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| Tuesdays, Tuesdays, Tuesdays. I don't have classes on Tuesdays, so Tuesdays are usually a day reserved for Work. What do you do when U2 is in town though? You take a week off. That's what you do. For the two previous, and the following show U2 concerts. I had General Admission tickets. Basically first come, first served. So I would wake up early (early by a college student's standards) and go to the United Center. Sit out side baking in the warm (one time it was cold) Chicago sky. Sitting outside of the United Center has it's perks and it's troughs. I got a really great sun tan, that is about a week after the concerts and when my burn had subsided. I got to hang out with really cool people. I mean a lot of cool people. It was while sitting outside and the like that I meant Erin and Jeanette. Well thats a lie. I had met Erin a few weeks early online, but we had our first face to face conversation in line on Sunday. Since I had reserved seating on Tues, I wasn't required to sit out in line. But I decided I'd go see the girls as they had GA tickets. When I finally showed up around 2pm, they were just about to head over to the service ramp area of the United Center where the band pulls in. So I decided, sure what the hell I'll join em. So I park the car (15 dollars) and I grab my bookbag with my U2 45's in it and head over to meet up with the girls..... The crowd that has gathered is on either side of an access ramp that leads down to large bay doors that go into the United Center. There is a waist-high chain-link fence on either side of the ramp that prevents people from actually going down to the doors. We had be standing there for about an hour when a black Lincoln carrying The Edge and Adam Clayton pulled up. The driver stopped the car and instantly everyone started yelling. Soon The Edge stepped out and Adam followed shortly after. Adam first went to the other side from where we were standing and Edge came out and started signing autographs on the side where we were. He came upon Miranda who was wearing a large cowboy hat, The Edge makes a comment that “he knows a good hat when he sees one.” This is because The Edge has worn a hat religiously for the past fourteen or fifteen years. Edge then gets in front of me and I ask him, what is the point of the numbers on his shirt. He wears a different shirt at every concert with a different number on it. The first show in Chicago for instance, he wore a Chicago Bears shirt with the number “23” written in the back, obviously trying to entice those fans of Michael Jordan and the Bears (although I’m sure most Bears fans are Chicago fans). Throughout that conversation, Erin is trying to get Edge’s attention to see if he is willing to hug Jeanette. Jeanette, who is a die-hard Edge fan, wanted a hug from The Edge, so Erin made a deal with her before the shows. If they met Edge, Erin would ask him to hug Jeanette, if they met Bono, Jeanette would ask him to hug Erin. Well it appeared that The Edge was feeling ill that day and instead opted to shake her hand. When Adam comes up, I instantly ask him if there is any truth to the rumor that the band will be launching a tour sometime in the fall. The girls then ask him if he had gotten a box of Chiclets that they had given to one of the Security Guards outside of the United Center on saturday. Although not obvious in the video, Adam has teeth that resemble Chiclets gum. The girls had come across a box of Chiclets gum made by “Adams” so they decided to present Adam with a box of Adams Chiclets. Somehow or another, we heard from a girl next to us along the fence that she had been chosen by Bono to be brought onstage to slow dance during a song called In a Little While. Every female U2 fan holds onto the hope that she will be brought on stage to dance with Bono during one of the slow songs. Bono has always brought audience members up out of the crowd and make them part of the show. Perhaps the most famous of which took place in 1985 at the Live Aid Festival that was taking place simultaneously in London and Philadelphia. U2 was given a 25-minute set, from getting their equipment off the truck to putting it back on the truck, the accomplished crew figured they could allot 15 minutes of playing time for the band. It was halfway through the second of three songs that Bono decided he was going to jump off of the stage and go down into the crowd and dance with a girl, all of which was captured live on camera, and beamed to millions across the world. The first night in Chicago Bono brought two fans onstage. One fan was brought up to piano on a song called Stay (Faraway, So Close) and girl dressed as a belly dancer was brought up during Mysterious Ways to slither her way around the stage. She is at first reluctant to talk about it, but soon tells her story, pausing to wipe her eyes. What is most interesting about this encounter is the reaction that the story receives from the various girls around us. Although the girls encourage her to tell her story at first, it was apparent the jealousy and sense of disappointment that the girls had towards Miranda. They felt they should be chosen to dance with Bono, not her. This was obvious in conversations I had with them afterwards