// July 2004
Evite control queen sends one out for opening night (expected to be in Miami on March 1) and hassles friends with it for several months.

// February 7, 2005
Get hired as Office Manager of small law firm.

// March 7, 2005
Get fired as Office Manager of small law firm, in part for requesting time off to follow U2 (also told I was "too structured"). Boss was only 42 and Irish too�where's the mercy? Happy to be free to follow U2, however.

// Prior to March 27, 2005
Starting with January 25 (my 36th bday), I max out a $6,000 do-not-pay-interest-for-one-year credit card, buying U2 tickets for self and friends. Later, amount spills onto another credit card, which will be transferred to the new card after some payments are made with cash and checks received.

// March 27, 2005
George (my then boyfriend) and I leave his house in San Leandro at 4:30 with Lori (my friend and U2-follower since high school). Another friend, Cristiane (Brazilian) cancels joining the roadtrip (but we bump into her right after SD1). Have a meltdown at the beginning of I-5 when I realize I left my phone charger at George's and think of all the ticket and meetup coordination I am supposed to make with my cell phone for the next two weeks. Once we get to the hotel room in San Diego, I break a $35 bottle of makeup. Get to a bar in the Gaslamp District and burst into tears. Looking for some cheese along with some�Xanax and wine. George thinks I�m just happy to see all of my friends plus all the ZS members in one place!

// March 28, 2005  [SD #1 show info]
George, Lori and I meet up with friends (Bonalmost, Mia, Marisa-who is in the "U2 2000-2002 Elevate Me Here" book with me on pages 46 and 166, her beau Mike, Chris�my U2 co-pilot, his roommate Tommy, our friend Dana, and her friend Thad) and tailgate in the freezing wind. After entering the venue, George and I have our GA tickets (one of two pair, obtained in the presales, for the entire tour) scanned and are told to go to the floor only, that we did not win entrance into the ellipse. I have to hold George's face in my hands to convince him that we did not win, after months of anticipation and not knowing how the GA would work. Deflated, we walk inside the nearest inner entrance. To me, it sounds like U2, but it is Kings of Leon (whom, by the way, we do not see once in the first two weeks of the tour). I turn around and drag George back out, saying I feel compelled to have my ticket scanned again. I go to the opposite line I entered in. A guard stops me. I say that I haven't had my ticket scanned yet. He stops the line and lets me cut. The woman scans it and then very sincerely and happily screams, "YOU WON!" and asks if I have a friend. I turn around, almost hysterical, looking for George. Another guard asks me where my "husband" is. George has his back turned, and I scream for him. He turns around, wondering what could possibly be happening. I cry, screaming, "We're in! We're in!" People look at us puzzled, like�what the heck happened to you? We felt like we won the real lottery! We walk around in circles, hysterically happy, practically falling down. Once we're inside the ellipse, George jumps around like a basketball player and other ellipsers clap. We happily leave to get beers and easily re-enter.

// March 29, 2005
George and I leave Lori to have some alone time at the hotel and drive to Ensenada, Mexico (90 minutes from SD) for the night. We eat and have margs, take a nap, and then go back out, seeking dinner and decide to get really drunk (I even break my no-shot rule---they really don't give you a choice). We have a blast at Los Amigos where we both got shoe shines, George bought me a rose, and we ended up dancing on the bar with the bartenders and other patrons. I get strategically stickered with "Papas" on one side of my shirt and "Beer" on the other �and somehow an "ass" sticker (cut up from two Papas & Beer stickers) ended up on the back of my pants, but I didn't notice until the next morning. We end the night at Papas & Beer's bar upstairs, where I am clearly the only gringa in the place. We also find dinner outside as we exit. I leave my rose inadvertently (with another dozen, George says, humorously consoling me). The next day, after going to breakfast, buying some "Harley Davidson, Ensanada" underwear (only in honor of Larry), and taking a few pictures, we meet a guy who says Bono was in Ensenada three weeks prior! And, we see Xanax for sale everywhere!

// March 30, 2005  [SD #2 show info]
Before the show, two friends (Tommy and Caitlin, a ZS fan) tell me that a New York Times photo/article of the circle on 3/28 includes me in the pic�one friend gives me the article (thanks Tommy). In the lot, sell one ticket to Adamesque. Some guy takes a picture of a group of us in front of the venue's "U2 tonight" sign. We all get on the floor (without GA tix). A friend (who shall remain nameless) projectile vomits her beer and wine mixture on the GA floor. George isn't feeling well either, so just the two of us decide to take our "rear view" seats, which were actually great. My friend Philip (from Ireland) had let his friend Claudia (from Iowa) know that I had two tix to sell. Claudia purchased them for her sister and mother (from Mexico). We stood with them in the row. The mother said it was the best show she'd ever attended�but of course!

// March 31
Eighteen years later, I make it to The Joshua Tree National Park with George. See pix! Upon returning home, the stool with a Joshua Tree record glued to the top, which my friend Bob bought me off of eBay, takes on new meaning. And I change my lithograph frame from the October album to the Joshua Tree one and stare at it with a tourist's eye.

// April 1, 2005  [Anaheim #1 show info]
George and I couldn't get in (without paying for Golden Circle tix) after getting back from JT, just as U2 was taking the stage. I would have paid that amount, but George didn't want to. But missing this show made Ana2's events extra special.

// April 2, 2005  [Anaheim #2 show info]
George and I arrive at 4:00. We see a group of fans waiting for bandmembers at the entrance to the lot. We park in the second lane. We tailgate. A few minutes before we were planning to leave, a guy asks me if I have any tickets for sale. I have one. He says he'll be back. We wait a few minutes but then decide to walk over and meet Dana, Chris and Tommy at the J.T. Schmidt's bar across from the venue. As we're walking through the parking lot, I ask George if he has his ticket. He runs to the car to get it. I motion for him to run back to me. Then we begin arguing about whether we should walk past the lot entrance to the sidewalk (my choice) or around the side of the venue (G's choice). As we're debating, we see people running over to the same group of waiting fans. We think they're just catching up with other friends in line. But then, people start darting out from every corner. I ask George if he wants to check it out. He says, "Hell ya!" As we get to the back of the line, I say, "Someone is definitely already here!" George looks over the crowd and says, "It's Bono!" I stand up on the sidewalk curb and spot Bono myself. We move up, rather quickly. Finally, there is only one fan in front of me. I am still standing on the sidewalk curb, so that I can see better. Bono knows the fan in front of me and has a rather long exchange with her. He looks up at me in the process. Just as he finishes with that fan, he turns and goes the other way. George says, "I think he recognized you and went down the autograph line the other way to pick out 'U2 virgins.'" I scream, "Bono! My name is Brono! You have to come back!" Fans laugh and even Bono tilts his had back with a chuckle. Bono leaves, and I scream the never-heard-before, "We love you!" On our way over to the bar, we run into Heather (my friend since 2nd grade who has followed U2 with me since 1984, and her beau, Rick). I sell my extra ticket (nice going, Tommy :) and brag to friends about Bono. The four of us are successful in getting onto the GA floor. Best show so far.

// April 3, 2005
Drive George to LAX for a 6:30 flight. Only a few hours� sleep with Daylight Savings beginning.

// April 5, 2005  [LA #1 show info]
Leave my friend Dana's house (after a few days' rest) in Sherman Oaks at 8a to "run an errand" (buy tickets). NO shower, teeth brushing, hair combing, or breakfast. Too-long jeans on with only flip flops and yesterday's blouse. End up having to wait in line at the venue box office from 9a to 5p! I freeze half the time, stuck under a huge air conditioning vent, which the venue refused to turn off -- they had to circulate the venue air! Meet a guy in line (name sounded like Arug) and we order Dominos! He holds my place while I stand in the sun intermittently. At some point, a gal calls out, "Superfans!" Arug and I turn around and say, "Yes?" She says that someone called her, describing us as superfans. Allowed to only buy two tickets at the $98.50 level. Later, tailgate with Don (Dana's friend) and his friend, Jacob. Chris, his friend Lisa, and Dana join us. We are not successful in getting on the GA floor, so I stood alone in one of the first tiers in one of the upper rows. Had a few special moments/feelings during MW & Streets. At times, I feel faint.

