2 fans really are the greatest. But the most important thing I learned is to always follow your passion, even if you think it’s impossible or impractical. If I had thought logically and practically, I would have skipped the second Anaheim show to make it an easier drive from California to Maryland to make it to the Baltimore show, but then I would have missed my favorite show of the tour. And if I had been thinking logically and practically, I would have never even gone on the trip to begin with because I couldn’t really afford it, but then I would have missed out on the best summer of my life On the Road with U2 on the 360 Tour.
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 16th of that leg, my 24th of the tour, and my 75th 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!
With just under a week remaining in my U2 360 tour across America, I was exhausted as I drove from New Jersey to Minneapolis – again driving back through Pennsylvania and Ohio where I had just drive a few days before. I left the morning after the U2 show in New Jersey, just before 11am, and drove 443 miles to a Motel 6 in Richfield, Ohio arriving around 6:30pm. I had to stop twice along the way to stay awake and didn’t drive as far as I originally wanted. The next morning I left bright and early at 7am to make my way to Minneapolis for the second to last U2 show on my 360 tour. I spent over $18. on the Ohio and Indiana Turnpikes and was stuck in traffic for over an hour getting around Chicago. There was so much construction all the way through Illinois. After stopping once in Illinois and once in Wisconsin, I finally arrived at the Days Hotel in Minneapolis 13 ½ hours and 754 miles later. I ordered a pizza and went to bed.
TCF Bank Stadium right next to my hotel
DAY 71 – JULY 23 – U2 360 #15 – MINNEAPOLIS
I stayed in bed all day before walking over to TCF Bank Stadium at the University of Minnesota at 2pm. Luckily my hotel was right next to the stadium, just as it had been in Denver. It was a bright sunny day when I left, but they were calling for rain. With the exception of a short sprinkle at the end of the Chicago show, it had not rained at any of the 14 shows I had been to so far on my 360 tour. I walked around the entire stadium trying to figure out where U2 would drive in. I thought it might be this spot in the back, but continued around to the other side of the GA line where I saw the crew going in and out and a bunch of fans waiting. I finally met Wendy whom I’ve been chatting with on twitter and facebook for months. I also met Stuart and Paul and talked with Jason, Tim, Cathal, Suzi and Denise. Turns out I should have followed my instinct and stayed in that spot around the back of the stadium where I thought U2 would drive in because that’s where they came in and I missed them – but no one stopped anyway. This was only the second time I had missed U2 arrive at the stadium – the other time was in East Lansing.
U2 360 Minneapolis 7.23.11
the claw in Minneapolis
the GA line in Minneapolis
I went into the show around 6pm and went to Edge’s side of the inner circle so I could watch U2 walk to the stage, even though they were entering from the tunnel on Adam’s side I prefer to watch them walk under the stage – which is on Edge’s side. Deb and her husband were already there waiting. We ended up hanging out throughout the entire show, which was great fun. While were waiting for Interpol to take the stage, a guy from the crew told us they have names for each of us, but he wouldn’t tell us what they were as I am sure they are not flattering. He said they even play bingo and mark off spaces when they see us at a show. I told him to tell Larry I’ve been to every US show and was anxious to meet him. He said he hadn’t even met Larry. While waiting for U2 to take the stage, I met Jill and her friends who were also at the shows in Anaheim. Jill is now helping me get my book published. My friend Shelly who I had been chatting with on Twitter was sitting behind the stage, shouted down to me and took a picture of me waiting behind the stage. It was unfortunate that we didn’t get a chance to actually talk in Minneapolis, but we have become friends since. She was kind enough to make me audio copies of all 16 U2 shows I traveled to last summer. As U2 walked toward the stage and made that turn to go into the underworld, Larry saw me and smiled and waved just like he did in St. Louis. I sort of captured it on video, but didn’t get a picture of it. Shelly told me after that she saw Larry wave to me, so I know I’m not imagining it. Please watch my short video of U2′s walk to the stage.
waiting for Larry
here they come!
