October 25 - Rose Bowl, Los Angeles

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I'll start this one by saying that we had a small gathering in Pasadena for Dinner.
Bonofox, I Move In Mysterious Ways, Kafrun, Fitz, Maddie, Lila, Nicv, Zooey and myself had a nice meal to prepare for tomorrow morning. I can't believe we forgot to take a picture. :|
 
I'll start this one by saying that we had a small gathering in Pasadena for Dinner.
Bonofox, I Move In Mysterious Ways, Kafrun, Fitz, Maddie, Lila, Nicv, Zooey and myself had a nice meal to prepare for tomorrow morning. I can't believe we forgot to take a picture. :|

:tsk:

If our waitress ever came around, we could have had her take one. Maybe one of Nic's salad too :happy:

You forgot to mention our celeb sighting at the restaurant: John Malkovich!
 
I'll start this one by saying that we had a small gathering in Pasadena for Dinner.
Bonofox, I Move In Mysterious Ways, Kafrun, Fitz, Maddie, Lila, Nicv, Zooey and myself had a nice meal to prepare for tomorrow morning. I can't believe we forgot to take a picture. :|

Carlos:wave:

What number are you in The GA Line ? ? ?

In case you haven't found out yet as I posted in another Rose Bowl Thread you now have a daughter named Maddy:ohmy:
 
I thought it was better than Vegas! Amazing show and I thought the crowd was great too. The pit was going off!

I arrived at the GA line at f'ing 8:30 after hiking in from my parking spot. They sectioned the line off into groups of 250. I was number 1054. That was the highlight of the Rose Bowl line organization. There was no communication and then suddenly they started moving the line, except there was no security so it became a mob. People who were lined up behind us rushed to the front. After much consternation, I thankfully made it into the circle, between Bono and Edge about 12 back. It was a great spot.

The BEP's were better than Vegas and brought Slash out on stage with them to cover Sweet Child of Mine. :drool: I have video.

By then the crowd was juiced and I was pleasantly surprised that the stadium was full by the end of the BEP's set.

When U2 came out the place went bonkers, the pit was full of energy, even more than Vegas. I thought Bono's voice was better than Vegas and Edge was on fire. I could tell the pit was singing along to everything and Bono seemed to be in a mischievous mood which I thought was hilarious. The place went beserk when they played Elevation, completely bonkers. I was exhausted. Oh and "At the End of the World" was absolutely incredible. I love those damn bridges. Oh and I'm pretty sure Bono sang at me during In a Little While (of course I'm sure like 100 other people thought so too :reject:)

Last highlight. That preferred parking was worth EVERY penny. I was out of the lot in under a minute and back home in half an hour. Amazing.
 
Great show.

My highlight was Stuck. They did a beautiful job with it--best I've heard it since the Elevation opener.

Must sleep now.


Mark
 
The show was amazing live - I can't wait to watch it on Youtube - curious as to how it came across. I was in the Red Zone on the rail, which was a fantastic spot - lots of action from the boys right in front of us. I thought Bono sounded great (better than in Vegas), and looking around at what seemed to be all 100,000 people dancing and singing together was a special sight.

And Slash and BEP doing Sweet Child of Mine was an unexpected treat -

(I apparently should have done preferred parking - taking the Gold Line back to our car then to Santa Monica took an hour and forty five minutes [though pretty painless]).
 
It was a great show, but from my seats, admittedly crappy, the sound was wayyyy too quiet, and all i could hear was bono and larry. every u2 show i ahve ever been to has left my ears ringing, and honestly, thats how it should be. I could hear edge occasionally, and never adam. literally no bass at all.

one thing about the pre show festivities. 50 toilets for 100000 people??? bad bad planning.

bonos voice was unreal though. the best i'd ever heard it live.
 
I'm watching it again on the YouTube stream. :) What an amazing night! We were sitting at the back of the stage, at an angle, but it didn't make much difference. Wow, the pit and the floor were packed!!!

This was my first U2 show, and somehow, I don't think it's going to be my last!

I agree, preferred parking was great; we were also out of the lot in no time at all. :D

I'm beyond tired now, but I just want to see them do one more song...!
 
:drool: Incredible concert! I was in the pit, center stage! Loved it! Incredible energy around me, everyone was singing and moving!

The GA line was insane from the start, at 7:00 am. I was #471!

I will post more tomorrow sometime after I wake up. I will say, being this close in the pit made up for the screwed up GA line!



