September 12, 13 - Soldier Field - Chicago PART TWO

[natg3]

Is the security company still saying no cameras at all?

I saw some video from another of their shows and there were all sorts of flashes going off. At previous U2 concerts that I have been to it was never a problem unless you have a "professional" lense. I have always taken a camera

 

[U2crush]

Pretty much decided today to jump on the Chicago shows. Reading this thread got me so excited!!!
Ticketmaster had tickets for the second show so I was all set there. None showed up for the first show, so I had to use alternate methods to get a lower level seat and paid only $15 over face value.

Planning was moving along well when I found a flight LESS than a concert ticket! Wooo hooooo!

Then to find a hotel in Chicago! YIKES!!! Ended up booking The W Hotel at Lakeshore.

Please tell me Chicago is a relatively safe place to visit for a weekend! (I did go to Wembley last month solo with no problem!)

 

[U2Girl1978]

Pretty much decided today to jump on the Chicago shows. Reading this thread got me so excited!!!
Ticketmaster had tickets for the second show so I was all set there. None showed up for the first show, so I had to use alternate methods to get a lower level seat and paid only $15 over face value.

Planning was moving along well when I found a flight LESS than a concert ticket! Wooo hooooo!

Then to find a hotel in Chicago! YIKES!!! Ended up booking The W Hotel at Lakeshore.

Please tell me Chicago is a relatively safe place to visit for a weekend! (I did go to Wembley last month solo with no problem!)

It's a really awesome city. To me at least.

And you'll be safe. No worries.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

i also just recently decided to go to chicago and had the same experience as you. easily found tickets for chi 2, and was able to find tickets for chi 1 for just $10 over face.

i've only been in chicago one other time, but from what i've seen it's safe. though comparing where i live, anything seems safe!

 

[natg3]

Ga

For the Saturday night show what time do you think you will arrive to line up?

 

[No spoken words]

Please tell me Chicago is a relatively safe place to visit for a weekend! (I did go to Wembley last month solo with no problem!)

You live in Boston.

 

[Shawn Bonneau]

Ur Claw is on Google Earth

SMB

 

[tpsreports2424]

ok 7 days to u2. i have 2 questions.

-what are we allowed with in stadiums? are we allowed backpacks?

-which is the main gate the GA gets into?

 

[2861U2]

Stupid question alert-

What time does the show start?- meaning what time does Snow Patrol take the stage? Because I've heard and read at least 3 different times. And since the parking lot doesn't open until 4 hours before "showtime," I should be certain I know what time "showtime" is since I'm driving and parking.

 

[lemonlovr]

Hey all, great questions recently. My question is this: what time is everyone getting there? I'm not asking so I can "be in the front" but just as a general rule - what time for GA? 10AM? Noon? I saw Vertigo at the United Center in Chicago - got there at 2pm and had a pretty good spot in line. Of course, the Soldier Field field is several times larger.

Other questions: what time do the gates open? The parking lots? Oh, I'm trying not to stress over this but I just can't help it. I'm too excited.

 

[Chuckver]

Ur Claw is on Google Earth

SMB

i can see soldier field but how do you see the claw?

 

[vinucci2008]

Anyone checking the weather for Chicago? The 10 day forecasts are mixed right now with a slight chance of rain and high temp in the low 70's. I think I will have to break out my "cold" weather gear for this trip. Tucson stays warm well into late October/early November. Gonna buy a cheap poncho too so I don't have to search for one last minute... just in case.

 

[U2IrishOne]

Can't believe how fast this amazing weekend is coming up! This time next weekend, the lineup will be on, and the excitement will be insane. I decided to make this weekend a bit of a road trip, and will be driving from CT with my brother. Decided it would make it an interesting venture that way. Pretty cool have last seen the guys @ a stadium in Hawaii to end things, and a stadium in Chicago to begin things in N. America. So excited. See you all in the GA lines. Can't wait!

 

[DRay9911]

Here's the weather.com page for soldier field's zip code 60605

Chicago Weather Forecast and Conditions Illinois (60605)

i might bring one pair of shorts, but plan on wearing jeans most of the weekend.
i don't like the idea of bringing a jacket, but i will anyway

-dan

 

[kassandra]

Thanks for the weather report Dan.
Note to self: Write lesson plans, shop for Labor day BBQ, PACK!!!

 

[Moser]

well, in my experience with weather.com, normally the 10 day outlook is pretty off. i remember when i got married last year, 10 days out said it would be 75 and mostly cloudy with a chance of T-Storms. it ended up being 87 and sunny, lol.

