Category Archives: On the Road with U2 – my musical journey

ZooTv – my Music A to Z

by

1

The ZooTv Tour was my first U2 tour. U2 announced they would be touring America in the Spring of 1992, in support of their Achtung Baby album. I was a sophomore in college, so I could now go to concerts! I had a subscription toPropaganda, U2’s fan magazine, which gave me an opportunity to buy tickets to one or two concerts before they went on sale. But me being me, I wasn’t satisfiedto go to just one or two shows. No, I had to go to as many as I could, and for the ZooTv tour I went to eight shows. The months between the release of Achtung Baby and the ZooTv Tour were spent constantly watching and listening to U2. My U2 buddy Mike and I would spend hours and hours just watching U2 footage over and over that we had taped on VHS – MTV specials, interviews, videos, etc. It was during this time that I went from a U2 fan to, dare I say, U2 fanatic. 1992 was going to be a great year!

At the age of 19 ½, I saw my first U2 show. It was on the ZooTV tour on March 7, 1992 at Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia. It was the 5th show of the tour. My best friend, Cindy, went with me. We made the four-hour drive from Baltimore to Hampton and immediately walked over to the arena. We saw Bono standing in the middle of a bunch of fans and reporters. I didn’t speak with him, but got close enough to hear what he was saying to everyone else. For my first show, I was 4th row. Bruce Hornsby and Phil Joanou were also in attendance. The Pixies opened, and I did not like them at all. But then again, I just wanted to hear U2. I had waited 5 long years to see them!

my first U2 show

my first U2 tour shirt (front)
back of my 1st U2 tour shirt

My second U2 show was 3 days later on in March 10, 1992 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, just under a two-hour drive from Baltimore. For this show, I was 9th row. I again saw Bono entering the arena and speaking with fans. I hid in the bathroom when the Pixies played.

ugliest U2 shirt ever, that I still sleep in (front)
back of ugliest U2 shirt

I don’t remember the actual concerts, as far as the songs that were played, from this first leg of the ZooTv tour and I didn’t keep a journal back then, so I am relying on u2 fan sites for setlists. The setlists were pretty much the same for both ZooTv shows I attended on the first leg: Zoo Station, Even Better Than the Real Thing, Mysterious Ways, The Fly, One, Until the End of the World, Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, Trying to Throw Your Arms Around the World, Angel of Harlem, Satellite of Love, Bad, All I Want is You, Bullet the Blue Sky, Running to Stand Still, Where the Streets Have No Name, Pride, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, Desire, Ultraviolet, With or Without You, Love is Blindness. The only difference was Love is Blindness was not played in Hampton and The Fly was played second in Philadelphia.

ZooTV tour program

In the summer of 1992, U2 ditched the arenas for stadiums for their ZooTv Outside Broadcast Tour, and I went to the first five shows and another one a month later. Living in Maryland made it easy to travel to most of the East Coast shows. Washington DC, Philadelphia, and New York were all within a 3 hours drive. Plus U2 usually played two nights in each city. It was on this leg of the tour that I started meeting U2 fans and touring around with them. Mike and I traveled to all these ZooTv shows together and met the same folks along the way. Unfortunately, we did not keep in contact with our new friends after the tour ended. Mike and I found out U2 was going to be rehearsing for their tour in nearby Hershey, Pennsylvania. They wanted to rehearse at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, but the community freaked out and protested. So we went up to Hershey a couple of nights and sat outside to listen to the rehearsals, but we never saw the band. We did hear them play Acrobat andSo Cruel though. We got tickets to the rehearsal show on August 7, 1992 at Hershey Park Stadium. Tickets were only $15 and went to local charities. We were way in the back, but at least we were there and it was a great show. Instead of starting off the show with Zoo Station like all the other shows, U2 began with Sunday Bloody Sunday, New Year’s Day, and Pride before going into their regular set list starting with Zoo Station. Pride was played again before the encore. This was the first time I had heard New Year’s Day and Sunday Bloody Sunday, since they didn’t play them on the first leg. Edge sang Van Dieman’s Land, the first and only time I have heard it live. This show was the day before Edge’s birthday, so Bono led the audience in singing Happy Birthday.

On August 11, 1992 three friends and I drove up to New Jersey for the official opening of the ZooTv Outside Broadcast tour at Giants Stadium. Opening night had been pushed back one night to August 12th. Mike and I went over to the stadium anyway and ended up sneaking in and getting up on the stage and touching the trabants, which were used to light the stage. We eventually got kicked out of the stadium. We tried to figure out where U2 was staying. Even though it was August, it was cold at night, so while waiting on the curb for U2 to show up at the hotel, we huddled next to a bus keeping warm from the fumes. There were a bunch of fans standing outside Giants Stadium on the afternoon of August 12th waiting for U2 to arrive. Bono came out and went down the line talking with each of us, signing autographs and taking pictures. When Bono came to me, he noticed the tee shirt I had made with ‘One’ on it.

I handed Bono my Outside It’s America book for him to autograph. I noticed he was taking a while, so I looked at what he was doing and saw he was misspelling my name. I said, “No, Deena is spelled with two e’s.” Bono kind of gave me this sly smile. In my book, he wrote, “A nice t-shirt Din…Deena Bono 92”

Then I threw my camera to Mike, so he could take a picture of me and Bono, both with our big sunglasses. Bono’s head is on my shoulder. It’s a great picture! He autographed it a few days later in DC.

And if that wasn’t enough, Larry drove by us on his motorcycle and waved. He didn’t stop unfortunately, but I did get a picture. Then I ran away screaming – he just has that affect on me. I wouldn’t meet Larry for another 9 years.

Our seats for opening night on August 12, 1992 were in the second section on the floor in the fifth row. Larry sang Dirty Old Town as only he can! I was so excited that Jonathan tried to hold me back, so I hit him causing him to fall off his chair. Lou Reed joined U2 on the b stage for Satellite of Love, and his performance was used for the rest of the tour via video.

The next night on August 13th, we were in the front floor section in the 8th row. I remember running past security to get to the B Stage as Bono was walking down. I got a Zoo Dollar that night as they flew through the air during Desire.

Two days after Jersey on August 15th, Mike and I were back in our hometown for two more ZooTv shows. Well, sort of. As close as the ZooTv tour was going to get to Ellicott City, Maryland. We were at RFK Stadium in Washington DC in the rain. I met Bono again and he autographed the picture of the two of us from Giants Stadium. He wasn’t as talkative as in Jersey. I think the rain made him grumpy.

U2 ended both shows on August 15 & 16, 1992 with Can’t Help Falling In Love in honor of the 15th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley on August 16, 1977. For the first show, I was third row and Bono knelt in front of us and sang it. As an avid Elvis fan as well, this was an amazing, unforgettable moment for me! My worlds were colliding! For the rest of the tour, U2 ended their shows with Can’t Help Falling in Love.

My final ZooTv show was on September 3, 1992 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There were two shows in Philadelphia and I was supposed to go to both shows, but was moving back to College Park so I only went to the second show. It was raining again, so they let the few of us waiting outside Veterans stadium in Philly inside for the sound check. We were also excited because our friend Maggie, who wrote a fanzine, got us Hospitality passes, but all that got us were some soda and chips. We didn’t see U2 back stage at all. But we did get to hear Whiskey in the Jar andWhen Loves Come to Town.

