by Rachel B

My first U2 show! I was behind the stage, section 121, and I had a great time. I got everything I’d hoped for from this experience, even though I imagine other people might be looking for something different. I felt like I got to see four guys playing their music, the nitty-gritty, not some prepackaged, MTV video experience. A couple times I looked way up to see what was on the monitors, and frankly, it made me feel so lucky not to be in the upper tiers.
When you’re behind the stage, the ball-lights are NOT your friend. But there was light on my section through most of the show otherwise - so when Adam went over to talk with Larry, which he did a lot, he’d glance up at us and smile. (Hey, Adam, in case you’re wondering, that was me screaming “we love you Adam!”) Adam was really in a good mood, walking around, smiling, interacting with the ellipse folks too. And Bono would come backstage to get water, and he’d do that pensive “how’s the crowd doing?” look up at us and flash us a peace sign. We got no love from the Edge - can anyone tell when the man is having a good time? it’s like - don’t bug him, he’s concentrating really hard - but of course the Edge was great and interesting to watch from the backstage perspective. Exchanging a word with Bono after Bono sang the whole first verse of Bullet the Blue Sky in the wrong key. A brief consultation with Adam as they swapped instruments for a song. Strolling up to the keyboards while strumming. Hey, the less Edge does with the ellipse crowd, the closer he is to me! (And, in case you’re wondering, Dave, that was me screaming “we love you Edge!”)
Bono was having fun, picking up a white cowboy hat with sequined band from the ellipse, continuing to whomp the drum at the ellipse peak after everyone else stopped playing, spraying water over the crowd. I loved the way he magically appeared for City. His dance with Alli, the girl from the audience, was right in front of us - anyone else notice how she tried to take his hand and he shook her off? Close, but not too close...
We got the Ocean - I was hoping for Gloria, alas - and while I’ve read that Ocean was a energy-killer in San Diego, it was fine here. Afterwards, it almost seemed Bono was apologetic or grateful that we went with him as he indulged in the past. But he sure put a stop to the clapping during Running to Stand Still (thank goodness), saying “please don’t clap, don’t clap - but you can sing...”
I stood and danced and sang everything, and my most-amazing-husband-ever just went with it. (Dancing to Love and Peace or Else live with my honey = bliss.) We had a blast. I’m still hoarse, writing this on Monday. But I’m left wondering if we offended the two couples on either side of us - no singing or dancing for them! The people in the row in front of us actually sat down for several songs. Was I wrong to hope for a rave/crowd gestalt kind of good time? I was worried that the crowd wasn’t really making enough noise to get an encore, and I was feeling like a freak screaming at the top of my lungs. In the future, can’t seating be done on an enthusiasm-level basis, please? And, most crushing to me, the sing-all-the-words-to-every-song-girl, after Larry did his drum solo to close out 40, NO ONE KEPT SINGING. True, Larry’s solo was so painfully good that the place went completely nuts in response, so maybe that’s why “how long to sing this song?” was answered with “not long actually”.
I won’t be attending any more Vertigo shows - I gotta go, I’m running out of cash, there’s a lot of things that I could not rearrange - but I thank U2 for an amazing time, for being real to me, close to me for the first time, for being even better than their hype and marketing. Have a great tour guys, and God bless!

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