Forecasts are only accurate to 48 hours, really. Being a pilot, I don't take weather forecasts afterward with a grain of salt.

 

[kramwest1]

Anyone know what I should eat for lunch the day of the concert?

My shorts.

Thanks Rick Dees.


M

 

[ShellBeThere]

Pretty much decided today to jump on the Chicago shows. Reading this thread got me so excited!!!
Ticketmaster had tickets for the second show so I was all set there. None showed up for the first show, so I had to use alternate methods to get a lower level seat and paid only $15 over face value.

Planning was moving along well when I found a flight LESS than a concert ticket! Wooo hooooo!

Then to find a hotel in Chicago! YIKES!!! Ended up booking The W Hotel at Lakeshore.

Please tell me Chicago is a relatively safe place to visit for a weekend! (I did go to Wembley last month solo with no problem!)

So glad you decided to go! Chicago is one of my favorite cities, very worth a visit and add in a U2 show and just wow, fantastic!

I just wanted to add a warning about the hotel you booked, however!
I've never been there, but I always always look up hotels on a site called "bedbugregistry.com" now that I've had a bad experience at a 5 star hotel in Denver, named by Conde Nast and all that jazz as one of the best in the country blah blah, boutique-y understated elegant blah blah and why am I so itchy it's snowing out, no mosquitoes, is it the aveda bath products, nope...bed bugs!!!!
It's a growing problem everywhere, and there are couple reports for Chicago hotels (I was looking as I was booking for Chicago myself) and the W Lakeshore is on the list. The complaint indicated that the hotel staff said, oh yes, happens all the time, we don't even compensate for it anymore, ick. At least the staff at the Denver place removed my bar and roomservice charges for my troubles, d'oh!

Off-topic, sorry, but a warning to people booking hotels. If you must stay at a place reported to have the things, at least check (there are guidelines for doing so on that bedbug site I think) and ask to change rooms if you see evidence of them (I noticed some weird stuff in my denver hotel but didn't realize til after that the weird stains were bed bug-related and that the heavily upholstered headboard and so on were great bedbug hideaways).

Sorry to bring up a yucky topic...cheers all!

 

[Shawn Bonneau]

You can see it by turning on 3D Buildings

SMB

 

[corianderstem]

Thanks Rick Dees.

Dude, that was a Bart Simpson reference

If I wanted to reference Rick Dees, I'd start singing Disco Duck.

 

[U2Girl1978]

So glad you decided to go! Chicago is one of my favorite cities, very worth a visit and add in a U2 show and just wow, fantastic!

I just wanted to add a warning about the hotel you booked, however!
I've never been there, but I always always look up hotels on a site called "bedbugregistry.com" now that I've had a bad experience at a 5 star hotel in Denver, named by Conde Nast and all that jazz as one of the best in the country blah blah, boutique-y understated elegant blah blah and why am I so itchy it's snowing out, no mosquitoes, is it the aveda bath products, nope...bed bugs!!!!
It's a growing problem everywhere, and there are couple reports for Chicago hotels (I was looking as I was booking for Chicago myself) and the W Lakeshore is on the list. The complaint indicated that the hotel staff said, oh yes, happens all the time, we don't even compensate for it anymore, ick. At least the staff at the Denver place removed my bar and roomservice charges for my troubles, d'oh!

Off-topic, sorry, but a warning to people booking hotels. If you must stay at a place reported to have the things, at least check (there are guidelines for doing so on that bedbug site I think) and ask to change rooms if you see evidence of them (I noticed some weird stuff in my denver hotel but didn't realize til after that the weird stains were bed bug-related and that the heavily upholstered headboard and so on were great bedbug hideaways).

Sorry to bring up a yucky topic...cheers all!

I'm glad my hotel is not on this list.

The hotel I was going to stay at before had a report of bedbugs.

 

[kramwest1]

Dude, that was a Bart Simpson reference

If I wanted to reference Rick Dees, I'd start singing Disco Duck.

Oh yeah, The Simpsons--the show that has managed to survive all of these years by stealing Rick Dees' best material.




M

 

[ramblin rose]

I'm glad my hotel is not on this list.

Yeah, I checked also. One less thing to worry about.

 

[bschwarb]

does anyone know when the stage will be showing up? Is the band going to rehearse anywhere this week?

 

[vinucci2008]

Here's one place to get your weather... it's a whole lot better than the 10 day stuff you see, except you have to know what you're looking at.

