So here’s what happened yesterday
I am really tired so this might be a little long.
My husband and I got to the hotel around 2:45 (Hotel Raffaelo). Of course, no one else was there. I know it was super early but we wanted to be there with plenty of time. We left and walked around the shops downtown for a bit but we were both too anxious so we went back to the hotel a little before 4pm. The lobby is really small, so it was surprising that they would pick this as a meeting place for all the winners. Granted, it’s smaller and out of the way, so I’m guessing it made sense to avoid a “scene”.
Anyway, more and more people started filing in. We met a couple who had won tickets from a station in Indianapolis, a few people from Milwaukee, and one guy from Baton Rouge, Lousiana! He had won a contest from a local station in his town and they flew him here and put him up at the hotel. Around 5pm a guy announced to get in line so we could get checked in and get our wristbands. After that point, we had to wait for the buses to come get us. We were lucky and managed to get on the first bus, only a few rows back. Our bus had a few execs from Interscope on it. We tried to eavesdrop a bit on their conversations but the only dish we got was that all the media/promoters would be in the balcony and the winners would get to be on the floor. Someone asked if Larry was feeling better from the night before, and he said he thought so but wasn’t sure. Thought Larry had hurt his neck while on the drums or something. We’re almost at the Metro and then we see another one of our buses and most of us are wondering how the heck the other bus beat us there. So one of the Interscope guys goes up to the driver and just asks him to stop the bus. So there we are on a very busy Clarke Street just a few feet past the Metro and the guy tells us to get off very quickly since we were holding up traffic. Off we go, dashing across the street (thankfully cars had stopped). I realized then and there that I needed a belt for my jeans. As I was running, they were slipping
We made it inside and dashed up two small flights of stairs, and secured two spots right against the stage!! There was a blue velvet curtain backdrop and two black couches, 4 microphones, along with a silver chair (for Shirley). Our spots meant that the boys were no more than 5 feet away from us
I tried to pay attention to details last night because I figured, this may never happen again in my life. Larry was wearing all black with black and red platform shoes. Edge with his beanie, green and black shirt, black jeans and black and white Pumas. Adam had a maroon shirt, black jeans I think, and black shoes with buckles. Bono had his pink tinted glasses (Armani, right?), a black jacket with embroidery on it, dark blue jeans and brown boots with zippers. Seriously, would I have ever paid attention if I wasn’t that close?
There were several hundred of us and a lot of people seemed to have their own stories to tell and memorabilia. A woman next to me had a picture of Bono after a show during Zoo TV and compared to today, he looked like a little baby, so young!
Shirley came out and less than a minute later the boys came out. It was like, wow…holy crap there they are. I couldn’t stop staring yet I had to keep looking around because you couldn’t look at them all at once. Larry smiled a bit during the show but looked uncomfortable…I’d be too with all of our eyes staring. We were a loud bunch and it was hard to hear Shirley at times. I thought right from the beginning her mic was too low. The songs started playing and that’s when we could ask questions. Most of the questions were common I think…how do they stay together after so long, what is your favorite song to play live (Larry’s reply to this was that he always thought his favorite song hasn’t been written yet), what favorite concerts have you been to, what Bono’s secret to a good marriage is after being with Ali so long (part of his reply included that even after all this time he still doesn’t completely know her yet and that he keeps her very close to him). Of course someone asked about the whole ticket fiasco last tour and when tickets were going on sale. There weren’t a lot of questions about the new album. My husband asked why so many of the albums don’t have a title after one of the tracks but this one does. I’m paraphrasing here but Bono’s response was there was something special about this album and that song, and he referenced about looking on the water and watching the horizon and the water become the same color…etc.
Someone asked if there are any plans for Edge to sing solo again and Bono shot up from the couch and yelled No!
it was pretty funny. And then when Adam was explaining about one of his favorite songs and mentioned the bass player was really good, Bono said oh yeah and there’s good singing too. Adam again said, the bass playing is great
I don’t know how much of this anyone heard on the radio, since apparently you could hear us even while songs were playing
There were a few moments when we were supposed to be back live on the air after a song and the producer guy just disappeared. Shirley was scrambling to figure out what her next cue was. I know how unorganized you all thought this was and it was even more so in person. It didn’t help that Bono was rambling even after she’s like we’re coming back on!
The next question was being asked and he was still responding to someone else. Before you knew it we were coming up on the last song, by Leonard Cohen. Bono sang part of the Hallelujah chorus with us and that was cool. Just like that it was over and Shirley was thanking us and them for coming. Then the squishing and pushing began a bit as we all tried to get stuff signed. My husband got our Elevation tour book signed. I think we were the last ones to get Larry before he went to the other side of the stage. Adam, Edge and Bono all laughed when they saw our wedding cake pic. I think they were trying to figure out what they were looking at and we told them it was our cake. Larry was the first to leave but they all stayed awhile to sign stuff, it was really cool.
So there you have it. We went back outside to get our bus ride back and ran in to Shannon (BonosBaby12) and her husband waiting outside in hopes of seeing them. We got home a little after 11pm and we were exhausted but still pretty wired from it all.
Are you going to frame your wedding cake pic?
Lucky girl 
