I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight

Last Tuesday I was GIDDY. Seriously--I could not stop smiling. Why, you ask? Because of a certain concert that I had been waiting for for well over a year.

This picture is terrible, but it was my ticket, and I couldn't get the darn camera to focus.  I was too excited to get out the door.  Yes, it is dated June 3, 2010, but my friend Bono decided to injure himself last year and postpone the entire North American leg of the tour.  Very sad, but . . . time passed and the day finally came.  So on Tuesday, I went to work and came home as per usual.  Thankfully, Allen took the night off of work so I wouldn't have to worry about the boy.  I did my hair, although it was already falling flat before I even left the house, changed into my special shirt (which no one appreciated) and left.  I decided to take the public transportation route, which may or may not have been very smart; I didn't think so at the time, but had I tried to fight parking and driving home, I would probably think differently.  Anyway, after procuring some Diet Coke, I drove to the 3300 South Trax Station and parked there.

I took a train to the downtown transfer station, which was packed.  I waited there for about 20 minutes, and after one train came by with zero room to stuff another person in, I hopped back on the train going the opposite direction.  I went one stop to wait there, and I actually got a seat on the next train going to the University.  It still took a good 30 minutes for the train to get from downtown to the University, so I arrived at about 7pm. 

Gallivan Center Transfer Station Downtown

Packed Like Sardines on Trax

So once I arrived at Rice-Eccles Stadium (a venue which probably hasn't been this busy since the Olympics in 2002), I threw away my perfectly good Diet Coke (only to purchase one smaller at twice the price 100 feet away . . . grrrrrr) and got lucky that the bag checker was an older lady who decided that my camera was okay to go in.  I was so glad. 

Rice-Eccles Stadium at the University of Utah

I texted my friend Allison a few times while there, but it was hard to send and receive messages.  She had come with her family, all in the General Admission section.  She may have been crazy, but her teenage boys love U2 as much as she does, and I have to respect that.  I'm trying to raise up Benji like that too . . . hey--it worked for me and Air Supply, right?

Anyway, The Fray (opening act) came out and played a few songs.  They sounded pretty good, and I was impressed at the piano playing.  I don't know a lot of Fray songs, but I was able to sing along to a few of them.  I actually own one of their albums, but I haven't ever listened to it all the way through.  Sad, I know. 

Isaac Slade, lead singer of The Fray

I ate an overpriced bbq sandwich and Coke ($10), and overpriced t-shirt ($40), and marveled at the structure/space station.  I had seen pictures of it, but it was MASSIVE.  It took up a full 1/3 of the football field, and it stands over 100 ft high.  At the center is a network of retractable screens.  It's absolutely ingenious--allowing everyone a good view of the stage. 

So after The Fray did their thing, the video screen started scrolling some facts and figures, including the current time in a lot of different cities ("What time is it in the world?").  That went on for probably an hour.   My seat was in the middle of the row, and two guys on the left of me were just talking about the numbers and the logistics of the screens and lights, etc.  Whatever.  At this point, I was kinda sad to not have anyone to talk to.  They guys on the left were engrossed in their guy-talk, and my phone wasn't receiving or sending messages very well.  Yeah, yeah.  Poor me.  BTW, it estimated the current occupancy of the stadium as 46, 490.  Insanity.

There were two seats vacant to my right, but just a few minutes before the boys came on, two very well-groomed men with styled hair and some fashion sense came and sat in them.  I thought it was pretty funny to be wedged between two regular guys in baseball caps and two gay guys in tailored shirts.  Either way, I was just hanging out.  Eventually one of the gay guys started talking to me, and that was fun.  He has seen U2 many times, and he even got to touch Bono's boot once (a "religious experience").  Good times, and super nice guys.

Well, Bono and the boys came onstage at about 9pm.  I was screaming and jumping up and down.  The closest I have ever been to being that excited about anything was when I received my mission call back in 2000, but there wasn't any jumping then.  I was like a little kid on Christmas, or like an 11-year-old girl meeting the Jonas Brothers.  Giddy.

The Edge on the Big Screen

Dusk fell fairly quickly, so I had to keep adjusting my camera settings, trying to get good pictures.  I took more than 500--I just couldn't stop.

 

It was so cool how the color schemes kept changing.

I love the effects of the smoke machines and spotlights.

Even now, looking at the pictures, I can't believe I was there.  "I am still enchanted by the light you brought to me."  Anyway, this is the set list (the songs they played in the concert, with links to the lyrics on U2.com).  The song choices were absolutely fantastic. 

Even Better Than The Real Thing
I Will Follow
Get On Your Boots
Magnificent
Mysterious Ways
Elevation
Until The End Of The World
All I Want Is You
Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
Beautiful Day
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Miss Sarajevo
Zooropa
City Of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
I'll Go Crazy / Discotheque
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Scarlet
Walk On

Encore

One
Where The Streets Have No Name

Encore 2

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
With Or Without You
Moment Of Surrender

I was blown away that they played "All I Want Is You" and "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)"--my #2 and #1 all-time favorite songs (respectively).  Of course they played "One" later in the show, but that was expected.  "Stay" was actually just Bono and the Edge with a guitar.  Incredible.  I recorded some of it on a video.  It didn't turn out very well, and at the end, you can totally hear me singing.  Ugh.  But of the other videos I got this audio was the best.  The rest were too darn loud (name that movie!).

More pictures:

City of Blinding Lights, with the screen fully extended

Bono being dramatic during "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me"

I got quite a few close-ups of Adam, but not many of the others.  This is the best I've got.

Adam, rocking the bass

Bono, working the crowd

The Edge making The Rounds

Larry, Going Crazy on the Bongos

There's so much more, but I have got to sleep.  Here's the link to/slideshow of my Picasa album.  Enjoy.




Anyway, it was so brilliant.  They played until about 11:15 p.m.,  then it took me about an hour to get home.  What an amazing night.  I wish I had had someone to share it with, and a way to relive it over and over again . . . I guess that's why I'm up so late writing this blog.  Must.  Sleep.