Still on a high from the previous night, sharing champagne with Larry on his 40th birthday at my most favorite U2 show ever, Tasha and I left Providence for Philadelphia. We arrived at the First Union Center at 4:30pm the day before the Elevation show in Philadelphia on November 2, 2001. We got our numbers in the GA line, 21 and 22, and then went for dinner, got our pictures developed from the Providence shows, and got snacks for the GA line. By 9:30 we were back in the GA line and the rest of our friends had arrived. We slept in my car for about three hours and took a shower in a friend’s hotel room. That GA line in Philly was the most organized and relaxing line ever – and it was quite warm for a November day. It was a Beautiful Day all around.

For the show, we were up front on the rail in front of Adam. Stereophonics opened. Tasha wore her ‘Adam Clayton Band’ shirt, and I of course wore my ‘Larry Mullen Band’ shirt. We showed Sammy and Stu. Sammy seemed very excited. I held up my “Larry thanks for the drink” sign as U2 walked on stage. Larry saw it and gave me the Fonzie thumbs up with a smile. The set list was pretty much the same as it had been, except U2 played “Out of Control” and “Peace on Earth.” Of course I went nuts when Bono introduced Larry during “Out of Control.” At the end of the show when they were all waving, Larry looked at me, smiled and nodded.

Elevation Philly 11.2.01 Set List: Elevation, Beautiful Day, Until the End of the World, New Year’s Day, Out of Control, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Stuck In a Moment, Kite, Wild Honey (acoustic), Please (acoustic), Bad / 40, Where the Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, PrideBullet the Blue Sky, What’s Going On, New York, One, Peace on Earth / Walk On.

That show in Philadelphia ended a nine-day road trip on the Elevation Tour, driving to three shows in New York City on October 24, 25, 27, a show in New Jersey on October 28, two shows in Providence on October 30 and 31 and ending in Philly on November 1. That was my longest time ‘following’ a U2 tour, until my three-month road trip ten years later on the 360 Tour when I drove to every U.S. show.