During Even Better Than the Real Thing Bono said, “Come on now. The Twin Cities. Where are you going to take us tonight? Minneapolis. St. Paul.” To introduce The Fly Bono said, “Ya’ll want to hear some crowd rock circa 1991? Achtung Baby etc.” It started to rain toward the end of Mysterious Ways. Bono said, “Rain come. Love like rain. Love like rain comes in the summer.” Bono introduced Until the End of the World saying, “Are you ready for this rain dance?” The rain caused Edge to have guitar issues, and he couldn’t make it out onto the bridge when Bono was waiting for him. Because of the umbrellas above the drum kit, Larry and Bono could not stand back to back during my favorite ‘LET ME IN THE SOUND!’ during Get on Your Boots. Bono finished song by saying, “Get on your boots in your fancy new stadium.”
The Edge before the rain
Before the band introductions, Bono mentioned that Minneapolis was originally supposed to be the last show of the tour, then they added two more shows. He said, “This is the place to begin the end of the tour party.” Bono talked about how the past few shows had been some of the best. He said, “The last show I thought I heard thunder, and I felt like a flash of lightening. Then I felt like a truck had hit me. Then I thought I’ve got into the ring with Mike Tyson. He’s beating me in the back of my head. But it was none of those things. It was Larry Mullen Jr on the drums!” There was a huge applause, more than usual for Larry. Minneapolis really likes Larry! After I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, U2 launches into a full version of Stand By Me. During which, Bono brings Somali pop star K’naan on stage. Bono had spoken with K’naan before the show about the famine in Somalia. Please watch my video of K’naan and U2′s performance of Stand By Me.
K’Naan and Bono Stand By Me
U2 played Stuck in a Moment instead of Stay. Bono introduced Stuck saying, “We wrote this next song for Michael Hutchence, but you will understand if tonight we play it for Amy Winehouse.” Amy Winehouse had died earlier that day. At the end of Pride, the audience kept singing the ‘Oh Oh Ohs’ and Bono said, “That’s a beautiful sound. The sound of America in the rain singing its heart out.” It had been raining since Mysterious Ways, but when Zooropa started it was really pouring – a cold sideways rain of huge drops. I just remember full out dancing with Deb and her husband in the pouring rain. It was so freeing and fun. Some people had left or were standing under the bridges, but if U2 were playing their hearts out in the rain on the stage, I was going to give that same energy back.
Bono on the bridge
Streets
Unfortunately, the rain did cause some problems for Larry. He seemed to be uncomfortable, he was constantly adjusting his seat throughout the show. And because of the umbrellas, Larry’s drum kit didn’t turn around during Sunday Bloody Sunday – much to my disappointment. Bono wore his army green hat during the encores. I did not walk around to Adam’s side after Scarlet as usual to wait for U2 to leave because I was afraid I would fall in the pouring rain on the way over. Instead, I stood at the stairs and watched U2 leave the stage. Larry again saw me and smiled and waved.
Goodnight Larry!
The U2 show in Minneapolis was great – a fantastic energy much like it was in St. Louis. The rain didn’t damper the experience at all. In fact, it made it even better – and my hat survived the downpour. The rain began during the third song Mysterious Ways and continued throughout the show, raining harder and harder and lightning during the encore. It ended my ‘no rain’ streak – 14 shows on the last leg of the 360 tour with no rain. The highlights for me were a full performance of Stand By Me with K’naan, Stuck in a Moment instead of Stay, and of course Larry smiling and waving to me as he walked on stage and as he left the stage. It was a great great show, even though Magnificent was not played.
The set list for U2 360 in Minneapolis was as follows: Even Better Than the Real Thing, The Fly, Mysterious Ways / Rain, Until the End of the World / Anthem, I Will Follow, Get On Your Boots, I Still Haven’t Found, Stand By Me, Stuck in a Moment, Beautiful Day / Space Oddity, Can’t Stand the Rain – Elevation, Pride, Miss Sarajevo, Zooropa, City of Blinding Lights / Singing in the Rain, Vertigo, Miss You / I’ll Go Crazy / Raindrops Keep Falling / Discotheque / Life During Wartime / Psycho Killer, Please / Sunday Bloody Sunday, Scarlet, Walk On, One / Purple Rain, Hallelujah / Purple Rain / Where the Streets Have No Name / Singing in the Rain, Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me, With or Without You, Moment of Surrender / Singing in the Rain.
it’s all about drums
The next morning I would leave for my last show and my last chance to meet Larry. I had already seen 15 great U2 shows and had shaken Larry’s hand in Seattle as he was leaving the stage, so whatever happened at the show in Pittsburgh would be icing on the cake. Little did I know, it would be the most amazing, delicious icing I had ever had!