BonoBridge.jpg
 
Larry and Edge made me feel like 1 in a million. Ok like one of 96,000. Here's my story.

Without intentionally sounding cliché, I had the night of my life at the U2 show at the Rose Bowl.
I arrived with 4 friends, all who were about to experience their first U2 show with me. This was the show on my trinity of shows that I was most looking forward to especially since I was going to experience this in my beloved city of L.A. I love to travel but there is something special to me when I watch a favorite band in my hometown.
We arrived at 10am in hoping to be in the first 1000. Not everyone could go any earlier so I appreciated they even wanted to go that early. We had fun setting up camp and moving our camp as the sun moved. Haha.
As the hour came closer to opening the gates, all order was lost. People that had arrived HOURS after us jumped line and I was thinking I got screwed over big time. Thankfully the night wasn't lost.

We ended up third row in the inner pit of Edge’s side. I have had terrible luck trying to meet the edge. Even seeing him onstage has been really challenging this tour. I didn’t see him at all in Phoenix and my view of him in Vegas was blocked a good part of the show. Any pictures I managed to take were over my head.

I had been trying to convince my friends to try to get the outer rail of the runway. We were there for about 4 seconds until I saw how empty the inner rail was. Before I knew we were all going into the inner rail. In spite of the past experiences, I didn’t hesitate. I didn’t want to jinx it but I had a good feeling about this. I really did.

During our queue, I decided to make a sign for the show. My friends made fun of me just a little but they were rooting for me.

One side of my sign simply said “We luv the Edge” (a reference to the show in Hawaii) and the other side said “ Love Larry the Hitman” ( a reference to a shirt he wore on the PopMart tour.)
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I had always wanted to make a sign but always felt a bit silly. I figured this was the L.A. show, I’m with my friends and since I never saw them as a teenager and felt I ought to get it out of my system.

I was prepared to have it tossed upon entrance. Since this was the taping for the dvd I had no idea if they were even allowing signs. I really didn’t expect either of the to be in view of it. I hoped but I truly didn’t have any expectations. I had talked to some of the people immediately behind me and promised I wouldn’t have it up for the entire show or even for an entire song. Its been done to me at other shows and didn’t want to be “that” person.
The show began and The Edge was sooo close. Curse broken. My battery began to drain immediately and I took that as a sign that I ought to simply soak it all in. I truly was in disbelief at the production, the energy of the pit, and the overwhelming view of the audience in the stands.
I had heard that the stage is so massive and high that anyone in the very front couldn’t see the entire stage. This was true. I couldn’t see Adam and could BARELY see Larry’s head. But I could see Bono and Edge clear as day. I was more than cool with that. The probability of Edge seeing what I wrote for him was quite high but I was realistic about Larry. It probably wasn’t going to happen.
The show was brilliant from my perspective. I was shaky from the lack of food and excitement. I’m still blown away by the passion of the Unknown Caller, the energy of the popular singles, and The unforgettable fire.

Then the Crazy tonight remix… Larry started from the furthest bridge near the back of the stage and went around Adams side and did his thing on the runway. I held the sign up. He circled around and came up on Edge’s bridge back on stage. I held up the Larry side of the sign as he walked across the catwalk and crossed over and he saw it when he nearly on the stage again. He smiled and pointed. I went back in time and felt like a teenager. In disbelief I turned to my friends and they were smiling and confirmed I wasn’t seeing things. They saw him smiling and pointing. I couldn’t believe it. Seriously.

Sunday bloody Sunday was next and Edge sang the ENTIRE song literally in front of us. I managed to take a quick picture but I was singing and staring in a mixture of disbelief and joy.
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When Streets started the section went nuts and I was jumping along with the rest of the crowd. I looked up at the screens and at that moment saw that Edge’s camera angle was facing our direction. In a cheesy attempt to see if my sign could be on camera I lifted it and kept looking up at the screen but I didn't see anything. I then felt a nudge and saw the Edge looking directly at me and smiling. I was jumping up and down with the sign and he lifted his guitar at me and played a few chords for me!!
Again I looked at my friends for confirmation and the were all smiling at me. Then a lady behind me leaned over and said “he totally saw you and did that for you!”
I probably began to shake even more. I was beyond ecstatic! Larry and Edge saw my signs! I never expected one to see it nevermind BOTH of them!!

My camera died and I could care less. I watched and sang the songs of the encore in nothing but smiles.
When they took their bow I showed Edge my sign once more waved and he waved back and smiled. When Larry faced our side of the stage I turned my sign over and showed him what I wrote for him once more as well and waved. He smiled and waved back!!

