by andrew

One fateful night in August 1992 I got to attend a U2 concert in Pennsylvania for the ultra-cheap price of $15. I always thought the price was a bit strange & finally, now 13 years after the show, I get around to looking up the setlist online. Not only do I find the complete setlist, but opening band, exact date, price, and purpose of the show.

I was 13 when I saw this show, and I'm twice that old now. It was the first significant concert I had ever seen, and I suppose it was pretty close to what other people describe as a "religous experience." They were the most important band in the world to me at that time, and I found out about the show totally by accident. It seemed like some sort of divine intervention at the time, and reflecting now, it still kind of seems that way.

About a week prior to the concert, I was at Hersheypark with a friend. While wandering around inside the park, I heard a familiar guitar tone wafting through the air. I tried to "follow" the sound (picture the 'Froot Loops' bird following the scent of his favorite cereal). I actually did a pretty good job of it, and ended up outside the Hersheypark Stadium, right beside the amusement park. I asked a park employee what was going on inside there, and he tossed off the reply "U2 is rehearsing."

And at that point, a nuclear explosion happened inside my head.

I just could not fathom that my favorite band in the universe was in the same little spot of the world that I was. The whole situation was total dumb luck, and still boggles my mind to this day.

After further inquiry, I discovered that they would be playing a live concert the following week. I quickly secured tickets, and on August 7th, 1992, I, my best friend, and our mothers (i know, i know, but remember, we were 13) saw U2 live.

Obviously, being half my lifetime ago, I dont remember too many specific details. So it turns out this was "only" a rehersal show. Could of (and did) fooled me! The stadium was packed & U2 had all their huge monitors going, flashing the rapid-fire slogans that characterized the Zoo-TV tour. We got decent seats in the left-side bleachers, with a clear line-of-sight to the stage. They had a pretty respectable display of
t-shirts - at least 4-5 designs. I bought a black one. On the front in white ink, it had a crudely-drawn star, a car, and a face, all in a column. I believe tour dates were listed on back. The only other shirt I remember had the "One" CD single cover on the front, and some text on back.

Now 13 years older, I don't listen to U2 much anymore - my CDs are sold, I dont know what happened to my tshirt collection, and the only bit of U2-anything I own is the "October" LP which I got for free just a few weeks ago. However, that being said, and for me to be perfectly fair, honest, & not discredit anything, I would have to say that this concert is one of the top 3 best, and most important shows I have ever seen. I can not underestimate the impact it had on me at that time of my life.

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