Ironically there is no ‘U‘ U2 concert I have attended to pick as my favorite, but I did go to the 360 show in Salt Lake City, Utah on May 24, 2011 at Rice Eccles Stadium at the University of Utah. This wasn’t one of my favorite shows, but part of one of my favorite songs, “Love Rescue Me,” was played.

That 360 show in Salt Lake City was one of only three times I drove to a U2 show out of the the 16 shows that final leg. Something happened at that show that had never happened to me before – free parking! The University of Utah had free parking for the U2 concert. I couldn’t believe it. 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 that leg of the tour that I got in the GA line and rather than wait for U2 to arrive. Once inside, I went to Adam’s side of the inner circle, but by 7pm it was so crowded I couldn’t even reach 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 went over to Edge’s side of the inner circle to watch U2 walk in and then went back over to Adam’s side, behind the stage, to watch the show.

The show in Salt Lake City was a good, but the audience still wasn’t that into it  – not like I remember from the 360 shows in 2009. Maybe people are just more mellow west of the Mississippi. U2 entered and it was still light out and it was very cold. During the opener “Even Better Than the Real Thing,” Bono said ‘beautiful Utah!’ Bono shouted, ‘Bass and Drums!’ during “Until the End of the World” as he did at a few shows – this really excited 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 went 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 laughing. I really missed “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, spiritual song like “Still Haven’t Found” – just not a good trade off in my opinion.

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 song 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’ (as he had in Denver) to read the poem before “Beautiful Day.” He commented how they have been on the road with U2 seeing 10 shows. Big deal! At that time I had seen 59 U2 shows in the past 19 years and was on the road for 2 ½ months to see 16 more with U2. During “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy” Tonight, Bono said ‘Salt Lake City on a Tuesday night I know where we can take this,’ and then sang snippets from “Discotheque” and “Mofo” (instead of “Please”). 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. 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.

This is part of my Blogging from A to Z Challenge about ‘My U2 Concerts A to Z.’ Thanks for stopping by. Please come back tomorrow as I write about my favorite ‘V’ U2 show.