Tuesday, May 03, 2005

that was awesome

Last Friday I was one of lucky ones rocking it out at U2's Vertigo show in Vancouver. I danced like a fool, I sang like an idiot, I screamed and I hollered and I loved it. U2 was my first big rock concert. I'm told that I've started with the best of the best, sipped Cristal on my first night out if you will. If it's all downhill from here, it was worth it.

We got seats for the price of SRO floors because they were behind the stage. If I had the chance, I would ask for them on purpose next time. Yes, the band had their backs to us for parts of the show, but we had a bird's-eye-second-row view of the stage. We were so close we could see the smile on Bono's face. I'm sure we would have been able to smell the sweat if not for the pot.

The warm-up band (Kings of Leon) mostly stunk. I recognized their first song from the new VW Jetta commercial. After that RuthAnn and I spent most of the set commenting on how the drummer bore a remarkable resemblance to Viggo Mortensen. Lose the beard and trim up the long hair and he could have been The Blouse Man. The best part of the opening act was when said beautiful drummer got his gum caught in his hair. Some days it is so hard to be cool.

U2 came on stage and it's hard to pick out a favourite moment after that. It was so loud you couldn't help but listen with your entire body and it would have been impossible to resist the urge to dance. I decided not to try. I think I lasted one song in my seat out of deference for the row behind me, but as soon as they started cranking out Beautiful Day the folks in row 3 were on their own. The entire stadium was singing. I hope there weren't any concerts purists in the crowd who wanted to 'hear the band'. It reminded me of the double date scene in The Wedding Singer where the girls start wailing on David Bowie's China Girl and Glen keeps saying "let's let David sing it" tee hee.

All in all it was so totally worth it. I was there and I've got the shirt to prove it. I can officially cross "go to a real rock concert" off of my list of things I've always wanted to do but haven't. Maybe this summer I'll finally make it onto a Ferris wheel.

4 comments:

kelly ens said...

SWEET! you are so lucky! I'll bet a ferris wheel won't compare to a U2 concert, but it will definitely have it's own moment of glory for when you can cross it off your "life's to-do" list :)

orangejack said...

that's awesome!

you know, you should post your life to-do list...that would be interesting!

Anonymous said...

suprised you could remember the concert at all with all of the second-hand smoke :)
Sounds like a fun concert. We always knew you had rocker in you.

B

Anonymous said...

I'm going to Cardiff on the 29th June, can't wait!!!