They exited the stage and I was close to tears of joy. That’s a really difficult thing for me to do.
I stayed on the stage for a few minutes to soak it all in. We went up to the rail and asked for the setlist and it was given to my friend and he reluctantly gave it to me. I gave him the biggest hug and was truly grateful. I never dreamed I could get my hands on a U2 setlist, especially of the hometown show. Sorry to sound redundant but I cant express how magical it feels to have the perfect show in my city.

I don’t know what they sounded like to the sitting audience but this was the best U2 experience of my life. The energy was amazing in my area, the songs were great and being noticed by my two favorite members left me speechless. I really don’t care if the cameras didn’t see my signs. Larry and Edge did. That’s priceless to me.
I had an amazing journey following them on a road trip for three shows and ending my journey in a way I could’ve never predicted.

I will never try to duplicate this experience and I'm glad I got the "teenager" out of my system. I will forever treasure my night and my journey with my favorite band.
 
I am up early this morning with my two children after a hard but great evening.

....Great Birthday day for me.....after an amazing but painful experience at the elevation tour, my husband and I decided NO more GA for us but the show was still great from up high. I was amazed at the stage design and lighting.

Getting to our seats was an adventure. There was an emergcy and they were detouring us from our isle. I wonder what happened and am curious about the respond time for emergencies for the night. It took us probably 40 minutes to get in through the tunnel to our seats.

Did any one else have to walk to Old Town from the stadium? I thought that the bus lines could have been better organized. Seriously CRAZY!
 
Rock and Roll Stops the Traffic

...literally. The numbers of people and the lines were terrible.

So I was at the Pasadena show last night, which was great. I had seats way behind the stage, but I still enjoyed it. Anyway, the situation for the buses to get back to the parking lots were way too crazy, so my friend and I decided to walk back. On our way, we saw a long wall that had

"ROCK AND ROLL STOPS THE TRAFFIC"

spray painted on it. It was totally a Rattle and Hum reference from when Bono paints that during All Along the Watchtower. Anyway, thats all I had to share. I wish I thought of getting a picture of that...
 
The short hit is that this show reminded me why I hate seeing concerts in stadiums. I know some people are going to pitch a bitch that I'm not a fan, why did I bother, blah, blah, blah. Save it.

Knowing what a clusterfuck parking and navigating into The Rose Bowl, I left at 3 in the afternoon yesterday for the show which was a smart thing as although it took me barely an hour to get there, it took another 1 hour to park in the huge golf course that doubles as a parking lot for Rose Bowl events once I got off the freeway a mere 2 miles from the stadium.

After kicking back 'til 6pm, I went in the stadium, got wrist banded for my GA floor access and checked out the massive stage. I got lucky and got pit access right before they reached capacity but after hanging out there for some of the otherwise wretched Black Eyed Peas' set, I decided to leave the pit hanging out at about the 50 yard line directly between the stage and the soundboard was the best place to soak in the show until U2's encore when I went back into the pit. Amusingly, the people that paid the most for their tickets in the "Red Zone" next to the pit on either side of the stage probably had the worst view. The stage is so high off the ground that you can only see the bass or guitar player and the top half of Bono and the Larry is mostly obscured depending on which side you're on and you're under the huge cone-shaped video screen so you have to look at it straight up. It was pretty funny hearing a really pissed off couple going off about how much they payed for their GA Red Zone tickets and how they couldn't see anything except when Bono used the moving ramps.

Speaking of the Black Eyed Peas opening set, admittedly a lot of people were into their shtick but the Rose Bowl really came alive when (ex)Guns n' Roses' Slash came out to play guitar and they did a decent cover of "Sweet Child O' Mine" with the chick singer really doing an excellent job singing the tune - easily the highlight of their set.

U2 came on a little after 9pm opening with 3 songs off their last album. I have to say, the show never really seemed to quite get off the ground like most previous U2 shows I've seen dating back to 1981. A big part of it was the crowd who just didn't have a lot of energy much of the show. But the band shares a lot of the blame as well. The set is unevenly paced and the combination of 7 songs off the newest album (which imo is easily one of their weakest albums) and 5 off "All You Can't Leave Behind," notably momentum killers "Stuck in a Moment" and "In A Little While," there was a lot more valleys than peaks in the set. Even otherwise excellent and long-unplayed deep cuts "Unforgettable Fire" and "Ultraviolet" which I figured to be highlights of the show kind of fell flat. The "remix" version of "Crazy Tonight" is terrible with drummer Larry Mullen Jr playing barely audible bongos at the front of the stage to a heavily pre-recorded drum track. Probably the low point of the show was when they played "Walk On," a bunch of fans came on stage on the ramp circling the pit with paper masks of Aung San Suu Kyi on their faces to protest her continued house arrest in Burma. Frankly, it was cring-inducing.

