Wednesday, September 16, 2009

How Big Is It? - U2 360 Tour


















Ground Control to Major Tom…

That’s how the U2 360 Tour at Soldier Field started, with a recording by David Bowie.

Ground Control to Major Tom…

It took four days to build U2’s set. What is that? This is a ginormous set of space claws, expelling gasses and digital images bigger than a swimming pool. I came to the show with a healthy dose of skepticism about that monster, wondering if it would seem like a very big and empty gesture. The thing I noticed first is that U2 were brought down to size beneath this structure - they were no bigger than me or the people I came with. The set design is also about accessibility. You see, U2 are just like you and me. Our only differences are net worth and international fame. And special effects. But really, we're all the same.

Take your protein pills and put your helmet on…

The Olds (people older than me) learned lessons about social activism from Harriett Tubman and Bobby Kennedy. Not me. Back in my day, we were enlightened beneath the cascade of Bono’s mullet, as he sang about war with a beat we could dance to.


This is a picture of me dancing and taking pictures during “City of Blinding Light”.







I missed every preceding U2 tour. At 360 I ended up on the floor near the sound mixers. I could feel "Elevation" in my chest!







This is a haunted photo of my WOO WOO! during “Until the End of the World”.






After School Special Moments
You know there have to be several, right? Green lights for Iran. Singing along with “Amazing Grace”. Wearing Aung San Suu Kyi masks. A robot voice reading Stop All the Clocks by W.H. Auden.

Self-indulgence and idealism are two sides of the same coin. You can’t get to where they are without generous spending.

You will love this.

U2 on September 13, 2009





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20 comments:

Mojopo said...

Guess what happened to me just prior to "Sunday Bloody Sunday"? Go on, guess...

Anonymous said...

Hell Yeah...tht's a Bad Ass stage set girl!LQQks HUGE!

I always love Big Boy concerts when they got the money to do it up right!

Nikki

Mojopo said...

Right on, Nikki. I haven't been to a stadium show in ages. It was fab!

James said...

My band played a show on Saturday, and it was totally just like that.
/lie

Mojopo said...

I have that same claw in my backyard, but mine is also a water slide.

James said...

That's a cool idea: I wondered what we'd do with ours. Thanks.

Mojopo said...

My waterslide exits in Cancun.

Speedy said...

And my ass is still small....

anony tu said...

Hey, it's 1984 and we are all Material Girls and boys. What are these clowns singin' about? Oh my god! Did he say "enlightenment"? These clowns are never gonna make it.

James said...

So, um. Figure Pavement's gonna be using one of these for their 2010 world tour?

Anonymous said...

Glad to see, you had great time.

LV

Your friend, Rusty said...

Thanks for sharing your most excellent adventure.

PapaPig said...

Glad to see U2 had fun girl!!

scrotch said...

Hmm. Well, sort of on topic, but not really: Does it bother any of you that our president, Barrack Unicorn Obama, once allowed a white member of his family to call him Barry? Have you ever known a black man named Barry? (Chuck Berry doesn't count.) Neither have I!! That's got to mean something bad, doesn't it? Let's ask the member of the Fox News team who may have been a real journalist at some time in his life.

Mr. Chris Wallace, is it a bad thing that the predominantly, or at least half, white family of Barrack Obama calls him Barry?

CHRIS WALLACE: Yes. Yes it is.

See?! I told yall so!!!

scrotch's night out said...

Well, if you don't wanna talk about that, I have some great barbecue recipes!

scrotch's night out said...

One of my recipe's has peanut butter in it. And no tomato sauce. That's living on the edge!

anony tu said...

Without tomato sauce. Really!!

anony tu said...

One cup of peanut butter, a half cup of soy sauce, a quarter cup of honey, a quarter cup of honey, two tablespoons lemon juice. Blend together without heat, then place in a double boiler to warm until the flavors fuse. Brush over chicken on the grill. Or anything that tastes just like chicken.

Remainder of sauce can be stored in the refrigerator. Yes! In.the.re-fri-ger-a-tor! Modern miracle.

a.t. said...

That should be only one quarter cup of honey. Unless you really like honey.

Mojopo said...

I bought some Amish honey. It makes me want to grow a beard and build chairs.