Waiting at the backdoor entrance to the American Airlines Arena in Miami was not your typical "waiting for the band for autographs" kind of experience today. We were tipped off by a nice member of local security that "something big was going to happen." We had no idea how big it would be.
Next we saw a member of U2's staff come out with a camcorder, taking her position at the entrance of the driveway to the backdoor entrance. Next thing we hear is that "The Edge is coming" from someone in line waiting with us, and within no time, the entire band drives by us with Edge standing in the car outside of the passenger window greeting everyone - sort of like a beauty queen would in a parade or something. We look down and there's Bono in the backseat (odd for him) with his window rolled down with a handicam himself, recording the crowd as the vehicle drives by.
They both step out and greet the fans. Next can only be best described as surreal.
The group of fans they first met up with came all the way from South America for the shows, and they all start singing to Bono and Edge "Where the Streets Have No Name." Bono, still with handicam in hand, starts interviewing the fans about The Edge. Edge starts walking the line, shaking hands with fans - saying "no autographs today, just handshakes" and he's all grins - ear to ear grinning.
Before coming too far down the line, he grabs a bullhorn (convenient that he traveled with one) and starts getting the crowd to sing "Where The Streets Have No Name" and then asks people to start chanting "Bono - Bono - Bono". We are laughing so hard at this point becuase it's just the most surreal thing we've experienced in quite some time.
Bono stops every so often and asks people what their thoughts are about The Edge. I somehow found the nerve to blurt out "Edge needs to get rid of the hat," to which Bono stopped in front of me and asks me to continue on this topic of why he needs to drop the hat. I say "Because God only made a few perfect heads, the rest He put hair on," to which Bono replied that he has video footage on the camcorder of Edge without his hat because he snuck into Edge's bedroom while he was sleeping this morning and captured him without the hat.
Bono spent about 15 minutes stopping and chatting with fans along the way, only to be driven back by a golf cart. He posed for photos with the police escorts who brought them to the arena and then headed in.
U2 management will not say what this will be used for, but we were told "it'll be a good surprise when you see it." So, if the band's in THIS type of mood BEFORE the show, we can only anticipate what the concert will be like!
To check out the photos from the close encounter of the Bono kind, photos will be posted tonight after the show. Some have been uploaded to the @U2 flickr files.
Very not cool for me! I was standing in that exact spot yesterday! 
I told him I'll be available if his brother suddenly comes down with a flu or something 
wasn't sure though
