The U2 360 show in Chicago, which was my 70th U2 show since 1992, was amazing!!!! U2 played Out of Control, which they haven’t played in the US on the 360 tour! I like it so much better than I Will Follow and have been wanting them to play it all tour. The shock of the night was when U2 closed the show with the spur of the moment addtion of One Tree Hill, which they haven’t played in the US since 1987! I love One Tree Hill as it’s off my favorite album The Joshua Tree. We met The Edge before the show and saw John Cusack watching the show. A great, great show – my favorite U2 360 show so far, even though I had no Larry love.

The day of U2 show in Chicago Tasha and I stayed in the hotel all morning and early afternoon. We had lunch in the hotel restaurant before going to Soldier Field. Since it is 2 miles from our hotel, we took a cab because we didn’t want to pay $46 for parking or get stuck in traffic after. We arrived at the stadium around 2:30 and waited for U2 to arrive. We knew where to wait because we were at Soldier Field in 2009 for the U2 360 opener of the US tour.

Around 5:30, U2 arrived at Soldier Field. I’m not sure who arrived first because we couldn’t see who was in what car, except we did see Edge and Bono drive in. A few minutes later, Edge walked back out to greet the fans. I was suprised because it was a good 5 or 10 minutes after he drove in, plus no one had stopped to greet the fans since Bono did in Oakland on June 6th. Edge went to the other side of the street to sign autographs, so we didn’t think we would get the chance to meet him, but we did! He came to our side of the street and directly toward us. I had met Edge back on Elevation and gotten his autograph, so I just wanted a picture with him. Tasha asked if we could take a photo with him, but he said no. So we shook his 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 him for coming out to greet us, but Tasha said it was too late and I had already offended him. I don’t think Edge had a sense of humour about it like Bono did in Seattle and Oakland. But I will keep asking everyone who comes out to greet us if Larry will also come out. In my head, they go backstage and tell Larry that girl asked about him again and eventually he will come out. But in reality I’m sure that doesn’t happen. Unfortunately, I did not get video of our encounter with The Edge because I turned off the video camera when he started walking toward us.

After meeting The Edge, we went into the stadium, went to the bathroom, got a drink and was inside the inner circle by 6pm or so. I started out on Adam’s side because that’s where Tasha wanted to be, but it was getting too crowded for me where she was standing, so I left when Interpol started. I did not love Interpol, but didn’t hate them either. I see them 5 more times, so maybe they’ll grow on me. I went over to Edge’s side of the inner circle because I wanted to watch U2 walk onto the stage, even though there were coming out of the tunnel on Adam’s side.

Please watch my video of U2 entering Soldier Field http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6VRGDH4t18

During the opener Even Better Than the Real Thing, I made my way back over to Adam’s side of the inner circle. During The Fly, Bono again screamed “Achtung Y’all!” like in the ZooTv days. During Mysterious Ways, Bono sang a snippet from Trying To Throw Your Arms Around the World. I am really hoping for an all Achtung Baby concert soon – haha. After Until the End of the World, instead of I Will Follow, U2 played Out of Control – finally! I have been wanting to hear Out of Control this entire tour. It is such a great song, so much energy, so much better than I Will Follow. I went nuts as soon as it started! Please watch my video of U2’s performance of Out of Control http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4smFe–14A

After Out of Control, U2 went right into Get On Your Boots. This was an amazing back to back combo of songs full of excitement and energy. I really hope they keep doing it. I pretty much knew then that this Chicago show was going to be my favorite of the 360 tour so far. Please watch my video of Larry and Bono singing LET ME IN THE SOUND http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FxsFLGdumU

After Get on Your Boots, Bono started talking. This is usually the part where he introduces the band, but he talked about them more than actually introduced them. Bono said that Larry and Adam had been in Chicago for the 4th of July, like Tasha and I were, but he and Edge were not. Larry went to the White Sox game, which Tasha and I had thought about going to and didn’t. Ugh! Please watch my video of Bono talking in Soldier Field http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KOWjyme1oA  Then U2 played my favorite I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, which was fantastic and the audience was really into it. Please watch my video of part of U2’s performance of I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K85w1-VWdk

The rest of the set list was the same as it had been – or so we thought. There was a great energy in Soldier Field and the inner circle was really crowded, even where I stand behind the stage. Please watch my video of Larry during I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6go_m1hVVYY and my video of the beginning of Where the Streets Have No Name http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6rg53Gcf_w

After Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me, we went back to get a spot to watch U2 walk out – we could see their cars waiting for them in the tunnel. We could also see John Cusack watching the show! After With or Without You, Bono said that two days ago was the 25th anniversary of Greg Caroll’s death and they had written a song about it, but they weren’t going to play it. The crowd booed, so Bono said they would discuss it and maybe play it after Moment of Surrender. Luckily for us Edge figured it out and U2 played One Tree Hill for the first time in the US since 1987. Bono said that if they screwed up, we could not put it on the internet. They did not screw up. It was amazing! Tasha and I went nuts. The Joshua Tree is my favorite album and I didn’t see the Joshua Tree tour, so anything played from it is a gift to me! My video is a little shaky because I was so excited, but the audio is quite good. Please watch my video of U2’s amazing performance of One Tree Hill http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qw1iGJvvJA

U2 left the stage and made their way toward us. Adam waved to Tasha. Larry just walked by. As they were almost to their cars, Larry and Adam simultaneously took off their shirts and got into their cars! U2 360 in Chicago was such a fantastic show! My favorite so far. Each U2 show seems to get better, but I don’t know how they will top this one. Please watch my video of an overview of U2 360 in Chicago http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucea4oPHfrA We walked the 2 miles from Soldier Field back to our hotel, and so did a lot of other people – there was actually a pedestrian traffic jam.

I spent today in bed in my hotel room, which is the best way to spend the day after a show. Sort of feel badly about not being out enjoying Chicago, one of my favorite cities, but I’m just so tired. Besides, Tasha, Amy and I spent the 4th of July out and about in Chicago – walking up and down Michigan Avenue, having lunch at the Purple Pig and hanging out in Millenium Park – but not unfortunately at the White Sox game where Larry was.

I have a week before my next U2 360 show in Philadelphia. Tomorrow I’m going to Milwaukee for the day and night attending Summerfest, then onto the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, then to my parents’ house in Ellicott City, Maryland for a few days of rest before the last 5 shows of my U2 360 tour. It’s gone by too quickly!