by Reno

Herodotus says it took 300 Spartan warriors to stave off the attack of Xerxes Persian armies at Thermopylae – or the Hot Springs – for 7 days. I have always wondered what it felt like to be one of those few in the heat of passion and furry. Sweat dripping from brow shoulder to shoulder with your brothers in arms . . . united in cause.

. . . I have also always wondered what it was like to be in the front row of a U2 concert.

Monday night April 2, 2001 I learned what both felt like. I have been to U2 concerts before, always saying that next time will be the ONE. Well this was the one. We (my wife dana, carlos, damo, jen, and louie who made it all possible) didn’t get there tremendously early – maybe 4 o’clock. What we did right was to find out which was the fastest line to the HEART. Needless to say we made it in.

PJ Harvey was hot and the lights flooding the arena after she left the stage were even hotter. But then the boys stepped on stage. I couldn’t believe it, as far as I was concerned it was me, the crew, and 300 fellow few who would stand in united cause. WHOO! WHOO! Elevation flooded our private club and we began to move. Shoulder to shoulder we jumped and chanted. Oh yeah, the rest of the Compaq center dug it too as I was told later.

I could see every chord Mr. The Edge played. I could see Larry Mullen wincing with every beat and Adam Claytons’ smiling approval to the crowd. All without binoculars! Finally! As Bono began moving around the catwalk we shifted and followed – reaching arms length from him. We ran back to the stage and waited for Mr. The Edge’s guitar solos. We jumped, we chanted, we sang in a frenzied club like atmosphere.

During NEW YORK the curtains came down and we had two shows. We hard our own “private” rhythm section belting out the beats. And when we turned around we had a back stage view of Bono singing to the rest of the arena. The introductions were sweet. When Larry ran back to his drum kit he gave some of us hi-fives as he ran back. WITH OR WITHOUT YOU – the curtain are down again and the band is singing to us.

Being in the heart was more than a concert . . . it was more than a club experience . . . It was a happening. This was the way it was meant to experience U2. I thought back to their early touring days. The Boyish days. Playing through Boston in some sweaty and stuffy pack bar. Days of unity and intimacy.

One – almost over now- Bono is back in our club again. There playing to us in the Hot Spring – the spirits of Thermopylae. Walk On . . . unchained melody . . . hallelujah. We sing and praise together with the Greatest Band in the World. I swear that Mr. The Edge nods in approval at our energy. I see the 7 on his shirt and know that our time is up.

Good night and Thank you. The lights are on now . . . we wipe the sweat from our brows. I look around and know that this was the good stuff.

Oh yeah if you were wondering . . . try and get in the heart.

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