Primus and Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprosy opened the all the shows I saw on the ZooTv Outside Broadcast tour, except for the rehearsal concert in Hershey. Primus had a popular song called Jerry Was a Racecar Driverand U2 had been using Disposable’s Television Drug of a Nation to open their shows. This went along well with their television themed tour, complete with big screen tvs and Bono’s channel flipping. The setlist for the Outside Broadcast Tour was pretty much the same as the first leg with a couple of additions here and there. A few things that stand out in my memory are Adam introducing Trying to Throw Your Arms Around the World and the grocery cart, the belly dancer for Mysterious Ways, Larry twirling the trabant car light on the b stage for Satellite of Love, Bono’s grand entrance during Zoo Station, but mostly the Hallelujah chorus at the end of Running to Stand Still – it gave me chills every time, and still does. The ZooTV tour will always hold a special place in my heart as it was my first U2 tour.

This blog post is part of my A to Z April Challenge about ‘My Music’ – music I love from A to Z. Thanks for stopping by. I am also blogging the A to Z Challenge on my other blog On the Road with U2 about ‘My U2′ – what I love about U2 from A to Z.

U2 – my Music A to Z

by

7

I have been an avid U2 fan for 26 years. Some say obsessed, but I like to say passionate. I discovered U2 in March 1987 with the release of The Joshua Tree. I heard With or Without You and liked it. I realized U2 was the same group that sang that song Pride I had heard a few years prior. It was my freshman year of high school, and I noticed a picture of U2 that a classmate had. Larry stood out right away as the attractive one and someone whose pictures would soon decorate my locker. I immediately bought The Joshua Tree. That summer, I remember walking along the beach in Ocean City, Maryland with my boom box blaring I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For. By the time Rattle and Hum was released a year later, I had all of U2’s albums and had recorded all of their performances on television.

I have seen U2 75 times in concert and met each member at least once. I have every album, most of the singles and videos and many bootlegs. My favorite U2 songs are I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, Luminous Times, Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, Gone, and Heartland. My favorite U2 albums are The Joshua Tree, Rattle and Hum, Achtung Baby, All That You Can’t Leave Behind, and Pop. My favorite U2 videos are I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, Electrical Storm, Numb, Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses and Walk On (international version). I have already written about my love for U2 drummer Larry Mullen and my favorite tours Elevation and 360.

A few years ago, I gathered all my journals since mid 1997 and began writing about my adventures on the U2 tours I have been on from ZooTv to 360. It is more than just the U2 concerts. It is about the people I meet, the places I see, and the experiences we share along the way. I have met so many amazing people by going on U2 tours. We still keep touch and meet up every few years on tour. My love for U2 has brought me to many great places. The best was Dublin, Ireland. I spent a summer in Dublin studying at Trinity College in 1998. U2 wasn’t playing a concert in Dublin, but I became interested in Ireland because U2 are from there. I went to Las Vegas, my second favorite city, two times because U2 played there on the Vertigo and 360 tours. I have been to Vegas three other times, but U2 playing there gave me a reason to go two more times. I had always wanted to go to Chicago and see a Cubs game at Wrigley Field, and U2 gave me the excuse to go. U2 opened their 360 North American tour with two shows at Soldier Field in Chicago. I went to both shows, and I finally got to Wrigley. And obviously my three month road trip on the 2011 US leg of the 360 tour brought me to many, many great American cities in 31 states (over 18,000 miles driven). Because of U2 I became a writer, met many great friends, traveled to many great cities, and have had more great experiences than I can count. It is safe to say that U2 has changed my life.

This blog post is part of my A to Z April Challenge about ‘My Music’ – music I love from A to Z. Thanks for stopping by. I am also blogging the A to Z Challenge on my other blog On the Road with U2 about ‘My U2′ – what I love about U2 from A to Z.

One Life No Regrets

by

1

I try to live my life pursuing my passion and by the motto, “It’s better to regret something you have done than to regret something you haven’t done.” Especially since it’s all about the journey, not the destination. Along my travels this past summer on the U2 360 tour, I met a guy who was living his life the same way. His name is Patrick Stark and his motto is One Life No Regrets.

I met Patrick in Seattle, the day before the U2 360 show. While my friend Jenny and I were exploring Seattle, we heard the drums for U2′s Desire. We paused because we weren’t sure we had heard it correctly, but then we heard ‘Lover I’m on the street.’ So we ran toward Desire. It was a band and gospel choir on the back of a semi truck playing U2 music. The banner above the stage read ‘One Life No Regrets’ and then in smaller letters ‘noregretsu2.’ The singer, Patrick Stark, turned 40 and wanted to make sure he was living his life with no regrets – something I identify with as I am turning 40 this year and want to live my life with no regrets. Patrick had always had a fear of singing in public, so to conquer his fear he is making a documentary called One Life No Regrets about his quest to sing on stage with U2. In preparation, he sang a set of U2 songs with a Gospel choir – Desire, In God’s Country, All I Want is You, One, Until the End of the World. Unfortunately, Patrick did not get on stage with U2 the next night, but he has made a great documentary.

L is for Larry Mullen Jr – my favorite drummer

by

4

A favorite of mine that begins with L is Larry Mullen Jr, U2′s drummer. He is my favorite drummer, and my second favorite man – a close second behind Elvis. And ironically Larry is a huge Elvis fan and even named his son Aaron Elvis. I have been a U2 fan for 25 years. I was a freshman in high school when The Joshua Tree was released in 1987. I remember hearing With or Without You and realizing it was by the same band that sang that song Pride I had heard a few years earlier. Luckily a classmate had a picture of U2 because at the age of 14 it is VERY important what the band that you might be interested in looks like. Out of the four guys, one stood out. His name was Larry Mullen Jr., and I have been in love with him ever since. Besides being gorgeous, Larry is my favorite member of U2 because he is very matter of fact, no nonsense, and always says exactly what he is feeling. I admire that about him. He loves Elvis Presley, and I have loved Elvis since I was five. My favorite part of Rattle and Hum, is when U2 visits Graceland and Larry talks about how much he loved the Elvis movies. The first time I saw a Sun Studio tee shirt was on Larry in Rattle and Hum.

I have had a few personal encounters with Larry Mullen over the years on various tours. The first time I saw Larry in person and not on stage was at Giants Stadium on August 12, 1992 before the opening of the ZooTv Outside Broadcast Tour. A bunch of us fans were waiting outside the stadium in the afternoon before the show, and Larry drove by us on his motorcycle. He did not stop, but he did wave. I got a picture and then ran away screaming – he just has that affect on me. That night in concert Larry came to the front of the stage and sang Dirty Old Town as only he can. I was so excited that my friend Jonathan tried to hold me back, so I hit him to get him off of me and he fell off his chair. During Popmart, the only time I saw Larry outside of the shows was in Philadelphia on June 8, 1997 walking from the bus into the stadium. I do have a HitMan shirt though – like the one he wore in concert.

On the Elevation tour, I had three fantastic encounters with Larry, including the only time I have ever met him. But before any of those, a Larry Mullen Band shirt was thrown onto the stage in Philadelphia on June 11, 2001. Larry placed it on his drum kit where it stayed for the rest of the show. I found out later that Paola had thrown this shirt on stage. It was her birthday, she is a huge Larry fan and had made the shirt for him. Because I took pictures of this and posted them online, Paola, Jenny, Tasha and I became friends. Paola made us all Larry Mullen Band shirts, which I wear to every U2 show. On June 21, 2001 in New Jersey at the end of the show, Larry walked to the front of the stage, leaned over, looked into my eyes and handed me his drumstick. I cried. I clutched that drumstick as I walked out of the arena. It is now in a glass case on my shelf.

