Reflecting on the U2 360 2009 Tour a year and a half later, I still like the Las Vegas show the best and DC, Oklahoma, Chicago1 are close seconds. The other 4 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, I saw it with Tasha, 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 2 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 2^nd 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, besides being Tasha’s birthday show, 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 space.’ 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, I saw it with Tasha, 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 8 shows I saw. 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), I saw it with Vicki and Tasha, 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 I saw it with Tasha, 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 ‘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 I saw it with Tasha and Mike (and Mike is my original U2 friend from 1987), ‘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.

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