U2 Stand By MN

The only thing that tempered my excitement for U2 bringing their 360 Tour to my hometown was my fear of what the weather might bring. Getting soaked during the concert was not my idea of fun, but it did not dampen most people’s enthusiasm during the show. However, in the spectrum of unpredictable Minnesota weather, heavy rain is much preferable to hail, high-winds and tornadoes (lightning seemed to be a non-issue, mercifully). At least with an outdoor concert scheduled in July in Minnesota, a blizzard does not enter into the forecast.

I think the only way I can adequately review my Minneapolis U2 weekend is to break it down into three parts: the Friday night Interference.com fan club get-together, the concert itself and the overall TCF Bank Stadium experience.

Interferencers (Blue Craicers, whatever) are rabid fans. We have been chomping at the bit for almost two years to have our fan meet-up in Minneapolis. It is always exciting to meet people that you have connected with online, but there often is a little apprehension, too. The “What if they don’t like me? What if I don’t like them? What if no one shows up?” thoughts run through my head. As has been my experience for this tour, those thoughts are useless. The other Minnesota fans are cool, nice people, and as a huge bonus, many fans from around the country (and a few from around the world) came to Minneapolis for the meet-up.

The Leaning Tower of Pizza on campus could not have been better hosts. Great, friendly servers keep us in drinks and food. It also helps to have a gathering in a university bar because no one blinks twice when there are spontaneous sing-a-longs to the U2 blaring from the jukebox. It was wonderful to see familiar faces again and a joy to meet so many new people, whether they were new to Interference or new to me in a non-internet setting.

Our plans for the concert as fans spanned a broad range; Some were going to get in the General Admission (GA) line almost immediately after the Friday night meeting, many of us were going to get in the GA line sometime during the afternoon, a few were lucky to have gotten Red Zone tickets, and a few others were headed for seats.

Walking in to the stadium, it was hard not to just stare at U2’s “Claw” stage even if I had seen it 10 times previously. It filled the field more than I had seen at any other show. After my initial awe, my eyes kept looking up to the skies, even though I had made peace with the possibility of rain. The hiking jacket and multiple Ziploc bags I had helped to mollify that fear.

 

There is far too much time between when the gates are opened and when U2 finally takes the stage, but it’s nice to use that time to wait for your other friends to arrive and to meet those strangers standing near you. As has been my experience for all of the shows I have been to this summer, the people around us ranged from U2 virgins to U2 veterans. It’s great to meet everyone, and it reminds me why I like to attend so many shows.

U2 took the stage and played four songs from Achtung Baby. Mysterious Ways barely had finished before the rain began. Edge had some guitar issues during Until The End Of The World, presumably from the wetness. The band and crew obviously knew that it would rain, so while adjustments were made on stage, the U2 continued seamlessly.

I was glad that after Get On Your Boots, Bono acknowledged that Minneapolis at one point was intended to be the final stop to the 360 Tour. This would have been fantastic, but I understand that financial and other considerations led to the final show being in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. Final shows often are epic and slightly longer than a normal show. I am ecstatic that I will get to attend that concert as well.

Even without being the final tour stop, it is obvious that the guys hold Minneapolis in high regard. The Vertigo Tour show at Target Center was one of the few tour stops that was honored with a rare second performance of Vertigo as the final encore. I was wondering how they might show their love for my city this time and was glad when Bono combined this affection with a special recognition of our state’s large immigrant population from the Horn of Africa. (Minnesota is home to the largest population of Somalis outside of Somalia, as well as many Ethiopians and Eritreans.) Toronto performer and Somali native, K’naan joined the band on stage for wonderful performance of Ben E. King’s Stand By Me.

As the rain fell harder, the band played on. I had heard during the 360 Tour shows last fall in Europe that the band, especially Bono and Adam, like to play in the rain and get even more enthusiastic. I didn’t necessarily believe that until Saturday night. Bono was having fun despite an occasional glitch from his drenched microphone. And Adam, much to the delight of some fans, finally stripped off his wet shirt. The bare-chested 51-year-old showed off his ripped chest and stomach as he smiled and marched around with his bass guitar.

Sunday Bloody Sunday by Tim Newell (in the pouring rain)

^video link

Snippets of songs about rain were peppered throughout the balance of U2’s performance; The highlight being a crooning of Purple Rain by Bono surrounding Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah which led into an amazing Where The Streets Have No Name.

