diamond
ONE love, blood, life
Love Unfeigned ..Bono Nonfiction
Bono.
A man of boundless compassion. I?ve watched this guy for over 20 years perform live, his show?s are 2nd to none..U2 music is inspirational to countless millions across the globe, in all 4 corners of the earth..
I?m at a U2 show Thanksgiving time 2001 in Phoenix, Ariz. U.S.A. My little girls Alexis 8 and Sydney 6 at
are with me and we?re about 10 feet from the stage...Bono is calling for my little girls to be brought up to center stage during the final encore song of the concert "Walk On".. He kneels down to them, he had already interacted w them thru out the evening. Bono gives my 8 yr old a guitar pick, and she strums his guitar.. Prior to this he had smiled at my girls, taken the American Flag from them during "Sunday Bloody Sunday " shook our hands when returning the flag ?We felt very humbled and honored to have been noticed by Mr. Bono.
**************************************************************************************
-HOW IT ALL STARTED-
One may ask , "How did we get here, why the connection between Bono, you and your 2 girls.."?
For me it started approximately 25 years ago.
I was a teenage kid living in the mean streets of Los Angeles Ca. U.S.A.
In high school I was listening and seeing bands such as-
-The Clash
-Blonde
-Elvis Costello
-The Motels..
I had also been fortunate to have been weaned on good music. My older brother managed a record store in my youth. Thru him I saw many great live acts, usually seating very close to the stage, usually for freeI was privileged to see great bands such as-
-The Who
- Led Zepplin
- Bruce Springsteen
As a child life was sometimes tough on my siblings and I..
I was also raised in a politically conservative and religious environment. Church attendance was mandatory.
We lost our mom when I was 2. I was the baby. Our father raised us. Dad was a reasonably successful Real Estate and Insurance broker in So. Calif. Later in his life my father became ill. Regardless he never complained about his physical limitations. Our father taught us to love our fellowman regardless of race or creed, and do something positive with our lives. He was a bit old school but taught us good principles.
So here I was living in Los Angeles Calif. I was attending church as a child and living in the epicenter of "good" music.
Graduating from High School in 1980 was when I first heard U2.
I realized quite quickly that-
Bono and U2 were not the pompous self indulgent atypical rockstars that sooner or later would self distruct..
Nor were they an aimless punk band that would lose steam after a while, once their anger subsided.
Nor were they Pop Stars or Disco Queens that were annoying back in that time era, trying to make a quick buck..
I saw Bono as a star who would be around a long long time when first seeing him live during the War tour in the early 1980s. I saw a religious young man who loved rock and roll music who was also loved his fans. Bono had a sort of militant compassion air about him. He was not only out to make a statement with his music but he was out to do something with his music as well. Back in the early 80s I knew he would be around for a long long time, that he would never fade from the radar screen . I never realized that he would become the major polictical player that he is today, however I?m not totally surprised either. I?m glad for him. Actually ecstatic for him.
I attended many U2 shows thru-out the 80s. I saw Bono bond with many fans..either by hand picking them from the audiences himself, or an occasional exuberant fan would making it to stage and Bono would usually pull back his security team and bond with that fan the same way. Sometimes Bono would scold a stage rusher, sometimes not. Foremost, he was always concerned for their safety. Usually if he determined they were a genuine fan he would keep them on stage with him, if not they were promptly dismissed. Bono showed that he was a humanitarian first before a rockstar and still does to this day. That is part of U2?s message today.
This is what makes U2 larger or equal to bands such as The Stones The Who and Springsteen who I?ve seen play live. Talent wise they are similar. However these performers lack the same substinive message that U2 carries and delivers.
These other acts paled in comparison to a U2 show. Good but not great.
*********************************************************************************8******************************************************************************************
-Carperdeum- Boston 4 -June 2001
I found myself loving this final night of the 4 shows in Boston. This tour reminded me a lot of the Unforgettable Fire tour in 1984. Along with 20,000 fans in the Boston Fleet Center nobody wanted this show to end. Many said this was the loudest the fans were of all 4 nights. I had attended the previous night?s show and had met some new friends there, this was an incredible night.
When Walk On started everybody knew the show was coming to an end. Nobody wanted this. I had a feeling of love and joy during this final encore song. I had threw my War tee shirt earlier at Bono in the evening, he had glanced at me briefly.
As the song winded down, I wrestled with this feeling a bit more and decided to "go for it". I hesitated a moment or 2 before I leapt onto the catwalk and raced to greet Bono.
I do not know what came over me except a feeling of "Carpedeum". I was outta my head.
Reaching the stage Bono pulled back security and asked me to join him at center mic. I was completely dumbfounded, humbled and honored to stand next to Bono. Here is a superstar who I had watched grow from obscurity over 2 decades calling for me to join him center stage. My God.. This was too surreal.
