Sweetest Thing

It was a magical evening in the shadow of the arch...and claw last night. While the sun still glared off the arch in the background, Interpol's electric sound washed over us groundlings while I stood awestruck watching the guitar player in his dark suit. He managed to survive the opening act as my sleeveless top melted against my skin.
Luckily it was too hot to consume too many alcoholic beverages. The one Jeremiah Weed Sweet Tea I quickly threw down set me back almost ten dollars and for some reason they only serve crappy beer at Busch Stadium. Not sure what that is about.

As the crews scattered like ants on a hill clearing the equipment and making way for a legendary rock band, I watched in horror as spotlight operators climbed into tiny seats and were hoisted up, up, up to dangle high above the stage, nestled under the leg of the claw.

As the lights and the sunlight dimmed, the band paraded its way toward the stage and everything faded into the glory that is U2. It was Even Better Than The Real Thing to watch Bono in those snuggly trousers on the big 360 screen! (I had been concerned that the high heat and humidity were delaying his ability to get the pants on for the show).

As the heat radiated up from the aluminum flooring though my aching feet, the oppressive heat pressed down on me. Luckily with the music came a great deal of fog and I think it added a cooler dampness to the air. Coupled with a slight breeze and a sheer will to live through this concert, I managed to focus in on the familiar tunes.

My eyes were glued to the 360 screen as it expanded down from the catwalks to form a funnel-shaped web around the band. Vertigo left me feeling off balance as the lights raced around and around in circles.
In line with my previous U2 concert experiences, they played One of my favorites for me in an early encore and reminded me of the wonderful experiences shared with my siblings at concerts past.

Another highlight for me was when they broke out the dualing disco balls to paint the stadium in shards of light for With or Without You. Oh, did I mention the astronaut message from a Beautiful Day at the space station? Simply magical.

I kept these hot feet firmly planted on the field through the very last drop of musical nectar before slowly inching off the field and flowing up the stairs toward the exit. Like a leaf caught in the current, I separated from my branch while fighting the waves of crowds. I managed to come swirling into an eddy right in front of our bus and landed my aching body back in my comfy seat.

As the bliss and tired rolled over me, we waited and waited for a lost member of our tribe before finally departing early Monday morning. It was earlier still when the bus finally lurched to a stop in the JC Penney parking lot and spit out its groggy occupants into the flood lights. And even earlier still after rinsing off and crawling into bed..three o'clock. The alarm sounded not too long after that and I'm glad to say it's almost time to call the game for today.

Through it all, I can't imagine passing up this opportunity.

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