U2 360 VANCOUVER October 28, 2009

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U2 VERTIGO 2005 SEATTLE APRIL 24 & 25, 2005

Dan and I walk to Key Arena an hour before the gates open. I'm a nervous wreck, praying and making deals in my head with every higher power for me to win my way into the Ellipse or "Bomb Shelter." It is said to be completely random, but I still believe that being a former Propaganda member, U2's fanclub pre-Internet, comes into play. Dan has his ticket scanned first and he isn't a winner. Then it's on to me. I take a deep breath and in my head I know I already win and once I see the screen turn to the U2.com logo I jump up and scream and yell, "Yay Canada." I'm uncontrollable. All the ticket people are so happy for me to win because they could tell I'm the hugest of the huge fans. It really is like winning a million bucks.

As the Bomb Shelter shields more and more fans, people start asking to take pictures of my hair. I feel like such a celebrity. Plus I bet everyone thinks I am high on some drug or another because I am a bundle of energy never missing a beat to swivel my hips or wiggle my ass. The only drugs I am on is admiration and adrenlin...and Cold FX of course.

The crowd roars as Bill and Melinda Gates take their seats. Also in attendance are grunge heroes Eddie Vedder and Stone Gossard from Pearl Jam, and Nancy and Ann Wilson from Heart. The Killers also pop into attendance after their headlining show at the Moore Theatre. The boys Kings of Leon open. They're a good up-and-coming band. But not being too familiar with their stuff, I cannot really comment any further. All I know is that they keep me moving.

U2 always have prided themselves on putting on the greatest of live shows. Indeed they do not fail. Opening with "Love And Peace Or Else," their very cinematic message of love and politics comes shining through.

Love And Peace Or Else // Vertigo (with Stories For Boys snippet) // Elevation // The Cry // The Electric Co. // An Cat Dubh // Into The Heart // City Of Blinding Lights // Beautiful Day // Miracle Drug // Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own // New Year's Day // Sunday Bloody Sunday // Bullet The Blue Sky (with snippets of The Hands That Built America & When Johnny Comes Marching Home) // Running To Stand Still // Pride (In The Name Of Love) // Where The Streets Have No Name // One (Bono has the audience holding up their cell phones, illuminating the arena).

Encore: Zoo Station // The Fly // Mysterious Ways // All Because Of You // Yahweh // "40"

I'm happy Dan is at the U2 concert with me and shares my U2 euphoria. For his first U2 experience, he's right up front and loving every second of the show. I doubt he'll be able to see such an amazing performance ever again. Unless he comes to another show with me. I have incredible luck with tickets. A U2 concert is a powerful event. It brings everyone together and it enhances emotions and triggers all those feelings of the heart.

How To Dismantle An Asian's Bank Account is to have eight different men's t-shirts being sold at the merchandise stand. The merchandise guy gives me a hard time. He asks me what I want and I say "J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q" T-shirts and he says "stop being funny." I tell him I'm serious. Then I tell him I want all seven buttons, the keychain, the program, a poster and the baseball cap. The merchandise guy then is nice to me and encourages me to come back the next night.

U2 performs "City of Blinding Lights" // "Miracle Drug" Intro

U2 performs "Miracle Drug"

U2 performs "Sunday Bloody Sunday"

U2 performs "Running To Stand Still"

U2 performing "40" in Seattle, vertigo Tour Seattle April 24, 2005 // Up Close with Bono April 25, 2005

Dan works on Monday. I go downtown to change again. I do some shopping at See's Candies, Abercrombie & Fitch and Macy's. I take the Monorail to the Seattle Center and zoom up the Space Needle. The view is alright, but since I've been to Toronto's CN Tower, the height is an issue for me. I ahve lunch alone and was planning to go to Experience Music Project and visit the Bob Dylan exhibit. But unfortunately, EMP is closed on Mondays. So I walk by Key Arena checking out the U2 fans lining up and finding out scalpers' selling price. There's a crowd there waiting at Gate 4 for the arrival of the band for their pre-show soundcheck. I decide I have nothing better to do so I sit and wait. I wait all of 10 minutes. The Edge arrives first and gets out of the vehicle and starts signing autographs. By the time he wanders over to this basket case, he shakes my hand. THE EDGE SHAKES VWAYNER'S HAND! I tell him to take a look at my hair and I turn around. I just see the Edge with a puzzled look on his face. The Edge leaves and then God makes his way to his people. BONO BONO BONO. I want Bono to sign my head but he doesn't hear me. But I do videotape him when he's just a foot away from me. I take this opportunity to reach out and touch his arm. VWAYNER TOUCHED THE SHIRT OF GOD. Not breaking into hysterics is one of the hardest things I do. But I do end up phoning everyone in my telephone directory.

I have a ticket which I bought on eBay for U2's second Seattle concert. My seats are behind the stage and I want to see a new perspective of their show. I was going to buy General Admission tickets from scalpers but I couldn't convince Dan to skip his gym session with his personal trainer. And after the most amazing U2 experience and concert extravaganza from the first night, it would be hard to top it off. The setlist for the second night is a bit different: City Of Blinding Lights, Beautiful Day, Vertigo, Elevation, Gloria, The Ocean, New Year's Day, Miracle Drug, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Love And Peace Or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet The Blue Sky (with snippets of The Hands That Built America (snippet) & When Johnny Comes Marching Home), Running To Stand Still, Bad (with snippets of Norwegian Wood & Ruby Tuesday), Pride (In The Name Of Love), Where The Streets Have No Name, One

Encore: Zoo Station, The Fly, Mysterious Ways, All Because Of You, Original Of The Species, Vertigo

The second night show is slightly off. Bono is tired. His voice isn't up to par the first half of the setlist. But everyone in the crowd loves it. He can do no wrong.

IN THE NAME OF LOVE: TWO DECADES OF U2

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum, Cleveland, Ohio August 2003

I head over to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum, the primary reason why I choose to vacation in Cleveland. The U2 exhibit is awesome, having lots of U2 memorabilia, costumes and instruments. I write in the guest book that they "fucking rock" and I expect them to be rocking till they're in diapers. I am about to sneak in my camera the second day, but I notice that they have motion censors and I don't want to risk landing in jail.