06-19-2011, 02:43 PM
Going to the concert was a lot like being in line for eight hours.
We decided on taking the train to Anaheim rather than driving in rush traffic on a Friday evening. The thought of the 5 on a Friday afternoon just gives me the chills. I also decided to take the special U2 train and get there a half an hour before the show started rather than take an earlier train that got us there an hour and a half early. Many many people had this same idea. There were only six vending machines dispensing these tickets. The lines when we got to Union Station were already long. We tried to find other avenues, like using the metrolink window (You'll have to use the vending machines), or even finding hidden vending machines. They were too well hidden. Kudos to Metrolink for putting an attendant at the machines to help the process along or Cindi and I would still be inline.
They were kind enough to delay the departure of the trains to make sure everybody got on the train. And everybody got on the train. The cars were packed. The noise in the confined spaces was ear shattering as everybody tried to speak to be heard over the noise. One woman sitting behind us had gotten on the train because it was most convenient for her but wasn't going to the concert.
I was amazed at how close the train stopped at Anaheim stadium. The email I received said the train depot was a ten minute walk from the stadium. Ha! It dropped us at the edge of the parking lot and was only a couple minute walk to the stadium.
Line number two for the night wrapped the stadium. As we walked up, we noticed a big line and were unsure what it's purpose was. I was hoping that it was something for special access. Not so much. The line was to get through one of only four security checkpoints used to gain entry into the park. Each entry only had four access points. Fun. As Cindi and I circled passed the gate, hoping for a somewhat shorter line, I notice that people were just coming at the line from the side. So, um, yeah we jumped the line. I am a bad person. But the line went fast. We made it through the checkpoint with barely a glance from security. My camera made it in okay.
So, once you are on the grounds but before you can get onto the fileld with your general admission ticket, another line awaited us. You need a wrist band to go field side. There were three people handing out the wrist bands in our area. The time was rapidly approaching when the concert would be starting. I think they delayed the start again because so many people were in line still outside the stadium.
We got our wrist bands and headed inside. We took up position to the left of the stage right near the leg of the Claw. Let the standing begin.
When I first heard that Lenny Kravitz was the opening act, I was less than excited. I was hoping for Muse or even No Doubt who were from Orange County and had opened for U2 before. But we had Lenny. was better than the Black Eyed Peas. He also didn't play a very long set which I appreciated. He played his hits like American Woman and Are you going to go my way, etc. But I spent most of the time waiting for U2.
The set was remarkably similar to the set the played at the Rose Bowl and even what they played in Oakland. It was all brilliantly performed and well staged. i don't think you could want for a better front man than Bono. He was in remarkably good voice. i think he sang better than he did at the Rose Bowl. They brought band manager Paul McGuiness out on stage to sing him happy birthday. This was the first time he had appeared on stage with the band. Gabrielle Giffords husband Mark appeared live on tape from the International Space Station to sing along with the band on Beautiful Day. They gave shout outs to Maria Shriver when they sang Pride.
When Bono introduced the band and gave out what if's about the band, the Edge got boos. Bono said the Edge would be a real estate agent. The Edge is not well loved in the Malibu area because he tried to build a million dollar housing estate on some protected land and there was chicanery about his bid. Bono said he would be a theater critic.
About two thirds of the way through the show, something weird happened to the sound and it sound very distorted and ugly and not on purpose. I noticed that Edge plugged in all his guitars for the rest of the show, but the sound never really recovered.
When they did the screen descend section of the show and filled the arena with smoke, I did think the Claw had become my new master and Overlord. It looked fantastic that close. Especially with the lasers circling off the top reflecting of the fog rolling in. I wish my pictures could have done it justice.
I was using the camera to get the set list by recording the first few seconds of each song, but I got the batteries dead notice about half way through. I think most people watched the show through the view port of their iPhones. The man in front of me was particularly bad. When he wasn't lifting his girlfriend to see, he was blocking my view with his camera.
We got two encores. The first rocked with One and With or Without you. The second was fine but they ended the show on a down note with "Moment of Surrender" A good song but a huge bombastic number to send us off to the train. Maybe that's on purpose. I was dissapointed not to here "Desire". Cindi would have liked to hear "I Still haven't found" C'est la vie.
We waited at the train for forty five minutes for it to depart. Which was okay, because when we left we could see cars still packed in the parking lot. For some reason the train took longer to get home than it did to get to Anaheim. And at no point during the trip to and from the concert did anyone look at our train passes.
Planning ahead, we should have seen this coming. The last line of the night. Ten thousand people got off the train and headed to the parking lot. At first we moved quickly but eventually we stopped moving. At one point, we actually went back down hill. We had driven from the third floor up to the second floor, but then the signs put us back down on three again. We stopped completely for at least ten minutes. Eventually, they just opened the gates and let us out without paying.
It was a great show, even with bad sound. The complexities about getting to the show make me not want to go again. Or pony up for the VIP treatment.