During his introduction of the band, Bono alluded to the type of force of nature he heard from each band member during the previous show in New Jersey. Concluding the introductions with himself, Bono said, “Then I heard the voice of God. He said, ‘If you think you’re having fun now, wait ‘til you get to Minneapolis.’” That was funny on many levels. Bono is well-aware of his detractors who dislike his seemingly messianic traits, but he doesn’t care. And also, he is so charming and silver-tongued that I cannot help but half-smile and half-smirk as he so blatantly plays to his current crowd. Bono’s personality certainly is a large part of why the band has had such longevity and appeal. He, Edge, Adam and Larry drank in the cheers and applause before leaving the stage after the final song, Moment Of Surrender.

I am pleased that I got to experience a U2 “wet” performance at least once in my fan history. I wish it had been somewhere other than my home city, but there is no doubt that the soaked TCF Bank Stadium crowd loved the show.

The lines into the stadium were handled well; the lines for the buses after the show looked very long and slightly confusing. Overall, I think too many GA tickets were sold. The field was very crowded and finding your way through it was difficult. I am glad there was a plan in place in case of severe weather, but it was hard to believe that there would have been anything other than chaos on the field had there been an emergency. Since this was the inaugural concert at TCF Bank Stadium, some forgiveness can be offered for a little poor planning. Hopefully, for future shows, the stadium management will realize that they need access points to the field from both ends, that some portable toilets are needed on the field itself rather than requiring a long trek to the outside of the stadium and that fewer GA tickets should be sold. These are not minor complaints. The extreme crowding distracted from the show, but given how great U2’s performance was, ultimately I can overlook the flaws.

 

 

 

 

 

 

23 July 2011, TCF Bank Stadium

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

Setlist

1. Even Better Than The Real Thing

2. The Fly

3. Mysterious Ways

4. Until The End Of The World

5. I Will Follow

6. Get On Your Boots

7. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For

8. Stand By Me (with Somali native K’naan)

9. Stuck In A Moment (And You Can’t Get Out Of It)

10. Beautiful Day

11. Elevation

12. Pride (In The Name Of Love)

13. Miss Sarajevo

14. Zooropa

15. City Of Blinding Lights

16. Vertigo

17. Crazy Tonight Remix

18. Sunday Bloody Sunday

19. Scarlet

20. Walk On

21. One

22. Where The Streets Have No Name (Hallelujah intro)

-Encore-

23. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me

24. With Or Without You

25. Moment Of Surrender

 

Review and Photos by kramwest1.

Special thanks to Tim Newell for his valiant video efforts.

Bono Sings In “Toronto In The Summer Sun”

U2’s lead singer took to the stage Monday night in Toronto, Ontario, Canada ready to enjoy himself. He had more than his usual swagger going; he was relaxed, but with a mischievous tinge to him.

Just after 7 p.m., the crowd in the Rogers Centre cheered as the first cracks of light appeared as the giant dome doors began to slide open. It was a warm day in Toronto, and there had been a good chance of thunderstorms predicted for the evening. Whatever weather or music gods chose to smile on the stadium that night, the fans were pleased. Maybe this was the reason for Bono’s jubilance. Maybe it was the relief of a job well-done in Montreal, where not only did U2 bring the world’s most amazing stage, the 360 Tour CLAW, but also they were responsible for building the temporary stage that housed it and 160,000 fans over two nights. Whatever the case, after Interpol left the stage, and the U2 360 crew prepped for the band, it was showtime.

Space Oddity Intro and EBTTRT video link

The same blitz of Achtung Baby songs started the night. Bono, Edge, Adam and Larry cranked their way through Even Better Than The Real Thing, The Fly, Mysterious Ways, and Until The End Of The World. The crowd loved the familiar hits. Following their new hit, Get On Your Boots, Bono took a moment to tell people what the band members have been up to since they last played in Toronto in 2009. “Adam has become a father,” said Bono, “Larry is playing a Camaro in Trainspotting 3, no, Transformers 3.” This drew a big laugh from the crowd. “Larry is starring opposite Donald Sutherland in a movie that’s coming out,” Bono corrected himself, “and Edge? Well, Edge has a new idea for a musical.” Bono clearly was amusing himself and slightly less so his bandmates as he continued rambling.