After the horrible days I had driving from Miami to Nashville in one day and Philadelphia to St. Louis in one, I decided to break up the drive from St. Louis to New Jersey into 2 days. I left St. Louis around noon the day after the fantastic U2 show in St. Louis. In fact it was so fantastic that I didn’t get much sleep, so I only drove about 350 miles to Dayton, Ohio. I originally wanted to make it to Columbus, which was only about another hour, but I just couldn’t do it. So I ordered an amazing pizza from Donatos (thin crust with lots and lots of cheese), settled into my Motel 6 hotel room, and watched Bono and Edge on Letterman. Unfortunately, I didn’t get much sleep that night either and I had to drive 600 miles to New Jersey. I left Dayton at 6am, stopped twice, drove across the Pennsylvania turnpike again and arrived in our Homestead Suites hotel across the street from the New Meadowlands stadium.
New Meadowlands Stadium East Rutherford, NJ
DAY 68 – JULY 20 – U2 360 #14 – NEW JERSEY
The U2 360 show in East Rutherford, New Jersey was the longest of the US tour at 2 ½ hours – it included two extra songs. U2 played Out of Control, not instead of I Will Follow but in addition to. They also played both The Fly, in its typical second spot, and Magnificent, after Get on Your Boots which was a first. And as in Philadelphia, it was the original album version of Magnificent, not the remix of the earlier shows. And Edge came out to greet the fans before the show.
U2 360 New Jersey 7.20.11
I finally got a great night’s sleep the night before the U2 show in Jersey and also took a nap a couple hours after I woke up. But I was awakened by the fire alarm going off, which was luckily a false alarm. Then on to my normal show day routine of watching tv, ordering lunch, walking the dogs before going to the stadium. Even though I was at the Homestead Suites across the street from the New Meadowlands Stadium, I couldn’t walk there because of the highway, so luckily the Sheraton next door had a shuttle going over. I thought that would be easier than driving over myself and parking, but I was wrong. It was $20 for one person, since I didn’t want to wait until after 5pm to go over. I had to be there when U2 arrived because I knew the one time I wasn’t there, Larry would stop.
U2 shuttle
I picked up my red zone ticket and wristband and walked around to where everyone was waiting for U2 to arrive. Quite a large crowd had already gathered to wait for U2 to arrive. I met Anisha, Melissa, Krystal, Sadie and Dafna whom I’ve been chatting with on Twitter and Facebook for months. I also met Patrick, who is Chuck’s friend from Austin and the lead singer of Austin’s U2 tribute band, and Matt’s cousin and his girlfriend, as well as talked friends with Barb and Alice.
The Edge's back
U2 finally arrived, well everyone except Larry. Paul McGuinness drove in, then Adam, then Edge and then Bono. Edge came out to greet everyone as he did in Chicago. I walked around and asked Jerry in security if Larry would stop to sign, but he just smiled and said he didn’t know. I waited forever for Larry to arrive. Not sure why he didn’t arrive with the rest of the band. About two hours later around 6:30 or so, Larry finally arrived. There were still a few of us left waiting, but he didn’t stop.
Edge greets the fans in New Jersey
For the first time, I had a red zone ticket. It was on Adam’s side of the stage, but decided to watch U2 walk in as I always do. I didn’t want to walk all the way around to Edge’s side to watch them walk onto the stage because the sun had really worn me out. So I just stayed on Adam’s side because they were walking out of the tunnel on his side. I ran into Mike, my oldest U2 friend – from The Joshua Tree days in high school. We saw a set list that someone had that said there was going to be an encore of Out of Control, Bad, and 40closing the show, but we didn’t believe it. Interpol didn’t come on until about 7:45. I realized that the lead singer must be an Elvis fan. He had Elvis-like sunglasses and said, ‘Thank you very much.’ I liked their first two songs, but then his voice started to get on my nerves.
Interpol
It was pretty exciting to watch U2 walk all the way down the tunnel – usually I just see them walking up to the stage. I could have sworn that when Larry and Adam emerged from the tunnel, they saw me (because I was directly in front of them and don’t really blend in with the crowd) and Larry sort of jokingly hid behind Adam grabbing him as if to say, ‘oh no there she is again!’
here they come!
