by Dom D

My 3rd and sadly my final Vertigo show (9th U2 show overall) and for me it went out with a bang. Let me just start off by saying Tampa knows how to do it. The GA line was quite an experience. There was a buzz surrounding the St. Pete Times Forum. They had a local band playing on this fairly big stage entertaining us as we waited to go in. Food vendors and outdoor bars complete with outdoor seating were set up outside the arena. Restaurants and bars were surrounding the arena were blasting U2. It was a party and set the stage quite nicely for what was to come. As we entered the arena we saw U2's motorcade pass and the GA line went nuts. We enter the arena and get scanned for the ellipse...VERTIGO!! We're in!

The show was awesome to say the least. Institute was a really nice surprise. I didn't know Gavin from Bush was the lead singer and to hear 2 Bush songs including Machine Head was a treat. On to U2.

City of Blinding Lights was my highlight for the evening. It's such a spectacular way to open the show. And how could it not be? The curtains come down, the confetti starts flying as the song soars through the arena. The crowd's going nuts. It's quite an experience.

Vertigo as always rocked but the surprises came soon after when Edge began Mysterious Ways then Until the End of the World!! It didn't stop there. ORIGINAL OF THE SPECIES was fantastic.

Bono made lots of references to Tampa and Florida(my favorite was during the cell phone light part when he said one of those little dots was Tampa.)

I was hoping to hear Zoo Station, the Fly and Bad for the encore but I'm not complaining. The First Time was really well done with some interaction with the crowd. Stuck was also nicely done as it was dedicated to Michael Hutchence.

I can't tell you how comfoting it was when Bono said, while talking about the End Zone Club, that this is not the End Zone for us and we still have lots of unfinished business. That this is the beginning. Keep on rocking boys and don't wait another 4 years to come back.

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