U2 at FedEx Field - September 29, 2009

This was my first time seeing U2, and they did not disappoint. If I'd known they were that good live, I would have paid the big bucks to see them years ago!

They're traveling with this redonk 164-foot stage setup that apparently takes three days to break down and set up.  It's called "The Claw".

And here's what The Claw looks like when it's awake.

The video screen was expandable, which created a cool effect ... too bad that when fully extended it obscured what little view we had of the band ...

Since we were sitting way the hell up at the top of the stadium.  

But who cares?  Our tickets were FREE!  It was a beautiful night shared with a dear friend ...

Isn't she photogenic?  She would also like to know if you've seen this boy ...

I'm going to make a bold statement, and say they may be the greatest rock band performing on the planet today.  I reserve the right to amend my opinion after I see Springsteen in November.

SET LIST:

Breathe

Magnificent

Get On Your Boots

Mysterious Ways

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For / Stand By Me (snippet)

Elevation

Your Blue Room

Beautiful Day / Blackbird (snippet)

New Year's Day

Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of

The Unforgettable Fire

Mofo (snippet) / City Of Blinding Lights

Vertigo

I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight / Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough (snippet)

Sunday Bloody Sunday

MLK

Walk On

ENCORE: 

One / Amazing Grace (snippet)

Where The Streets Have No Name

Ultra Violet (Light My Way)

With Or Without You

Moment of Surrender

The stand out moments for me were:

Still Haven't Found, when Bono suddenly let the crowd take over the first stanza, with 80,000+ singing their hearts out ... at least until we got to the second stanza and nobody could remember the kissing of honey lips.  Our bad.

Sunday Bloody Sunday, which was recast here as an anthem for the Iranian democracy protestors.  At one point Bono pulled some dude up on stage and wrapped him up in an American flag.  The guy did what any of us would have, and jumped around gleefully, not believing his good luck.  Dance on, good sir.

One / Amazing Grace / Streets, just because. 

I was a little disappointed there was no Pride (In the Name of Love).  And even though I didn't think they would play it, I was still hoping for an I Will Follow.  All in all, a good mix of the old and new.

All of my snaps were taken from my phone.  I took FedEx at their word, and didn't want to risk trying to take my camera in.  -1 to me for being such a baby, although it wouldn't really have mattered, given where our seats were.  Once the show started, I was a little glad of not having the camera.  Sometimes I feel like I'm experiencing life through a digital filter.  I have to remind myself to actually enjoy the moment, rather than get so involved in trying to document it.

Fortunately, lots of other people did bring cameras into the show.  For photos from the show that are far better than mine, check out spiggycat , alykat, and Brandon Wu's photostreams on Flickr.

Mmm ... this cheese is delicious!

I don't wanna wait ... oops, wrong team drama

So, even though I've blogged about it before ... and I pretty much know all the characters and salient plots points ... I don't watch One Tree Hill.

I don't.

BUT. When one happens to be in Wilmington, NC anyway visiting dear friends, and the opportunity presents itself to take the EUE Screen Gems studio tour and see where the show is filmed .. well.   One goes.

Sadly, this was the only shot I could take on the tour, as the CW doesn't want fans giving anything away.

But we did get to see the high school set including Haley's classroom and the locker room (with poor dead Q's locker *sniff*), Brooke's house (which included a tutorial on product placement from our tour guide), Peyton's office and recording studio, and Nathan and Haley's house. As to the last one, seriously y'all. Nevermind the fact of what 22 year old couple with a 5 year old kid has a house with a pool (and a crazy stalker nanny), what 22 year old couple with a 5 year old kid has a house that nicely decorated? There wasn't a futon or stick of Ikea furniture to be seen. Way to help me suspend my disbelief, SHOW.

Not that I watch. Or have started watching again, so that I can say to myself, "Hey! I was there!"  Because that hasn't happened.

And when one is already in Wilmington, and has a friend who's willing to humour one, one might drive around to see the exterior locations.  Places such as:

Clothes over Bros, formerly Brooke's clothing boutique, before she was attacked and the store trashed, and she decided that maybe her mom, Victoria, had a hand in it and decided to hell with it and gave control of the company back to Mommy Dearest so she could raise a teenage runaway and learn valuable life lessons.

It appears to have also once been Karen's Cafe, the business run by Lucas' mom (toe pick!) before she married Andy the hot Kiwi college professor and had poor dead Keith's baby and they moved away and left the show because parents - when they're not evol Dan - just get in the way in these teen-ish dramas.

UPDATED TO ADD: One thing that we really, truly didn't do was knock on the door of "Peyton's House" and bother the nice family that lives there.


And then we cruised over to the Battleship North Carolina ... and the River Courts.  Scene of many a brooding, dramatic moment where someone, usually Lucas or Nathan, learn an important life lesson.

And we may have also driven over to this warehouse where my friend Dan's ship has a storage space ... but more importantly, it's the exterior of Tric, the all ages nightclub that Karen and Peyton opened and out of which Peyton now runs her music label Red Bedroom Records.

This last picture has nothing to do with One Tree Hill, but it is a delicacy to which I do look forward when I'm in NC. Mmmm ... Cheerwine. Or, as my brother likes to call it, god's own sweat.

 

My eyes! My eyes!

I don't watch One Tree Hill. Seriously, I don't. SHUT UP STOP JUDGING ME!! But apparently, James Vanderbeek will be guest starring on tonight's episode.

Oh, James.

Let's review what the other Dawson's kids are up to, shall we? Michelle Williams? Oscar nominated actress. Katie Holmes? Got married, had a kid, lives quietly in LA. Pacey? Starring in a JJ Abrams show.

Dawson, you might seriously want to think about getting a new agent. Like, now.