Yes Bono-
- Bono the rockstar
- Bono the activist
- Bono the philantropist
-Bono the world renowned personality
-Bono a father like me.
-Bono a human being like you
-Bono a human being like me.
Bono the man I defended for years, just saved my skin from an ass-kicking by his security team.
To this day Iam still humbled by this.
On stage with Bono was grand. All I could do was babble. Bono shook my hand and asked if I was ok and to stay with him. I let Bono know that I was fine. I let Bono know for 20 years Ive been coming to his shows and that he was a good righteous person. In an instant, I could see the wheels in Bono?s head turning.
Bono is starting to change the lyrics to Walk On around from-
"..all that you measure,
..all that you feel"
To-
"the big guy is
?made of steel"
Next he looked at me and asked if I could "pick him up". I replied- "sure". A moment later Bono was jumping into my arms and that is when I cradled him like a child a spun him in 3 revolutions. The crowd erupted in a roar. After the 3rd revolution Bono asked me to put him down. Bono then asked me to take a lap for him along the heart shaped catwalk. I did that for him. The crowd went nuts. A few moments later I found myself back in the heart where I was greeted by fans, some crying , many offering up hugs of congratulations.
After the show I stumbled thru the streets of Boston in a state of numb-joy. Fans leaving the arena that night jumped from their idiling cars ran up to me and started hugging and patting me on the back. I was pulled into clubs and pubs with fans and non fans eagar to hear this incredible story . Some asked if I was a plant. I was humbled yet proud to tell the story of Bono that night. Iam still humbled until this day. I knew what many people didn?t know what I knew that night about Bono. I knew Bono was being simply being Bono , something I already knew for decades, and that is why my faith never wavered that night or any other.
Crazy.
Surreal, but real
Bono Nonfiction, love unfeigned.
I WOULD NOT encourage anyone to do what I did. With the recent occurance of 9-11, security seems to be A LOT more vigilant and uncompromising. I repeat DO NOT undertake what I did, I can not guarantee you safe passage, nor do I think Bono will.
*******************************************************************
THANKSGIVING 2001 PHOENIX U2 SHOW
6 months after my Boston episode, Bono recognized myself and my kids at this Phx. U2 Show My little girls had a blast. He spoke with Sydney as she was on my shoulders at one point during the show.
This solidifies every good feeling I ever had about Bono and U2.
The man loves his fans, young and old, large and small.
And that?s my story.
Incredible.
Dave Schroeder
Bono.
A man of boundless compassion. I?ve watched this guy for over 20 years perform live, his show?s are 2nd to none..U2 music is inspirational to countless millions across the globe, in all 4 corners of the earth..
I?m at a U2 show Thanksgiving time 2001 in Phoenix, Ariz. U.S.A. My little girls Alexis 8 and Sydney 6 at
are with me and we?re about 10 feet from the stage...Bono is calling for my little girls to be brought up to center stage during the final encore song of the concert "Walk On".. He kneels down to them, he had already interacted w them thru out the evening. Bono gives my 8 yr old a guitar pick, and she strums his guitar.. Prior to this he had smiled at my girls, taken the American Flag from them during "Sunday Bloody Sunday " shook our hands when returning the flag ?We felt very humbled and honored to have been noticed by Mr. Bono.
**************************************************************************************
-HOW IT ALL STARTED-
One may ask , "How did we get here, why the connection between Bono, you and your 2 girls.."?
For me it started approximately 25 years ago.
I was a teenage kid living in the mean streets of Los Angeles Ca. U.S.A.
In high school I was listening and seeing bands such as-
-The Clash
-Blonde
-Elvis Costello
-The Motels..
I had also been fortunate to have been weaned on good music. My older brother managed a record store in my youth. Thru him I saw many great live acts, usually seating very close to the stage, usually for freeI was privileged to see great bands such as-
-The Who
- Led Zepplin
- Bruce Springsteen
As a child life was sometimes tough on my siblings and I..
I was also raised in a politically conservative and religious environment. Church attendance was mandatory.
We lost our mom when I was 2. I was the baby. Our father raised us. Dad was a reasonably successful Real Estate and Insurance broker in So. Calif. Later in his life my father became ill. Regardless he never complained about his physical limitations. Our father taught us to love our fellowman regardless of race or creed, and do something positive with our lives. He was a bit old school but taught us good principles.
So here I was living in Los Angeles Calif. I was attending church as a child and living in the epicenter of "good" music.
Graduating from High School in 1980 was when I first heard U2.
I realized quite quickly that-
Bono and U2 were not the pompous self indulgent atypical rockstars that sooner or later would self distruct..
Nor were they an aimless punk band that would lose steam after a while, once their anger subsided.
Nor were they Pop Stars or Disco Queens that were annoying back in that time era, trying to make a quick buck..