On October 19, 2001 in my hometown of Baltimore, I finally met Larry Mullen Jr. This was the first time U2 had played Baltimore, so when they arrived for sound check Larry, Bono, Edge and Adam walked out to meet us fans waiting outside the arena. When Larry walked over to me I said, ‘I don’t have anything for you to sign, so can I have a hug?’ Larry looked at me a little strange, then smiled and said yes. After Larry hugged me, I thanked him. Tasha hugged me and then I cried like a baby. I was so overcome with emotion. I had been waiting to meet Larry for 14 years! Then less than two weeks later, I attended my favorite U2 concert ever – Larry’s 40th birthday in Providence, RI, October 31, 2001. This is what I wrote about that night:

This was the best show ever! There will never be another one like it! I woke up outside around 8am – pretty good sleeping outside in 30 degrees for 5 hours. I went up to the warm hotel room until about 10am, then had some breakfast. I stayed in the GA line all day without leaving, except to take a shower around 3:30. I got everyone in the GA line to sign the big orange birthday card I made for Larry. I put my name and email address on the back just in case. The band didn’t arrive until after we were inside. Me, Tasha and Paola wore our Larry Mullen Band shirts. We got our spots at the rail up front and center between Bono and Adam. I held up my birthday card for Larry as they walked on stage, but he didn’t notice it. There were many, many signs including one saying, ‘Bono let Larry sing.’ During Elevation, Bono sang, ‘ Celebration’ then said, ‘Happy Birthday.’ After Stuck in a Moment, Larry’s 40th birthday celebration began. We sang Happy Birthday to Larry. A birthday cake was brought out and Larry pretended to throw it out into the audience. Larry took the mic and came to the front to talk while Bono sat behind the drums. Larry said, ‘Bono couldn’t play drums. It took me 40 years to get up front. I’m glad I’m spending my birthday with 18,000 of my closest friends. I feel like I could borrow money from you.’ Then Bono asked for a bottle of champagne, which he shook up a la ZooTV and sprayed the audience. Edge took a swig, then Larry drank and continued to drink for the next few songs. After Kite, Larry got off the drums and made a B line for me. I got my card and shirt in hand so I could give it to him, but that’s not why he was there. He gave me the champagne bottle – with champagne still in it. I drank some and shared it with Paola and Tasha. Larry wanted to share his birthday with ME! He wanted ME to have a drink on his birthday. I was SO excited I didn’t even know they played Wild Honey. I thought it was Staring at the Sun. I didn’t really come around until Please. After Pride, Larry came back over to me so I could give him the birthday card and Elvis tee shirt. I said, ‘Thank you. Happy Birthday.’ He smiled and said, ‘Thank You.’ He looked into my eyes, just like he had in Jersey. Then Paola gave Larry her Larry scrapbook, which contains the picture of him hugging me. Later on, Bono noticed our shirts, shook his head and smiled. Before leaving the stage Larry took Michelle’s Elvis sunglasses with sideburns and put them on. I was so elated after the show – walking around hugging the champagne bottle. I told my story on video for this woman making a U2 GA documentary. I’m sure I made a fool of myself, but I was just VERY excited. What an amazing Larry night!

I did not have any encounters with Larry during the Vertigo tour, except when I would jump up and down screaming when he sang ‘RELEASE’ during Love and Peace or Else. I may have gotten a nod. On the 360 Tour in 2009, Larry gave me a few waves, smiles and nods during the shows when he saw me in my Larry Mullen Band shirt jumping up and down screaming his name. Of course no one else was behind the stage waiting for him to walk down with his conga during I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight.

I had a few great encounters with Larry on the 360 tour, including one I still can’t quite believe. Since I was driving to all 16 US shows, I thought it was a good opportunity to try to meet Larry. I arrived at each stadium by 3pm to wait for U2 to arrive. I wore my black Larry Mullen Band shirt and straw cowboy hat to every show. At the first show in Denver, Bono and Edge stopped and met with everyone but there were too many people around for me to get close. For the next show in Salt Lake City I didn’t wait for U2 to arrive because I came across the GA line first and started talking with people, so I just got in line at 4pm.

I arrived to the stadium in Seattle just before 3:30. There were about 20-30 fans waiting who said that Larry already went in, so I was really upset. But they were wrong – can’t believe they didn’t even know what Larry looks like! A few minutes later U2 arrived, including Larry. Bono came back out riding on the back of a policeman’s motorcycle. He was talking with the fans, and I interrupted and shouted, “Is Larry ever coming out to meet the fans?” Bono replied, “He only likes you. I love you. You obviously like that kind of cold stare don’t you?” He continued to talk to others, I walked away, and then Bono shouted, “Where are the Larry Mullen Band people?” I responded, “Right here!” and then pushed my way toward him. Bono asked me, “Do you have a message I can deliver (to Larry)?” So I asked Bono to please ask Larry to come out and greet the fans in Oakland, which was the next show. Bono asked my name and then repeated it back to me. When he got in the golf cart to leave, it looked as if he wrote something down. At the end of the concert, I stood by the tunnel to watch U2 leave. Larry saw me, smiled, walked over, and shook my hand. So maybe Bono did say something to Larry.

 

Three days later in Oakland, I arrived at the stadium by 3pm to make sure I didn’t miss Larry arriving because I was sure that Bono would deliver my message and I would finally talk with Larry. U2 arrived and Bono was in the first car as usual and stopped right in front of us. As soon as Bono got out of the car, I pointed at him and then at my Larry Mullen Band shirt and said, “Now Bono…” He put his hands in the air and said, “I tried.” He walked over to us, and I said, “So he’s not coming (referring to Larry)?” Bono said, “I tried.” While he was signing autographs, I told him that it’s ok because I’ll be at other shows. Bono asked me, “What is your name Deah?” I said, “Deena.” He said, “Yes, I remember.” He went on to talk to others. Before he got back into the car to go inside, Bono looked over to me and shouted, “I’ll try again.”

 

For the next month, U2 did not stop on their way into any stadium in the US. But luckily in Nashville we were able to stand in the parking garage overlooking the area where U2 got out of the cars and went into their dressing rooms in the building next to the stadium. Larry waved to everyone as he walked by.

A few days later in Chicago, Edge stopped on his way into Soldier Field. I shook Edge’s hand – his guitar playing hand! I asked him if Larry was coming out. He said, “I can’t say for sure. I can’t speak for Larry.” I thanked Edge for coming out to greet us, but I think it was too late and I had already offended him. I don’t think Edge had a sense of humor about it like Bono did in Seattle. A week later, Bono came out to greet everyone before the show in Philadelphia, but people were crazy and swarming him so I couldn’t get close enough to see him let alone talk with him. In St Louis a few days later, there were only a few of us waiting for U2 to arrive, but no one stopped to greet us. Larry did wave as he drove by though. Inside the stadium, I stood at the stage to watch U2 walk to the stage (as I did every show), and Larry and Bono noticed me (as they did most shows) and smiled and waved. During the band introductions Bono said, “Larry is still upset that we changed our name to U2 from the Larry Mullen Band and there are some people here that agree with him” – and Larry busted out laughing. Everyone thinks Bono was referring to me, and maybe he was. A few days later Edge stopped on his way into the stadium in New Jersey stopped to greet the fans, but since I had already met him in Chicago I stood back and let others meet him – besides he didn’t seem too interested in delivering a message to Larry for me.

