I've had a bit of a "sheltered" life, Saturday night was the first big concert I've ever been to, the Raleigh stop of the U2 360 Tour. Though honestly, my cousin, her friend and I mainly went to see the opening band Muse. "....Muse. MUSE. M-U-S-E!" Ugh, if I had a buck for every time I had to say THAT in the past month or so, I could easily have defrayed the cost of my $4 bottle of Sprite I got at the concert. Poor Muse is like the Rodney Dangerfield of bands at the moment, as they proclaimed on a magazine cover, "We're the biggest band no one in America has ever heard of." As far as I know, the only times I've heard them over here were in one of the "Watchmen" trailers (Take a Bow) and a Showtime trailer for Dexter (Butterflies & Hurricanes). But "Uprising" is playing on at least some US stations....Ok, at least ONE I know of.

ETA: Here's the Set List from Raleigh:
Uprising
Map of the Problematique
Supermassive Black Hole
Undisclosed Desires
Hysteria
Unnatural Selection
Starlight
Time is Running Out


Had I known that I wouldn't actually get searched at the gate (despite my signature cargo pants), I'd have brought my own drink and DEFINITELY brought in my camera. "Video Cameras" were listed as a forbidden item, and since my camera like most any digi-cam CAN record video, I was afraid some overzealous guard would layeth the smack down on me for it.

** Let's pause for a moment for some food for thought re: "Gun-Free Zones." It's DOUBLY illegal, if not in triplicate, for someone to carry a gun into such an event:
1) Admission is charged
2) It's...well, not "posted" but it does say that weapons are among the forbidden items...
3) And I'm pretty sure NC State's stadium falls under the heading of "school property."

And given that people were packed in like sardines (at least by the time U2 started...poor Muse...) - well, that significantly raises the risk of hurting an innocent bystander if gunplay is involved in a defensive situation. Banning guns in places like that sounds reasonable to me...

Yet, I was expecting metal detectors or some kind of "enforcement" of this policy, other than just relying on everyone - law abiding or not - to willingly obey the law! Not so. Bags were sorta checked, but like I said me and my cargoes sailed right on through. And as anyone who's done or even researched it knows, it's not like you NEED cargo pants for firearms toting.

I know, Mr. Franklin, I know...."Those who give up liberty for security deserve neither and will lose both," or something pretty close to that. I'd have been a little irked if I'd have had to get strip-searched to go in to the stadium. I dunno...I guess it's all in that fine balance between liberty and security. Back to the journal! **

We were pretty high up there in Carter Finley Stadium, but we still had a great view of the stage. And that stage, good grief, it MUST be seen to be believed! I thought it just looked impressive in the daylight just sitting there before the concert. Then Muse came on and there were some killer lighting effects for them. Then U2 came on and...WOW! The whole enchilada, bay-be!

Heh...there were at least 2 kids there not too pleased apparently, but their headbangin' parents weren't too buggered by it!

Dang it, Nise should have let me take her pic in front of the stage when I thought about it...

Someone made a remark and it made sense to me - one would think that OUR seats would be more high-dollar, and the standing space in front of the stage would be cheaper. Word is it's kinda high up so somewhat hard to see the band from the floor of the stadium. Plus we were closer to concessions and real bathrooms as opposed to porta-johns. I guess if you COULD see the stage, it was a much better view from down there. I'm really kicking myself for also not even thinking about binoculars! But the screen showed the action, and the camera work was VERY VERY well done! I really loved the cool effects that Muse had for their act.

Happily I didn't lose too much hearing. I knew it'd be loud, but the bone-rattling bass was a new experience for me. BOOM BA-BOOM BA-BOOM BA-BOOM BA-BOOM BA-BOOM...."Paranoia is in bloom, the PR transmissions will resume..."

It was good to get a break from the routine for a bit, that's for sure. And I'm still on vacation this week, w00t!