by Dusty

Before I start on what was the most inspiring night of my life, lemme just give a big thank you to the fans who organized the GA line. I love the fact that these people take it upon themselves to make things go much smoother than it would with the hapless Arena staff regulating things. So thanks guys.

I got in line at 6 AM, and was 149th in line. People are getting up earlier for these things, needless to say.

Very enjoyable line, a little cold, but better than the smoldering heat I experienced in the GA line in DC in June. God that was miserable. Everyone in line was very nice, I had a very good time during the day. Now, on to the show....

I was a little disappointed that Garbage cancelled, but Graham Parker had a very good set, and the crowd seemed to be respectful enough to him.

I couldn't believe how close I got. I was second row in the heart, on the railing, directly in front of Edge's mic stand. Much closer than I expected.

Well, I'll go song to song now, so I can express how amazing this show was.

Elevation-The pure adrenaline rush it always is, the heart was rocking as usual. Just a perfect way to start a U2 concert. It's hard to imagine them opening with anything else now!

Beautiful Day-Bono's voice was on the money tonight, and I knew it when this one started. Very strong performance of a song the band has to be getting tired of.

Until The End of the World-The usual theatrics between Bono and Edge, always entertaining. The song rocked hard tonight, Edge was really into it. I had to gasp fro a second when at the end Bono dove backwards into the crowd as if Edge had given him a death blow. That crazy little wanker...

New Year's Day-Bono's voice got stronger as the show went on, and the emotion built at a rapid pace at this point. Bono grabbed an American flag from a fan at the tip of the heart, cradling it like a newborn baby for what seemed like minutes. Extremely touching.

Out of Control-A very pleasant surprise, since it was not performed at the DC show I saw previously. Bono transformed himself into an 18-year-old pitching his first single to a record company. A great performance.

Sunday Bloody Sunday-I think Edge went to heaven and sent us that guitar riff from the clouds. It was seriously an out of body experience. SBS is a great song whenever it's performed, but it's something special when they really put themselves totally into it, like tonight. Bono rallied the crowd to sing it for love, sing it for peace. We obeyed.

When Will I See You Again/Stuck In A Moment-This song has really grown on me recently, and Edge's falsetto is always one of the highlights of the show.

Kite-My favorite from All That You Can't Leave Behind, Bono dedicated it to his father-in-law, who was in attendance. One of the most moving songs of the night, Bono's vocals were full of emotion.

Angel of Harlem-This one put a smile on my face, and was really a lot better live than I expected. Larry and Adam chipping in helps a lot I think.

Knockin' On Heaven's Door-That guy they pulled out of the crowd has a future! Seriously, he never missed a beat, and even added some vocals. You could tell the band was loving it, and so did the crowd.

Staring at the Sun-I didn't get to hear anything from POP in DC, so this one felt great to hear. I'd love to hear what it would sound like full band, but I'll take the acoustic.

Please-The most mind-bogglingly beautiful, intense, powerful U2 song I never thought I'd get to hear live. The guitar was toned down, the vocals were front and center, and there was not a dry eye in the heart. Quite simply the most memorable moment of the entire concert, and the guy behind me who was IN THE HEART AT SLANE said that was the most unbelieveable thing he'd ever seen.

Where the Streets Have No Name-Your run of the mill entrance to the pearly gates was what is always is: phenomenal. Bono ran a few laps around the heart and got everyone's blood pumping again after the ecstatic darkness that was Please.

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For-I was not expecting this one, and it's never been one of my favorites, but man, was that great. Bono needn't sing a line, we had it covered. Very sweet moment, just before Edge began te next song, Bono stopped him to listen to us chant the refrain a few more times, grinning ear to ear.

Pride-Still the most unadulterated, passionate, knee-aching song of the set. I could swear I saw the roof rise just a little during this one.

Bullet the Blue Sky-The rage was there, but it felt different tonight. He wasn't howling at America anymore, he was howling with us. very surreal performance, and that guitar solo is always breath-taking.

What's Goin' On-The only dud of the night. I'm as devoted of a U2 fan as you'll find, but this flat-out sucked. I couldn't believe how totally silent the heart was. Nobody even felt the need to sing along. They really need to drop this one. Thank God it was shortened, so we forgot it quickly.

New York-Bono's turned this song into a national anthem of strength, and it really got the patriotic crowd jumping. This one may turn out to be a concert staple for a long time.

One-I'll admit it, I cried during this one. The names on the screen, the passion with which Bono sang, it was just overwhelming. Something about this song is beyond words, and hearing it live is all the more heavenly.

Peace On Earth/Walk On-A wonderful last statement that this country, this idea of liberty, will never be crushed. Walk On might be the perfect anthem for America. Heartfelt, yet strong, we will leave this behind and keep only what makes us what we are.

By the time Grace started up, I was emotionally and physically exhausted. Ten times better than the show I saw in DC. Just spectacular.

God bless those Dublin boys, because this country needs them right now.

Thank you, U2, for the best night of my life.

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