A week later at the final US show in Pittsburgh both Bono and Edge came out to greet the fans. I couldn’t get close enough to talk with them, but I did see Larry and Adam get out of their cars and walk inside. My friends Matt and Melissa talked with Bono and selflessly told him about me and how I’ve driven to every US show and would like to meet Larry. Brian, Bono’s security guy, told them to wait there and he would see what he could do. Brian came out later and told me Larry was in a meeting, but he told Larry about me and Bono told Larry about me. Maybe Bono and Larry knew he was talking about me, since I talked with Bono in Seattle and Oakland about meeting Larry and Larry sometimes waves to me as he walks to the stage – and Brian said he’s seen me at the shows. Brian took my phone number and said he would look for us inside. I waited on Edge’s side of the inner circle to wait for U2 to enter, as I always do. Brian came over and told me that he was still working on getting me to meet Larry. When U2 walked out of the tunnel (on Adam’s side) I noticed that Larry wasn’t first as usual. Adam and Edge were first and Larry and Bono were behind them, so I kind of thought something was up. But then somehow Larry moved up front.

As Larry walked up the ramp, he locked eyes with me and was smiling. He walked across the platform and then down to me and hugged me. He didn’t say a word, he just put his arms around me. I think I muttered a ‘thank you.’ Larry gave me the biggest, best hug ever and then went on stage. I burst into tears. Everyone around me congratulated me and hugged me, which made the moment even more special. I was so excited that I don’t really remember Even Better Than the Real Thing or The Fly. I don’t think I came to until Mysterious Ways when Larry’s drum kit turned around and faced me behind the stage. I never thought Larry would walk over to me and hug me on his way to the stage before the show. That was my favorite moment of the U2 360 tour and a perfect ending to my Musical Journey! I keep replaying it over and over in my head. Larry walked toward me, smiling, jumping down to me, putting his arms around me without saying a word, and hugging me. It seemed like it lasted forever, but after watching videos, it was only a few seconds – but those were some magnificent few seconds!

 

 

Because of Larry Mullen, there is U2. He started the band with a note on the school bulletin board. And for a few minutes, the band was known as The Larry Mullen Band. Because of Larry Mullen, I got into U2. I heard With or Without You, saw a picture of U2 and noticed Larry, and my passion for U2 quickly grew. Because of Larry Mullen, I have met many great people and visited many great cities.

Who are you this passionate about?

 

This blog post is part of my A to Z April Challenge – 26 of my favorites. Thanks for stopping by. I am also blogging the A to Z Challenge on my other blog On the Road with U2.

Today is the 20th Anniversary of my 1st U2 show – ZooTv March 7, 1992

by

1

My musical journey on the road with U2 started 20 years ago today in Hampton, Virginia. It was Saturday March 7, 1992, and I was 19. My first U2 show was the fifth of the ZooTv Tour. On the morning of March 7th, my best friend, Cindy, and I drove four hours south from Ellicott City, MD to Hampton, VA. Back in those days, there was no need to get to the city of a concert a day early because there was no general admission – we had actual assigned seats on the floor. We checked into our hotel and immediately walked across the street to the Hampton Coliseum, even though it was hours before the concert was to start. We saw a small circle of people with a big microphone hovering over them. As we got closer, we realized Bono was in the middle of that circle! I didn’t speak with him, but got close enough to hear what he was saying to everyone else and to take pictures. For my first U2 show, I was seated in the fourth row in front of The Edge. Bruce Hornsby and Phil Joanou walked in from behind the stage and passed by us on their way to the soundboard. The Pixies opened. For the only time on the ZooTv Tour according to U2gigs.com, “The Fly is played after Even Better Than the Real Thing and Mysterious Ways, rather than before.” The set list from my first U2 show was as follows: Zoo Station, Even Better Than the Real Thing, Mysterious Ways, The Fly, One, Until the End of the World, Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, Tryin to Throw Your Arms Around the World, Angel of Harlem, Satellite of Love, Bad/All I Want is You, Bullet the Blue Sky, Running to Stand Still, Where the Streets Have No Name, Pride, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, Desire, Ultra Violet, With or Without You.

If you think you’re having a deja vu moment, you are. I also posted this on my On the Road with U2 blog. I just thought it was important enough to also post here because it was a HUGE day in my life.

My 2011, or should I say U2011

by

4

When I look back, I will see 2011 as a watershed year for me. It was a year when my entire life changed – for the better. I started the year in Memphis and ended it back home in Maryland – and in between drove 18,000 miles through 31 states in search of a drummer. I saw all 16 U2 360 shows in the US, discovered I wanted to write for a living, started my U2 blog, wrote my U2 tours memoir, tripled my twitter followers and most importantly moved back home.

Although 2011 was consumed with U2, I did manage to squeeze in a few other activities. In January, I became a published writer, celebrated Elvis Presley’s 76th birthday, saw some Grizzlies games in style and started my On the Road with U2 blog. On January 7th, I scoured the book stores for a copy of the new Twisted South magazine because I had written a review of Jerry Lee Lewis’ cd Mean Old Man – my first (and only so far) published article.

my first published article

Later that same day I started Elvis’ 76th birthday celebration at his father Vernon’s house, where many Elvis fans gather to celebrate. It was my first visit to the house that backs up to Graceland. That night, I went to Graceland for the Elvis Insiders Reception and Tour. The next day, January 8th, was Elvis’ birthday. We celebrated on the front lawn of Graceland singing Elvis songs and ‘Happy Birthday.’ Chilean miner, Edison Pena wowed the fans with his rendition of Elvis’ Wonder of You.

I had season tickets to the Memphis Grizzlies, but there were three special games – and they all occurred in January. On January 15th, I watched the Grizzlies game in style. About 25 of us who had $10 seats enjoyed the Grizzlies-Mavericks game from a suite, complete with food and drinks as well as visits by Grizzlies GM and VP Chris Wallace and Grizz himself. The Grizzlies defeated the Dallas Mavericks 89-70. It was Zack Randolph mini bobblehead night, and I received my autographed Zach Randolph jersey that I got for buying my season tickets early and paying for them at one time. Two days later was Martin Luther King Jr Day. I wore my U2 Pride MLK shirt to spend MLK Day with the Memphis Grizzlies at FedEx Forum. The Memphis Grizzlies were the first NBA team to have a MLK game – now everyone does. Prior to the game, I went to the Martin Luther King Jr Day Sports Legacy Award Symposium honoring NBA greats Willis Reed and Lenny Wilkens and MLB legend Willie Mays, who was such a character and very funny. Grizzlies lost to the Bulls 84-96, but the halftime show was great – the fantastic Mavis Staples performed! I spent the last day of January court-side at the Grizzlies-Wizards game. I asked for an upgrade and boy did I get it. I picked up my ticket at Will Call and it said $387. I was pretty excited because my entire season tickets cost $400. I was unsure where my seat was so I asked an usher, he looked at my ticket and said, “This is a $387. ticket! You’re on the floor.” I was dead center, court-side. I could hear the plays and see every expression on the players’ faces. The Grizzlies defeated the Wizards 107-93.

I spent most of February planning my U2 360 trip and relaxing around the house reading and writing. I became very interested in Tennessee Williams. While reading his memoir, I discovered that he spent time in Memphis. Tennessee Williams spent the summer of 1934 at his grandparents’ house in Memphis recovering from an illness when he was in college. His grandparents, the Dakins, lived at 1917 Snowden Avenue, across from Southwestern University, which is now Rhodes College. While Tennessee Williams was in Memphis he had dinner at the Peabody Hotel restaurant, but spent most of his time in the library at Southwestern University, now Rhodes College, right down the street from his grandparents’ house. It was here where he wrote his first play Cairo, Shanghai, Bombay!, which was produced and performed by The Rose Arbor Players at 1780 Glenview in Memphis. There is a historical marker at the corner of University and Snowden.

