Day 8 – May 21 – U2 360 #1 Denver

I woke up at 8am and looked out my hotel window to see the GA line. I went to the hotel restaurant to use their WiFi to upload videos and then took lunch back to my room. I walked Elvis and Cilla over to the GA line to hang out for a bit. I saw my old Elevation friends Dan, Alice, Khelia, Babette, the twins and Barbara. I also met some folks from Facebook and Twitter, like Christie, with whom I had been talking. Then I went back to the room and rested for a while.

I went back over to the stadium around 4pm to wait for U2 to arrive. As I walked up the hill, the wind almost blew my hat off. It got really cold, so I bought a U2 hoodie. Thank goodness I did because I would wear that sweatshirt at the next 5 shows. Bono and Edge arrived after 5:30. They stopped and signed, but there were too many people for me to get close to them. Besides, I saw a car waiting down the drive, and I knew it was Larry. It was, but he didn’t stop or even roll down the window and wave – this was to be my fate for the next 15 shows. I walked in the GA entrance after 6pm – no line, no stress. I was heading to Adam’s side of the inner circle as was my habit in ’09, but I saw my oldest U2 friend from high school Mike, and we decided to go over to Edge’s side. It was great to be at Invesco Field at Mile High where my beloved Denver Broncos play football. Local band The Fray opened, but I didn’t really care for them.

I went behind the stage to wait for U2 to walk in, as I would do for all the shows. In 2009, U2 walked up the stairs to the stage, but now they walked beside the stairs on Edge’s side and underneath the stage. So I was very close to them as they walked by. I yelled for Larry, as I would do for all the shows, and he looked at me, smiled and nodded. I almost cried. Little did I know what more was to come in the next 2 1/2 months. I followed Larry around, as I would do for all the shows, when he turned around during Mysterious Ways and Sunday Bloody Sunday and then when he walked around for I’ll Go Crazy. Larry also smiled and nodded at me during I’ll Go Crazyand when he was leaving stage when I called out his name. It was nice to be able to move around rather than stuck to one spot as I had been in 2009 and past tours. And surprisingly Bono and Edge came behind the stage quite a bit.

It was a great show, but I was surprised that the audience wasn’t that into it. I thought they would be crazy since it was the first show in the US, and I thought Broncos fans were loud – maybe Broncos fans aren’t U2 fans. Tim Tebow was at the show. I didn’t see him, but Bono said he was ‘in the house.’ It was a great set list, except my favorite song I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For was left out. But I was SO excited to hear Pride back in the set list, so much so that I think it has to be put back into my top five favorite U2 songs. My over excited reaction even surprised me. I heard Zooropa and Scarlet for the first time ever. During the opener Even Better Than the Real Thing, Bono says, ‘One Mile,’ for the Mile High city of Denver. I love the beginning of this song and the show with Larry banging those drums! U2 tries a remix of Magnificent with samples of Bishop Tutu and what sounds like a gospel choir. Bono says, ‘it’s in development.’ During Mysterious Ways, Larry and his drum kit turn around and face the back and Bono says, ‘Mile High Colorado.’ I like this song so much better live, especially with the ‘Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!’ at the beginning. During Until the End of the World, Bono gives a little end of the world speech because that night May 21, 2011 was supposed to be the end of the world. Bono said he would be alright as long as Larry Mullen, Adam Clayton and the Edge were with him. Me too Bono, me too. During the band introductions, Bono says, ‘Part terminator, part Duracell bunny. On the drums, Larry Mullen Jr!’ Before Beautiful Day, Bono brought up three sisters wearing ‘Larry Mullen Band’ shirts and they read a poem. This sort of bugged me because I know those girls didn’t have those shirts 10 years ago when Paola made ours. At the end of the poem, Bono said, ‘I’m in the Larry Mullen Band.’ At the end of Beautiful Day, Bono says,’Rocky Mountain! Colorado!’ and then sings a bit of Here Comes the Sun. During Zooropa and City of Blinding Lights, U2 wore these black jackets, except Adam’s was white, that lit up. It was really cool and Larry looked hot in his black leather jacket, like he was right out of the 1950s. As if he needs to look any hotter?! After the shock wore off from being so close to Larry during the beginning of I’ll Go Crazy and he was out of my reach, I was very excited to hear snippets of Discoteque and Please. During Sunday Bloody Sunday, Larry and his drum kit again turn to face the back and Bono says, ‘Where’s Red Rocks? Right here.’ Before Moment of Surrender, Bono introduces Dallas and makes him take a bow.

The set list for the first show in the US on the last leg of the 360 tour was Even Better Than the Real Thing, I Will Follow, Get on Your Boots, Magnificent remix, Mysterious Ways, Elevation, Until the End of the World, All I Want is You, Stay, Beautiful Day / Here comes the Sun, Pride, Miss Sarajevo, Zooropa, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, I’ll Go Crazy if I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight / Discotheque / Please, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Scarlet, Walk On / You’ll Never Walk Alone, One / Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, Where the Streets Have No Name, Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me, With or Without You, Moment of Surrender.

 

Day 9 – May 22

I didn’t get much sleep the night after my first U2 show – not surprising. I went up to the hotel restaurant and had breakfast, blogged and uploaded my videos and pictures. Then I drove into downtown Denver to pick up Mom and Aunt Pauline to go to Red Rocks. I had been once before back in 1998 when I visited Denver, but I just went to the ampitheatre. I didn’t know about the musuem, visitor’s center and gift shop. So this time we visited everything. We didn’t walk down to the stage though, just stood up top and looked down. It’s so beautiful at Red Rocks. It would have been amazing to have been there on June 5, 1983 when U2 played, but I was only 10 and didn’t even know who they were. I again got a magnet and tee shirt for souvenirs. No books this time. I couldn’t find any. On our way back from Red Rocks, we stopped in the little town of Morrison and had lunch at TNT. It was a cute little town along a stream with lots of motorcycles.

Please watch my video from Day 9 at Red Rocks in Denver