U2, you shoulda been there! You still can ...

Dear Blog, friends, family, anyone who chances upon this entry:

So last weekend, I had a legitimate reason not to plop down in front of the computer to recount the previous week…the long-awaited (since May 1, for crissakes!) U2 360° Tour Concert at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl.

After much consternation    about who would join me on this musical mystery tour, my cousin Jackie accompanied me. That’s her with me in this photo taken by nice new friends we made at the concert (thanks Doug!).

The concert started at 7, we hit the road from Glendora at 2 p.m. to take advantage of the shuttles from Pasadena City College. We got to the RB in no time and started our trek to Gate F, closest to section 18 where our seats were.

We both noticed an amazing “vibe” for want of another word – calm, peacefulness, just like a family reunion where you’re seeing people you haven’t seen in years. The only thing was we all were only related by our love for U2, its message of love, peace, freedom, faith. A palpable kindness shown to me, almost embarrassing, but very sweet and generous.

Gates opened at 5:15 or so, still no rush to get to our seats…let the others rush in. We went in and the first thing we partook was a very overpriced Bud Light…tasted so good at that point! And just sitting there, chatting up other fans seated nearby – everyone sharing this very unique experience.

Jackie and I shared our memories of concerts past – Jimmy Buffett in his Margaritaville days, Kenny Loggins, etc., and it meant so much that she was there to share this very special day with me. We were so close growing up, sharing our love for music throughout, and this was just another memory to add to this precious relationship.

So, the concert … I can only say that it exceeded my very simple expectations of just living in the moment and letting the sound and experience wash over me. And talk about a workout! I was sitting and standing all the time … overwhelmed by the sound, excitement, communal thrill that U2 creates. This would be our Woodstock (shared with an estimated 96,000) – without the rain and mud.

Yes, my inner rocker chick was released that night.

There are so many hits, anthems aplenty, that it did just blur for me, and that’s not a bad thing. Such experiences should be that way, really, to carry memory of it forward seamlessly. It’s the heart, the love, the warmth, the kindness, the music, the warmth of those all around us that I’ll always cherish of that day.

Also, for the first time in my concert-going life, I was able to relive the show the next day thanks to the Internet. In preparation of a DVD set that was being filmed that night, youtube.com streamed the concert live. Of course, the broadcast offers close-ups we never saw, emotions we only peeked at on the huge round screen over the stage, but the music – that’s what I’m still listening to from the download I made. I’ve heard tons of concert recordings, most never measure up to a band’s talent. Not so this one … it’s so thrilling to listen to just the music from this show – it’s really that good.

So as you can see, I’m still buzzed from this experience, something I’ll carry for a long time. And I recommend to everyone to find that webcast and download it (took me 7 hours, but it was well worth it!) from http://www.u2.com/news/title/ten-million-streams-188-countries. ROCK ON!

Thanks for checking in on me – Cathie Lou