Tennessee Williams in Memphis

In March, I celebrated St. Patrick’s Day at Murphy’s pub in Memphis with a girl U2 tribute band EweToo. I put on my U2 360 I’ll Go Crazy tee, drove a mile down the road to Murphy’s, got a Guinness and found a seat on the deck in the shade. I talked with a lot of great people, long time Memphians who all knew each other for years. Three Guinness later, EweToo finally took the stage. They weren’t really a U2 cover band. They learned U2 songs to play specifically for St. Patrick’s Day. They played Two Hearts, Sunday Bloody Sunday, New Year’s Day, Still Haven’t Found, I Will Follow, With or Without You, Pride and Desire. There were maybe two other U2 fans in the crowd, but mostly everyone was just singing the chorus and having fun.

In April, I went to the Memphis Redbirds Opening Day and toured Graceland for what turned out to be the last time before I moved. For the third year in a row, I attended Opening Day for the Memphis Redbirds, the Triple A affiliate for the St. Louis Cardinals. For three years I sat in the front row behind homeplate. And for three years the stadium has never been full – even though it was 70s degrees, Opening Day and the Redbirds were the defending Conference Champions for the past two years. The game ended just before 11pm (4 hours!). Unfortunately, the Redbirds lost to the Redhawks of Oklahoma City 8-7.

In May before I started my U2 360 Tour, I went to the Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival as I had done the first weekend in May for the past nine years. My friend Tasha flew in early Friday morning for our annual weekend at the Beale Street Music Festival. We ate lunch at Paula Deen’s at Harrah’s Casino in Tunica, walked around the Art Galleries on South Main, and ate dinner at Majestic Grille. My first stop once inside MusicFest was the hat tent because I wanted to get a new cowboy hat. The prices were much lower than when I bought one a few years ago, so I bought another one. I would wear this hat to all 16 U2 shows. That first night of MusicFest we saw Everclear, Cake, Flaming Lips, Jimmy Vaughan, and Stone Temple Pilots. Saturday Tasha and I decided to go downtown early and walk around Beale Street before going to the festival. We had a great lunch at Alfred’s after a failed attempt at breakfast at Lil’ Anthony’s. The second day of MusicFest we camped out on the front rail of the Budweiser stage all day because Tasha wanted to see Mumford and Sons. We saw Amy Lavere, Paul Thorn, Jerry Lee Lewis (my annual favorite), and then finally Mumford and Sons – and Jake Gyllenhall who was watching from the side of the stage. Sunday we decided not to go to the Beale Street Music Festival because it was pouring rain. So instead we had lunch at the Cupboard and went to Sun Studio. We didn’t take the tour, as we could give the tour by now. We just sat in a booth and hung out for a bit, soaking in all the music history. This was to be my last visit to Sun Studio before I moved from Memphis. Monday morning we drove out east in the pouring rain to Blue Plate for breakfast before Tasha flew home.

I spent the next three months On the Road with U2 driving over 18,000 miles with my dogs Elvis and Cilla through 31 states to all 16 US concerts, seeing many fantastic American sights along the way and making many great friends. This U2 360 tour was definitely the highlight of my year. I drove through and/or stayed in Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Delaware, New Jersey and Minnesota. I visited Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Deadwood in South Dakota, Red Rocks in Denver, Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Reno and Lake Tahoe in Nevada, the Experience Music Project and Kurt Cobain’s house in Seattle, Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, Harmony Hotel, Joshua Tree Park and Elvis’ homes in Palm Springs, took a bus tour of LA and Hollywood, visited Johnny Cash’s grave outside of Nashville, Bronz Fonz and Summerfest in Milwaukee, the Football Hall of Fame, and Soundgarden in Philadelphia. My favorite places I visited were Mount Rushmore, Palm Springs and Milwaukee. My favorite U2 concerts were Anaheim2, Chicago, St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Seattle. My favorite tour moments were seeing U2 walk through the crowd and onto the stage 16 times, “LET ME IN THE SOUND” during Get on Your Boots 16 times, Larry walking around during I’ll Go Crazy 16 times, being on the field at the Denver Broncos stadium for the first U2 show in the US, hearing Love Rescue Me for the first time in Salt Lake City, talking with Bono in Seattle, shaking Larry’s hand in Seattle, talking with Bono again in Oakland, hearing Larry sing Perfect Day in Oakland, hearing I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For for the first time that leg in Anaheim, opening the show with five straight songs off Achtung Baby in Anaheim, Larry taking off his shirt on his way to the car in Baltimore, watching half of the show in the daylight in East Lansing, hearing Northstar for the first time in Miami, seeing Larry get out of his car at the stadium in Nashville, hearing The Wanderer for the first time in Nashville, Bono bringing a blind fan on stage to play All I Want is You to close the show in Nashville, shaking Edge’s hand in Chicago, finally hearing Out of Control for the first time that leg in Chicago, hearing One Tree Hill for the first time in Chicago, hearing the original version of Magnificent for the first time that leg, Bono’s shout out to me about the Larry Mullen Band in St. Louis, ending the show with Out of Control in New Jersey, the fantastic rain in Minneapolis, hearing Bad for the first time that leg in Pittsburgh, and my favorite moment of the entire tour (the entire three months) was when Larry hugged me on his way to the stage at the final US show in Pittsburgh. For all the details of my three months on the road with U2, including pictures and videos, please visit my other blog.

After the U2 360 Tour ended on July 26, I spent a couple weeks at my parents’ house in Maryland before I drove back to Memphis for Elvis Week in August. Tuesday August 16th was the 34th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death and his fans still remember. In fact, each year more and more fans flock to Memphis to pay their respects and remember the King of Rock n Roll. This was my 6th Elvis Week. I went to the 25th anniversary, then the 30th and then every one since. I began my Elvis Week with a screening of the documentary Sam Phillips: The Man Who Started Rock n Roll hosted by Knox Phillips and Peter Guralnick at the University of Memphis. After the documentary, Sam’s son Knox and author Peter Guralnick told stories about Sam and Elvis. It was a great documentary, a great couple of hours. Later that night I went downtown to the Orpheum Theatre for Elvis Presley Live: the King in Concert. Elvis’ conductor Joe Guercio introduced the show. When the curtain opened and the music started, the audience went wild. Elvis on stage, at least he looked as if he was on stage, with the band behind him. They used footage from Elvis ’69 performances in Las Vegas on a big screen that covered the entire stage top to bottom, but you could still see the live band behind it. I was so into the show that I forgot Elvis has been dead for 34 years and wasn’t really singing in front of me. From the screaming and cheering I heard, everyone in the audience agreed with me. At intermission The Imperials, the gospel quartet who toured with Elvis, performed a few songs. It was a great night, and the most fun event of Elvis Week for me. Elvis Week ends each year with a candlelight vigil at Graceland beginning the night of August 15th. Fans stand in line overnight and make the pilgrimage up the driveway to Elvis’ grave to pay their respects. I took my chair and cooler and secured a nice spot in the median on Elvis Presley Boulevard in front of the gates of Graceland. It was a beautiful night – cool for Memphis in August. It was great to be sitting in front of Graceland listening to Elvis music with people who love Elvis as much as I do. During the opening ceremony, everyone lit their candles and sang along with Elvis’ If I Can Dream- “there must be lights burning brighter somewhere…out there in the dark there’s a beckoning candle.” After the opening ceremony, I walked around a bit admiring everyone’s Elvis sidewalk art and sat back in my chair for a few hours enjoying the night. At 11pm, I got in line to make my way up the driveway. I passed through the gates of Graceland at 11:15 and was at the Meditation Garden by 1am.