// April 6, 2005  [LA #2 show info]
Pick up Bear (met him when Heather and I were in the lot for Popmart 1997) in Studio City. Pick up Chris in Santa Monica. Meet Dana in the lot. Take a picture of Chris ("U2 Starr") and Dana with U2 sign in the background. They all disappear for awhile, so I tailgate alone. Meet a guy (Mike) who is working the show. He lights a cigarette for me in exchange for a beer. Finally meet up with Jason (friend from SF now living in LA), his friend Tonya, Don, and Jacob. Best show for me. While standing solo (wearing pigtails, for possibly the first time ever, and fly glasses (thanks Stephen!), for the first time at a U2 show), I meet Paul McGuinness, U2's manager. Here's the story. I am standing to the right of the soundboard, dancing freely and singing until my stomach hurts (per usual). I am feeling really good tonight-even sexy, if you will-must be the glasses. This couple shows up in front of me. Pretty young gal and rather old guy! Striking age difference, even for LA. And they are smashed! Can we sing, "I Fall Down?" I befriend them, and they all too easily befriend me. I spot Paul, and my eyes bug under my bug glasses. Then the couple falls into Paul! I tell them, "Don't fall onto U2's manager!" I ask Paul if they are bothering him. He shrugs his head and has an appreciative expression on his face. Then I think, ask him something! And I'm truly curious. I say, "Do you come to all U2 shows? I see you often." He replies, "For the most part." Then I say, "I suppose you are needed here." He responds, "Actually, I like to see U2 live. Why manage a band you don't like to see?" I say, "Awww, that is sooo cute!" Then I compliment Paul on his work and add that it must go somewhat unrecognized�and I state that U2 is the most superb band�and that tonight is my 38th show." He drops his head in disbelief, "38!?" I nod voraciously. He immediately reaches in his pocket, pulls out two ellipse wristbands, and says, "Where are your friends? Would you like to go into the circle? Here is an extra one if you find one of your friends." I timidly say, "My friends and I got separated, and yes, I would love that." Then he compliments me on my fly shades. I thank him and ask, "Maybe Bono will take them during 'The Fly' while I'm inside the circle!?" He says that Bono probably will if I'm close enough to the stage. Then I ask Paul if I can give him a message to give Bono. He nods. I tell him that my real name is Bronwyn, so my nickname is Brono. I add that Bono appears to recognize me and thus ignore me. I tell him to tell Bono to stop and acknowledge me next time (although I met him and The Edge in 1987)! Then I wait a bit (as to not be rude) and finally ask, "Do you think I should go in now?" He shakes his head in certainty. I shake his hand and bow, saying 'thank you' repeatedly. Then I scuttle over to the right entrance to the circle. The guy says I need a GA ticket (which I don't have). I respond, "Paul McGuinness gave me this 'circle wristband!'" He says, "Who?" (Hello?) I say, "U2's manager!" He lets me go, and I strut into the circle like I own the place (the wily Irish woman that I am :). The first thing I notice is that Bono has glitter on the soles of his shoes! I call all seven of my friends to see if someone can take the second wristband, but it's too loud for anyone to hear their phone ring. While inside, during Yahweh, Bono forgets the third verse. The band and the audience come to a dead silence. I panic. Then I think, "I know this! What is the third verse?" It dawns on me, and I quickly yell out (from the 7th row), "Take this soul!! Take this soul!!" Bono, in his gracious stage presence, puts both palms face up and leans into the microphone, "Take this soul�stranded in some skin and bones�." (ANYONE HAVE A VIDEO OF THIS?!) I jump up and down, as fans surrounding me look at me like "who is this punkass?" I feel faint again. Bono does not acknowledge or thank me, but I know he heard and probably saw me and thought, "There's that stalker again." Outside, after the show, I am asked by a reporter to comment on the concert!

Note: If you see Paul, please do not mention my story. I plan on speaking to him again if I run into him, and I do not want him to know that I blabbed about the ellipse wristbands on a website.

// April 7, 2005
Listening to my U2 iPod through the car stereo the whole way, I drive back to SF with Chris.

// April 8, 2005
George and I go to Cupertino to see a new coverband called Joshua Tree. We bump into Bonalmost and Sledge from Zoo Station and tell them about my tour adventures thus far. They ask me to write it down and send it to them so they can post it on their website!

// April 9, 2005  [SJ #1 show info]
George and I go to Britannia Arms to see ZS's pre-show from 5-6. It's very crowded. We see lots of friends and also meet up with my cousin, Annie. We eat with Mia and her brother and have a few beers. At the venue, George, Annie and I are not successful in getting on the floor, but we are able to stand by this special exit (near a fancy venue bar). George and I go to Britannia Arms to see Zoo Station's post-show.

// April 10, 2005  [SJ #2 show info]
George has a BBQ. In attendance: his friend Jeff (a Police fan who claims the U2 show ranks third behind Nirvana and Pink Floyd), my friend Joanne ("JoJo"), Lori, Caitlin, Lucia and Vern (ZS crew). A friend wants to exchange her GA tix, so she and her friend can sit. Thanks Alyce and Bruce!! We meet on the patio at Britannia Arms, then enter the venue at 8:25 and are told that there is no more scanning-the ellipse is at full capacity! We're furious, but it's a lesson in being late/missing the opening band. We run into Sledge and Heather. They're equally devastated. We, along with another fan, ask for a manager. I consider asking for Paul McGuinness. After waiting a few minutes, the four of us decide to give up and go our separate ways on the floor. We are told that the ellipse is full, and we'll have to wait to enter. As we are waiting, I see Paul McGuinness exiting the ellipse. Having written on a business card of mine just for him, I ask him if I can give him something. He shakes his head and indicates that he has to get over to the soundboard. I decide from now on I will remove the card from my card case and carry it more readily. After a few songs, George and I are allowed into the ellipse and end up in the front row on The Edge's side! I have eye contact with The Edge, and when Adam and The Edge switched sides for 40, George opened his eyes while getting into singing and caught Adam looking at him! Bono says, "We thank god that we are returning to the Bay Area in the fall." I am flabbergasted at his comment (as he has not said this to any city yet on the tour) and my tears break. Then, when I realize it will be another two weeks (instead of two days) until my next U2 concert, I bawl, almost uncontrollably! Another favorite show on the tour-the band was on fire! Seems the second nights are a better bet. George, Lori, Jeff and I go to Britannia Arms again to see Zoo Station's post-show (my ZS show #62! [Sledge note: I'll vouch for this!]). Oh, and tonight marked my 40th U2 show since 1984!!

// April 22, 2005
Arrive in Seattle with George. One of his best friends, Craig, picks us up. We end up at Craig�s neighborhood bar called Zoo Tavern! Later, before bed, I take a few silly pictures. Craig offered us his apartment and said he would stay with his girlfriend. His apartment was so cute and clean. He left directions in the fridge.

// April 23, 2005
I begin to stress about selling my extra tickets. I make a sign that reads, �U2 Tickets for Sale.� Have the best breakfast ever. Eggs Ranchero at Caf� Septieme in a neighborhood called Capitol Hill. Afterward, we go to a neighborhood called Fremont. We end up at a shop called Junk Deluxe. As George and Craig are shopping, I ask the clerk if she knows anyone who needs U2 tickets. She says the owner of a store down the street might. I talk with him on the phone and leave info with the clerk. We walk into another shop across and down the street when I decide I am going to go back and give more info to the clerk. As I�m about to enter Junk Deluxe again, I see the clerk and her friend outside. He doesn�t know if he can afford the tickets. He�ll call me later. Then, George, Craig and I go to an old bar called The Triangle Lounge for lunch. The bartender sees my Elevation sweatshirt and shows me his U2 ticket. I have my sign on the bar counter. Craig encourages me to put it away just as someone walks up and inquires. He says he�ll talk to his spouse. No go. Craig�s older sister, Amanda, calls Craig and says she�ll buy a ticket. We go back to Craig�s place and walk down to the water. It reminds me of scenes from �Sleepless in Seattle.� We go to Bizzarro Italian Caf� for dinner. Nicole, Craig�s girlfriend, joins us. Afterward, we go to a bar called Chapel, which literally looks like a chapel. There we meet Wayne, a U2 fan, wearing a War t-shirt. We agree the greatest moment of the night was when we hopped in a cab where the driver was blasting Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing", and all of us, even the driver, immediately begin to sing and dance. We get out in a cute part of downtown and go dancing at a bar where we don�t have to pay a cover.

// April 24, 2005  [Seattle #1 show info]
I take a picture of the sign outside Craig's apartment. It reads, "The Brons Apt's." It would have worked if my nickname were still Bron. I adjust my eyesight so that it looks like "Brono" (grin). Josh, my friend from USF, picks up me and George. We go to his mom�s house for Brazilian food, and I am able to use his computer to edit my ticket ads to include my phone number. We visit Bruce and Brandon Lee�s gravesite. Later, Amanda comes to Craig�s apartment. She orders Craig to cover his ears and reveals to me and George that her first wet dream when she was a teenager was about Bono!! I sell my extra $185 ticket via eBay in the late afternoon just after meditating about it (just like when I met Bono and The Edge in 1987)! Go to bar called Caf� Mecca with Amanda. Try to sell the bar owner my last extra ticket. Instead he gives me a t-shirt and tells me to say hi to Nancy at The Summer Place (a bar where George and I ended up on New Year�s Eve!) on Bush Street in SF. I sell my last extra ticket for $52 (I paid $50) right before the concert. Don�t make it on the floor, but Amanda and I land FRONT ROW CENTER seats right behind the soundboard! I�ve not ever cried so much at a U2 concert! I usually only cry during Streets or Bad, but I cried during Elevation, City of Blinding Lights and Miracle Drug, at least! Amanda drops me off at Jai Tai afterward to meet George and Craig, who opted not to go tonight so they could have some guy time, but who then admit they wished I had called them. I had told them I might phone them in a panic if I didn�t sell my extra tickets, and I would have �made� them use them. I inhale a glass of water and tell them about my unusually plentiful tears. They say they should have gone. Hello, hello!

// April 25, 2005  [Seattle #2 show info]
George, Craig and I meet Alyce and Bill at Liquid Lounge, a bar hosting a �U2 Pre Funk� complete with videos and contests. Go to another bar and then decide to enter the venue. We are successful in getting on the floor! Before we venture toward the ellipse entrance, we enjoy a few songs, including Gloria, Craig�s favorite U2 song that we all prayed they�d play! I�m in such disbelief that they are playing Gloria for Craig that I jump on him while my mouth is catching flies. We make it into the ellipse and all fall on each other hugging. We all get teary when Bono brings a young boy named Jason on the center of the ellipse stage. Jason sings along as Bono cries. Later I hug the boy and tell him, �I love it!� The crowd is on fire. We�re just incredulous at what a good time we�re having. U2 plays Vertigo (a second time!) as the finale�it�s rumored that they�re filming for Good Morning America 5/20.