After U2 walked by, I ran over to the red zone to watch the show. It seemed I was a bit more excited than everyone else there, especially when U2 added an extra song, Magnificent, after Get on Your Boots. The red zone was more crowded than I thought it would be. I stood two people back from the catwalk and had a side view of the stage, so I could see everything. I still liked my spot behind the stage better though. It’s closer and had a better view of Larry. Also, Bono and Edge go behind the stage more than they come over to the catwalk on Adam’s side where I was. The red zone was great for I’ll Go Crazy if I Don’t Go Crazy Tonightthough. I got to see Adam, Edge and Larry up close.
the (RED) zone
During Even Better Than the Real Thing, Bono said, “Jersey on a hot summer night. Where you going to take us?” Even though St. Louis was way hotter than Jersey, Bono only called St. Louis a ‘warm summer night.’ Bono commented all night how hot it was in New Jersey (not even 90 degrees), even though it was much hotter in St. Louis (110 degrees) a few days earlier. I think he was still overheated from St. Louis. Bono again introduced The Fly as “crowd rock circa 1991.” Bono was really into The Fly – almost angrily screaming the lyrics. At the end of Mysterious Ways, Bono again threw in a little Trying to Throw Your Arms Around the World as he did in Chicago, but a very little this time with “going to run to you run to you run to you.” During Until the End of the World Bono said, “Love and Peace” but no ‘bass and drums.’ Bono again said the most special word of the night was ‘surrender’ during I Will Follow saying, “I surrender. We surrender.” After Magnificent, which was played after Get on Your Bootsfor the first time, Bono said, “Magnificent new stadium. We have played East Rutherford 24 times.” I realize I have been to 9 of those East Rutherford shows.
The Fly
Mysterious Ways
I Will Follow
Magnificent
As he had done at the St. Louis show, Bono read a set list from 30 years ago. Also just like in St. Louis, Bono said, “Some things change but so much remains the same in this band. I’d like to point out that Larry Mullen is still trying to figure out why it’s called U2 and not the Larry Mullen Band. And I think he has a point. We’re very greatful Sir for taking us off the streets of Dublin. Thank you.” But this time no mention indirectly of me. During I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For Bono said, “We want to thank Father Springsteen for the lend of the hall and some other things besides. Thank you Bruce.” Just like at the St. Louis show, Edge spoke before Stay while Bono changed his shirt and then started to play Stuck in a Moment by accident. Too bad, I would rather hear Stuck than Stay. During Elevation Bono said, “So hot tonight I feel like I could die.” After Pride, the audience kept singing the “oh oh oh ohs” for quite some time and Bono said, “Noisy New Jersey.” Before Miss SarajevoBono said, “If you’re Irish, this is really hot.”
City of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
I'll Go Crazy
After I’ll Go Crazy, I went to my usual spot behind the stage and felt right at home. It was less crowded and I was closer to Larry – and closer to Bono when he came back for Sunday Bloody Sunday and Streets. Someone rushed the stage from behind the stage on Edge’s side during Streets. I saw Sammy and security run after him, but couldn’t see what happened. It figures one of the few shows I’m not on Edge’s side that happened. After Walk On Bono said, “Oh my God New Jersey thank you!” During With or Without You, I walked back to the tunnel to wait for U2 to leave. Paul McGuinness was standing behind me watching the show. Bono said, “Feeling a little faint earlier. I hope you don’t mind. It’s hot here!” Bono dedicated Moment of Surrender to the E Street Band and Bruce. After Moment of Surrender, U2 walked to the front of the stage and took their bows. I was of course watching Larry and saw him lean to Bono and say something like, ‘Do you want to play another one? It’s up to you.’ Then Bono said, “Let’s do one more.” I heard the beginning of Out of Control and ran back to the stage, since some folks had left I was able to stand up front at the side of the stage. It was SO great! Please watch my video of an overview of the U2 360 show in New Jersey.
