Only love, only love unites our hearts...
Soooooo. I'm back, and still basking in the fangirly afterglow of the Best. Weekend. Ever.
Going home -- I still think of Charlotte as home -- was a little rough. I kept tearing up over the most random things. But hanging with my friends again was great. I love those guys so much it hurts sometimes. They really are like family, and it was good to be reunited for a little while. Also, college touring happened. I am officially in love with UNC Chapel Hill, and will be applying early decision if I get the chance. I'm kind of anxious, though, because they only accept 20% of out-of-state applicants, and despite having lived in-state for 13 years, I apparently no longer qualify. *swears violently* I'll just have to write some really bitchin' essays, then.
Onto important things: concert review time! So, Jessi, Grace and I got general admission tickets. At first I was panicked because I realized that this would mean standing for three hours and waiting in line for god knows how long, and we might get a bad spot and not be able to see anything. However, the Force was apparently with us, because after arriving two hours after the doors opened, and waiting in line for forty minutes (which was not bad -- we heard the band soundchecking!), we got in.
We then waited for what felt like forever. There were a few ill-behaved folks: one woman sent her kid up to get up to the barrier, and then ever-so-conveniently was 'forced' to elbow her way through to him. Another girl tried to shove her way up, complaining that she "wanted to see BONO," and promptly got ignored/body-blocked/snarled at. (So do we all, lady. GTFO.) And then some tool behind us kept lighting cigars. ew. But we kept befriending people around us randomly, which was good fun, though. The conversations were hilarious. For instance, two of the folks behind us were discussing the relative merits of the Discotheque music video:
Person A: Do you remember that one? They were in a disco ball, with weird costumes and way too many awkward dance moves?
Person B: I do! I loved that one!
Person A: But....but... *sounds traumatized* Edge was in, like, a stripper harness!
Person B: *snorts* Hey, it worked for me.
(Ahahaha, win.)
Muse was the opening band. They were actually pretty amazing, not to mention cute! I need to get an album or two of theirs, because they sounded fantastic.
And damn, we got amazing spots. The main stage was circular, with a ring-shaped runway around it that performers could access across these two bridges. Well, while we weren't in the inner section, we were at the very edge of the outer loop -- literally, there was the runway, a barricade in front of it, about one row of people, and then us.
Which meant, of course, that when the boys came out on the runway, THEY WERE RIGHT THERE, THREE FEET IN FRONT OF US. PICSPAM TIME, OH MY GOSH.
The "I'll Go Crazy" remix graphics. This was hilarious and awesome.
Bono, up on the giant screen.
AND BONO IN PERSON, ASLKDJF;ALDSFAKSDFJ.
Adam Clayton, bassist extraordinaire. He hung out in front of us for quite a while, and while he may be somewhat old and decrepit, I still love him, so yeah. Looookit.
LARRY MULLEN JR. ON THE DROOMS. I am absurdly proud of this picture.
And finally, THE EDGE. He has always been my favorite, and I have such an embarassingly hardcore crush on him, it's rediculous, but he is BRILLIANT and ADORABLE and CAN PLAY PIANO AND GUITAR AT THE SAME TIME. He was RIGHT THERE. I died, you guys. I died.
Anyway, highlights:
+ "Magnificent". So good live, oh my gosh.
+ "I'll Go Crazy" techno remix! That's when the band came out on the runway. Such a win.
+ The boys just...well, being themselves. Bono's flailing and random clinging to/kissing of his bandmates, Adam's charming oddness, Larry's unexpected smiling, and Edge's epic stompy-dance. Heeeee.
+ A particularly interesting version of "Ultraviolet" involving a disco ball and Bono in a fiber-optic-studded jacket. Ooooh, shiny.
+ "With or Without You" as the last song. I nearly cried. It was gorgeous.
So, yeah. Could I possibly get any more long-winded? That's quite enough, I think. :P
TL;DR -- Concert was awesome. Hanging with friends was awesome. College touring was awesome. The whole trip was -- dare I say it? -- magnificent. :D