See The Stars Shine Like Nails In The Night

Me, 1987, originally uploaded by crau1971.

This is what I looked like the last time I cared about U2. I'm even wearing my Joshua Tree tour shirt. It's true, it's true. I jumped on that "let's hate Bono" bandwagon a little too quickly after Achtung Baby. Lately, though, I'm feeling a deep and abiding need to see them live again. They were one of the last bands I truly remember "buzz" about before the show. For weeks before that concert, I was on edge, excited, counting the days. And whereas I've seen MANY phenomenal shows since seeing U2 on the Joshua Tree tour in 1988, I have yet to really find that buzz again. And I miss it.

Maybe it's a direct corollary with how many shows I've seen between then and now, or maybe it's just the natural jaded that comes with old age, but I miss the excitement of those huge arena rock events. Bruce can channel it, and Jimmy Buffett will sometimes, if you've managed to hit the right tequilla balance. But U2 had that buzz without chemicals, without the extensive back catalog. Call him what you will, but Bono can work a room. Seriously. I remember being in the stands at Foxboro Stadium, with Andrew and a person my mother worked with, Tom, talking about how many times he had seen U2, and how nervous he was about seeing them in such a HUGE venue. The pre-concert soundtrack was humming along, and John Lennon's version of "Stand by Me" was playing. Suddenly, the crowd was stirring. Suddenly, there were four guys on stage. Finishing the tune live. 50,000 people collectively lost their minds. And then as soon as it started, it was done. Only then did the lights go down, and the typical pre-concert frenzy of lighters and screeching begin. When they finally DID emerge again, to that wonderful echoing intro to "Where the Streets Have No Name", you could have started fires with the electricity in the stadium. And at the end of the night, for 20 minutes after they'd left the stage, the crowd continued to sing, "how long... to sing this song?", well beyond when it was clear they were not returning for more music.

So, I'm jonesing for that kind of visceral concert experience again. And soon. I miss the rush.