// April 26, 2005
George and I borrow Craig�s car. I get to drive since it�s a stick. We enjoy a lovely day of sightseeing. After breakfast in Capital Hill, we see a shop called Red Light, for you War album fans. I had spotted this on shop on 4/23 and was glad to get back to take pix. While shopping at Urban Outfitters, I buy an Irish-flag beer towel and a heart-shaped flask (Elevation!)! We then drive downtown. We start off by using a coupon (we received with our concert tickets) for Seattle�s Best Coffee. While ordering, I spot ZooMo�s candy for sale and take a picture of George holding a bag while wearing my fly shades. As we�re taking the picture, the gal behind the counter tells us that U2 stayed at the Hotel Monaco across the street! As we sit outside drinking our coffee, I take a picture of a window-washer coming down the side of the hotel. We leave to make it to the famous Pike Place Market. I take a picture of the bay (although it was much sunnier than the picture shows). We eat lunch at the Athenian Inn where a scene from �Sleepless in Seattle� was filmed. See pic. George spots a cool plaque on the wall. I take a picture since it is reminiscent of the U2 song, "Two Hearts Beat as One." We wanted to go to the Space Needle after but figured it wouldn�t be worth it to pay $13 each and have to rush off. We pick up Craig from work, and he takes us to the airport. I feel sad, having loved Seattle. We all agree Seattle is now our favorite U2-concert city. I�ve not ever said that about a city�mainly because two concerts have not ever been successively this good. Usually one concert is notably better than the other.

// May 10, 2005  [Chicago #3 show info]
Today is Bono's 44th birthday. George and I arrive at Midway airport. It's 80 degrees. Claudia, in Chicago from Iowa, picks us up. She is a friend of my friend Philip in Ireland. She bought a pair of tickets from me for her sister and mother for SD2. Claudia drops us off at our hotel, the Sheraton Towers, right on the river, and then returns to the United Center venue to look for tickets. My half-brother, Geoff, who lives in Collinsville, IL, happens to be job training in Chicago. He meets me and George at the original Chicago Pizzeria Uno. We eat and then visit some more in our hotel room. Later, JoJo arrives in a towncar to pick up me and George. There is a lot of stress once we get to the venue as I try to sell our extra tickets-George bought two tickets, and I bought eight. We bought that many because his friends planned to come out for his birthday, but we were not sure which concert they would attend. They decided to attend Chi4 (May 12), so we ended up with eight extra tickets. Alyce's sister Eileen bought one. JoJo bought one. And Francisco (a ZS fan and friend) bought one. So I had five to sell with just a couple hours to go before U2 hit the stage. Luckily, I sold four and then JoJo's driver bought one last minute. He bought a U2 shirt too-I thought that was really cute. JoJo and I had GA tix and got in the ellipse. Bono brought Khelia on stage during Mysterious Ways. I met Khelia in London on August 22, 2001 when a bunch of fans, including me, obtained his autograph and photograph. JoJo found a picture on the Internet of my favorite part of the concert (see pic...Bono during Zoo Station). I am still "kicking" myself for not giving my GA ticket to George, since his birthday started an hour after the concert. I just wasn't thinking with all the stress going on. Sorry a thousand times my love!!!! (NOTE: A full explanation is not mentionable on this webpage, which could possibly be read by U2 employees, but for those who know the unmentionable...this was more understandable than it appears.) After the concert, George, JoJo, U2 Starr and I go downtown. We find the hotel where U2 is staying. JoJo has a birthday card for Bono, and I have a business card with a message for Paul McGuinness. We give them to security; they say they will pass them through. Then we go to a bar and have a great time just pubbing it until the wee hours of the morning.

// May 11, 2005
Today was George's 27th birthday. His best friend, Shubu, a child psychiatrist living in Texas, arrived in time to join us for a Cubs game. U2 and the Cubs are equal fetishes for George. Wrigley Field was the coolest ballpark I've seen. SF's might have the greatest oceanview. But I couldn't believe how apartment buildings across from Wrigley Field had bleachers on their roofs! Another comparison to the SF ballpark�Wrigley Field had to be colder! I had looked up weather.com before arriving. It said 80 degrees even if it rained. So I was not prepared for the icy winds in my jean jacket. Searching for warmer seats, we jumped all over the place, which was fun and provided different views. As the game went into an extra inning, we decided to go to a bar across the street, get drinks, get warm, and watch the rest of the game on the big screens. Thank goodness (for George's sake) Derrek Lee, one of the best Cubs players, hit a homerun and won the game for the Cubs. We were so happy-this is about as happy as I'll ever get with sports, let me tell you. Later, George's other good friend, Javaal (don't you love these names?), a high-risk counselor, arrived from the East Bay. That night we all went out to a couple clubs. We started out with one underground bar where each got a free drink. Then we went to a club called Excalibur. Finally we returned to the first place. We saw the sunrise that night.

// May 12, 2005  [Chicago #4 show info]
I went alone to the Hard Rock Caf� to try and sell an extra ticket I had. I expected George and his friends to join me soon after I left them at his friend's hotel. When I called George to find out what was delaying them, I started tearing and raising my voice when he told me that his friend's just ordered room service. I had been up all night, so I was overreacting, but I did not like sitting at the HRC by myself. There was supposed to be a U2 pre-party, but it turned out that was only prior to Chi3. One good thing came out of the mishap. A couple (white gal, black guy) sitting at the bar, noticed me getting upset. All of the sudden a "purple hooter" (such a nasty name) shot landed on my table. I looked up, and asked, "You don't want it?" The guy pointed to two shots on the counter and replied, "We're all having one!" I sat up straight and began straightening the hat under which I was hiding my crying eyes, when a Heineken bottle landed on my table next to the empty one I just finished. I looked up in total disbelief. I jumped up and hugged these beautiful strangers and explained it had been a late night! Then I invited them to sit with, and they joined, me. Just as I began explaining the U2 concerts, George and his friends walked over. I introduced everyone, but shortly after that the couple had to leave. I was so out of it that I didn't think to give them my card, especially since I would have loved to given them the ZS link, knowing I would want to mention them. I didn't think to ask for one of their cards either. On top of that, I found out that Geoff couldn't come to the concert due to work, and so I had two tickets to sell. Had I known I had two tickets, I would have GIVEN them the pair�for their awesome kindness. On to the concert�it was the best setlist we'd heard thus far. Our group was me, George, Javaal, Shubu and Shubu's aunt and uncle. Everyone sat while I went into the ellipse. Javaal went wondering the halls after a few songs to have a cigarette and look at women. He ended up almost falling asleep on a bench, so he went back to his hotel early. He didn't have a cell phone, so we were worried for awhile. We met up again and went out to a blues' club. It was so authentic. I've not ever seen such happy people (except at a U2 show). But we were all so tired. Shubu and Javaal went home first. Then George started to fade, so we called it a night, but the club was still happy-ning!

// May 13, 2005
Shubu and Javaal had to honor some plans with Shubu's aunt and uncle, so George and I had some alone time. We did some sightseeing (see pix), had lunch at a Greek restaurant called Athena (http://www.athenarestaurant.com), and had drinks at a famous bar called Billy Goat Tavern (http://www.cityinsights.com/chicago/billygoat.htm). Then we headed to the airport for our evening flight.

// May 18, 2005
Lori, Riley (Lori's 8-year-old daughter), and I touched the ground at JFK at about 10pm. Lori's uncle and aunt met us and took us for authentic New York pizza. The pizza place was almost closed though, so we went to the uncle and aunt's house shortly after in Flushing (in Queens).

// May 19, 2005
Lori, Riley, and I figured out how to take the subway to Manhattan. We spent the day wondering the streets, including having a $10 drink at Rockefeller Center, and doing a little shopping, including buying "New York" sweatshirts�well, I bought a jacket�for only $16. I like it more than I thought I would. One, of course New York is the name of a U2 song, and I feel a lot tougher walking through SF's Tenderloin, where I have lived since November 2004. Our long day suddenly turned into evening, so we decided to have an authentic New York/Italian dinner at a restaurant called Carmine's. After over-ordering and over-eating, Lori and I discover that there is a U.S. law which allows you to take your open wine home! The waitress snuck us some cups, too, so we were able to drink on the subway on the way home!

// May 20, 2005
This morning, after only a few hours' sleep, we get up at the butt-crack of dawn and make it back to Manhattan to see if U2 is showing up at Good Morning America. There is one line for reservations (who knew?!) and one line for standby. Both lines are a good size. We don't make standby, but we do get in the front rows outside the window. We see that a lot of U2 footage is being shown throughout the show, and we hear that U2's interview was taped a few days earlier. We hear a police officer say that if U2 were coming today the whole street would be blockaded. Later Lori and Riley go to another area. Lori comes back to get me, saying that she and Riley are almost in the front row where the GMA crew is setting up outside. I join them. I am wearing my fly shades and have my "U2: a Celebration" cloth sign that I painted in 1992. It's folded so that only the U2 shows. Lori asks some ladies if we can get in the front row too, since we have an 8-year-old who cannot see. One lady says, "Sorry, I've kids at home who want to see mommy too." Meanwhile, she's standing with her legs apart, clearly taking up space for more than herself. Riley asks to hold my sign, but then she wants my help, because her arms are getting tired. So we're standing there, holding the sign together. Lori's looking over my shoulder�when two camerapeople are setting up and see the U2 sign. One guy says, "Nice sign! Why don't you and the girl get in the first row, eh?!" We do, very willingly of course, gloating to the rude woman. The camera guy counts down and tells the crowd to cheer. As the filming begins, we see ourselves on TV. I still haven't seen the footage (I'll view Lori's DVD copy soon), but it is like 2-3 minutes long of us! We meet Robin Roberts and Diane Sawyer! They are so attentive! After, we take a cab to a caf� for breakfast while calling family and friends to wake them and have them watch and record the West Coast airing. After breakfast, we head home and have a relaxing day and nap. That night Lori's family takes us to a restaurant called, ironically, Napa & Sonoma Steak House for a big family dinner!

