Hello, hello....
Three words: It. Was. Awesome.
The day started like any other. But it ended with the best experience of my life.
We arrived in the City of Blinding Lights - or, in this case, the City of Feet of Snow at around 5. The show started at 7:30. That was just enough time to grab some food. The hotel we stayed at (which was so nice it deserves it's own review) had a TGI Friday's right in it. They were running a 2-for-1 happy hour, so I had a couple Freebirds (Jack and Cokes...) and a really nice jalapeno burger. I ate so fast because I just wanted to get to the arena. I looked outside at the flying ice-cold snow a few times during the meal and didn't look forward to walking the four blocks to the show. Then the waitress came over.
"Are you here for U2?"
"Yes."
"You should take the train. It's free. It picks you up right there." She was pointing at the hotel front door. Ten minutes later, we were getting off the train right in fron of the arena. We had General Admission tickets, which meant we were on the floor and would have to battle our way through the crowd in order to get to the front of the stage. It was a battle I was ready to fight. A security guard standing outside the area was asking people if they had GA tickets, because we were to stand in a different line. So we went over and got in that line, which moved really fast.
As we got toward the front, I noticed they were slapping wristbands on folks after scanning their tickets. I figured that was to be sure they belonged on the floor. Every couple minutes, I'd hear a group of people yell out. I didn't know why. Then came the explanation. The couple in front of me turned around, and he says, "You know the stage is an ellipse, right? Like a circle. They scan your ticket twice. If your name comes up on the second scan, you get inside the circel and closer to the band." My heart is pounding in my throat.
I want that!We get closer to the front and the guy's girlfriend turns around. "OK," she says. "If we get in, you guys are with us. If you get in, we're with you." I nod OK. They scan her ticket. She's in! We yell. And jump. Then I hope she remembers her deal. Then she turns around. "Come on, you're with us!" I can't believe it. We get a second wristband and that couple gets a couple beers on me. (thanks, by the way. I can't thank you enough!)
So we went in and were standing, literally, touching the stage. Touching it! Then the opening act came out, some band called Institute. Then I realized, Gavin Rossdale is the lead singer! You might remember him from the band Bush. Very cool. He was standing on top of me. They were very good, and played for about 45 minutes.
A half hour later, and over 20,000 people later, out came U2, to the song "City of Blinding Light." Electric. Four songs later, they finally stopped. The crowd was so loud. Bono could feel the place shaking. I know, because I read his lips as he went over to Adam Clayton. "It's shaking in here!" Then he looked at the crowd and said, "That's incredible."
They did sing a Christmas song. A John Lennon one. "Happy Christmas." It was pretty. They sang all of their hits, and each one lit up the room. When Bono introduced "One," he told the crowd to get out their cell phones, because he wanted to "light this place up like a Christmas tree." I turned around to get the scope of it, and it was the prettiest, most amazing thing I ever saw. Larry Mullen Jr., Clayton and Edge were all trying to suppress smiles.
Perhaps the most powerful message of the night (and U2 fans know there are many messages, mostly about peace and basic human decency) was when Bono related the story of where the band was when John Lennon was shot, 25 years and one day before this concert. Turns out, the band had just finished a show in front of 20 people at a place called Stage One, in Buffalo, the same city they were in last Friday. Bono said he would never forget it, because John Lennon whispered in his ear, and that's why he is where he is today. Throughout the night, the band played tribute to the man by playing several Beatles songs. Touching.
"Miss Sarajevo" - Bono sang the Pavorotti part perfectly. He has such a powerful voice! And the control...impressive.
Oh, yeah, and after Bono finished playing his guitar on "Yahweh," he threw his guitar pick into the crowd. It is now in the possession of quint.
There's so much more I could say. I'm sure this sounds disjointed, for that I am sorry. But it was the best experience of my life. One I will never forget.
This is Bono and Adam Clayton behind us. Remember, the stage is "O"-shaped. If you're standing where I am, the main stage is in the top third of the O, and right now, they are standing on the bottom.
The guitar pick I caught. It's black, with a red bullseye and the "U2" in the middle. on the back is a gold embossing of Bono's signature.