 

 

 

Get On Your Boots video link

The good cheer continued as the crowd sang along with I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For. With a big smile on his face, it was obvious that Bono loves his fans and appreciates that they still care about his lyrics after all of these years.

Recognizing that this was becoming a special night, Bono modified the line in Stay (Faraway, So Close), “With Satellite television you can go anywhere. Miami, New Orleans, London, Belfast and Toronto in the summer sun.” Following Beautiful Day, he added to this by yelling, “I’m gonna take you higher still!” And with that he took a swig from his bottle, tipped his head back and sprayed a fountain of water into the air. Time hasn’t left him as he was, but time hasn’t taken the boy out of this man.

As if there couldn’t be any more playfulness and antics on stage, during Elevation, a fan threw a Canadian flag on the catwalk. Bono picked up the flag and tucked part of it in his back pocket, leaving most of the flag dangling out. Toward the end of the song, he sang, “I need a bridge to take me to the other side. I got Canada in my back-side.” Everyone laughed. He crossed one of the stage’s bridges and hung the flag from Larry’s drum.

Not as an apology for the flag joke, but in his most humble and sincere voice, Bono stated, “The world needs more Canadas.” After seeing threes shows in Canada over four nights and a fourth in Winnipeg this past May, I believe he meant every word of that and more. The guys in U2 seem to love this country, and it shows in their performances here. Whatever the current political situation in Canada and Toronto, from my perspective as a U.S. citizen, Canadians seem to conduct themselves with a wonderful mix of hard work, social responsibility and a passion for their free time. I agree that the world needs more Canadas. No one can be happy all of the time, but I saw a disproportionate number of smiles on faces, and people of all ages enjoying themselves. I’m sure it helped that U2 was in town, however I have felt this Canadian spirit before, and I hope to again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The night continued with Miss Sarajevo. I had criticized Bono in my previous review for messing up the lyrics of this beautiful song. In Toronto, he nailed it with a performance of it that I don’t think I’ve seen since the Vertigo Tour. Zooropa and the high-energy trio of City Of Blinding Lights, Vertigo and Crazy Tonight Remix followed. The crowd loved Sunday Bloody Sunday, and Bono took advantage of their participation by circling his finger as he started Scarlet. The motion was to let the band and crew know that the crowd would be more than happy to sing “Rejoice!” and to keep it going a little longer.

City Of Blinding Light video link

Joshua Tree favorite’s Where The Streets Have No Name and With Or Without You kept the crowd singing to the end of the night. They loved Bono’s swinging on the circular microphone during Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me. He swung around more than I had seen at previous concerts. The playful Bono had many “thank yous” to deliver before finishing with Moment Of Surrender. A very happy band hung on stage and bowed and faced all directions, thanking the Torontonians for a special night.

 

Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

11 July 2011

Setlist

1. Even Better Than The Real Thing

2. The Fly

3. Mysterious Ways

4. Until The End Of The World

5. I Will Follow

6. Get On Your Boots

7. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For

8. Stay (Faraway, So Close)

9. Beautiful Day

10. Elevation

11. Pride (In The Name Of Love)

12. Miss Sarajevo

13. Zooropa

14. City Of Blinding Lights

15. Vertigo

16. Crazy Tonight Remix

17. Sunday Bloody Sunday

18. Scarlet

19. Walk On

20. One

21. Where The Streets Have No Name

Encore

22. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me

23. With Or Without You

24. Moment Of Surrender

 

 

Review, photos and videos by kramwest1

 

(Thanks Canada, see you in Moncton!)

Hallelujah Montreal!

I have been churning the thoughts of Montreal in head for the last day, trying to decide how to review the second night U2 show. The only benefit I can find to spending a far-too-limited amount of time in that great city is that my mind is not so crowded of memories of Montreal and its sites, so I still have U2 in my head. That city and Quebec deserve so much more recognition than I can give them here. I had a wonderful time, did not feel uncomfortable because I do not speak French, and I cannot wait to return. I will say again, the people of Montreal were so friendly, helpful and proud. They obviously enjoy life and want you to as well. They make ideal U2 fans, and being with 40,000 of them in the General Admission (GA) section at the Hippodrome was a wonderful thing.

