The journey after the discovery.


A few years ago I wrote an article entitled, "A Few Thoughts on Discovering U2." Here we are, at 2005, and I have just gone to my first U2 concert ever.
First off, let me just say that I predicted months ago that City of Blinding Lights would open the show, not Vertigo. Score one for me. I had managed to score very good seats. Looking down on the masses of people, I think to myself "how can those people on the floor stand for so long?" Only after the show is over do I realize that we also stood for the whole show, along with everyone all around us. The young woman beside me keeps banging into me while she is jumping around and singing along. She is forgiven; she's a U2 fan.

I was with the only person that I could see this show with. What else could I want?
I wanted to be mesmerized. I wanted to "feel" something when I watched the boys perform. I wanted it to be magic. And it was magic.
From the very first chords of City of Blinding Lights, until they took the stage. There was electricity in the air.
The whole ticket screw up was forgotten and forgiven. This was a good old fashioned love fest, right out of the 60's. I am blown away by The Edge, the beautiful soaring notes coming out of his instrument. Larry seems to me to really be the one in charge. Bono may think he's in charge, but
Larry's drumming sets the tone, sets the beat, sets the stage for what is coming. Adam, the coolest guitar player ever, he controls his side of the stage as if it is his own. And Bono-I have read reviews today that said he wasn't in top form, that his vocals were lacking, that he held back and didn't give it his all. I have nothing to compare it to since this was my first concert, but FOR ME, he was amazing. He does many of my favorites. The only ones I would have loved to hear live were Bad and With or Without You. But during Pride/Streets/One I looked around and saw 20,000 people on their feet singing about love. During Sunday, Bloody Sunday, I saw 20,000 people ready to march for something, anything that would take them to that special place. People were ready to follow their leader. Where would he take us?

I loved seeing Larry singing. I loved seeing Bono banging on the drums like he actually knew what he was doing. I loved seeing The Edge wandering to the back and side of the stage so people could see him. And frankly, I love the way Adam just stands there and holds his guitar like no other. I notice not far from us there is a young woman with her back to the stage and facing the audience who is doing sign language. How cool is that?
I think to myself, "they have thought of everything".

OK, so they did screw up "Elevation". Bono didn't seem to know where he was in the song. But the crowd carried him through it. Maybe the sound was not perfect-I think I may have permanent hearing damage after the opening act. But the lights dangling from the ceiling, the colors that burst forth during Beautiful Day, the stage and lights setting off a red glow during Streets- is there a more thrilling song than Streets seen live? It turned into a beautiful night.
The end came with "40". They leave the stage, one at a time. Larry> goes last, as it should be, drumming quietly before a burst of fierce beating of the drums that announces he is leaving now. The crowd keeps singing for what seems like several minutes. They are done. They are gone. They are not coming back. We have to go-work comes early in the morning.
Nobody is moving. Everyone stays and sings "40" for a very long time. Finally,
we realize we really DO have to go. It was my first U2 concert. I am so glad they did it here in San Diego. I am sure by the end of the tour it will be more polished, Bono won't get lost in the vocals, the sound will be better. The trade off for me is that I was on the inside watching the magic. You can't take away from me that for my first U2 concert I saw some magic be created in the very first show of the whole tour, and I was part of it.

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