// May 21, 2005  [New York show info]
At last, the day of the U2NY concert. Of course it rains today. We take the subway to the venue. Lori and I spot the sun shining through the New York electrical storm skyline and take it as a sign that we'll get in the ellipse. We get to the venue and meet up with my friend Valerie, from Switzerland, and her friend. We enter the venue together but then separate. Lori and I buy some beers in cups with lids! Then we walk right into the ellipse with the lights on (we were worried it was getting late) and are almost in tears. Unlike any other venue, we see vendors, walking around with glow-in-the-dark trays, selling Champagne in cups with strawberries. Lori buys a glass and gives me her Budweiser which she dislikes. We start spotting famous people (Bowie, Nicole Kidman, P. Diddy). Later we heard that Kofi Annan was there. (For those who don't know, Kofi Annan heads the UN and called Bono to ask him to make a speech to the UN about poverty.) We take some pix inside the ellipse. During the show, twice The Edge comes right to wear we are against the rail on the left side of the ellipse. He looks us right in the eye the first time and smiles at us the second time! We were dying-we knew the look and smile were right at us. Lori says it's her favorite show ever. It was definitely one of my favorites. One thing I noticed was how crazy the crowd was in my peripheral vision. It was dizzying. I still expected the audience to be even crazier though. After the show, we hit Mickey D's, desperate for dinner. My friend Philip from Ireland met me at McDonald's briefly. Then Lori and I headed to the Red Rock (should be plural, hello hello?) West Saloon where her cousin John works. (www.redrockwestsaloon.com/) Lori says it's like a rave meets a biker bar. We get VIP treatment, including free drinks and a special place at the side of the bar counter. The barkeepers (all female) are scantily dressed in chaps. They each have a turn dancing solo on the bar. They also pour alcohol on the bar and light it on fire. A really nice guy named Mike who worked there got us in free to a few cool clubs adjacent to RRWS and got us free drinks at those places too. We couldn't make it to 4am, so we took a towncar home. Lori fell asleep and I couldn't wake her. The driver didn't know where he was going and neither did I. We must have crossed the same bridge three times! He charged us full price-jerk!!!!!!

// May 22, 2005
Today we're glad we didn't book our flight until tomorrow. We have a lazy day spent at Lori's cousin's house, the flat below her uncle's. Gina, Lori's awesome cousin, makes a bunch of great food for us.

// May 23, 2005
Spend the day with Lori's relatives. First we go to the deli, then to another nice Italian restaurant for lunch. We stress on the way to the airport because we thought the flight was 6:50 instead of 6:15. Thirty-five minutes can make a huge difference in New York traffic. But we touch the ground at JFK in time.

// May 24, 2005
Begin new job�another Office Manager position at a small law firm. Actually, my title is Office Manager/Litigation Assistant. I think I like it here enough to ask for an apprenticeship and obtain my Juris Doctor (law degree) online! Later in the week I ask to take a week off at the end of June to go to Ireland, and it is granted! And they already let me start a day late because of my New York trip. Thank you TG!

// June 19, 2005
Honorable mention. George and I play SF tourists and take the cable car from the Powell Street Turnaround (where they literally turn the cars around by hand), just four blocks from my house, to the North Beach Fair. Before the fair, we stop to have a $2 pint and a bite to eat at Kennedy's, across from Bimbo's 365 Club. As we're sitting outside on the east deck (which we didn't know was there before), we see a plane with a banner. The banner reads, "Aung San Suu Kyi for her 60th birthday." U2 wrote Walk On for her! Read about her here: http://www.dassk.org

// June 23, 2005
Leave SFO at 10:00 a.m. Run into Declan (whom I met in the ticket line before LA1) at my transfer point, the O�Hare airport in Chicago. He introduces me to James, also from L.A., whom Declan just met at LAX. We all happened to be on our way to Ireland.

// June 24, 2005  [Dublin #1 show info]
One of the most memorable days of my life. Arrive at Dublin International Airport at 8:45 a.m. My second time ever in Ireland (first time was for the U2 concert at Slane Castle, www.slanecastle.ie, on 8/25/01). Declan, who has an Irish passport, breezes through customs. James and I take awhile. When we cannot find Declan, we decide to proceed with James� rental car. It�s James� first time overseas and first time driving on the right side of the car yet on the left side of the road, with a stick-shift no less. He did a great job, but all the one-way streets made us do circles for a couple of hours. Finally, we found my destination (www.dublinhotels.com/hotels/millennium.html). My friends were relieved to see me. While James and I were lost, my friend Philip who lives in Ireland had contacted my friends. They all knew I needed a ticket for tonight. Philip had a friend with an extra. Valerie went ahead to the show to meet a friend and try and meet Philip�s friend to get the ticket for me. She called later to say that there was a mishap and the ticket was sold. So I took a brief nap, and then it was time to get ready for the show. JoJo, Alli, and I went to get a bite to eat first. We went to one place, got sat, and then we�re told the kitchen was closed. So we went to a second place and got sat. I decided I wasn�t hungry and was too eager to go to an Internet caf� and look up how to get international service on my cell phone. While I was doing that, I heard JoJo and Alli come into the caf� and ask for me. Turns out the second place wasn�t serving either! I got the T-Mobile number I needed and successfully reached them to request international service. I was told it would be up in 30 minutes. What a relief. And we were off. As we were walking to the venue, we weren�t sure we were going the right way. But then we saw people walking with glasses of Guinness in their hands. It must be the right way, we thought. Then, two Irish guys befriended us. Shane and Kevin (I lost their pic which was on my old cell phone before it got wet on a canoe trip). It was sprinkling and one wanted to share my umbrella. I informed them that I was in need of a ticket. They said they would help. I motioned for JoJo and Alli to go ahead�I�d be able to use my phone if I needed them. They were eager to get a bite at the stadium. Shane, Kevin, and I found one guy selling a ticket. He was missing a leg. He wanted 150 euros ($182) for it. I said I was unwilling�that in the states I only pay $65. My new friends examined the ticket and said it was missing a hologram anyway. We found another guy. He asked for 120 euros ($145). I told him how much I pay in the states. He lowered it to 100 euros ($121). I shook my head and said that I�d rather just listen to the concert from outside the stadium. Then Shane and Kevin said they�d sneak me in. I said, �C�MON!� They said, �Seriously!� I rolled my eyes and skipped along the entrance street. As we got close to the entrance, I got nervous. Then I thought�just go with it and told myself the advice I often give others (Debra Winger line from Officer & A Gentleman), �You saw it and it happened.� Shane, the taller of the two, walks up to the ticketperson behind the counter on the right. Kevin pushes me (wearing fly shades and a grey cap with my hair underneath) in back of Shane. Shane then turns counterclockwise as to cover me. Then Kevin submits his ticket. Suddenly Shane and Kevin are pressed up against me, and I am halted in front of a locked full-length turnstile. I pause, then look back at the ticketperson. He glares at me for about 30 seconds. Kevin, in his great Irish accent, demands, �Just unlock it, lad!� I hear the click and walk through!! The three of us are ecstatic! We immediately start drinking from the two fifths of vodka that Shane and Kevin also snuck in. They stop to urinate behind the port-o-potties. Then we proceed to walk up to their seats. Amazingly, there is a third seat empty next to their two! We have such a great time, waving a flag around. The guys act like rugby players. After the concert, we all go out. Walking home from a Dublin concert is a blast! Just tons of people walking in the street. Cars have to take alternative routes. It�s like the Golden Gate Bridge Walk I tell ya! We end up at one of their apartments. At this point I felt out of place not being a local and decided to cab it back to the apartment. It was 5:00 a.m. My body clock was way off by this point.

// June 25, 2005  [Dublin #2 show info]
I awoke to a phone call from Lana at about 8:30 a.m. JoJo, Alli, and Val were all gone. I remembered they were going to queue early for the concert. We all had tickets for tonight�s show. I went to the venue at noon. JoJo text me to say where they were in line and just to ask one of the guards�he�d let me in. He laughed. I went to the back of the line, but then I spotted Lana further up in the line. I took her place while she went to get some water. When the line started moving, Lana had to leave to look for a ticket. As the line moved, it changed into lines divided by metal racks. I was in the far left one. I thought JoJo and Alli were far ahead of me, but I happened to spot them right across from me in the far right line. I decided to jump my line and join them. Luckily JoJo and Alli had chairs and shared them. Just a two lines over, directly across from us, I saw my friend Philip who lives in Ireland. He was nice enough to take some cash from me and buy me a sandwich and drink. After being let in around 4:00 p.m., we decided it was not worth it to wait since people who had not waited in line were just walking in and ending up wherever they wanted in the ellipse. It must have something to do with 4,000 fans being let in at an 80,000-person stadium instead of 400 fans being let in at a 20,000-person arena. JoJo and I decided to leave for awhile and get a beer. We saw an old woman with a �Bono Man� t-shirt on our way out! JoJo bought some merchandise, including a bag with a necklace in it and gave me the bag (only), which I wanted! Tonight was the best of the three Dublin shows. Maybe because it was Saturday night, but it seems the second show in any city is the better/best show for U2.