(The easiest way to review the night is song by song with my thoughts intermixed. I’m not going to bother with any focus on security and poor event planning. My Friday night show review was enough of that. Moment Of Soggy, U2 In Montreal Night 1)

Interpol

I don’t know much of their music, but I can say that I don’t feel it translates well to a stadium setting. They are a tight band and play well together. I wish them luck, but they failed to inspire me and those around me both nights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Space Oddity Intro – The crowd now knows that this is the lead-in to U2’s entrance and sing along in anticipation. It was very fun to feel it.

2. Even Better Than The Real Thing – U2 arrived on stage and ripped into this Achtung Baby hit.

3. The Fly –The CLAW came alive in a strobing mass. This song was kind of a dud when it was released as the first single off Achtung Baby. It was too “different” of U2. Now, it is a monster hit live and a favorite of many.

The Fly Montreal video link

4. Mysterious Ways –The new video for this song fits well with Montreal’s Cirque du Soleil’s celebration of the human animal. The beautiful dancer is morphed and modified to match well with the songs lyrics. For a song I’ve heard live many times, this reinvigorates it nicely.

5. Until The End Of The World –The final string of Achtung Baby opening songs got the crowd pumped for the rest of the night. I was eager to hear what is next because I know U2’s second nights bring fun changes.

6. Out Of Control –U2’s first single sounds great, and they played it with good energy. It’s nice to hear a rare tune in the setlist on the tour because the band usually puts a little something extra in it.

Out Of Control Montreal video link

7. Get On Your Boots –A Sikh fan was pulled up on stage and didsn’t miss a beat with his shout of “I don’t want to talk about wars between nations!” Bono was impressed. I found out later that he is a long-time fan and well known among those that regularly camp out for U2 shows. That had to be one of the best moments of his life.

“Tonight we want to give you as a gift to the world,” says Bono. The show is to be simulcast on U2.com to subscribers. “When we were kids, joining U2 was like running away with the circus. Now, maybe we need to find another circus.” In the home of Cirque du Soleil, he takes this time to introduce the band members and speculates on what they would be in a circus:

Larry would be a fire-eater. A sword-swallower? World’s strongest man?

Adam would be the bearded lady.

Edge would be a trapeze artist. A high-wire walker. Edge responds with “a knife thrower.”

“And, I will play the clown,” says Bono modestly, a reference to the video of the next song.

8. All I Want Is You –Bono finished this beautiful song with some soft harmonica playing.

9. Stuck In A Moment –“For a great friend, Michael Hutchence,” states a saddened Bono. Hutchence was the long-time lead singer of INXS who took his own life in 1997.

10. Beautiful Day –This song has been popular and a tour staple since Elevation, but it has an extra richness and passion since this tour’s addition of Commander Mark Kelly’s introduction of it in the International Space Station and the dedication of it Kelly’s wife Gabrielle Giffords who was shot in the head in an assassination attempt in January of this year. I have seen this intro and song five times now, and it has never failed to bring me to tears. Thankfully, Beautiful Day is an uplifting song and raises my spirit and the crowd’s.

11. Elevation –As if they planned on keeping our spirits high, the band kept the momentum going with this simple, fun song.

12. New Year’s Day –Again, as with Out Of Control, this song makes a special appearance in U2’s show and has a reinvigorated feel to it.

13. Miss Sarajevo –The only possible negative thing I can say for this night is that Bono should stop singing this song. For two nights in a row, he messed up the lyrics of this deeply emotion tune. It deserves better than that.

14. Zooropa –The transition from Miss Sarajevo to Zooropa is a brilliant series of overlapping questions posed by different voices, including Stephen Hawking’s “Is history bound to repeat itself?” I love the transition and may forgive Bono’s mistakes. Zooropa is a precious gem of a song to me, and special to many of U2’s fans for its uniqueness and insightful damning of our consumer-driven world. Greatness!

15. City Of Blinding Lights –The complex and beautiful video screen that is the centerpiece of the 360 CLAW stage extended downward for Zooropa and lit up with bright, glowing colors, fittingly for this song.

16. Vertigo –Continuing the high they were put on by City Of Blinding Lights (COBL), Montrealers went crazy for Vertigo. The Hippodrome was filled with bouncing and singing fans.

17. Crazy Tonight Remix –This three-song grouping (COBL, Vertigo and Crazy Tonight) is the most energetic part of the night. The crowd needed no more motivation, but the dancing continued through this remix. I am proud and amazed that the band ever took such a risk with this. What easily could have been a flop has been the most memorable part of this tour for some and speaks to U2’s inventiveness and willingness to experiment and take chances.

