by Dan Shuster

I attended this 2nd "US" Festival (partially funded by Steve Wozniak of Apple Computer fame) with a couple of friends. U2 was one of roughly 30 bands playing over 3 days. I had just been turned on to them as the War album was getting lots of airplay. Looking back, I eagerly awaited seeing them about as much as any of the many other bands. Who knew then that they would become my favorite band of all-time?

They were given an early morning time slot, around 9:00 or 10:00 AM, I believe. There were not a lot of people that were up that early, so we were able to position ourselves pretty close to the stage, probably 20-30 feet away. My anticipation was warranted, as they were incredible! They were as full of energy as they are in the Red Rocks video (if you have ever seen that). During one song, Bono surprised everyone (including his band mates, I think) by scaling some ropes and climbing to the top of the stage scaffolding. I particularly liked An Cat Dubh, Into the Heart and all of the songs from War. This was a very stirring and emotional performance, the kind that put U2 on the map and captured the hearts of music fans all over the world.

Return to previous page | Post a Review of this show!