// June 26, 2005
We had intended to take a castle tour today, but we had no reservations, were too tired, and slept in. JoJo made reservations for the four of us at 5:00 p.m., to follow an acoustic U2 coverband on a pub crawl! Val and Alli wanted to do a bit of grocery shopping for our apartment, so they said they�d meet us. JoJo and I went ahead. We began at Eamonn Doran�s (http://www.dublinpubscene.com/thepubs/eamonndoran.html) in Temple Bar. The upstairs area where the pub crawl group was to gather was full�some people were not doing the crawl but sitting there anyway. We went up and found a table finally with no chairs. Just as we were getting comfortable standing, a table at the window opened. JoJo and I were thrilled to sit in the sun and saved two seats for Alli and Val. The cover band, Walk On (www.u2walkonline.com), is really a �Bono and Edge� team with some help from a friend who plays conga and/or drums and also tells stories in between songs. During one of the stories, the announcer pointed at me and said that Bono had sat right where I was and sprayed Champagne out of the window. After the Eamonn bar, we pub crawled on over to another bar called Finnegan�s, I think. There we sat on short �fart stools� in a room separate from the main bar and heard some more U2 stories and songs. Then we were shown where The Kitchen bar used to be as part of the Clarence Hotel's Octagon Bar, of which Bono and The Edge still own 50%. After that, as we walked to yet another bar, we were shown where Principle Management�s offices are along the River Liffey. Finally, we ended up at the last bar�forget the name. Val, JoJo, Alli and I sat in a straight line on a bench by the window in front of the band.

Setlist for �Walk On�:
1. Out of Control
2. A Sort of Homecoming
3. Running to Stand Still
4. Desire
5. Angel of Harlem
6. One
7. Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
8. Staring at the Sun
9. Ground Beneath Her Feet
10. Party Girl
11. Sunday Bloody Sunday
12. In God�s Country 
13. In a Little While
14. Vertigo
15. Sometimes You Can�t Make It On Your Own
16. All Because of You 
17. Bad
18. Where the Streets Have No Name
19. All I Want Is You
20. When Love Comes to Town
21. I Still Haven�t Found What I�m Looking For
22. Stuck in a Moment You Can�t Get Out Of
23. Walk On
24. Pride (In the Name of Love)
25. I Will Follow
26. Miracle Drug
27. The Fly
28. With or Without You
29. Vertigo [encore]

After the show, the four of us cabbed it to the Temple Bar area and went to dinner.

// June 27, 2005  [Dublin #3 show info]
This morning Valerie got a text informing her that U2 tickets were going on sale. We left right away to walk across town toward the venue. On a particular corner we saw fans gathered. It was a really nice sunny day. We sat down and met a few fans. Eventually a Ticketmaster van pulled up! I had not heard of Ticketmaster on wheels before. We were separated into two lines, one for fans picking up pre-purchased tickets and one for fans without pre-purchased tickets. We saw a gal with a sign that said, �Need to swamp [sic] for GA tix.� Finally we made it to the front of the line. We were able to buy two tickets, but we were given wristbands, which were used in the States for the first leg but had not been used on the European/send leg thus far. We walked back to the apartment to shower. JoJo and Alli had already gone onto the venue. Val and I went back to the venue. We passed a few guards. One Irish gal, in response to our wristband story said, �Thanks for telenos!� I asked Val, �What is �telenos�? Is she talking about telephone numbers??� Some guy heard me and said TELLING US�she said thanks for telling us. We laughed about how hard it is to understand the Irish accent at times. At the last barrier we were told that our wristbands were not valid as tickets! We had to walk all the way back to the corner where the Ticketmaster van was and exchange our wristbands for hard-copy tickets and walk back to the venue again. Val and I were inside the inner ellipse on the right, second from the wall. JoJo and Alli were in the outer ellipse.

Here are my friend�s photos and mine:
JoJo: http://www.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=25600853/t_=9267345
Lana: http://www.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=25547580/t_=9267345
Brono: http://www.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=25436668/t_=9267345

For some great Dublin photos that I found on the net, see here:
Concerts: http://www.ayaz.com/photography/albumthumbview.asp?albumid=89
City: http://www.ayaz.com/photography/albumthumbview.asp?albumid=88
(Thanks Ayaz!)

// June 28, 2005
JoJo, Alli, Val and I fly to Cardiff, Wales. I am extra excited since my first name is Welsh (Bronwyn means �she of the white bosom� or bron=breast and wyn=white), and I am part Welsh! The Edge is also Welsh. Us four gals are sitting facing each other in the back of one of those small planes. We overhear two gals to the right of us talking about U2. We turn and it is two U2 acquaintances, Barbara and another Alli (Wong)! Alli W. has been on U2�s stage twice, once on the Elevation tour (Sacramento) and once on the Vertigo tour (San Jose). Barbara is beating me on Vertigo show attendance, but I am still ahead on total U2 concerts. During our flight, lightning struck the plane! I remembered reading that Bono was on a plane with Sophia Loren once when lightning struck; he told her it was just God taking her picture. I told everyone this to ease our nerves, but it was especially scary in this size plane. At the airport, we separated into twosomes according to our hotel reservations. We see a huge U2 Vertigo Tour banner across the road from the airport! Val and I take a cab to the Black Prince Hotel (www.blackprincehotel.com) in Llantrisant, South Wales. It is far out, but it was quaint. We enjoy dinner with a beer in the dining room before calling it a night.

// June 29, 2005  [Wales show info]
Can�t believe the news today. After waking up in Wales to the sound of cows outside our window, the package Val was expecting arrived, but the envelope had been sliced open and the two U2 tickets for the only Wales concert were missing. Val and I paid $110 (U.S.) per ticket. We suspect that the hotel staff stole them and contact the Wales Post Office to no avail. Then we decide to leave the hotel and join JoJo and Alli M. at their hotel near the venue. We took a stroll around the venue in daylight�beau2ful! Then we get in line early without tickets. I hold a place in line while Val goes back to the hotel to change. When she comes back, she says she found someone who might have tickets to sell us. I have a fan save my place in line. Val and I walk to another line, and this gal says she has two pitch (general admission) tickets to sell us for face value! As we were exchanging tickets and cash, the gal said she knew me. It was Claudia, frog hat and all! She picked up me and George in Chicago after Philip hooked us up so I could sell her tickets to the second San Diego show in March for her mom and sister. We all almost fell over. Between the plane ride and the venue, we all thought how small of a U2 world could Wales be? The venue is a stadium but it�s indoors! Val and I make it to the second row at the ellipse �a� stage. After the concert, we all go to dinner at a restaurant called Le Monde (which means The World). A bunch of us sit at a round table, eat buffet and drink, while the restaurant plays the U2 Greatest Hits 2 CD in its entirety.

// June 30, 2005
We leave the Wales hotel. Val breaks a wheel on her suitcase. We make it to the train station to get to London. Nervous about our luggage, we set it down at the door just inside the train. People are sitting in our seats. When we tell them, they do not move. The train staff doesn�t do anything about it. I turn around to find seats, thinking my friends are behind me. The train is so full�I end walking to the very last car, only to realize my friends are not behind me. Oh well, I think�I can have some alone time�but I was kind of perturbed. A little while later JoJo comes and finds me and guides me to first class; the train staff had done something after all. We take a great group picture sitting in first class. In London, we say goodbye to Val at the train station bar called The Reef Bar. Then JoJo, Alli and I have a drink and a bite to eat there. We make it to the Country Inn & Suites in Kensington. The room is a breadbox. We asked for non-smoking but clearly it was a smoking room. In addition, there was a horrible smell in the room�kind of like coolant from an air conditioner. After the three of us almost fell from tripping over each other, we decided to call and ask for a new room. The hotel was understaffed; we decided to cancel our reservation and move over to the Marriott across the street. First we sit in the bar at the Country Inn and have a pint�and a smoke. We all end up in tears laughing, because part of our argument to leave the hotel was regarding a non-smoking room. JACKPOT! At the Marriott, we score a top floor suite. Bea-U2-ful room! That night we ask a cute front desk guy about where to go to dinner. We decide on a restaurant/cafe called Ffiona�s (www.ffionas.com). It is very intimate�lit only by candlelight (just like I like it). We get a back table right by the kitchen, which is a bit noisy, but Ffiona herself sits with us much of the night! She is a hoot�a woman with a powerful story of how her restaurant came to be. Tales of woe and a deceitful man---but there she is, with a successful business, which is like eating dinner at home. We take some great pictures there and then move tables and drink and talk some more with Ffiona. We sign her guestbook. I think we were the last to leave. We miss you Ffiona!

// July 1, 2005
Today we take a cute English-looking taxi to Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace to take photos. Then we go to Fortnum & Mason for high tea. Afterward we go to Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Street for shopping, mostly looking for chairs to sit on at Live-8�to no avail. We end up at a pub called Waxy O�Connors (www.waxyoconnors.co.uk) for some pints and dinner. Lana meets us there and gives me my Live-8 ticket; I cry as she gives it to me. In order to get Live-8 tickets one had to live in London and win a text message contest. Lana�s friends won but couldn�t go, so Lana took a ticket and gave me the other! JoJo and Alli were lucky (albeit the price is unmentionable) to score tickets on eBay before Bob Geldof took them off eBay the same day. Lastly, we went to a grocery store and stocked up on supplies for Live-8. My favorite goodie was a 4-pack of Jell-O shots in little plastic cups with peel-off tops.

// July 2, 2005  [Live-8 show info]
Today marks my 50th time seeing U2 live, 17th time on this tour! We went to bed at 1am, got up at 4am, and were at Hyde Park Stadium by 6am. We sat in line not too far back, while we snacked and tried to stay dry from the drizzle. At one point we bought $10 programs. Lana text me and we discovered she was in front of us in the line. The doors finally opened at noon. Lana ran ahead; she had a camera and wanted to be sure to get a good spot. JoJo, Alli, and I had a lot of stuff to carry. We knew running was out of the question. We decided we�d be happy to get a spot that wasn�t too far back or too crowded. After we found a center spot under this tower, we tried to stake some ground by sprawling our stuff about. What were we thinking? This isn�t 400 people in the ellipse---this is 200,000 people all on the same ground. It got so crowded that going to the restroom or to buy something was a major, major effort. How happy were we just to be there though. The show began at 2pm. We went to get shirts around 5pm, and they were already sold out! We had plenty to munch on and many cigs to smoke back at camp. Luckily our neighbors were friendly. One guy had on a shirt that I loooove. It said, �Men Against Violence Against Women.� I felt I was meant to see that. Each band only played about three songs. While one band was playing, another would be setting up, and then they�d rotate the stage. As fast as each band went, the show seemed very long. It was supposed to end at 8pm�but it went until midnight! By the time Pink Floyd came on, I didn�t have an iota of energy to sing, clap, or dance. I wanted some cheese with my whine. We decided to leave a tad early and beat the crowd. We had to walk home as all the roads were blocked off. The walk took a full hour, even though our hotel didn�t seem that far away. Our feet were killing us. We were so happy to collapse that night in a clean, dry, uncrowded and fancy hotel room.