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Where the Streets Have No Name
Out of Control
After Out of Control, I went back to the stairs to watch U2 walk off stage and then I ran back to the tunnel to watch them leave. As Edge and Bono approached the tunnel, they hugged this man. Security said it was Bruce Springsteen, but I didn’t think it looked like him. I had to wait over an hour to catch the shuttle back to my hotel after the show. The entire parking lot was almost empty before we got on the shuttle back to the hotel. It figured that the longest show of the US tour coupled with an unfortunate late shuttle happened the night before I had to get up and drive halfway to Minneapolis for the next U2 show.
Goodnight New Jersey
The set list for the U2 360 show in New Jersey was as follows: Even Better Than The Real Thing, The Fly, Mysterious Ways, Until the End of the World / Anthem, I Will Follow, Get On Your Boots, Magnificent, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For / Promised Land, Stay / In the Wee Small Hours, Beautiful Day / Space Oddity, Elevation, Pride, Miss Sarajevo, Zooropa, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, I’ll Go Crazy / Discotheque / Psycho Killer / Life During Wartime, 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 / Jungleland, Out of Control.
After the New Jersey show, I didn’t feel like it was that great of a show. I remember being really excited for Out of Control of course, but just thought it was the typical U2 show – nothing particularly extraordinary. But after listening to the bootleg, that U2 360 show in New Jersey was really good. U2 really did end with four fantastic shows in the US – St. Louis, New Jersey, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh.
Day 64 of my U2 360 tour across America brought me from Philadelphia to St. Louis, driving almost 900 miles in over 16 hours. It should have only taken about 14 hours, but two traffic jams in Indiana caused my delay. It was much like my drive from Miami to Nashville, actually it was like deja vu. My drive from Anaheim to Baltimore was easier than my drive from Miami to Nashville and from Philadelphia to St. Louis. Elvis and Cilla were exhausted!
Cilla and Elvis resting after their long 16 hours in the car
I left Philadelphia just after 6am est driving the Pennsylvania Turnpike – again. I was on that dreaded $20-toll turnpike the week before and two weeks before that, and would be driving it again in a few days and again the following week. Ugh! But I did come across a historical marker at the one of the first travel stops on the PA Turnpike, so at least that was something interesting.
the PA turnpike
We stopped four times for gas, food, etc in addition to the two times we were stopped in traffic. Both traffic jams were on Route 70 West in Indiana about two hours apart, which was very frustrating. It was truly Carmageddon everywhere that day in July – the 405 in Southern California was closed, 240 in Memphis was down to one lane, and Route 70 West in Indiana was shut down twice. But if I hadn’t been delayed, I wouldn’t have seen the beautiful sunset – there is always good that comes with the bad.
Illinois sunset
We finally arrived at our great Drury Plaza Hotel in St. Louis just past 9:30pm cst, over 16 hours later. As soon as I walked into the lobby, I realized this was the hotel I stayed at when I visited St. Louis eight years ago when I went to the Orioles-Cardinals game. The staff there was fantastic! They answered my questions immediately and quickly brought me what I needed, as well as checked me in quickly knowing I had a long day. To reward myself for my rough day of driving, I ordered a pizza from Imo’s for a late dinner – ‘an original St. Louis style pizza.’ I didn’t even know there was a ‘St. Louis style’ pizza. It is very thin crust with provolone cheese, but it tasted like cheddar was mixed in with it. It was no Ledo’s, but it was really good.
St. Louis style pizza
view of the Arch from our hotel room
DAY 65 – JULY 17 – U2 360 #13 – ST. LOUIS
The U2 360 show in St. Louis was amazing! Definitely one of my favorites, along with Chicago and Anaheim2. Even though it was a standard set list, there was no Out of Control or One Tree Hill, the band and the audience had such a great energy. Bono was especially excited – he was really excited and happy. The Fly returned after its brief departure in Philadelphia, and Magnificent disappeared again. For the first time both Bono and Larry acknowledged me on their way onto the stage and then later Bono gave me an indirect ‘shout out’ during the band introductions. The St. Louis show was the hottest show of the tour, beating Baltimore and Nashville, with its 110 heat index.
U2 360 St. Louis 7.17.11
My friend Beth flew in the morning of the show. We talked the day before as she made last minute plans to come to St. Louis, so we decided that she would share the hotel room with Elvis, Cilla and myself. We relaxed in the hotel for a bit, then went to lunch on the way to Busch Stadium, which was only a couple blocks away from our hotel. We had a great pasta lunch at Caleco’s thinking we should carb up to sustain the long day in the 110 degree heat!