AVN(GFS) MODEL LOOP

Can't trust the long range models entirely but they are forecasting rain... GFS is always on the moist end of things so I hope it's wrong but the way the long wave pattern is looking kinda damp for the central US.

 

[ShellBeThere]

Here's one place to get your weather... it's a whole lot better than the 10 day stuff you see, except you have to know what you're looking at.

AVN(GFS) MODEL LOOP

Can't trust the long range models entirely but they are forecasting rain... GFS is always on the moist end of things so I hope it's wrong but the way the long wave pattern is looking kinda damp for the central US.

ooh, those are very pretty swirly patterns lol. I used to love meteorology in my 10th grade science class, and perhaps I used to know how to read somewhat similar isobar-y graphics but I become lady-with-a-spinning-head looking at those, d'oh!

Of course it won't rain for really though, right?!
It'll still be fab if it does, but still


Any threads out there documenting how much fun it is even if it's raining?!

I guess we can all get on our rubber boots maybe?

cheers...

 

[MsPurrl]

Ten-day forecast for next Saturday says showers and a high temperature of 71. Let's hope that changes as the week goes by!

10 Day Weather Forecast for Chicago, IL (60605) - weather.com

 

[maycocksean]

Ugh. The hotel we booked had a report of bedbugs on Aug. 21.

I'm not sure what we're gonna do.

(Still going though. . .just need to decide what to do about where to stay).

I'm not so worried for myself, but I can't stand the thought of my one year old son getting bitten up. Or my wife for that matter. We're bringing his pack'n play since they don't have cribs but I'm still not sure if that's safe enough.

Thanks for the link though.

 

[u2shamrock]

I'm getting so excited!!! I just booked my bus from my school back to Chicago for the 11th Plus I had a coupon

Fellow douchebag with seats here too. Section 249 row 1 for Saturday and section 446 for Sunday. From the looks of this http://www.u2interference.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6363718&postcount=27 it looks like both, even the $30 ones, are going to be effing awesome seats. I'm going with my mom and best friend on the 12th and just my mom on the 13th.

I'm not sure on how I'm getting down there and back to my home both days. It's like a 30 minute drive, but my mom is weird with leaving her car in public parking places. Train won't be a problem on Saturday, but there's no way we'll make the one back on Sunday. And I think I'm heading back down to school that night. Hardcore to the max

 

[ShellBeThere]

Ugh. The hotel we booked had a report of bedbugs on Aug. 21.

I'm not sure what we're gonna do.

(Still going though. . .just need to decide what to do about where to stay).

I'm not so worried for myself, but I can't stand the thought of my one year old son getting bitten up. Or my wife for that matter. We're bringing his pack'n play since they don't have cribs but I'm still not sure if that's safe enough.

Thanks for the link though.

Sure, sorry to be a downer, but man according to the reports (I think we got away unscathed from my encounter in Denver, but I ruined some clothes by washing and drying them at high heat and otherwise inconvenienced myself lol...but who knows, bedbugs allegedly can live for *18 months* without a blood meal!) they are hella hard to get rid of! The bites when traveling are no fun, but what would be worse would be to bring any home with you!

Even if a hotel isn't in the registry I now always check as soon as I get into a room. Check the linens and curtains for small red or brownish spots that look like felt-tip marker marks, check the seams of the mattresses for brownish or blackish stains or even bugs themselves (they're not invisible at all really, they just move fast and hide well), and if you see anything suspicious let the desk know you'd like a different room, it's surely the least they can do!
I'd keep suitcases and clothing away from walls and beds, the luggage racks are safer, middle of the room. Bedbugs like wood and upholstery best. If you shake out/vacuum out suitcases and wash clothes in hot water and run in the dryer you should be okay, they also don't do well if frozen so another option is if you have some sort of freezer big enough to hold anything you'd taken with you for a week or two then that should take care of any hitchhikers too.
if the reports are specific as to room, then staying in a different part of the hotel is probably wise...they move thru walls to adjacent areas and such. There was just a piece in the NYT I haven't had a chance to read yet about bedbugs in NYC's co-op apartment buildings and the chilling effect this is having on the already-challenged real estate market, oy.

That said, if a place I'm staying in isn't in the registry then I do that check and assume all is well if nothing turns up, but it's probably wise these days to bring along some cortisone cream when traveling, ugh. I used to be the one in the family bucking for hotels over camping on summer road trips, lol, but now I am all for (albeit limited stints of it!) the occasional camping!

cheers...