Day 10 – May 23

We left Denver at 9:20am and spent most of our day driving through Wyoming. First we stopped in the smallest town in the US, Buford – population 1. We met the one guy who lives there and runs the store and gas station. He’s been featured on many tv news shows. Then we had lunch at Perkins in Laramie because Mom and Aunt Pauline can’t grab something and eat in the car. After lunch, we hit some pretty serious hail before coming upon the beautiful mountains outside of Salt Lake City. We arrived at our hotel Homestead Suites at 7:20pm and had dinner at the Olive Garden because it was the only restaurant close by. Ten hours is a long day driving, and we didn’t feel like searching for somewhere to eat.

Please watch my video of Day 10 on the road from Denver to Salt Lake City

Day 11 – May 24 – U2 360 #2 Salt Lake City

My mom and Aunt Pauline really wanted to see the canyons of Salt Lake City. All I was concerned about was the U2 show that night. We drove past Rice Eccles Stadium at the University of Utah where the show was going to be that night – it was only a few miles from the hotel. It seemed as if we drove around forever searching for canyons to see. We thought we had directions, but we I guess we were wrong. We finally stumbled upon Emigration Canyon and had lunch at Ruth’s Diner, which had been there since 1930. It was a great place and and the best macaroni and cheese I think I ever had, although my stomach didn’t really agree.

Mom and Aunt Pauline stayed at the hotel and relaxed and did their laundry while I went to the U2 show. I left at 3pm, drove a few miles and realized I didn’t have my ticket. I had to turn around and go back and get it. This was one of only three times that I drove to a U2 show out of the the 16 shows this leg. Something happened at this U2 show that has never happened to me before – free parking! The University of Utah had free parking for the U2 concert. I couldn’t believe. Of course I had to walk about 20 minutes through campus to get to Rice Eccles Stadium. It was just about 4pm when I happened upon the GA line. I started to talk to people, so I decided to just stay in the line. This was the only time this leg of the tour that I got in the GA line and did not wait for U2 to arrive. I met Jason, who I had been talking with on Twitter. We met up at a few more shows along the tour, like Nashville and Minneapolis. Once inside, I went to Adam’s side of the inner circle, but by 7pm it was so crowded I couldn’t even get into my pocket to take out my camera. I decided to move. I walked around the stadium while The Fray played. I went into the stands to get a drink. I ran into Mike again and my old Elevation friends Matt and Melissa. I went over to Edge’s side of the inner circle to watch U2 walk in and then went back over to Adam’s side to watch the show. During Walk On, I went to soundboard and watched the rest of the show from there. This is was the only show I didn’t watch U2 leave the stage from the back. I didn’t get any Larry love in Salt Lake City – no smiles, nods or waves.

This was a good show, but the audience still wasn’t that into it  – not like I remember from 2009. Maybe people are just more mellow in Denver and Salt Lake City. U2 entered and it was still light out – first time I have experienced this. It was very cool. During the opener Even Better Than the Real Thing, Bono says ‘beautiful Utah!’ Bono says, ‘Bass and Drums!’ during Until the End of the World as he did at a few shows – this really excites me! Bono really didn’t do band introductions, he just talked about how a lot had changed since 2009 with Adam becoming a father and Larry acting in a movie. Then goes on to make fun of Larry saying he is going to star in a Billy Idol biopic this summer – after Billy cleaned up. Larry really thought this was funny and cracked up. I really miss I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For. I like All I Want is You and was excited to hear it in Denver because I hadn’t heard it in a while, but it is no replacement for Still Haven’t Found. All I Want is You is a love song, not an uplifting song like Still Haven’t Found – just not a good trade. The highlight of this show by far was Love Rescue Me, even if it was only a few lines. I cried, but luckily I had the presence of mind to video it. Love Rescue Me is my second favorite songs from my second favorite album Rattle and Hum, and I had never heard it before. It was Bob Dylan’s birthday, which is why they played it and after we sang Happy Birthday to Bob Dylan. Bono again brought up the ‘three sisters’ to read the peom before Beautiful Day. He commented how they have been on the road with U2 seeing 10 shows. Big deal! I have seen 59 U2 shows in the past 19 years and was on the road for 2 ½ months to see 16 more with U2. It’s fine, I got my recognition later. During I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight, Bono says ‘Salt Lake City on a Tuesday night I know where we can take this,’ and snippets Discotheque and Mofo (instead of Please). Bono introduced the band after Moment of Surrender just before they left the stage.

The set list for U2 360 in Salt Lake City on May 24, 2011 was as follows: 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 / Love Rescue Me / Happy Birthday, Stay, Beautiful Day / Here Comes the Sun, Pride, Miss Sarajevo, Zooropa, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, I’ll Go Crazy / Discotheque / Mofo, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Scarlet, Walk On / You’ll Never Walk Alone, One, Blowin in the Wind / The Times They Are a Changin / Where the Streets Have No Name, Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me, With or Without You, Moment of Surrender.

Please click here to see all of my pictures from the U2 360 show in Salt Lake City

Day 12 – May 25

The day after the U2 show in Salt Lake City, we toured around Temple Square. We parked at the Joseph Smith Building, which reminded me a lot of The Peabody in Memphis. Joseph Smith started the Mormon church. Right next to the Joseph Smith building was the Brigham Young statue. Brigham Young brought the Mormon church to Salt Lake City after Joseph Smith was killed. We went through the south visitor center where I learned all of this. There was a model of the Temple, since we weren’t allowed inside the actual Temple. We went to Assembly Hall, which is a small church. We saw the Christest statue in the north visitor center. We attended the Tabernacle Organ Recital, which was really beautiful. We went on top of the building where there was a huge garden that overlooked the city and even had a waterfall down the front of the building. Then we went back to the Joseph Smith building and had lunch at the Garden Café on the 10^thfloor. It was nice to see all the sights at Temple Square in Salt Lake city, but it wasn’t anything too exciting. But Salt Lake City had some of the most beautiful views – everywhere you looked snowcapped mountains. Simply beautiful! After our tiring day, we just went back to our hotel and relaxed after getting some groceries at Whole Foods. I got pizza to try to start up my pizza in every city quest.

Please watch my video of Day 12 in Temple Square

Please click here to see all my pictures from Salt Lake City