St. Louis Arch before the show - at our hotel
a special U2 lunch
the claw at Busch Stadium in St. Louis
After lunch, we made our way to Busch Stadium to try to figure out where U2 would drive in. Luckily, the spot we chose was in the shade. My friend Chuck and Beth’s friend Tim were there. We also ran into Cathal and a few others. There was a bit of discrepancy where the band was actually going to drive in. There were a lot of people on the other side of the stadium waiting, and only about 10 of us on our side. Turned out we were right and the band drove in just after 5p where we were waiting. Bono rolled down his window and waved, and Edge and Adam waved from inside their cars. The guy in the fourth car, who I assumed was Larry, didn’t wave or look at us – just looked straight ahead. About 15 minutes or so later, another car drove in and this time it was Larry and he waved. We were surprised when no one came out to greet us, since there were only about 10 of us there.
waiting for the band (photo by Beth Nabi)
I walked into the stadium and over to the inner circle on Edge’s side, but it was closed. So I had to walk around to Adam’s side, get my stamp for re-entry, then walk back over to Edge’s side. Even though I could see that U2 was going to walk into the stadium from the tunnel on Adam’s side, I wanted to be on Edge’s side so I could watch them walk onto the stage, or under the stage actually. My friend Jason from Memphis joined me. He had contacted me earlier and drove up that afternoon and luckily bought a GA from someone outside the stadium around 6pm. I met a guy and his young son Tyler, I mean like 7 years old young, who had been to 9 shows this tour. Turned out, they read my blog and Tyler’s favorites are Larry and Bono. A guy from the crew asked me how many shows I had been to. When I told him all the US shows that leg and I was driving to all of them with my dogs, he said I was crazy and should just give my money to him. I told him I should work for U2, so I could get paid to follow the tour.
U2 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis
Interpol took the stage around 7:30m and played their usual set. I still was not a fan, but they were ok. U2 didn’t come out until about 9:15pm. On the way to the stage, Larry saw me and smiled and waved. And not his usual obligatory smile and wave, but he actually seemed to recognize and acknowledge me. Then Bono smiled, waved and said ‘Hi’ to me. I could definitely see recognition in his face – and it’s been a long time since I spoke with him in Seattle and Oakland. So maybe Bono and Larry were actually waving to me as they drove into the stadium earlier. Or it could have been the fact that I was almost always standing at that same spot where U2 walk onto the stage and always wearing my straw cowboy hat and ‘Larry Mullen Band’ tee. Yeah maybe after 12 shows, they finally recognize me. Please watch my video of U2 walking to the stage – it’s a little (a lot) shaky.
Mysterious Ways
My excitement grew even greater when U2 followed the opener Even Better Than the Real Thing with The Fly, which they had removed from the set list in Philadelphia and replaced it with Magnificent. Introducing The Fly Bono said, “Are you ready for some crowd rock circa 1991? We’re not gonna walk, we’re not gonna crawl. Tonight St. Louis, we Fly!” After The Fly, I knew the St. Louis show was going to be one of my favorites. U2 had such a great energy, and Bono seemed especially excited and happy. The Fly was followed by Mysterious Ways and Until the End of the World as usual, but I just love four straight opening songs off Achtung Baby. And it doesn’t hurt that Larry starts Even Better than the Real Thing with his pounding drums and then he and his drum kit turn around and face behind the stage where I am during Mysterious Ways. But the inner circle wasn’t that crowded, so I moved from my usual spot behind the stage and stood toward the side of the stage during Until the End of the World and I Will Follow and actually got pictures of the whole band. During Until the End of the World, Bono again said “Bass and Drums” and then “Love and Peace.” He went on to say, “What sort of magic night is this? St. Louis. Missouri. Warm summer night.” During I Will Follow, Bono said the most important word of the night was ‘surrender.’ He sang, “I surrender. St. Louis. We surrender.”