// July 3, 2005
JoJo, Alli and I go to the airport together. They are flying home, and I am happily returning to Dublin for one more day and night. Philip picks me up at the airport. We meet up with James at The Square in Temple Bar. We have lunch at a place off O'Connell Street. I had the cottage pie, James had Irish stew, and Philip had pasta. We split up so James can do his own thing, and we head for Bono's house on N11 Southeast. Philip didn't really know where he was going, but he knew Killiney was in that general direction. I slept for a while, being so tired from Live-8. Philip had a book called U2: Under a Blue Dublin Sky that had pictures of the bandmembers� houses in it so we referred to that to help us. We reach Killiney, park the car and go for �a wander� along Vico Road. The weather is overcast and cool. As plain as day, there is the gate to that mansion. Bono�s mansion. My heart is so happy; tears come to my eyes just writing this. This man who I have loved for 21 years�he lives here. This is the air he breathes. This is the peace he experiences--for whatever short amounts of time he is home. At two different times, the gate opened and a car came out, but we think it was just staff. Huh, staff. Bono, peel me a grape! Philip takes some pictures of me in front of Bono�s gate and at the Canadian Embassy across the street. Then Philip and I find a tunnel just to the right of Bono�s house. We walk down this beautiful stony pass, taking some pictures of Bono adoration graffiti. As we walk under the arched entryway to the beach, I thought of the Electrical Storm (albeit that was filmed in France). I take my shoes off and walk barefoot in the sand. I pick up a few pebbles for souvenirs; one has a little flower stuck to it. Philip takes some pictures of me sitting on a stone wall, and we sit on the wall looking out at the sea while talking. Then I spot a hole in the sky�blue sky in the shape of a heart (think Elevation) peeking through clouds, and I snap it with my camera phone! There are a couple of young guys on the beach, listening to U2 on the radio as we walk back past the tunnel. Behind us is Bono�s house up on the hill from where we walked down. Another photo. We wander back up and look for Edge's house but can�t decide which of the pink ones it was. So much for John Mellencamp�s �Little Pink Houses� in America. We just get back to the car when it starts to rain. We drive thru a little town on our way out, and I think...this is where Bono eats and shops!? The town is quintessentially quaint�kind of like San Anselmo (in Marin) meets Europe. We decide going to the Clarence Hotel (where Bono and Edge still hold 50% ownership) is in order. We have a fancy drink and snack plate at the bar. James meets us. He�s already a little drunk on Guinness and orders another. The three of us check into a hotel and then go to a bar in the Temple Bar area. It�s nice to see a bit of Irish flair----friendly people, dancing the jig, hollering a cadence or two...well, a few guys were celebrating their team's performance in a Gaelic match at Croke that afternoon. We end up having a McDonald�s in the wee hours of the morning and some guy with a Liverpool accent borrows my phone to call his spouse!? We crashed at Lynam's Hotel (http://www.lynams-hotel.com/) which was only 80 Euro for the three of us, including breakfast.

Note: Every day I was in Dublin, I kept hearing this noise and wondered why it sounded familiar. Turns out the noise of the metro is a noise sampled on the song "Who's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car?" from the album Achtung Baby. It�s kind of an echo-y�doo-doo-doo. Check out the song (again), and you�ll know what I mean.

// July 4, 2005
To not be in America on an American holiday is hard, but there is an instrumental U2 song called Fourth of July on my favorite album, The Unforgettable Fire, so I am actually thrilled to be in Ireland on this day. After breakfast we wander �round Dublin and go to St. Stephen's Green and walk through the park. The three of us do a little shopping; I find a cheap U2 t-shirt. I am walking down the street with my Rock Star tank and fly shades on. A few people give me very positive reactions. Philip and James take pictures of me under the sign at the Bonavox Hearing Store, from which Bono got his nickname. At one point we see Norman Hewson (Bono�s brother), talking on his cell while sitting outside his caf� called Nude. I was sooooo tempted to go to him�especially since I took a photo with him inside the heart at Slane Castle on August 25, 2001 (SEE PIC). I think he saw me, but I couldn�t bear to interrupt him on his call. Shite, what if he were talking to Bono?! Now I�m pissed. I buy George a Claddagh ring from a street trader on Grafton Street. Lastly, James takes a picture of me and Philip under the sign of a hair salon called ZOO. James continues to shop, but Philip and I had to go back and check out of the hotel. On the way to the car park, in a Ross-like store window I see a shirt that reads, �My face is up here" (with an up arrow) and buy it since it�s cheap. I almost don�t buy it because next to it is a shirt that reads, �Blondes have more fun, Brunettes can read.� Finally, we have a look in Rhythm Records. They are selling snow-globe frames of U2. I decide I�m going to take the snow-globe frame my mom gave me last xmas and put a U2 pic in it when I get home. Then we drove to the airport. I had to jump out for fear of being late. Philip could not come in for a coffee with me and James as we had originally thought. I meet James inside the airport. After that it was the beginning of a hellacious day. Our flights are already confusing but we make it past the counter and to the gate. We realize we can drink in the airport line, so I give him money for a couple Guinnesses. We meet a great older couple in line and brag of our U2 concerts the whole time. Suddenly, a change in flights is announced. The Ireland airport issues me a ticket that read �US� for the airline. It was unclear whether they meant United, US Air, or any number of U.S. airlines. When I got to Chicago O�Hare, I was on a wild goose chase. First, all of my luggage was thoroughly searched. Then I was told to go to one terminal, but after taking the tram to it, I was told to go back. When I got back I was told to take a tram to another terminal, yet told to turn around and go back again. It got to the point that I had 20 minutes left to catch my flight. They decided this was the time to go thru all my luggage, again. At this point I was in hysterical tears, exaggerated by the time change. Then a security person walked me all the way to one gate only to find out he was wrong. Finally I was given a flight that wouldn�t arrive in the Bay Area until 2:30am. It was such a bad experience; I didn�t even have the voice to explain it to George when he picked me up. You �had to be there� to understand the extent I went through.

Philip�s pix:
http://www.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=28967029/t_=9267345

James� pix:
http://www.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=25748684/t_=9267345

// August 14, 2005
No more GA for Brono. George Adas, that is.

// September 20, 2005  [Chicago 1 show info]
My mom and I decide to visit Geoff, my half-brother/her stepson, who lives in Madison County (yes, like The Bridges of) four hours outside of Chicago. She hasn�t seen him in 33 years; I have to take a week off work unpaid to make this reunion happen. Since U2 will be in Chicago in mid-September, we decide that�s the week we�ll go, and it�s about time my mom saw her first U2 concert at age 70. We get to the O�Hare Airport in Chicago and realize our hotel is a $50 cab ride from the airport. I cab alone to the United Center and get a GA ticket at 7:45pm! But ellipse scanning is over. However, I�m happy to be in the door and on the floor! I stand to the right of the soundboard, hoping to have the luck I did at Ana2. At one point I see a girl with a t-shirt that says it�s her 8th bday; the concert is her father�s present to her. Cool dad! I meet another fan solo; he�s wearing a Depeche Mode shirt. I enjoy being alone at U2 concerts; no one else to worry about! After the concert, I meet up briefly with Valerie, Barbara, and Alli W. Valerie gives me great directions to where I can find a cab.