Even Better Than The Real Thing
I Will Follow
Get On Your Boots
Magnificent
Mysterious Ways
Elevation
Until The End Of The World
All I Want Is You
Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
Beautiful Day
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Miss Sarajevo
Zooropa
City Of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
I'll Go Crazy / Discotheque
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Scarlet
Walk On
Encore
One
Where The Streets Have No Name
Encore 2
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
With Or Without You
Moment of Surrender
We decided on taking the train to Anaheim rather than driving in rush traffic on a Friday evening. The thought of the 5 on a Friday afternoon just gives me the chills. I also decided to take the special U2 train and get there a half an hour before the show started rather than take an earlier train that got us there an hour and a half early. Many many people had this same idea. There were only six vending machines dispensing these tickets. The lines when we got to Union Station were already long. We tried to find other avenues, like using the metrolink window (You'll have to use the vending machines), or even finding hidden vending machines. They were too well hidden. Kudos to Metrolink for putting an attendant at the machines to help the process along or Cindi and I would still be inline.
They were kind enough to delay the departure of the trains to make sure everybody got on the train. And everybody got on the train. The cars were packed. The noise in the confined spaces was ear shattering as everybody tried to speak to be heard over the noise. One woman sitting behind us had gotten on the train because it was most convenient for her but wasn't going to the concert.
I was amazed at how close the train stopped at Anaheim stadium. The email I received said the train depot was a ten minute walk from the stadium. Ha! It dropped us at the edge of the parking lot and was only a couple minute walk to the stadium.
Line number two for the night wrapped the stadium. As we walked up, we noticed a big line and were unsure what it's purpose was. I was hoping that it was something for special access. Not so much. The line was to get through one of only four security checkpoints used to gain entry into the park. Each entry only had four access points. Fun. As Cindi and I circled passed the gate, hoping for a somewhat shorter line, I notice that people were just coming at the line from the side. So, um, yeah we jumped the line. I am a bad person. But the line went fast. We made it through the checkpoint with barely a glance from security. My camera made it in okay.
So, once you are on the grounds but before you can get onto the fileld with your general admission ticket, another line awaited us. You need a wrist band to go field side. There were three people handing out the wrist bands in our area. The time was rapidly approaching when the concert would be starting. I think they delayed the start again because so many people were in line still outside the stadium.
We got our wrist bands and headed inside. We took up position to the left of the stage right near the leg of the Claw. Let the standing begin.
When I first heard that Lenny Kravitz was the opening act, I was less than excited. I was hoping for Muse or even No Doubt who were from Orange County and had opened for U2 before. But we had Lenny. was better than the Black Eyed Peas. He also didn't play a very long set which I appreciated. He played his hits like American Woman and Are you going to go my way, etc. But I spent most of the time waiting for U2.
The set was remarkably similar to the set the played at the Rose Bowl and even what they played in Oakland. It was all brilliantly performed and well staged. i don't think you could want for a better front man than Bono. He was in remarkably good voice. i think he sang better than he did at the Rose Bowl. They brought band manager Paul McGuiness out on stage to sing him happy birthday. This was the first time he had appeared on stage with the band. Gabrielle Giffords husband Mark appeared live on tape from the International Space Station to sing along with the band on Beautiful Day. They gave shout outs to Maria Shriver when they sang Pride.
When Bono introduced the band and gave out what if's about the band, the Edge got boos. Bono said the Edge would be a real estate agent. The Edge is not well loved in the Malibu area because he tried to build a million dollar housing estate on some protected land and there was chicanery about his bid. Bono said he would be a theater critic.
About two thirds of the way through the show, something weird happened to the sound and it sound very distorted and ugly and not on purpose. I noticed that Edge plugged in all his guitars for the rest of the show, but the sound never really recovered.
When they did the screen descend section of the show and filled the arena with smoke, I did think the Claw had become my new master and Overlord. It looked fantastic that close. Especially with the lasers circling off the top reflecting of the fog rolling in. I wish my pictures could have done it justice.
I was using the camera to get the set list by recording the first few seconds of each song, but I got the batteries dead notice about half way through. I think most people watched the show through the view port of their iPhones. The man in front of me was particularly bad. When he wasn't lifting his girlfriend to see, he was blocking my view with his camera.
We got two encores. The first rocked with One and With or Without you. The second was fine but they ended the show on a down note with "Moment of Surrender" A good song but a huge bombastic number to send us off to the train. Maybe that's on purpose. I was dissapointed not to here "Desire". Cindi would have liked to hear "I Still haven't found" C'est la vie.
We waited at the train for forty five minutes for it to depart. Which was okay, because when we left we could see cars still packed in the parking lot. For some reason the train took longer to get home than it did to get to Anaheim. And at no point during the trip to and from the concert did anyone look at our train passes.
Planning ahead, we should have seen this coming. The last line of the night. Ten thousand people got off the train and headed to the parking lot. At first we moved quickly but eventually we stopped moving. At one point, we actually went back down hill. We had driven from the third floor up to the second floor, but then the signs put us back down on three again. We stopped completely for at least ten minutes. Eventually, they just opened the gates and let us out without paying.
It was a great show, even with bad sound. The complexities about getting to the show make me not want to go again. Or pony up for the VIP treatment.
Even Better Than The Real Thing
I Will Follow
Get On Your Boots
Magnificent
Mysterious Ways
Elevation
Until The End Of The World
All I Want Is You
Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
Beautiful Day
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Miss Sarajevo
Zooropa
City Of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
I'll Go Crazy / Discotheque
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Scarlet
Walk On
Encore
One
Where The Streets Have No Name
Encore 2
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
With Or Without You
Moment of Surrender
So much for the flickr badge idea. Dammit