18. Sunday Bloody Sunday –I am so glad to see the crowd absolutely devour this song. It holds very little meaning or interest for me anymore, so I am glad that I can enjoy other people enjoying it.

19. Scarlet –This is a rare track and an odd choice to include in a concert. U2 makes it work, especially tonight with an energetic Bono singing, “Rejoice!” The crowd was happy to join him.

20. Walk On –The freeing of Burma’s legitimately elected leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has transformed this from a song of hope to a song of celebration. We are reminded by the video screen that there are still many political prisoners in Burma, but we at least can take pleasure in knowing that one has been released.

21. One –In a triumphant video introduction Aung San Suu Kyi thanked the crowd for their activism, and reminded us that like us, she is a U2 fan.

22. Where The Streets Have No Name –I am not alone in wanting more of Bono’s beautiful intro of Hallelujah to Streets. Written by Montreal native son, Leonard Cohen, Hallelujah embodies the wonderful combination that U2 means to me: joy, hope, and yet a longing for more.

 

 

 

 

The band leaves the stage and a brief video of aliens and spaceships took us into the encore.

 

23. Ultra Violet (Light My Way) –This is one of my favorite U2 songs and certainly my favorite from Achtung Baby. The crowd was receptive, but didn’t seem to fully know what to do with it because Ultra Violet was not a big hit or a single from the band. I don’t care and thoroughly enjoyed it. I don’t mind being selfish for a moment in a crowd of 80,000.

24. With Or Without You –This is a closing favorite with so many U2 fans. I don’t know if Bono and the guys would get out of the stadium alive if they neglected to play it. As if he knew this, Bono added the special lyrics of “We’ll shine like stars in the summer night! We’ll shine like stars, it’ll be alright!” to the end of it.

25. Moment Of Surrender –What is surely the best version I have heard of this song closed out the night.

I enjoyed my time in Montreal, and sharing U2 with its people will be a great memory for life. I am fortunate to get to travel to see the band. I take this for granted sometimes. Meeting friends that I have chatted with online for weeks (or even years) at shows is a special thing. Seeing a U2 show with them and with new people that I meet is a great experience, especially when some are seeing the band for their first time. Hallelujah, Montreal. Merci.

 

Review, pictures and videos by kramwest1

Rich With Layers: New Bon Iver

People can change, musically. There was a time when, if it didn’t have a double-bass drum beat or wild guitar solos, I was not interested. That is to say, when Bon Iver’s first album was released, I was not ready for that acoustic masterpiece.

But I have changed. I have discovered the world of music outside the realm of heavy metal, and have spent the last year frantically trying to catch up. Just as my musical tastes have broadened since 2008, Justin Vernon has also made a transition since recording his first album, from the raw cabin-sounds of For Emma, Forever Ago into the produced and almost-experimental style of Bon Iver’s new self-titled release.

This album contains many elements particularly pleasant to my ears. “Perth” starts the album with a soft guitar riff that builds up with a sharp snare drum beat and horns, two recurring themes of the album. Several tracks could easily lull me into sweet dreams, particularly the lyrical “Holocene.” In contrast, “Calgary” is driven and instrumentally textured. The album has enough complexity to separate it from strictly ambient music, but it’s still simple and melodic enough to be very calming and easy to listen to.

Justin Vernon’s characteristic falsetto is prominently featured in this album, adding even more texture to an album rich with layers. The vocal styling gets a little weird during “Hinnom, TX” with excessive reverb on both an extra-falsetto and a baritone voice singing together. That aside, Vernon’s unique voice stands out as the defining characteristic of the Bon Iver sound.

 

When I first picked up this album, I was afraid that I would find a bluegrass influence beyond the limits of my taste. But every time Bon Iver introduces a tad of banjo or some slide guitar, it pulls in more instruments or some other effect to redirect the focus of the sound. In most cases these additional layers are enough make the song palatable. The exception is held off to the end of the album. “Beth/Rest” is a dramatic break in style, lacking an element of dreamy curiosity found throughout the other tracks. Instead, it packs in an ambitious amount of 80s synth, jazzy saxophone, overly Auto-tuned vocals, and, God help us, slide guitar, in a way that just doesn’t sit well.

