by Jen Hutton

How can it all look so easy? How does Edge strum that guitar so effortlessely, especially as he did tonigh during the rarely played "Out of Control?" The quartet commanded everyone's attention tonight at an all time high level. Each song took on an added energy, especially when Bono sweetly ended the first verse of "Wild Horses," and he encouraged his bandmates to keep playing and they did with the crowds enthusiastic help.

I have so many questions for these four precious souls. Do they have any idea they way in which they effect their fans? How do they get the inspiration to write these songs that become melodies that live in all of our souls? And how does Edge play that guitar like that?

Tonight's show was also very melancholy for me towards the end of this show, for this would be my last time seeing this incredible thing called Elevation. The day had began easily enough, my sorry bag of bones arrived home from Las Vegas at 3am and I finally got a few z's around six. Woke up at 9am and decided to take my time getting to Staples, I had a g.a., but didn't plan on getting in the heart. Arriving at 10:30, I found the end of the line much farther down than I had been last week. We were on a grassy knoll, surrounded by trees and guarded from the harsh sun for most of the day. We almost forgot that we were in the baren landscape of the Staples Center.

The g.a. line alone has been such an incredible experience for me during this tour. Having gone to three shows alone, I have met some great new friends, and that continued today. The day went by so much faster with my new partner in crime, Lisa and our two boy toys, Joe and Chappy! Sharing stories, and just making the world feel like it was such a smaller place that was united by music is a feeling of pure bliss. By true luck and some help, we made it into the heart with numbers 335+ on our hands.

In the heart, life began again. It was just the four of them on the stage playing for us and for the love of music and the magical craft they each have. This journey began for me in April in San Diego, and ends tonight in Los Angeles. I had 10 glorious nights with this supernova that will forever change my life in ways I will never know. I don't think there are words that can articulate the roller coasterof emotions I am feeling at this moment, inspiration, awe, saddness. Words just can't be enough. I don't want to go to sleep because when I wake in the morning the harsh reality that this is all ending will set in. And yes, I have many memories and stories from my journey's but we all know its not the same as not seeing them live.

I don't want my questions answered, I want to try and figure it all out, which I never will. They will now "go away for awhile," as Bono said tonight, words that made me cringe and write brilliant material that will surprise me all over again.

One last thing, have you ever in your life witnessed 18,000+ standing for an entire two hour concert and being so loud you felt as if the arena was going to lift off? That was how it felt each time I saw them.

Thank you to Bono, Edge, Larry and Adam for such a beautiful gift.

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