by Phil Romans

Musings about Pittsburgh…

I seriously doubt I will ever get it all down, but here is a go at it.

Days before we even left, there was a buzz about this show. Mostly because there was about 20-25 folks from the local DC area list who were going to the show, and we all knew each other, which made it good.
I drove up with two other Baltimore area fans, Scot and Sandy. Sandy was a wee bit ticked because she bought a ticket earlier in the week and deferred for Will Call, which we didn’t find until later that it wouldn’t open til 6:30! How are you suppose to wait in line and get in if you can’t get your ticket until when the doors open?! Well, that was solved at Pittsburgh because we found another ticket for her to buy. (that’s right, she bought two GA tickets, only used one… never even got the second)

I picked up Sandy and Scot, both had coolers with food, we were set! Four hours of driving provided these thoughts:
- Listening to U2 for four hours is only fun with U2 fans
- The PA Turnpike is boring as hell, and has but one view.
- The U2 license plates help track down fellow fans. (if you saw MD plates with “U2 BOY”, that was me)
- Cell phones are great for keeping in contact with friends already there and whats going on.

We get there, find the parking lot, and grab out spot in line, just at the end of the barriers. I don’t think the Security had any idea how many people were going to show up that early.

I get there, and just about right away I start talking with lots folks I know…
- Ruby, Gina, Maggie, David, and Peggy from DC
- John Chambers
- Tim from NYC
- Finally met Amy from NYC, she was tagging along with Karen from DC.
- Played car tag with Ralph and Brendon from DC
- Deena with her scrap book of VERY cool U2 pics and material.
- Mike Dann finally showing up with his ETS supplied ticket, good to see him again from Miami. (to the Heart again!)
- Dave Z showing up and knowing he would be driving back to Baltimore that night!
- Nico with her camera and stickers, good to finally meet you!

I spent half the time in line, the other half talking with folks I knew. We had a nice view over the loading area… Watched Rocko move in and out, along with techs like Sam… even saw Joe O’Hillary at one point. Otherwise the highlights were taunting the radio station that played ONE U2 song the entire day, but felt it necessary to blast us with crud otherwise. I remembered the sunscreen, so I saved my neck from undue pain. A hat and sunglasses save the rest of my head. We talked with the folks around us, oddly enough they were both from NY. We didn’t think 25% of the line was actually from Pittsburgh!
We joked with Sandy about how the Will Call would open and the line would start moving, and damn if it didn’t! She never did get her ticket Will Call ticket. The line cheered as they started moving us to the tunnel underneath. Large security guards making sure we didn’t have any cameras… Mike still got in with his and other gear stowed safely in his backpack. Too many people, not enough time I suppose. Props to the security sticking it out all day with the GA line making sure everything was ok.
They were letting about 30-40 people in at a time, the person after me was held up. Straight to the Heart! Got the wristband and then a bathroom break. Felt like Miami all over again. I was three/four people deep just a tad right of center, at the ‘tall’ section of the Heart as there was one guy who was 7 foot there (with a beet red face from standing in the front of the line all day), and quiet a few of us 6+ feet types. I felt sort of sorry for anyone 5’7” or shorter in that area.

Here are my highlights of the concert that I hadn’t read else where:
- For anyone who saw me, I was the tall thin guy with the Boy shirt on, red Maryland hat.
- PJ was good, I was surprised. (that’s a good thing) I still wore my ear plugs, if there is any band that is ruining my hearing it is U2, so I took them out after she was done.
- Getting into the Heart, just right of center, three people deep. Which provided a personal highlight because the way the lighting was done, Bono had a spot light behind him and it went straight on to me. Felt like I was there just with him.
- Bono blowing bubbles
- Improv during Walk On, comments on calling your Congress man and tell them “Bono will very very angry with them…”
- The Beatles snippets during Elevation
- Kite AND Stay AND Bad
- Bono's "Wow!" towards the end
- Bono pulled out his monitors during Pride to listen to the crowd sing
- Bono stopping the entire show to ask someone half way up the side of the arena crowd what their sign meant. "How's your mother's sugar?"
- Edge doing the feet shuffle during MW with his blue Puma's on.
- Bono pointing out they didn't sell the back top sections because "they couldn't look at Larry's arse!"
- Adam dipping his bass down for a girl in front of me to touch, she had a sign to ask, “Adam, can I touch your instrument?”

I think that does it for now… my lower back and legs were trashed after all that jumping, standing, and dancing. The Heart was hot in the front… The band took off right after the show, some of us prayed they were still there, but quarter til 1 am, we all gave up and left.

Now to wait til June 4th when I fly out to Boston for a week of U2. (four shows in five nights)

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