// September 21, 2005  [Chicago 2 show info]
Finally, I�m taking my mom to see U2. She likes U2, but not like me, and she used to complain that I played them too loud when I was a teenager. We cab together to the venue early as we have dinner reservations at the United Center Stadium Club (http://www.unitedcenter.com/pagetemp.php?copy=cateviewcs)! The irony is my grandfather was a pilot, and my mother was a flight attendant, for United in the 1960s. My mom has belonged to Clipped Wings (www.clippedwings.com) for years. We are so early that the doors aren�t even open yet. There�s a merchandise truck outside. My mom promised her friends she�d buy them t-shirts. So she�s like �I�ll have one of those, and one of those� etc. Then the lady informs her that the merchandise truck accepts cash only. My mom gets very indignant, as she often does when she views customer service as lacking. I try to tell her that she can just buy t-shirts inside later, but it takes a total stranger telling her that to convince her. Finally, we get let in the venue. We escalate to the second floor and stop at the merchandise counter. We peek at a few things but decide to get our table in the restaurant first; it�s right across from certain section entries. We order martinis and dish up dinner at a wonderful buffet. As we�re eating, my eyes bug out as I realize U2 is sound-checking and we can hear it! My mom asks me, �Are we missing the concert?� We are sitting right by a door. I sneak out of it, with dinner napkin in hand, and run through a curtain. Bono is singing at the top of his lungs, but it�s dark. I go back through the restaurant entrance and sit back down. Indeed�I tell my mom�U2 are sound-checking with City of Blinding Lights. Then I hear them playing another song. I go back out the side door, this time with my mom�s camera. I take a picture of the arena, lit up only by a few dim lights from the bulb-backdrop that is down and seemingly hiding the band�or perhaps they�re under the stage? I enter the restaurant again�this time the wait-staff look at me suspiciously. I announce that I had to peek at U2�s sound-check. I start jogging back to my table, when a customer shouts out, �What are they playing?� As I zoom past, I reply, �Zoo Statioioioion!� Toward the end of dinner my mom gets anxious and decides to attempt buying merchandise again. I tell her NOT to buy me anything�that I have plenty of U2 merchandise. She�s gone for awhile. I�m worried that she�s stuck in a huge line. Still, she buys me a hat. My eyes pop as it�s a new hat�it has a crocheted V on the front instead of a spiral. I�m weary though; most hats look huge on my pea head. I wear it anyway. My mom says I need to do something with my hair, so I put a clip on each side to assimilate pigtails. My mom bought a baseball Vertigo t-shirt for her and her friends. She also bought a Vertigo 2005 pin for herself; it was only $2! Per my mom�s request, we leave the restaurant so we can catch the last of the opening band, Dashboard Confessional, as my mom thinks it might be U2. My mom is legally disabled via her handicap parking placard. That�s how I found tickets�buy spotting the little handicap symbol on the Ticketmaster site. Last night was sold out, even for the �accessible� area, but I was able to get two accessible area tickets for tonight. We take an escalator up to the third floor, and then we�re directed to an elevator! We exit and enter the door to the concert�and are literally in �the� last row, but we have the row to ourselves--apparently this accessible area did not sell out. Before U2 comes on, I am happy to make a beer run, per my mom�s request. During the concert, a lady sees my �U2: a Celebration� banner which my mom and I are holding up and soaking up Bono�s spotlight with. She offers to take a picture of us (without the banner). It turns out the hat looks decent (see pic in link below), and I�m very tickled my mom bought the hat for me. During Sunday Bloody Sunday (the song which got me into U2 but a song I�m sooo sick of), I�m happy to make another beer run, also per my mom�s request. My mom loves the show. She recognizes songs and sings along. At the end of the show, she says, �I�ve caught your obsession! And I need to see them again!� We walk out of the venue, and I take a picture of her under the United Center sign. Then we start looking for a cab. Without my friends to point me the right way, I�m not sure where to go. We follow the crowd to one of the parking lots where a road is. On our way, a guy says, �Cool, yo! Momma and daughter!� I leave my mom under a streetlamp as I try to hail a cab while wearing my fly shades in the dark. There are plenty of cabs, but they�re all taken! Finally, I beeline across a large intersection and jump in a cab. The cabbie does not turn where I tell him to. Then he tells me he cannot make a U-turn. I tell him to make it or I�m getting out�that I�m worried about my mom and already have a very expensive and long cab ride back to the hotel and don�t want to pay for him to circle the lot in traffic. He threatens to call the police! I tell him go ahead. Then he orders me to get out after all. Finally, I get back to my mom and she looks like she saw a ghost. She says that two guys pulled a knife on her and demanded her purse!! Luckily, one of the parking guards saw what was happening and stopped it. I thought�between this and last May, there is some kind of bad vibe I get from Chicago, as beautiful a city as it is. On the way to the hotel my mom is crying. I put my hand on her shoulder as I selfishly check for the fly shades on top of my head---they�re there, I think�don�t lose them!�I tell myself.

// September 22, 2005
In the middle of the night, there is a crazy thunderstorm. It wakes up me and my mom and we can�t believe the sounds of this force of nature. As I�m about to seal my vanity bag, I notice my fly shades aren�t in it--where I normally pack them. I find them on the dresser and pack them. Phew. Then I go outside to walk to the hotel lobby and pick up breakfast for me and my mom. It�s very humid outside. I can�t believe the change from the thunderstorm to the humidity�or maybe it�s normal? All of the sudden I slap my neck�and I�m like an Angel of Harlem with my neck swollen like a bee sting. Indeed, I was stung by a bee. This trip is starting to scare me. We leave to visit my brother (in Collinsville) who just recently left his wife of 20 years (with an 8-month-old son and 13-year-old daughter) for her sister! Too much information? Sorry�after all�Jerry Springer is filmed in Chicago. We visit my nephew, niece, and sister-in-law too. As we pack to go home, I can't find my fly shades. They seemed to have vanished. I'm so ticked--I look in my vanity bag but clearly they're not there since the sides of the shades do not collapse. I call the hotel and the cab company only to get laughed at. I wonder if the shades are in sock heaven. We are happy to return home on 9/25.

Mom�s (non-digital) camera:
http://www.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=33394371/a=9267345_9267345/t_=9267345

My camera phone:
http://www.t-mobilepictures.com/Brono/U2withmom9-21-05phone/ps/ALBUM/VIEWWEBSITE?foneblog=1134522441090

// October 20, 2005
Leave for Philadelphia with JoJo.

// October 21, 2005 (Bono's Speach)
JoJo and I arrive in Philadelphia in the morning, rent a car, and drive to our hotel. We order in and relax during the day. Then we get ready for Bono�s acceptance speech at the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia ceremony, honoring him with an International Statesman award. The ceremony is located at the University of Pennsylvania auditorium. I drive at JoJo�s direction. We panic a bit as there is traffic over the bridge, but we park and enter the building (http://www.upenn.edu/admissions/tour/tourstop.php?stop=6) on time. We have VIP seating so we are escorted to the front rows. We see our friends who we will meet later in the dining room. The auditorium is packed, but we secure two seats in the 5th row on the left. The podium is on the left side of the stage! Bono is introduced (and we are told there will be absolutely no autographs or personal contact with him), and when he comes out, he is given a standing ovation. He responds, �This doesn�t have to be a rock show!� We are so close we can see Bono drink from a water bottle and put his hand in his back pocket. To watch him speak in person was surreal. I�ve always been a sucker for a good orator. I was just happy to see that Bono was as intense in person as he is on television and video. At the end of his speech, audience members were allowed to ask questions. I wanted to ask a gender-oriented question, but I am uncomfortable using a microphone. Only three were allowed to ask questions, and luckily one gal asked about gender. Bono gave a great answer. He talked about how women in Africa walk miles to get water, so it was arranged that they�d have wells right in town. But the women are still choosing to walk miles to get the water elsewhere�because they want to escape from the men for a little while! Before his speech was over, Bono received two more standing ovations! Our next stop was the cocktail reception. I grabbed a few Jack & Cokes, while most of my friends could only find beer and wine. At one point Bono walked through the reception�well, more like along side it, on the other side of a rope, and with someone who appeared to be a bodyguard albeit Bono claims he does not use one. Some people were holding up there copy of the New York Times Magazine with Bono on the cover, awarding him the International Statesman award, but Bono signed no autographs. Then JoJo and I noticed a few people sneaking into the dining room behind this wooden screen. We were stopped at first but eventually allowed through. Our friends saved the center table (right under the chandelier) for all of us. So it was Barbara, Alli W., Mandy, Khelia, Laura, Laura�s friend, JoJo, and me. We were all dressed up and very excited. Suddenly we knew Bono was walking in because there was now a standing ovation in the dining room! There he was walking to and then sitting at the front round table (only two tables away from ours) facing the rest of the room---whoever was sitting at his table was very lucky. All of us gals wanted to rush up and greet him, but we were nervous since we were warned about no contact. Everyone backed off except me and Laura, a friend of a friend sitting at my table. I had a letter to give Bono and it turned out she did too! Laura went first. Then some lady tried to tell me that security would be here any minute. I didn�t care. Bono was looking down at his plate. I bent down a bit and said, �Bono, my name is Brono, and I wrote you a letter.� He turned his head sheepishly, grinned, and said, �Oh, thanks!� and took the envelope. I went back to our table and let out a holler. Many of my friends� eyes popped. The meal began with complimentary wine and a salad. Then our fear came to fruition---Bono left after his salad! You could tell by yet another standing ovation. We were disappointed to say the least. We paid a lot of money to have �Dinner with Bono� and had seen postings on the Internet that he only shows up briefly or not at all at these things. It didn�t occur to us that once he was there and sitting that he�d leave early! We disgruntingly sat through dinner, which was also disappointing in taste for the amount we paid. Did any of us ever write that complaint? Here is the menu (found on a little card on each table):

Dinner Menu
Arugula and radicchio salad
with Cashel blue cheese and pears
Walnut vinaigrette

Grilled breast of chicken with shrimp
Olive oil braised plum tomato ragout
Creamy Asiago polenta
Roast fall vegetables

Chocolate Ganache Tart
Coffee and tea service

Throughout our meal, we kept glancing at Bono�s table, hoping he�d return. I thought I�d at least go back to his table and see if there were any artifacts. I decided to take the centerpiece plant from his table. Unfortunately, I had in mind that I was carrying three items (jacket, bag, notebook). When I added the plant plus my glass of wine, I forgot about my suede Cole Haan notebook, which I had placed under the table! It had in it not only my ticket to the event, but I had brought the Irish flag Bono gave me on 4/26/01 in case he was signing autographs. Luckily, the notebook was found and mailed to me. God is a woman (if not Bono)! After the dinner, we all went out and had the best time! We started out at a bar called Manny Brown�s on South Street in a really cute downtown area which reminded me of Mexico or somewhere, just in the way it was �happening.� We ended up at a club and danced up an electrical storm.

Article on Bono�s speech:
http://www.nbc10.com/news/5148481/detail.html

Article on Award (3 parts):
http://www.atu2.com/news/article.src?ID=4081&Key=&Year=&Cat=

Picture of the dining room:
http://www.museum.upenn.edu/new/events/RENTALS/index.shtml

Alli W's pix:
http://www.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=37099854/a=9267345_9267345/t_=9267345

// October 22, 2005  [Pittsburgh show info]
JoJo and I drive to Pittsburgh (pretty city) and stay at The Radisson, as do the other gals. They do the GA line thing in the rain, but JoJo and I check at the box office and decide to buy golden circle tickets and rest in our warm, dry hotel room the rest of the day. We are thrilled to find out we're in the front row and hardly anyone is in the row, so we have lots of room to dance. It was so great to have no one in front of us and still be raised off the floor. We noticed a few people with questionable passes/badges jumping over the barrier. Behind us was this guy wearing a smiley face mask (which JoJo and I both tried on)—it was one of the greatest things I've ever seen at a U2 concert. Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own has me crying often, but the version at this concert was especially tear provoking. When we left the next morning, we briefly met some people in the lobby who went to the concert and discussed how great the concert was.

