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Queen of the Fans Is Ready to Dance Again With Bono
Allison Wong not only plans to be at both U2 concerts in Oakland this week, but she also hopes to be up on stage -- again -- with the Irish quartet.
Wong, a 32-year-old Palo Alto stay-at-home mom, has shared the stage with singer Bono four times, called up to dance with him in Sacramento, San Jose, New York and, on Saturday, in Las Vegas. Her first time, in Sacramento four years ago, she grabbed the singer's butt.
``I'm not normally like that,'' she said, from Las Vegas Saturday, where she camped out all night to get a standing position in the front row. ``I'm usually very shy and reserved. But when I got up there, I didn't even know what was happening. I have it all on video, but I didn't remember anything.''
In her daily life, she's married to a man who works for a venture capital firm and is mother to 3-year-old Aidan. But when U2 hits U.S. soil, she becomes one of the group's biggest fans.
``People say she's the queen of the U2 fans,'' says Bret Moiseff, a San Jose police officer who also attends a lot of the band's shows.
So far, Wong has seen the band 17 times on this tour, with plans to catch more shows, including the closer in Portland, Ore., in December. Overall, she has been to 33 shows -- her first in 1992.
``The first time I was up there, I was elated. . . . I didn't try to go up again, but if he asks you, you can't say no.''
Bono has signed photos of them on stage, but Wong has been too shy to start a conversation with him. He's just told her, ``Thanks for the dance,'' she said.
Married for six years to her husband, Lance Berger, Wong used to work for the Leukemia Society and participated in triathlons for fun.
``She's an amazing woman, wife and mother,'' says Berger, who also enjoys the band and supports his wife's enthusiasm. Aidan ``is the center of our lives, and the level of patience, love and grace it takes to raise him is the greatest challenge I'll ever have. When she goes on these road trips it reminds me of that.''
Adds Berger: ``If it was the Backstreet Boys, I would have cut her off a long time ago.''
A SAMPLER OF BAND'S VISITS TO BAY AREA
March 18, 1981: U2 plays its first Bay Area concert for free at San Jose State University's cafeteria. They appear earlier on KSJO-FM.
Nov. 11, 1987: U2 plays nine songs, including a version of ``All Along the Watchtower,'' in a free concert at San Francisco's Justin Herman Plaza that was captured in the movie ``Rattle and Hum.''
Ever the showman, Bono spray paints ``Stop the Traffic. Rock and Roll'' on the plaza's Vallancourt Fountain.
The next day, he was arrested. Bono's excuse, ``I am an artist, and that was not an act of vandalism.'' He issues a formal apology, the fine is dropped and the words are removed within days.
Oct. 27, 2004: Half of U2 (U1?) were the first rockers to play San Jose's new California Theatre, as Bono and the Edge played two songs acoustically to launch a special edition of Apple's U2 iPod and a 400-song set of the band's music to download.
They played ``Original of the Species'' and ``All Because of You'' and then posed with Steve Jobs, iPods in hand.
``The role of art is to chase ugliness away,'' Bono said. ``To me it's the most interesting art object since the electric guitar.''
April 9, 2005: At his appearance in San Jose, U2 singer Bono, born Paul Hewson, remembered hearing his song ``The Electric Co.'' on the radio for the first time on KSJO-FM, the former rock station.
``We felt so cool,'' he said.
U2 by the numbers
110
Millions of dollars U2 grossed on its 2001 ``Elevation Tour''
250
Projected gross in millions of dollars for U2's current North American tour.
29
Years since the band's first rehearsal.
125
Million (and counting) -- the number of albums U2 has sold around the world.
2
Days it took to download the U2 collection on Christmas -- rather than the normal couple of hours.
TURN IT UP TO CATORCE
When U2 takes the stage tonight and Wednesday at the Oakland Coliseum Arena, it will represent the second part of a harmonic convergence of three huge rock concerts in the Bay Area. U2's two sold-out concerts and the concerts by Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones are expected to bring in around $20 million over nine days to a struggling local concert industry. We thought we'd mark these concerts with some special illustrations and some useful information.
--The Mercury News
Queen of the Fans Is Ready to Dance Again With Bono
Allison Wong not only plans to be at both U2 concerts in Oakland this week, but she also hopes to be up on stage -- again -- with the Irish quartet.