In September, I attended a preview of the remake of Footloose, saw the Denver Broncos play in Nashville, and decided to move back home to Maryland. Memphian Craig Brewer, who directed the remake of Footloose, put me on the guest list for its preview – we follow each other on Twitter. The large theatre at the Paradiso in Memphis was almost full for the sixth screening of Footloose. A lot of folks from the local news were in attendance and Craig Brewer was there to greet us as we arrived, introduce the film and sign posters after the screening. Craig explained he remade Footloose because as a 13 year-old kid in 1984 when it came out, it was as if the movie was made just for him. He was the misfit city kid who moved to the small rural town. The movie was fantastic! It was really funny and had an underdog champion kind of feel like Karate Kid and Rocky. The story and characters followed the original movie. Kenny Wormald’s Ren was way hotter than Kevin Bacon’s, but he did wear what looked like the same maroon blazer to the dance at the end of the movie. Dennis Quaid’s Rev. Moore was more sympathetic and less scary than John Lithgow’s. The music was great. It was a mix of covers of the original soundtrack and new songs.

Footloose

I drove to Nashville September 25th to cheer on my Denver Broncos against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field in Nashville, just as I had 51 weeks prior. Unfortunately unlike the previous year, my Broncos lost 14-17 to the Titans. It was still a great game though, mostly because I got to see John Elway. I saw him come out of the tunnel and ran toward him. I got halfway down the stairs when the usher stopped me because my seat was not down in front. I tried to explain to him that it was JOHN ELWAY and I love JOHN ELWAY, but he didn’t let me pass. He did, however, laugh at me as I screamed and squealed and shouted JOHN JOHN JOHN! I was shaking and SO excited. I’ve been to games and have seen John Elway play four times in his career, but I have never been that close to him. Unlike last year when I spent the entire weekend in Nashville (my birthday weekend), this year I just went to Nashville for the day. I couldn’t take the time off from packing for my move home or spend the money to stay in Nashville overnight. Plus my mom was flying into Nashville to help me pack and move, since Southwest doesn’t fly into Memphis. Mom texted me at the end of the 3rd quarter to say she had landed and was in a cab on her way to Big River Grille. Denver was leading 14-10 and the Titans fans were getting ugly, so I decided it was a good time to leave. I walked back across the bridge and met Mom. We had a nice lunch, and I got to see the last quarter on tv at the bar. Denver lost 17-14, so I didn’t miss much. We left Nashville at 4pm and were back in Memphis just after 7pm. The next few days Mom and I finished packing, played the slots at Harrah’s in Tunica (and of course ate at the delicious Paula Deen’s), and had one last traditional Memphis BBQ dinner at Central BBQ.

In October, I moved back home to Maryland. More specifically back into the basement of my parents’ house in Ellicott City, Maryland. They are in Florida half of the year, so I have the whole house to myself, but I still stay in my basement apartment. Surprisingly, I love having all of my things in one room. I never thought I would leave Memphis and move back to Maryland, but something changed in me this summer. I decided it was more important to live where my family and friends are rather than live in a city I love. I love Memphis. I had a great time in Memphis. But it was time to come home. Mom and I left Memphis October 1st, we were back in Maryland October 2nd, got Ledo’s pizza on October 3rd, celebrated my 39th birthday on October 4th standing in our driveway directing the movers where to put my furniture and boxes, registered my car in Maryland and started unpacking October 5th, and Mom, Kathy and I went to Dover Downs Casino on October 6th – I won $1760. All and all a very productive week.

Since I moved back home, I have been writing my U2 Tours Memoir, hanging out with friends and family, reading, blogging, watching my Denver Broncos play, eating a lot of Ledo’s pizza, and looking for a job. I went to the Maryland Irish Festival with Abbey and Anisha to see U2 tribute band 2U play, went to Keira’s 5th birthday party, went to a Ravens game with my dad, had Thanksgiving dinner with the Knedeisen’s and my dad, went to Jilly’s with my dad and Shawn to watch football, saw The Muppets with Cindy, Tabitha and Keira, went to Charles Town Casino with Cindy and Kathy, babysat Tabitha and Keira, went to Dover Downs Casino with my mom, had our annual Trivia Christmas party, celebrated Christmas with my family, celebrated Cindy’s birthday with her family, and saw The Chipmunks with Cindy, Tabitha and Keira.

2011 was a great year because I moved back home, I discovered I love to write, I drove over 18,000 miles with my dogs across the country for three months visiting places I had always wanted to, made many great new friends, saw 16 great U2 shows, and Larry Mullen Jr hugged me on his way to the stage at the last US 360 show!

We're home!

On the Road with U2 – my musical journey across America

by

0

This is my last post here on my Deena’s Days Blog until August – not that I wrote that much here this year anyway. I leave Saturday for U2 360 – I am driving with my 2 dogs to all 16 U2 shows in the US. You can follow my updates on my other blog On the Road with U2 and on twitter as MemphisMullen and on facebook as Deena Dietrich. Each day I will be writing about my travel experiences and posting pictures and videos. Not all of my travels will involve U2. I am also doing a lot of sight seeing in the US in between the U2 shows - Mount Rushmore, Reno, Portland, San Francisco, Hollywood just to name a few places. So go to my On the Road with U2 blog and follow my musical journey across America this summer.

It’s All About U2011

by

2

I haven’t written much in my DeenasDays blog this year because this is the year of U2011, so I have been writing in my On the Road with U2 blog. I will probably blog about the Memphis Grizzlies playoff games and definitely about the Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival in 2 weeks, but that is probably it until August.

The U2 360 Us tour starts in just over a month, and I leave one month from today for my summer-long road trip across America to attend all 16 shows. I have been blogging and posting constantly about U2 the past 4 months because I am trying to reach as many U2 fans as possible, so they will follow my blog and my articles on U2TourFans during the tour and hopefully buy my book after the tour. I have been writing a book about my travels on U2 tours I have been on from ZooTv to 360 and will continue with this summer’s road trip across America on U2 360. I will also be filming my entire trip with hopes of making a documentary.

When I return to Memphis in August, I will get back to blogging here on DeenasDays about Lollapalooza, Elvis Week, and all things Memphis. So please excuse me for a few months while I’m On the Road with U2.

2010 My Year in Review

by

0

I had a fantastic 2010 and am looking forward to 2011. I visited many places I had been wanting to visit. I did not make it through my entire list, but I made quite a dent.

January I attended Elvis’ Birthday weekend celebration. It would have been his 75th, so there was a lot of hoopla, including a visit by Priscilla and Lisa Marie.

I got Grizzlies season tickets in 2010 and enjoyed my view from up top.  Also in January, I saw Amy Lavere at Young Avenue Deli and went to the cd release party for Nancy Apple’s Shine, which she recorded at Sun Studio. Nancy is my favorite Memphis artist who I now consider a friend.

In February, I visited some local treasures. I toured the Rock n Soul Museum, played the slots at Harrah’s Tunica and ate at Paula Deen’s, and toured the Pink Palace. I also saw the movie Crazy Heart, which really inspired me to take a roadtrip out west. I saw the great play The Jersey Boys at the Orpheum Theatre.