It was only after thoroughly enjoying Bon Iver that I found time to appreciate For Emma, Forever Ago. I immediately came to understand the hype and subsequent disappointment in Bon Iver from many fans of his incredible debut album. Remaining from the last album is Bon Iver’s ability to create soft and peaceful textures. The difference is that it stretches out into experimental places with orchestration and synth-sounds.

It’s the sort of album I have come to expect this year from an artist with a history of acoustic hits. Recently, Sufjan Stevens and Iron & Wine have both produced albums that incorporate styles beyond the scope of their usual form. What sets these artists apart is the gradual maturation from their folk roots to their latest releases.  With only one other album, Bon Iver lack the experience needed to execute a progressive album as masterfully as his contemporaries.

My musical interests have changed over the past three years, and Bon Iver has changed some, too. Although a few tracks on this album left me in want for something different or more like his first, as a whole and independent entity Bon Iver is well worth a listen.           –Amy Rauch, Contributing Writer

Meeting Bono: Nathaniel’s Story

I’ve always hoped that the Interfence.com webzine side of our fansite could bridge the old-school rock fanzine tradition with cutting-edge fan-journalism and thoughtful essays from the growing U2 Studies project. Occasionally, we encounter a story that cuts through all of it to the core of love at the heart of fan community. When a young fan from Canada started the “Bono I got Your Back!” page of Facebook following Mr. Hewson’s injury in 2010, we were deeply moved by his passion to “cheer up” the lead singer of U2.

In Denver this Spring, young Nathaniel got to meet Bono, Edge, and some of U2’s inner circle. To note the occasion of Nahaniel’s last show of the 360 Tour in Toronto this Monday, we’re honored to publish his short reflection of meeting U2 this past spring alongside some great pictures marking the event. Thanks to Nathaniel for being a true fan, for inspiring us older fans to remember what it felt like to first discover, meet, or fall in love this band. –Andrew William Smith, Editor

Meeting Bono: Nathaniel’s Story

Day 1 – May 20th

We got a call to go to the hotel by a good friend of ours on Friday afternoon. When we got there, we met other fans who were staying outside the hotel—and some knew who I was! I was with my dad, friends Tillie, her son J.D, Dion, Lynne and Azalea!

Then around an hour later, Brian came over to talk to us. He really liked my fanpage and what I did for Bono. I think he is U2’s security guy [Brian Murphy is one of U2’s personal security and is well-loved by fans]. He said that Bono may or not be able to stop and chat and if not to come back tomorrow. Then Paul MCguinness who is U2’s manager came out and said hello. I told him about “Bono I got Your Back” and the CD I have for Bono. I got pictures with both him and Brian and they loved my fanpage for BONO!

After waiting for another hour, Brian came back and said that Bono was running late and he couldn’t stop to chat but would come see us tomorrow! I gave Brian my CD for him to hold onto just in case something happened and Bono couldn’t stop. IT WAS A GREAT DAY!

Day 2 – May 21st

I was in the line-up for the concert with Jenn, and one of my good friends called us again. They said to come down NOW! I was concerned that if I left that we wouldn’t be able to get into the Stadium when we returned. But after talking to other friends of ours ELSHA and Jami, we decided to go! I said I don’t care where I am at in the Stadium I just want to see the show!

So 1:30pm, we left for the hotels and got on the shuttle to go. 7 minutes later, we arrived at the hotel and saw the fans and some people I met yesterday!!!!  I was cold and started to get nosebleeds. Then, a friend of mine told me to come into the hotel, and I met the wife of Jedi Joe, the SOUNDMAN for U2!!!! SHE WAS AWESOME!! We were allowed to come inside with her, and I was able to warm up.

Then Brian came over and gave me the CD I had for Bono and said 5 minutes. So, we waited 5 MINUTES and went outside to wait for U2. 5 minutes turned into 2 HOURS! At 5:30, two Escalades pulled up, and it was BONO AND THE EDGE!!! That’s when I met Bono and Edge.

I told Bono about my project, and he loved it. He said, “Nathaniel, do you have my back? Yes you do have my back!” I WAS SO HAPPY!  He spoke to me a bit more and was funny but awesome! He signed my hat and book and so did EDGE!  Now I am going to give BONO his own BONO I GOT YOUR BACK TSHIRT which is waiting for him in TORONTO! I hope he likes it!  –Nathaniel

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