Anyone else have an "I wore my U2 shirt in public and..." story?

[trevgreg]

So after work today, I decide I need to go to the local mall and buy a pair of jeans or two. Before going out, I change and happen to put on a gray long sleeve with the U2 shirt I got from the official store last fall. It's the one below with the band members' faces on it, as they appear on the video screen during the live version of Crazy Tonight.

Anyways, I go to the mall, and didn't have too much luck finding a decent pair of jeans I wanted. So I was ready to go and went into the Hugo Boss store on a whim at the last minute. I say hi to the middle aged guy working there and take a look around. Eventually, the man walks over to me and goes "Who's that on your shirt?" (I had a jacket over it). I pull it open and say, "The rock band, U2." He smiles going, "Oh, okay. That's a cool shirt." I laugh and say it is, hence why I bought it. I walk around for a bit more and then say bye to him as I'm leaving. He says bye too, and adds "Next time, bring your friend Bono in here!" I laugh and on a whim I say "Next month when we're hanging out in Ibiza, I'll tell him!" He laughs really hard and says okay.

Then at the gas station afterwards, another middle aged guy there notices the shirt and asks which concert it was. I tell him it was their Chicago show last fall, and he says, "I'm actually kind of surprised that Bono's in the background there," since his picture was smaller than Larry and Adam's on it. I just reply that the rhythm section needs their day in the sun too! He gets it as well.

Any other stories like this about random strangers bringing an item you have up, clothing or merchandise wise?

 

[Rachel D.]

I wore a U2 shirt into Subway one time and some tweens at the next table said, loud enough for me to hear, "I hate U2." I turned and all three of them were staring at me, as if waiting for a response. I didn't say anything.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

the only one i can think of is from years ago when i was wearing my popmart lemon shirt:

and someone came up to me and commented that they'd been to the same show. another time i had a customer come up to me wearing the shirt and i had it on too. though you couldn't tell as i had on my work uniform and didn't have the guts to say i was wearing it too.

oh wait i remember i had another experience after i saw them for vertigo. i forget which shirt i have, but someone came up to me and asked where i'd seen them, since they didn't come to my town.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

I wore my War shirt to high school and was mocked and ostracized endlessly for it.

The end.

 

[secretly alone]

One time I was wearing one in the mall...it was years ago and I don't remember which shirt it was, but I was walking one way, and this girl who looked about my age was walking past in the opposite direction. Just before passing me, she turned around, grabbed my hand and went, "I LOVE your shirt!" It made my day

I have a bunch of U2 stuff on my car, and earlier this year while I was pumping gas, this 40-ish dude poked his head around from the other side of the pump and said, "HEY, another U2 fan!"...we were blocking the pumps for at least 20 minutes talking about the tour and our favorite albums and such. I was late to class!

I love when stuff like that happens. I actually haven't had a negative run-in in a situation like that.

I wore a U2 shirt into Subway one time and some tweens at the next table said, loud enough for me to hear, "I hate U2." I turned and all three of them were staring at me, as if waiting for a response. I didn't say anything.

Tweens are dumb. At least you didn't say anything, I probably would have gone all immature and said something nasty back

 

[MikeyJB]

Tweens are dumb. At least you didn't say anything, I probably would have gone all immature and said something nasty back

Like "I hate you..."

I've used that before now. Probably best not to say anything tbh.

 

[coolian2]

i once sold a football jersey online, and i was wearing my 360 tour shirt from chicago when the guy came to pick it up. ended up having a conversation about tour dates and crap.

possibly the only other person in auckland who supports that team and likes u2.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

I beat the shit out of some kids wearing Elevation tour T-Shirts once.

 

[Canadiens1131]

I've grown out of concert tour t-shirts, most of them are pretty horrible.

The only type I like these days are the ones with a very subtle reference to the band on them, so you can have a chest bump / cock swordfight with a a fan who notices the subtle reference.

 

[cobl04]

the fact that my Vertigo tshirt still fits depresses me.

 

[juliaguliaxo94]

the fact that my Vertigo tshirt still fits depresses me.

Why? That's a good thing.

 

[cobl04]

i'm skinny... so nah it ain't.

 

[indra]

Why? That's a good thing.

It's different for boys.

i'm skinny... so nah it ain't.

See? You would NEVER hear a girl say this.

 

[coolian2]

my vertigo t-shirt is several sizes too big for me.

just saying.

