by Christopher Trimm

I need to thank my friend Scott for reminding me to post here. Why don't you give it a try, Scott? Last night of five at the LA Sports Arena, it is beginning to feel like home. My friend Kathy came all the way from Albuquerque, NM and she went away very satisfied. We met Bono after the soundcheck and asked why U2 hadn't attempted the Electric Co. over the last seven nights. Bono managed to keep quiet but it was nice to hatch such an idea. In order to help those without tickets and keep business away from the scalpers, tickets were released each night. Unfortunately there were only twenty or so tonight when before there were one hundred on average. This was an impossible ticket. We were priviledged just to be inside with such an outgoing crowd! The mexican wave was encircling the arena when, with the house lights still on, Stand By Me was covered from mid song by our heros! Well, hello there! Just when I was being touched by the John Lennon vibe here come those saboteurs. Bono asked Edge to sing a verse and Edge couldn't remember the lyrics. Priceless. The wave went tidal! After MLK segued into Pride, I looked at Erich we had the expression that this was going to be special. I Will Follow had us belting out the 'your eyes' interlude because Bono said, 'you know the words!' Trust me, everybody knew the words and it rocked. The primiere of Trip through your wires was next for the LA audience, it had not seen the light of day since my friend Kathy saw it in Houston three weeks previous. Bono dedicated SBS to A Celebration, a not for profit group committed to writing postcards for Amnesty Int'l and supporting world vision. U2 has always supported the philanthropic pursuits of it's fans and to have Bono address us directly from the stage had my heart living in my throat. The set included the infamous Electric Co. and although it blew me away, I still have the look of Erich to this day, he was stunned beyond belief and that's what made the song for me. Normally, Bono would include Amazing Grace or Send in the Clowns during the song but tonight it was We've got the right to party!!(Beastie Boyz) and Light my Fire (The Doors). Bad was complemented well by so many singing the Stones versions of Ruby Tuesday and Sympathy for the Devil, that in true U2 fashion they threw it into overdrive at the end. Gloria also found U2 glued to the stage, transfixed in the cauldron of fandom fury, it was a celebration through and through. As Bono is apt to say, it was an away game but a home crowd, the lads were one hundred percent, on and off the field, on and off the field. For the first time Streets was an encore and it felt like the concert was beginning again. "We were four guys going nowhere, so we decided to go there together," Bono volunteered at the beginning of Streets. We can't wait to see you in the fall was the best reason for this night which was the last of seven nights with U2, amazing that I could still stand at that point.

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