I Will Follow
As if I wasn’t excited enough, or hot enough, from Get on Your Boots, one of my favorite parts of the 360 show, Bono started his usual talk before I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For. He read the set list from a show U2 played in St. Louis 30 years ago. I thought they would play an impromptu old song, especially when everyone cheered when he read Out of Control, but they didn’t. Then Bono started the band introductions. He said, “So much has changed and yet so much remains the same. Larry is still upset about the fact that we changed our name to U2 from the Larry Mullen Band. And there are some people here who agree with him.” With that Larry busted out laughing. Everyone thinks Bono was referring to me, and maybe he was since both he and Larry did clearly notice me on the way to the stage. Please watch my video of Bono’s band introductions.
Bono
That St. Louis show was so hot and humid that Bono took off his signature jacket during the second or third song and performed in his tee shirt. Then he left Edge to introduce Stay while he went down into the underworld to change his shirt. During Beautiful Day Bono shouted,” Turn the lights on Willie. I want to see these people.” Then during Elevation, Bono brought up some new U2 fans on stage. As hot as it was, U2 chose the St. Louis to wear their lighted jackets during Zooropa and City of Blinding Lights. I love Larry in that black jacket (it’s so Elvis), but I can’t believe they chose the hottest show of the tour to wear them. In the past, it had only been at the colder shows. During City of Blinding Lights, Bono brought up a young boy with him to run around the cat walk – again during the hottest show of the tour.
Beautiful Day
new U2 fans on stage for Elevation
Bono says Goodbye to boy he brought up for COBL
It was so hot that Adam went shirtless under his jacket during I’ll Go Crazy. After watching Larry start I’ll Go Crazy, turn around facing the back during Sunday Bloody Sunday, and his drum solo during Scarlet, I walked around to Adam’s side of the inner circle to watch the rest of the show. Even though I like Edge’s side better, I knew U2 would leave through the tunnel on Adam’s side of the inner circle. As they walked by very quickly, I shouted out to Larry and he waved and smiled, but at my friend Chuck not at me.
Larry I
hot Larry, literally
One
July 17th was the 8th anniversary of my beloved Grandmother’s death, so maybe Grandmom had a hand in making that U2 360 show in St. Louis special for me. It was a great night! A fantastic show! One of my favorites! People who weren’t there have asked me why the St. Louis show was better than the others because there wasn’t anything extraordinary about the set list. It is hard to really put into words unless you were there. It was just a feeling we all had who were at the show. There was an amazing energy that night in St. Louis!
The set list from the U2 360 show in St. Louis was as follows: Even Better Than The Real Thing, The Fly, Mysterious Ways, Until the End of the World, I Will Follow, Get On Your Boots, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For / Many Rivers to Cross, Stay, Beautiful Day / Space Oddity, Elevation, Pride, Miss Sarajevo, Zooropa, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, I’ll Go Crazy / Discotheque / Life During Wartime – Psycho Killer, 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.
The U2 360 show in Philadelphia was a great show, made even better because I shared it with my old Elevation tour friends as well as couple new friends from the 360 tour, especially since it was because of U2 Elevation show in Philadelphia 10 years ago that we became friends. U2 brought back the original version of Magnificent, not the remix version. They hadn’t played Magnificent since Anaheim1 on June 17th. It took the place of The Fly, but in the 6th spot in the set list not the usual 2nd. U2 ended the show by singing Happy Birthday to Nelson Mandela.
U2 360 Philadelphia 7.14.11
I took a cab from my fabulous Hotel Palomar to Lincoln Financial Field around 3. I walked around the stadium and ran into Ayaz, Kim and Abbey – my friends from the Elevation tour. I finally arrived at the spot where U2 was going to drive in. Along the way, I met Christine and Natasha whom I’ve been talking with on Facebook. Christine also lives in Maryland, and Natasha is also a huge Larry fan who is considering moving to Maryland. My old Elevation friends Jenny and Tasha were also there. U2 drove in after 4pm. Bono came out to greet everyone, but the Philly fans got a little too excited and I couldn’t even get near Bono to see him, let alone talk with him. He didn’t stay very long, and I don’t blame him.
the Linc in Philly
you can see the top of Bono's green hat
After sort of seeing Bono, Natasha and I walked back around the stadium and went to the front of the GA line to watch everyone enter. I got to talk with my friend Beth for a little bit and finally met Anthony! I also got to catch up a bit with Cathal, author of Me and U2. We heard the crew sound check Breathe and U2 sound check Magnificent, so it wasn’t a real surprise when they played it. Unfortunately, no Breathe though. Natasha and I went into the stadium after the enter GA line filed in. It was quite a complicated walk down to the inner circle, which was already pretty crowded at 5:30. In fact, Adam’s side was closed.