I saw Bono as a star who would be around a long long time when first seeing him live during the War tour in the early 1980s. I saw a religious young man who loved rock and roll music who was also loved his fans. Bono had a sort of militant compassion air about him. He was not only out to make a statement with his music but he was out to do something with his music as well. Back in the early 80s I knew he would be around for a long long time, that he would never fade from the radar screen . I never realized that he would become the major polictical player that he is today, however I?m not totally surprised either. I?m glad for him. Actually ecstatic for him.
I attended many U2 shows thru-out the 80s. I saw Bono bond with many fans..either by hand picking them from the audiences himself, or an occasional exuberant fan would making it to stage and Bono would usually pull back his security team and bond with that fan the same way. Sometimes Bono would scold a stage rusher, sometimes not. Foremost, he was always concerned for their safety. Usually if he determined they were a genuine fan he would keep them on stage with him, if not they were promptly dismissed. Bono showed that he was a humanitarian first before a rockstar and still does to this day. That is part of U2?s message today.
This is what makes U2 larger or equal to bands such as The Stones The Who and Springsteen who I?ve seen play live. Talent wise they are similar. However these performers lack the same substinive message that U2 carries and delivers.
These other acts paled in comparison to a U2 show. Good but not great.
*********************************************************************************8******************************************************************************************
-Carperdeum- Boston 4 -June 2001
I found myself loving this final night of the 4 shows in Boston. This tour reminded me a lot of the Unforgettable Fire tour in 1984. Along with 20,000 fans in the Boston Fleet Center nobody wanted this show to end. Many said this was the loudest the fans were of all 4 nights. I had attended the previous night?s show and had met some new friends there, this was an incredible night.
When Walk On started everybody knew the show was coming to an end. Nobody wanted this. I had a feeling of love and joy during this final encore song. I had threw my War tee shirt earlier at Bono in the evening, he had glanced at me briefly.
As the song winded down, I wrestled with this feeling a bit more and decided to "go for it". I hesitated a moment or 2 before I leapt onto the catwalk and raced to greet Bono.
I do not know what came over me except a feeling of "Carpedeum". I was outta my head.
Reaching the stage Bono pulled back security and asked me to join him at center mic. I was completely dumbfounded, humbled and honored to stand next to Bono. Here is a superstar who I had watched grow from obscurity over 2 decades calling for me to join him center stage. My God.. This was too surreal.
Yes Bono-
- Bono the rockstar
- Bono the activist
- Bono the philantropist
-Bono the world renowned personality
-Bono a father like me.
-Bono a human being like you
-Bono a human being like me.
Bono the man I defended for years, just saved my skin from an ass-kicking by his security team.
To this day Iam still humbled by this.
On stage with Bono was grand. All I could do was babble. Bono shook my hand and asked if I was ok and to stay with him. I let Bono know that I was fine. I let Bono know for 20 years Ive been coming to his shows and that he was a good righteous person. In an instant, I could see the wheels in Bono?s head turning.
Bono is starting to change the lyrics to Walk On around from-
"..all that you measure,
..all that you feel"
To-
"the big guy is
?made of steel"
Next he looked at me and asked if I could "pick him up". I replied- "sure". A moment later Bono was jumping into my arms and that is when I cradled him like a child a spun him in 3 revolutions. The crowd erupted in a roar. After the 3rd revolution Bono asked me to put him down. Bono then asked me to take a lap for him along the heart shaped catwalk. I did that for him. The crowd went nuts. A few moments later I found myself back in the heart where I was greeted by fans, some crying , many offering up hugs of congratulations.
After the show I stumbled thru the streets of Boston in a state of numb-joy. Fans leaving the arena that night jumped from their idiling cars ran up to me and started hugging and patting me on the back. I was pulled into clubs and pubs with fans and non fans eagar to hear this incredible story . Some asked if I was a plant. I was humbled yet proud to tell the story of Bono that night. Iam still humbled until this day. I knew what many people didn?t know what I knew that night about Bono. I knew Bono was being simply being Bono , something I already knew for decades, and that is why my faith never wavered that night or any other.
Crazy.
Surreal, but real
Bono Nonfiction, love unfeigned.
I WOULD NOT encourage anyone to do what I did. With the recent occurance of 9-11, security seems to be A LOT more vigilant and uncompromising. I repeat DO NOT undertake what I did, I can not guarantee you safe passage, nor do I think Bono will.
*******************************************************************
THANKSGIVING 2001 PHOENIX U2 SHOW
6 months after my Boston episode, Bono recognized myself and my kids at this Phx. U2 Show My little girls had a blast. He spoke with Sydney as she was on my shoulders at one point during the show.
This solidifies every good feeling I ever had about Bono and U2.
The man loves his fans, young and old, large and small.
And that?s my story.
Incredible.
Dave Schroeder
