It was a “Beautiful Day” at the U2 concert

It had been many months of waiting and waiting for this day to come.  I was going to the U2 concert!  I know for some, this doesn’t mean much but for me, as I explained to someone a little older than I, they are to me what the Beatles were to so many!  I am not a frequenter of concerts so the headliner would have to be someone pretty special for me to purchase the tickets, deal with the crowds and stay out way past my bedtime.

As soon as my husband and I heard that U2 was coming to Baltimore, we knew right away that we were getting to that concert one way or another.  We have a great group of friends and they were all going as well.  This was going to be a great time!  So, as soon as the tickets went on sale, our tickets were purchased.

Part of the fun was the months and months of anticipation leading up to the concert.  I pulled out all of the old cds (yes, I still listen to cds!) and tried to figure out just how I could get a photo-op with Bono himself. 

The day of the concert arrived and I bounced out of bed with an extra pep in my step.  I spent the day finishing up my list of “have-to’s” and the next thing I knew, the time was here.  We loaded up the coolers with our drinks and enough food to feed an army for an entire week.  Then we made our way to the stadium, in the afternoon, for a little tailgating before the concert.

As show time neared, we funneled our way through the crowds to the stadium and, after a few photos in front of the stage (or “the claw” as we referred to it), we found our seats. 

First up was Florence and the Machine.  I have to admit, I had never heard of them so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but they were fantastic!  The lead singer definitely has her own flare but that’s what made it great.  A friend said that they reminded her a lot of the Cranberries and my husband said she reminded him of PJ Harvey or a young Grace Slick.  If you haven’t heard their music, I highly recommend them!

It was nearing 9:00 and time for U2 to arrive.  The music started and we could see the band making their way to the stage.  The cheers from the stadium were deafening and I could hardly contain my excitement. 

Then…there they were.  They opened the concert with “Even better than the real thing” and what followed was 2 hours of pure U2 heaven.  I could try to describe the concert to you in detail but I just don’t think I could do it justice. 

I never did get my photo-op with Bono but I did get a lot of great memories and the rain “they” were calling for never found us, so all-in-all it was a “Beautiful Day”. 

This was the first time I had seen U2 in concert but now I know why people return over and over again.  You can bet I’ll be there the next time they come through town.  Maybe I’ll see you there!

Here is a brief clip of “I will Follow” from the concert last night.  It’s not of great quality and it took about 10 seconds or so for me to realize that I should probably not be dancing while filming the video but…it’s all I’ve got, so I thought I’d share it!

 

Were you at the concert?  What did you think?  Share your thoughts by posting a comment below.

 

Jennifer Kline is a wife, mother of three, resident of the Hereford Zone and Executive Editor of The Zone Magazine.