My camera phone:
http://www.t-mobilepictures.com/Brono/Pittsburg/ps/ALBUM/VIEWWEBSITE?foneblog=1141691707919

Hotel:
http://www.radisson.com/hoteldirectory/hotelbio.jsp?hotelCode=PAPITTSB&hotelBrandCode=RAD&key=hoteldirectory.info.&origin=Hotel%20Directory&backURI=http:%2F%2Fwww.radisson.com%2Freservation%2FhotelPreference.do%3FlocationUni%3D184%26dno%3D02200602210610

// November 1, 2005  [LA #1 show info]
November 1, 2005 (LA1): This is a special mention. I did NOT attend the LA shows for the first time since Zoo TV. But Chris ‘U2' Starr called during the concert because “happy birthday” was being sung to his hero, Larry (whose birthday was on Halloween). At the end of the song Chris commented that Bono was bringing girls on stage. I asked him if they were in fact girls or women. He said he couldn't tell. I said, “I bet it's Exit!” (Exit is a former all-female U2 tribute band from L.A.; now they play mostly their own music.) Chris said they were too young looking to be Exit. Sure enough, it was Exit. They were spotted by Bono while holding a sign that read "Bassist Singer Guitarist Drummer" over "The Girls Play Rock and Roll." Trevi (Trevi/Bono), Captive (Courtney/Edge), Affa (Susan/Adam), and Dim (Pam/Larry) performed “Out of Control.” (Nikki, the former lead singer, dreamt of the nicknames which formed Exit.) Tears came to my eyes as I listened in amazement to my friends (whom I met in line in London in August 2001) while they played on stage with U2 and U2's instruments!

Exit's site: http://www.exit-band.com/ (be sure to check out their music page for an mp3 of OOC and the news page for a report and pix on this event)

Captive on stage in Nov. 2001:
http://www.geocities.com/andisono/captiveu2.html (She is also in the book with me and Marisa; see March 28.)

Prelude to Vegas1 by Bonnie

// November 4, 2005  [Las Vegas #1 show info]
November 4, 2005 (Vegas1): Lori, her neighbor Jennifer, and Jennifer's friend Kim and I flew to Vegas. Jennifer and Kim were not going to U2—they came only to gamble. We got a great room at the Aladdin. I had GA tickets with my cousin (who is like a sister to me), Bonnie, who met me by the bar at the MGM Grand. I was very worried that we might be late for the ellipse scan, but I had five extra seated tickets that I still had to sell to Chris Gallo, a guy I used to date, who introduced me to Chris Starr. Then we had to say goodbye to my other cousin/sister Annie, her friend Lori, my friend Lori, and everyone else and jam through the long corridors of the hotel to the arena entrance. Where most people were entering with seated tickets, we were shown a stairway exit and had to cross the street to get in the GA doorway. The people in front of us won, so I figured there was little or no chance of us winning. Frowning, I showed my ticket first and BOOM---we won the ellipse too!! Tears were flying off my face, and Bonnie was jumping up and down. I was so surprised and so excited, since it was my cousin's first U2 show. Bonnie and I proudly stopped to buy beers and share our exaltation with the beer line. During the show, I was really honored to be next to her during Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own. My other cousin Beau (Bonnie and Annie's brother) passed away in November 2004, a month away from his 23rd birthday. Bonnie thinks of Beau when she hears Sometimes, and we happened to be in Vegas on the year anniversary of Beau's death. After the concert, Bonnie went back to her hotel, and I hooked up with Chris and Chris. We went to club Light at the Bellagio hotel. As we were taking the escalator up in darkness and blue light, Chris Gallo informs me that U2 is at the club!!!! Indeed, as we walk in I spot Larry sitting at a table talking to friends. Then I spot Bono standing up, wearing his cowboy hat, and also talking to friends. The area they are in is roped off, but I notice a few gals lined up at it, so I get behind them. Then the security guy undoes the rope and starts letting people in, but he cuts it off at me. I AM FURIOUS. How dare he not let Brono in! I'm wearing my new rhinestone U2 shirt! At this point I don't know where my friends are and am disappointed to see gals swinging around poles. I'm close to leaving when I bump into Chris Starr. Thank Goddess he didn't get in the special area, or I would've been so mad. He tells me to go in the bathroom and turn my shirt inside out, that it's too obvious I'm U2 obsessed. I consider it, but then I think I want them to see it! Eventually we all give up and go party in a hotel room. Then we go to the Zuma bar and are up all night. I love it...no 2am deadline, talking about U2 to strangers all night. But then I'm flabbergasted to watch sunshine stream through the hotel lobby and see tourists as they rise after a night's sleep. At noon, I finally decide it's time to go back to my hotel and eat and sleep before Vegas2. As I leave the Bellagio in looking through my fly shades, still wearing my U2 rhinestone shirt and black sequin pants, I expect to be looked at as out of place. The valet guy smiles at me, but no one blinks an eye on the street. Pure comedy.

Pix of concert (my camera phone):
http://www.t-mobilepictures.com/Brono/ps/ALBUM/VIEWWEBSITE?foneblog=1141703815608

// November 5, 2005  [Las Vegas #2 show info]
We pre-party in our room a bit and then Lori and I (in my Vertigo baseball shirt and V cap) stroll over in the warm night weather to the MGM Grand. We meet Chris and Chris in front of Zuma again. We buy some beers to go (I love it!) and end up stopping at McDonald's in the hotel to curb our hunger before the concert. We have seated tickets and are happy to find out that we're in the front row of the upper section behind the stage. We're enjoying that it’s just the four of us…old friends who've been following U2 since the early 80s. When U2 played Until the End of the World, which I hadn't heard since Chi4 in May, we freaked. One of the best shows on the tour.

// November 8, 2005  [Oakland #1 show info]
I meet up with my friend Geeta, a tenant in the building I used to manage. We go to my friend Stephanie's house near the Embarcadero BART to pre-party. Geeta and I leave early to meet someone at the box office—I'm selling an extra pair of GA I have for over face value for the first time—I have to make up for my loss in Wales (see June 29). Then Heather Rimmey, Stephanie, Stephanie's friends Jack, Rich and Joe, and my friend Joe (a Zoo Station fan) and his girlfriend Sarah all meet me and Geeta in our row—a row pretty far up in the ‘nosebleeds' but I’m always open to catching a different view of a U2 concert. I see another friend, Mike Guerra, not too far away. Stephanie has her share of drinks, and we hug and slow dance during one of the mellow songs. After the concert, Heather, Noah, and I go to the Uptown in Oakland to see the post-U2 Zoo Station show, marking my 70th ZS gig in a little over three years.

// November 9, 2005  [Oakland #2 show info]
Tonight I BART to the Arena alone to meet my friend Peter's friends in the parking lot. Johnny and Steve have a camper, so we can pre-party! Eventually Peter and Marianne show. Then Brandon, Jason Mac, and Greg show up. Greg wears my fly shades for awhile, and everyone thinks he's a dead ringer for Bono. I helped sell a ticket for Heather Rimmey's friend, Christine, so she joins us at the camper with her friend Unni. Also, JoJo and Alli M join, and Shelley (a Zoo Station fan) with her spouse Pete, as well as my friend Robin and her spouse Rich. We stay in the parking lot partying during the whole duration of the opening band, Damian Marley (whom I've already seen). As we pack up the camper, we all say we'll meet back and post-party. We leave the lot to get beers and take our seats. They're the same exact seats as the night before! Noah (a Zoo Station fan) and his friend Steph are already there. And then, Brandon and Greg notice George is in the row, just next to our seats. Quite ironic, since we were dating at the time we bought the tickets, but we bought them separately(!) in attempt to get as many tickets as possible. But I don't go there, even when Brandon tells me that George says goodbye as her leaves a bit early with his nephew, Jake. After the show, I end up walking alone for a bit back to the camper. As I do, I hear two guys talking about the best U2 concert ever, and sure enough they're talking about my favorite, April 20, 2001 in San Jose—the night Bono said he never felt better on stage. We exchange banter for a few minutes, and then I meet everyone back at the camper. But sadly, Johnny is rushing to get the camper out of the parking lot, so Christine, Unni, Jason Mac, and I decide to go straight to Zoo Station* at the Uptown in Oakland, again. There we meet some fun guys from Norway. They're astounded at how many U2 concerts I've seen, acting like I'm some kind of celebrity, and make dancing around a bit mosh-pit like but a lot of fun.

*Our very own Skott (Barely Larry of Zoo Station) made a great sign that read "Bassist Singer Guitarist Drummer" over "The Boys Play Rock and Roll" for this show in hopes to follow in Exit's footsteps (see Nov 1). Zoo didn't get on stage, but Skott reports that Bono looked and smiled at the sign, and that Adam squinted and smiled too.

Steve's pix:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=5yd6paz.71wf8qdb&Uy=-h1p2ni&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=1&UV=167918387787_615058781303=�������

REPORTS STILL TO COME FOR THIRD LEG: Salt Lake City and Portland December.

FOURTH LEG: Just when I had four GA�s to Hawaii�but sending light to Edge�s 8-year-old daughter, Sian! http://www.u2.com/news/index.php?mode=full&news_id=1918

COMMENTS welcome at [email protected] or http://www.myspace.com/brononline