 

[cobl04]

julia may have thought i was a girl, but yeah, it embarrasses me a great deal,

 

[indra]

^ You need to get into a band...girls love skinny musician boys.

 

[cobl04]

if only i had a morsel of musical talent!

 

[indra]

if only i had a morsel of musical talent!

No worries -- you can always be a bassist!

 

[blueeyedgirl]

Indra beat me to it, but yeah, didn't stop Adam Clayton

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Indra beat me to it, but yeah, didn't stop Adam Clayton

Is Adam okay?

 

[corianderstem]

I've worn various U2 shirts over the years, and have had very few reactions to them.

"What the heck is 'uno dos tres catorce'?" From older choir members who have no clue about modern music. (Vertigo shirt with the target logo and those words on it.)

I wore my red melting equal sign 360 shirt last fall after I'd seen them in Chicago and had someone stop me in the hall at work with a loud "OH MY GOD, DID YOU SEE THEM ALREADY????"

Turns out he was planning on going to the Vegas show. So yay, a fan.

 

[MikeyJB]

I bought one of the = T-shirts from the tour last year. I like that design, doesn't quite scream GEEK! so much

 

[corianderstem]

I was disappointed in a lot of the shirts on this tour, mainly because I can't stand the font - I think it's ugly.

 

[U2BROTHR]

As crazy as this sounds......I tell you no lies.

I will never forget the time I drove from Toronto to NJ to see U2 on Oct 28, 2001 at Continental Airlines Arena. The girl I was dating at the time came with me and we stayed in a crappy hotel somewhere. We decided that we wanted to get some drinks so we went to some bar where there was a bunch of shady characters. As I was drinking in the bar, they were playing hip-hop from a juke box as well as top 40. It was the night before U2 so I figured I'd get my drink on. I got to chatting with a bunch of the locals there who were still reeling from the tragedy of 9/11. After several conversations, it was obvious to people that I was the out of towner from Toronto.

U2 Setlist - E. Rutherford - Oct 28, 2001 - U2tours.com
(my picture featured in the link above)

While wearing the shirt pictured above, a fellow black dude came up to me and said with lots of anger in his voice, "Who's the four white dudes on your shirt?" So I replied back in a rude tone, "Wait a sec....you don't know who the fuck these guys are?"

My mistake.......

Brotherman gets right in my face and this has only happened once in my life.

He pulls out a switchblade knife in front of my face. "Who you think you talkin' to with that tone?"

At first I thought it was a joke. I was scared shitless. I was in disbelief. Was this really happening? Why is this guy getting all vexed with me. Holy fawk. Then I realized that I can't go see U2 tomorrow if I am lying in emergency or six feet under. I proceed to politely educate the dude about who U2 is and songs they sing.......and how it will be the biggest concert tomorrow night and I guarantee it will be in the paper in the morning. I must of seemed awfully scared. Especially since I'm far away from home.

Maybe it was the conviction that I used to talk about the band I hold so dear to my heart.....But after a bit he put the knife away. I then said to him, "I bet if I go over to the jukebox, I can find at least one U2 album in there."

So we walked over to the CD juke box and sure enough.....Achtung Baby was staring me right in the face.

His demeanor changes and he asks for me to put a track on.

I think I can proudly say, "Mysterious Ways" allowed me to walk out of the bar on my own two feet. I don't know NJ very well......I'm hoping when I go back in 2011 that things are very different. Thank goodness I've never been in that kinda situation ever again.

 

[cobl04]

 

[LuckyNumber7]

Lol good story, straight out of a movie almost.

Samuel L. Jackson would play that scene great -

"Who the fuck you think you talkin to with that tone?"

 

[LemonMelon]

^ You need to get into a band...girls love skinny musician boys.

Plus, I have managed to more or less outgrow the Vertigo tee I procured when I was 13, so . The only thing keeping my confidence from shooting through the roof is that I will never have a story as epic as U2BROTHR's. I hope.

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

^ You need to get into a band...girls love skinny musician boys.

 

[An Cat Gav]

When I was 12/13 I often used to wear my Bullet The Blue Sky t-shirt around towm, for anyone who doesn't remember it featured a picture a drawing of a small girl crouched down and screaming, blood spattered everywhere behind her, the words" I can see those fighter planes" written above her in red, and on the back was a picture of some sort of sculpture of a naked male figure. It was a great conversation starter for a 12 year old.

 

[lauramullen]

I wore my blue 360 NA Tour shirt with all the dates on the back, and some lady who was walking behind me said to me that she loves U2 and saw them on the last tour.