me, Beth, Anthony
GA line in Philly
the claw in Philly
crowded GA in Philly at 6pm
We went into Edge’s side of the inner circle and stood behind the stage to get our spot to watch U2 enter the stadium and go on stage. Rob, another friend from the Elevation days, joined us – as did Jenny and my new friend Andrew. I met Chris who I’ve been talking with on Twitter. Jenny and I were wearing our ‘Larry Mullen Band’ shirts and Natasha was wearing her ‘It’s All About Drums’ shirt. Dallas said Hello, shook my hand and complimented me on my hat and then said, ‘\”its not about the drums its about the guitar.” When opening band Interpol walked on stage which wasn’t until after 7:45, the drummer noticed our shirts and pointed at us. Then after their set when they were walking off stage, the drummer gave his drumsticks to Jenny and said, “This is for my love of Larry.”
Interpol's drum sticks
There were again issues with venue security moving us away from where U2 walks onto the stage, but we found Rocco and he straightened it out again for us like he did in Anaheim. It’s great that U2 and their crew really care about their fans. I just wish they would communicate better with venue security.
Adam and Larry walk to the stage
The inner circle was especially crowded. People were even in my spot on the back rail behind the stage. It was great to watch the show with my new friend Natasha and my old Elevation friends Jenny, Paola, Gina and Rob. It was the standard set list, except for the replacement of The Fly with the original Magnificent, Hallelujah into Streets (first time I heard it) and Happy Birthday to Nelson Mandela – even though it was 4 days away and may have made more sense to sing it at the St. Louis show. At the end of Mysterious Ways, Bono sings, “Young American. Philadelphia.” During Until the End of the World, Bono said, “Bass and Drums!” and then “Love and Peace!” I love it when he says ‘Love and Peace!’ It reminds me of the Vertigo tour. I have a Love and Peace drum pin from the Hard Rock and my Christmas card this year says ‘Peace, Love, Joy.’
Larry I'll Go Crazy
After Magnificent, Bono said, “Wow! That is a great start! Thank you SO much! Philadelphia!” There weren’t really any extensive band introductions. Bono just named everyone and again thanked the fans for their patience while he was recovering from his back surgery. He commented on what a special unity there is between U2 and their fans. He did say they were in the home of the Philadelphia Eagles, to which I booed loudly. I don’t think Bono knows that the team is led by a dog killer. During City of Blinding Lights, Bono sang, “City of brotherly and sisterly blinding lights.” During Walk On, Bono said, “A message of love from the city of brotherly love all the way to Asia.”
Bono and Edge Sunday Bloody Sunday
At the end of the show, we went back to tunnel where U2 would exit. Larry again took off his shirt on the way to his car. On the way out of the stadium, I met Steve who I’ve been talking with on Twitter. It didn’t take too long to get a cab back to the hotel. U2 ended at 11:30, and I was back at my hotel by 12:30. Please watch my video of an overview of the U2 360 show in Philadelphia.
With or Without You
The set list for U2 360 in Philadelphia was as follows: Even Better Than The Real Thing, I Will Follow, Mysterious Ways, Until the End of the World, Get On Your Boots, Magnificent, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, Stay, Beautiful Day / Space Oddity, Elevation, Pride, Miss Sarajevo, Zooropa, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo / It’s Only Rock and Roll, I’ll Go Crazy / Discotheque / Life During Wartime / Psycho Killer, 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, Happy Birthday.
end of the show in Philly
The day after the U2 show I relaxed in my lovely suite at the Hotel Palomar in Philadelphia before my long 16 hour drive to St. Louis for the U2 360 show on Sunday.
My name is Deena Dietrich, and I am living back home in Ellicott City, Maryland with my 2 dogs Elvis and Cilla. My passions are Dogs, Elvis, U2, LMP, NKOTB, the Denver Broncos, the Baltimore Orioles, blogging, social media, biographies. It is better to regret something you have done, than to regret something you haven't done, so ... Pursue your passion!
