by Dave C.

Philadelphia, Sept. 25, 1987; JFK Stadium

This was my second U2 show. I was 17 then, and I’ve since seen every major U2 tour up through Elevation, but this show stands out as the best show I’ve ever seen.
My friends and I seem to have had the same idea as the other reviewers – we left our rickety seats in JFK’s grandstands and walked right up the field until we were about 100 feet from the stage. I remember what poor condition JFK was in, old and dusty, but the sky was wide open and you felt as though you were in an expansive field. For some reason I remember less the standards (i.e. Sunday Bloody Sunday) and more the way MLK, October and Exit blended with the smoky air above the crowd, lighting up the September night like an aurora. I remember the massive Joshua Tree profile set as a backdrop across the stage. I remember Edge’s guitar riffs cutting through People Get Ready like a soul singer.
Then, of course, came Springsteen for Stand By Me, and the crowd went wild, singing and dancing. My best memory from this night was carrying a beautiful girl (my friend’s sister, I think) on my shoulders throughout Unforgettable Fire. I forget her name, her face, but I held her hands and it was absolutely luminous.

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