The 2/16/82 Cardi’s club date in Dallas was the first time that I saw U2. The show was attended by only about 150 people and the ticket cost was only $3.00 (!). But everyone there was a rabid fan and it was one of the best concerts that I have ever attended. The band was comfortable and having a great time - at one point Bono picked up a little boy in the audience and carried him around the stage on his shoulders. U2 played nearly every song in their repertoire and when they ran out during the last encore, they made an attempt at playing Neil Young's 'Southern Man'. Only they didn't know the words and they asked for volunteers from the audience to help out. The first to come up was a girl, but all she did was wrap her arms around Bono and kiss him. Then a tall lanky guy came up and sang the entire song in an off-key voice (but what a story he has to tell; singing lead with U2!). After the song Bono was having such a great time that he took off the guitar he was playing and handed it to the nearest fan (could you imagine what was going through the kid's head?) before waving and walking off the stage! However a roadie ran out and snatched it back (Bono smiled and playfully frizzed the hair of the roadie!). I don't think that I will ever see a more honest and intimate club show. Years later I read in an interview in Rolling Stone magazine that U2 had resurrected "Southern Man" for the Joshua Tree tour. Bono actually mentioned in the article that they had previously tried out the song once a long time ago in a Dallas club! He exaggerated the smallness of the show by saying that U2 was second on the bill to a wet t-shirt contest (not true!).

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