Bravely, the band isn't playing some of their biggest live songs this tour - no Pride, Bullet The Blue Sky, New Years Day or I Will Follow among others. Unfortunately, it's a shame they aren't playing some other far more worthwhile songs than much of the stuff they are playing especially from the previous two albums.

This is all not to say the show didn't have some high points - "Get On Your Boots" works far better live now than it did when they first started playing it. Mysterious Ways early in the set momentarily brought the crowd back into the show and the crowd seemed really into things through a great sing-along of "Stand By Me" tagged at the end of "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." During "Until The End Of The World" and later "Vertigo," everything seemed to click. And the last song of the show, "Moment of Surrender," which is unquestionably the best song off the last album, worked extremely well as a closer.

The biggest problem with this tour is that the stage production completely overshadows the band and their music. The stage is simply breathtaking and the live sound is easily the best I've ever heard in a stadium but this "show" is by far the weakest U2 concert I've seen in decades. It's like the Pop tour jacked up to "11." Even more awesome production, but even weaker songs and setlist. Not to mention, imo U2's playing has slipped a notch since the last tour (although Bono's voice is *very* strong this time around). There were a lot of happy fans after the show but to a person, every comment I heard focused on the production, not the band. IMO, U2 is now at the same point the Rolling Stones were around the Voodoo Lounge album/tour.

BTW, it took me a full 2 1/2 hours to get out of the parking lot after the show. I will never see another show at the Rose Bowl.

I understand they've announced their early Summer 2010 North American dates last night which include an Anaheim Stadium show. Even though that's a much better stadium and only 15 - 20 minutes away, U2 will have to drastically retool their set to get me back for another show.

T.B.
 
What an AMAZING show! Red Zone Edge's side was awesome, we were the first in line there and got exactly where we wanted on the rail but it was a mad dash running down the steps of the Rose Bowl since the tunnel deposits you up mid level! :lol: We were waving to Carlos and Maddy down the rail from us all night :wave: and Outsider we saw your sign but didn't know that was you. :D
Also jesseu2 nice to meet you before the show! :)
Nice of I-5 south to be CLOSED after the show and dump us off the freeway after waiting an hour to get off of it in the middle of frickin nowhere with detour signs that led to the freeway entrance at the BACK of the line we just sat in for an hour to get off... and NO way to get back on. Got home to San Diego at 4:30 AM this morning, I was up for over 24 hours straight :crack:
But just an incredible concert, experience, and day, omg.
Will have tons of photos later, but right now I have to work all day :happy:

:drool:
 
I don’t know what they sounded like to the sitting audience but this was the best U2 experience of my life. The energy was amazing in my area, the songs were great and being noticed by my two favorite members left me speechless. I really don’t care if the cameras didn’t see my signs. Larry and Edge did. That’s priceless to me.
I had an amazing journey following them on a road trip for three shows and ending my journey in a way I could’ve never predicted.

I will never try to duplicate this experience and I'm glad I got the "teenager" out of my system. I will forever treasure my night and my journey with my favorite band.

V, that is such a beautiful story! :hug: :hug: :hug:

When you called me after the show I was looking for my Aunt, walking to the car, and Rich was talking to me. :lol: So I heard you say something about Larry, Edge and signs, but I couldn't fully connect the dots.

Your experience sounds amazing and I'm so glad you had the show of your life! :hi5:
 
The only bad thing about this show is that my husband and I realized we may be too old for GA. That being said, we were inner circle and I think they overstuffed it for the DVD so we had trouble even moving.

That being said, show was awesome! Even in the circle, the screens were pretty amazing! And it was funny -- I didn't realize until this morning that they didn't play Pride. I guess I didn't miss it because the show was so high energy. And the bridges were totally awesome! We were on the back rail on Edge's side and had the band walk by several times or fly over us.

And yeah, was worried about our preferred parking spot since it was so far from the exit but we got out really quick -- only to run in to all the foot traffic going back to Old Pasadena. Oh well.

And we saw your sign from the back of the circle, Outsider!
 
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