off camera, it seemed that the girls were downplaying the significance of Miranda being brought on stage, although I know full well if it had been them, I’d never hear the end of it. But on a personal note, I must say that I was happy it went to an obvious devoted fan as opposed to a casual fan, which seems to happen way too often. Right after Miranda tells her story, Bono pulls up with his security guard in black Lincoln. His security guard’s name is Jerry and I had met him at the Sunday night concert. He had come up to me during the beginning of a song and asked me if I knew what song was being played, he will explain why in the transcript. Bono gets out right in front of my camera and starts talking to a fan to my left. He then makes his way down the line, when I ask him to sign something. “Umm, if you stop filming me.” It is at this point that I drop my camera to my waist, initially just letting it dangle, but soon angling it in such a way as to catch Bono. I hand Bono a 7” vinyl single (a 45) and ask him if he would mind signing it. The single was about a good friend of Bono’s that had died a number of years ago, and I knew that Bono has always been partial to that song. The song, which is named One Tree Hill, is name after the highest hill in New Zealand, which is adorned by a single tree, thus One Tree Hill. Bono tells me that the tree was just cut down recently and I say that the Joshua Tree (the tree that appeared on the cover of their 1987 album of the same name). Bono then tells a story of how they were all drunk when they went looking for the tree and were never able to sign it again. When asked to play new songs Bono asks what we would like to hear, Party Girl a song that hasn’t been played in ten years, was requested by Erin and Jeanette. Bono doesn’t seem all that interested in playing that song at first, although on June 7th 2001 Bono does play Party Girl at a concert in Boston. An unknown person behind me says that he would like to hear 11 O’clock Tick Tock, one of U2’s first singles in 1980, and I then ask Bono to play that song, he says “alright I’ll play that for ya tonight.” |
| Tuesday May 15th 2001 A day that will live in Infamy with me. |
| ***Portions of this are actually taken from a final paper that I had to write for an Anthropology class.*** |
| Tim Can you sign some stuff Bono? Bono Umm, if ya stop filming me. Tim Alright, that’s cool, whats up my man? Erin Hi Bono Bono Umm Tim Do you mind singing this, I know you are kind of partial to that song. (I hand him the One Tree Hill 45) Bono No not at all, you know this tree has come down? Tim Yes and the Joshua Tree as well Bono Yea, I don’t know if it was the Joshua ?Tree Tim ?Really? Bono We could never find that again. Man 2 You went looking for it Bono Yea, we all went looking for it, there were a few Guinesses involved though. ((2.0)) There’s the tree, no there’s ? the tree Crowd ?((Laughter)) Man 2 ?Another Guiness for ya Bono What’s your name? Tim My name is Tim Erin Any chance you guys will do Party Girl? ((2.0)) Never? Tim Are we going to hear anything new Bono? Bono What would you like to hear? Erin ?Party Girl Jean ?Party Girl Tim Party Girl would be great Bono We’ll try it Tim Are you going to play like 11 O’clock Tick Tock? Bono Ok I’ll play that for you tonight Tim You’ll play 11 O’Clock Tick Tock tonight? Erin Will you Bono Yea Tim I’m holding you too that. Man 4 What about Dirty Day Bono ?You know I’ll do that ((2.0)) Dirty Day is another Owne ?Drowning Man ?one I’d like to get to. What did you say? Owen Drowning Man Bono Whoaaa Owen Whoa no, you forgot the harmonica right? Jean Bono, my friend Erin is a huge fan, ?Could you give her a hug? Erin ?Would I be able to get a hug? Bono Sure I’d like that as well. Careful, I’m always afraid of giving my (allergies) |
| My Chat with Edge and Adam |
| Tuesday May 15th 2001 Approx. 4:00PM Edge Hi Mir I’m back Edge You look good, want me to sign your hat? Mir Yea I do Edge Such a great hat ((2.0)) I know a good hat when I see one. ((2.0)) What’s your name? Mir Miranda Edge Miranda ok Mir I’ll be in the heart tonight Edge Ok Tim Edge what’s the point of the numbers on your shirt? ((2.0)) They change every show. Edge They change every show yes, you know, I’m always intrigued to discover what they mean, cause I never know what they mean. Tim You just wear what they give you Edge Yea, and I’ve got a ?Collection Erin ?Edge, Edge Edge ?of them but it’s really what other people see in them that’s, that’s really interesting. Erin Edge Tim That’s cool Erin Edge, could you like, give her a hug? Edge I can’t sorry Erin Could you shake her hand at least? . Tim How ya doin Adam? Adam Doin alright Tim Are you guys comin back in the fall? Adam I don’t know Tim You don’t know? Erin Did you get a pack of chiclets from John the other day? Adam Yea, yea they were great Erin Did you get it? Adam Yes Jean Glad it got through |
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| Edge and Adam signing autographs outside the United Center on May 15th 2001. If you look, Edge is handing a $50 dollar bill back to a girl, and directly above that is my outstretched arm with the One Tree Hill 45 that I had them all sign. Photo taken by; Ian Hiaring www.hiaring.f2s.com hiaring@yahoo.com |