I saw Brandon Santini and Delta Highway at the Blues Hall on Beale Street and they blew me away. Fantastic blues group! I really need to get back to see them. I went to the Big One flea martket and saw Kris Kristofferson and Merle Haggard at Horseshoe Casino in Tunica. It’s the closest I’ll ever get to seeing Johnny Cash.

I ended February at the Memphis Zoo on International Polar Bear Day. Polar Bears are my favorite, after dogs of course, and they are in danger of becoming extinct.

In March, Elvis, Cilla and I took a trip through Mississippi. We saw Medgar Evers house in Jackson, the casinos in Biloxi and Elvis’ summer home at the Golf Resort, Robert Johnson’s birthplace in Hazelhurst, where coca-cola was first bottled in Vicksburg, Robert Johnson’s grave in Greenwood, Dockery Plantation in Cleveland, and the Cathead store in Clarksdale.

I visited the Dixon Gallery and Gardens, played and ate at Harrah’s, and walked the dogs along the Mississippi River at Tom Lee Park. I finally went to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in Jackson, TN, which was small but packed with lots of memorabilia!  

I went to Little Rock, Arkansas for the day to visit the Clinton Presidential Library, which was great and situated along the River. My first time at a presidential library and in Little Rock.

I ended March with a visit to Jerry Lee Lewis’ ranch in Nesbit, Mississippi. I couldn’t tour it because Jerry lives there and no longer gives tours, but I drove by it about 8 times back and forth taking pictures and video. Love his piano gates as an answer to Elvis’ music notes gates.

On April 3 I wrote, “Today I was inspired by a documentary I watched called 10MPH where these guys quit their corporate jobs to follow their bliss. They made a documentary about their cross country journey on segweys. It made me feel a little less crazy knowing that I’m not the only one out there who quit their job to follow their bliss. I am very much enjoying seeing everything I’ve been wanting to see and videorecording it along the way. So I bought a domain and made this blog public.” 

I spent a lot of time in April planning my U2 tour roadtrip that never was, went to the Memphis Roller Derby and finally got to the Memphis Pizza Cafe.

 

I went to the Found Footage Festival at Studio on the Square. Basically, these guys go around collecting and buying old VHS tapes and editing them to make these great montages of nostalia and then show them to folks like me in various cities. A simple and great idea.

I again attended the Memphis Redbirds opening day, which is really a night game – which still bugs me. They lost, but it was fun and a great view from my front row seat.

I went to the Juke Joint Festival in Clarksdale, Mississippi. I listened to great blues by Stacy Mitchart and Valerie June, watched blues documentaries at the old theatre and took a tour of Clarksdale including Tennesse Williams’ house and those of his neighbors Blanche and Brick.

I visited Graceland because I hadn’t been since the birthday celebration in January.

In May for the first time in years, we did not attend the Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival because of the tornado. Tasha and I had fun though, except when we were hiding in the closet with the dogs from the tornado. Before the tornado, we went to played slots at Harrah’s, went to Sun Studio, went to Trolley Night where I bought some Memphis art, hung out on Beale Street, ate at Paula Deens, Marlowe’s, Blue Plate, the Cupboard, and Alfred’s. After the tornado, we drove around looking at the damage and then watched hockey at Young Avenue Deli.

The best part about May 2010 was my trip to Las Vegas! I met Cindy there for 4 days, and we had a blast. Plus I got to see New Kids on the Block the first two nights of their tour and the new Elvis Cirque de Soleil show. Cindy and I stayed at Ballys but of course played the slots up and down the Strip, like Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock and the Flamingo.

The worst part about May 2010 was learning that U2′s North American tour had been postponed until next year because Bono had emergency back surgery, but luckily he was alright – thank goodness! So I scrambled to make plans because I was itching to take a roadtrip, since I had planned to be on the road for 2 months seeing every US U2 show and much of the country. I decided on driving out Route 66, with Elvis and Cilla, from Oklahoma to New Mexico and then back through Texas and Louisiana.

I saw many of the classic Route 66 sites from Tulsa to Albuquerque, but my favorite part of Route 66 was Amarillo – the Big Texan Ranch and Cadillac Ranch.

I really loved Texas, well north Texas anyway. I enjoyed Lubbock, Austin and Dallas. Being a Buddy Holly fan, I visited Lubbock and Buddy’s school, studio, grave, as well as the Buddy Holly museum.

On the way to Dallas, I stopped in Killeen to visit Elvis’ home while he was at Ft Hood.

In Dallas, I stayed at the Southfork Hotel and visited the Southfork Ranch. I am a fan of the tv show Dallas and touring the ranch was great fun.

There was one last stop on our roadtrip before heading back to Memphis. And that was in Shreveport Louisiana at the Auditorium where the Louisiana Hayride took place. This is where Elvis, and many others, got there start.

In June, I went home to Maryland for about 2 weeks and had a blast! I attended my 20th high school reunion, spent a few days at Dover Downs casino, went to an Orioles game, went to the Mason Dixon Master Chef tournament at the Belvedere, and hung out with my parents and my friends.

In July, I tried going vegan for about a month, but couldn’t find a great cheese substitute that I could live with, so I’m back to being just vegetarian. I found out that the U2 North American tour had been rescheduled for Summer 2011. On my July visit to Graceland, I bought an annual pass which will pay for itself after 2 visits.

I spent the rest of July attending events in Memphis. I went to the Who Shot Rock n Roll photography exhibit at the Brooks Museum of Art, the opening reception for the Elvis: from Memphis to Manhattan exhibit at Stax Museum, the HiTone (finally!) to see Bulletproof Vests, Daylight Fades encore presentation at Studio on the Square, the Arts Memphis Bravo season kickoff party featuring the Bluff City Backsliders, WEVL’s annual Blues on the Bluff featuring the BoKeys, Marshall Grant’s (Johnny Cash’s bassist) final performance and book signing at the Brooks, and Joan Jett at Horseshoe Casino in Tunica.

August found me on the road again, but this time without Elvis and Cilla. I met Tasha in Chicago for Lollapalooza, but also went to see the play Million Dollar Quartet and a cubs game at Wrigley Field. My main reason for going to Lollapalooza was to see Soundgarden, but I really enjoyed the entire festival. It was clean, organized, and lots of great music. I enjoyed seeing These United States, the Ettes, Mavis Staples, Amerian Bang, Ed Kowalczyk from Live,  Devo, the Black Keys, Lady Gaga,  Switchfoot, the Cribs, XJapan, Wolfmother, and of course SOUNDGARDEN!

Back in Memphis in August for Elvis Week. I attended the benefit for Myrna Smith (sadly she just passed away Christmas Eve) featuring a performance by Cowboy Jack Clement, Elvis Insiders Shake Rattle and Bowl where I met Chris, Noel, Joe Guercio, Cynthia Peppers, Conversations on Elvis at the Orpheum with Joe Guercio, the Stamps, Joe Esposito, the sreening of Elvis on Tour at the Orpheum with a performance by the Stamps, the Candlelight Vigil with a heat index of 115 degrees and an appearancy by Elvis’ nurse Marion Cocke on George Klein’s radio show.

The end of August brought me to the realization that I love writing, this may have been inspired by seeing and reading Eat Pray Love. But writing is what I want to do – find a way to get paid for writing. I would love to get paid for reviewing events I attend, so I have this blog and I write for examiner.com. I have also I started my memoirs – 3 different versions. I also ate at restaurants I had been wanting to try like Majestic Grill and Fuel Cafe and saw Billy Idol at Harrah’s Casino in Tunica.