Wong, a 32-year-old Palo Alto stay-at-home mom, has shared the stage with singer Bono four times, called up to dance with him in Sacramento, San Jose, New York and, on Saturday, in Las Vegas. Her first time, in Sacramento four years ago, she grabbed the singer's butt.
``I'm not normally like that,'' she said, from Las Vegas Saturday, where she camped out all night to get a standing position in the front row. ``I'm usually very shy and reserved. But when I got up there, I didn't even know what was happening. I have it all on video, but I didn't remember anything.''
In her daily life, she's married to a man who works for a venture capital firm and is mother to 3-year-old Aidan. But when U2 hits U.S. soil, she becomes one of the group's biggest fans.
``People say she's the queen of the U2 fans,'' says Bret Moiseff, a San Jose police officer who also attends a lot of the band's shows.
So far, Wong has seen the band 17 times on this tour, with plans to catch more shows, including the closer in Portland, Ore., in December. Overall, she has been to 33 shows -- her first in 1992.
``The first time I was up there, I was elated. . . . I didn't try to go up again, but if he asks you, you can't say no.''
Bono has signed photos of them on stage, but Wong has been too shy to start a conversation with him. He's just told her, ``Thanks for the dance,'' she said.
Married for six years to her husband, Lance Berger, Wong used to work for the Leukemia Society and participated in triathlons for fun.
``She's an amazing woman, wife and mother,'' says Berger, who also enjoys the band and supports his wife's enthusiasm. Aidan ``is the center of our lives, and the level of patience, love and grace it takes to raise him is the greatest challenge I'll ever have. When she goes on these road trips it reminds me of that.''
Adds Berger: ``If it was the Backstreet Boys, I would have cut her off a long time ago.''
A SAMPLER OF BAND'S VISITS TO BAY AREA
March 18, 1981: U2 plays its first Bay Area concert for free at San Jose State University's cafeteria. They appear earlier on KSJO-FM.
Nov. 11, 1987: U2 plays nine songs, including a version of ``All Along the Watchtower,'' in a free concert at San Francisco's Justin Herman Plaza that was captured in the movie ``Rattle and Hum.''
Ever the showman, Bono spray paints ``Stop the Traffic. Rock and Roll'' on the plaza's Vallancourt Fountain.
The next day, he was arrested. Bono's excuse, ``I am an artist, and that was not an act of vandalism.'' He issues a formal apology, the fine is dropped and the words are removed within days.
Oct. 27, 2004: Half of U2 (U1?) were the first rockers to play San Jose's new California Theatre, as Bono and the Edge played two songs acoustically to launch a special edition of Apple's U2 iPod and a 400-song set of the band's music to download.
They played ``Original of the Species'' and ``All Because of You'' and then posed with Steve Jobs, iPods in hand.
``The role of art is to chase ugliness away,'' Bono said. ``To me it's the most interesting art object since the electric guitar.''
April 9, 2005: At his appearance in San Jose, U2 singer Bono, born Paul Hewson, remembered hearing his song ``The Electric Co.'' on the radio for the first time on KSJO-FM, the former rock station.
``We felt so cool,'' he said.
U2 by the numbers
110
Millions of dollars U2 grossed on its 2001 ``Elevation Tour''
250
Projected gross in millions of dollars for U2's current North American tour.
29
Years since the band's first rehearsal.
125
Million (and counting) -- the number of albums U2 has sold around the world.
2
Days it took to download the U2 collection on Christmas -- rather than the normal couple of hours.
TURN IT UP TO CATORCE
When U2 takes the stage tonight and Wednesday at the Oakland Coliseum Arena, it will represent the second part of a harmonic convergence of three huge rock concerts in the Bay Area. U2's two sold-out concerts and the concerts by Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones are expected to bring in around $20 million over nine days to a struggling local concert industry. We thought we'd mark these concerts with some special illustrations and some useful information.
--The Mercury News
. But it ultimately does come down to that it's BONO'S decision who he wants there. As for Alli maybe he sees something in her that really appeals to him. On the other hand it would be nice to see new faces up there. Sorry Alli I hope you don't take this wrong. Why can't we just put aside our differences and let her enjoy her moment(s)?
)
hehe. Seriously I didn't mean the personal attack just riles me up to see people speak so insensitive towards others.
. Bono has picked her to be on stage a couple of times - so what? He knows she will have a good time up there and act gracefully. When it comes down to it we all just want to go to the shows and have a good time - that Bono seems to be pulling up quite a few regulars at Interference is an added bonus as we get to here all of the great stories
Big Macs!
