by Megan Quinn

Although I've been a U2 fan since 1984, when I was 13, this is the first concert I've gone to (though, of course, I saw "Red Rocks" so many times in high school, I felt I'd been there!). I went with a girlfriend who, though not as intense a U2 fan as I, had seen the ZooTV show.

We parked at the fairgrounds just before 8 p.m. We heard Rage Against the Machine start up, but we were in no hurry as we ate a tailgate supper and listened to a local station's pre-concert U2-fest. Nothing against that band, but what an odd opening act it seemed to be!

We got into the Cotton Bowl about 8:45. After picking up souvenirs (I highly recommend the navy "lemon" tees!), we found our seats. They were just off the right side of the stage, and for most concerts they'd be great seats, but we couldn't see the screen that well, and we wanted to get the full effect. So we went up to the upper deck and back a few sections, where the view was great! I mean, for this concert, if you're not going to sit close enough for Bono to sweat on you, you might as well sit back aways.

Security was very relaxed - lots of stadium event people around, but no one searching anything or asking to see stubs (except to get on the floor). Though I didn't take any photos, I did have my camera, and I probably could have taken photos and kept them. I guess U2 trusts their fans. Plenty of beer bottles and brisk business at the counters, but everyone was well-behaved.

Rage Against the Machine was done by 9 p.m. There was DJ'd music for a half-hour, and then "Pop Music" started up about 9:30. The big stadium lights went down, focusing attention on the well-lit floor and stage. The crowd cheered as the O in the "POP" on the screen turned into a male symbol, then a soccer ball, then a female symbol, then the Earth . . . and finally went wild as the boys made their grand entrance.

U2 played with lots of energy, both on the "old" and new songs. I thought the mix of old and new was well-done - the songs segeued nicely one into the next. Much of the audience didn't seem to know the words to the "Pop" songs, but they stayed with the band, and of course everyone sang lustily on songs like "With or Without You," "I Will Follow," and "Bullet the Blue Sky."

"Please" was most impressive. The screen and the lighting of the arch changed from green to orange to green and back throughout the song, sometimes mixing, which I though was a good visual complement to the song (green standing for Irish Catholics, orange standing for Irish Protestants). The use of the screen throughout the show was interesting and, I thought, appropriate. All the video seemed well thought-out. I did think it was very mean of the band to tease us with that little bit of "Sunday, Bloody Sunday," without actually going into it! Arrghh!!! But I liked the way they put it in with "Please."

One thing I haven't seen written up anywhere else - during "Bullet the Blue Sky," when he got to the spoken part at the end, Bono did a little bit of that but then broke into "America" from "West Side Story." I was simultaneously amused and insulted - amused that he would make a connection between the two songs, but insulted as the impression it left me with was a furtherance of the anti-U.S. attitude of "Bullet" - he seemed to be singing in a mocking way. But, since I was a Reagan youth in the '80's and kind of touchy about "Bullet" anyway, maybe I'm easily insulted on that score! (?) At any rate, the accompanying light display was nothing short of amazing!

We had an absolute blast - I didn't sit down the whole time! Noteworthy were the lighting arrangements, which involved the whole stadium, including the audience; the different cartoons and images employed on the giant screen; the Edge's "Daydream Believer" singalong (FUN!); and, of course, the mirrorball lemon entrance ("People of Earth, we come in peace!"), very Spinal Tap, and then the reflections it gave off, turning the Cotton Bowl into the world's largest disco for one evening - I had read about it but it was still a surprise and great fun.

Only a few criticisms: We seemed to be getting some sort of feedback, so that Larry sounded a little behind the rest of the band, but we were also sitting behind the speakers on the floor so I don't know if that makes a difference. The vaunted giant olive lit up but didn't "do" anything - I was expecting it would move around or something - the only pointless-seeming element. You could not hear a blessed thing Bono said when he spoke to the audience - too muffled. And Adam, honey - orange is not your color!

And: what in Hades was the deal with that - guy (???) on the screen during "Mysterious Ways"?

More than worth the price of the ticket. 24 hours later, I'm still assimilating all the sounds and images of the evening. I plan on going to see it again in November in either Houston or San Antonio. Two solid hours of intelligent entertainment, serious music, and incredible staging and effects - what more could you ask for? (I mean, besides "40"?)

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