September started off great with the annual Memphis Music and Heritage Festival downtown, which is free. It was a day of great Memphis music with Roy Harper, Nancy Apple, Barbara Blue, Sweet Angel, the Kattawar Brothers, Elmo and the Shades, Bluff City Backsliders, and Jack Oblivian and the Tennessee Tearjerkers.

I went back to Harrah’s to play the slots and eat at Paula Deen’s. I went to traffic court in Illinois to fight a speeding ticket I got on the way to Chicago – and I won! I spent the day in Tupelo visiting Elvis’ birthplace, Tupelo Hardware, Elvis’ school, the CVB and eating at Johnnie’s Drive-In.

September 17, 2010 was the last episode of As the World Turns. It has been on the air for 54 years, and on the radio before that. My grandmother used to listen to it on the radio, then watched it on tv. It was the first soap opera that was a half hour – the rest were 15 minutes. I have watched As the World Turns since the late -1980s.

I attended the Cooper Young Festival for the first time. Actually I worked it. I helped out in the Indie Memphis Film Festival booth.

In October, I was on the road again to Nashville for my birthday weekend. I left Elvis and Cilla at the vet’s and away I went. I toured the Ryman, visited record shops and bars on Broadway, saw my Denver Broncos defeat the Titans (the whole reason I went to Nashville), toured RCA Studio B where Elvis recorded and the Country Music Hall of Fame.

I attended the 17th annual Memphis Blues Ball, which was honoring the 75th birthdays of both Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis – neither were in attendance. But Jerry Schilling, George Klein, Mark James, Knox Phillips, Jerry D Williams, Ronny McDowell and Jack Soden were there.

Using my annual pass, I spent the day at Graceland, the happiest place on earth.

I went to the annual Wine Fest in Millington, featuring Nancy Apple.

October ended with the Memphis Grizzlies 10th season opener featuring a performance by Al Kapone.

 

November started with more U2 shows being added and me planning for next summer’s tour/roadtrip. My parents’ friend was in Memphis, so we had breakfast at the Arcade, toured Graceland and Sun Studio, watched football at Alfred’s and saw Chips Moman and Marty Lacker get their music notes on Beale Street.

I went to Payton the polar bear’s birthday party at the Memphis Zoo – he was 7.

I went to Tunica, but this time played the slots at Horseshoe and Gold Strike before going back to Harrah’s and eating at Paula Deen’s. I saw Vince Vaughn and Kevin James at the Cannon Center. They were absolutely hysterical!

For the Portland-Grizzlies game, my seat was upgraded to about 10 rows off the court – a $227 ticket for free! It’s a whole different game from that angle.

 

November ended with the Memphis Grizzlies defeating Lebron James and the Miami Heat. It was a fantastic game, even if I was back up in my nosebleed seat.

In December, Elvis, Cilla and I went home to Maryland for over 2 weeks for Christmas and had a fantastic time! I went to Dover Downs casino for a couple of nights, went to a Ravens game, ate lots of Ledo’s pizza, attended our annual Trivia Christmas party, celebrated Cindy’s birthday, and spent time with my parents and my friends.

What a truly wonderful year I have had! I am so lucky!

I started a new blog at
http://ontheroadwithu2.com
 to document my U2 tour travels next summer as well as my adventures from past U2 tours I’ve been on. I will still post on this blog for non-U2 related events, but 2011 is really going to be the year of U2011!

Going Home for Christmas – day 1 on the road from Memphis to Abingdon

by

0

I’m going home to Maryland for Christmas. A nice long visit with the family and friends. With Big Orange packed to the brim, Elvis, Cilla and I left Memphis just before 8am this morning, central standard time. Our goal was to be in Abingdon, Virginia by dark – we almost made it. We drove a little over 8 hours, 516 miles, stopping only once and arrived at our hotel in Abingdon just after 5:30pm eastern standard time.

Elvis and Cilla ride in the way back

on the road

The first day of driving home is always enjoyable because it is on route 40 East driving through the entire state of Tennessee. It is such a relaxing, pretty drive. Then there is Virginia. Tomorrow’s drive will be almost all in Virginia driving route 81 north, but the last hour or so of today’s drive was in Virginia. As soon as I enter Virginia, I get a completely different vibe. People drive crazy and route 81 is more annoying and not as relaxing as route 40 in Tennessee. Needless to say, I’m not a fan of Virginia.

are we there yet?

So it’s 7pm, and we’re relaxing in the hotel hoping to get a good night’s sleep for our 6 hour drive tomorrow to Ellicott City. Please watch the video of our drive today

December 2010 and U2011

by

0

I haven’t been blogging too much the past couple of weeks. I have just been working and preparing for Christmas. Work is going well. I really like being concierge at the Westin and talking with tourists about Memphis, but it’s not so fun when we’re not busy and no one asks me anything. I have got all my Chirstmas presents wrapped and am enjoying staring at my new 1970s style colored lights on my Christmas tree. 

I doubt I’ll be going to any events in Memphis between now and the end of the year, so no blogs or reviews. But I will be leaving for Maryland in about a week and will be there almost until the end of the month, so I’ll blog and video about my adventures there. The 2-day 14 hour drive with the dogs to and from Maryland is always entertaining. Plus I’m going to Dover Downs casino with my mom for 2 days, hanging out with Cindy’s family for a couple of days, attending the annual Trivia Christmas party with the ladies (lots of wine and food!), going to the Ravens-Saints game with my dad, and then of course there’s Christmas.

In January I’m going to start blogging about U2 in preparation for the upcoming 360 US tour in May. Each month will be dedicated to my adventures from a tour I attended. January will be about ZooTv (8 shows), February will be about Popmart (8 shows), March will be about Elevation (27 shows), April will be about Vertigo (8 shows) and the beginning of May will be about the 360 tour from 2009 (8 shows). Then if all goes well, I will be blogging and videoing from the road on my 2 month adventure with my 2 dogs attending all 16 US U2 shows across America. I have started a new blog at
http://ontheroadwithu2.com/
 called On the Road with U2 to cover all of my U2 travels.

So, I will talk to you in a week or so from Maryland!

ON THE ROAD last stop Shreveport

by

1

After a great day and night in a Dallas, we left this morning for Shreveport, Louisiana – our last stop on the roadtrip. After three and a half hours, we arrived at the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium on Elvis Presley Avenue where Elvis Presley headlined the Louisiana Hayride in the 1950s. Many others such as Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Jerry Lee Lewis and Dolly Parton also played there.

Elvis Presley Avenue Shreveport

Shreveport Municipal Auditorium

Louisiana Hayride

Elvis in Shreveport

James Burton in Shreveport

louisiana hayride stage

elvis

I really liked Shreveport. It was a small city with a riverfront area and casinos. I didn’t stay the night because I really didn’t need to spend the money on a hotel or the casinos, especially since I was in Vegas last month and I’m going to the casino in Delaware in a couple of weeks. So we drove 5 hours home to Memphis. Along the way, we stopped and as the dogs were drinking in the back of the car, 2 cats approached. There was almost an incident, but luckily we avoided it.

Shreveport

cats at the rest stop

After 9 days and 2960 miles through 5 states, we are back in Memphis. It was a great roadtrip. I really enjoyed driving Route 66 from Tulsa to Albuquerque. I loved the Big Texan Steak Ranch and Amarillo, as well as Dallas and Southfork. I didn’t love Lubbock, but I loved seeing all the Buddy Holly sites. It was also great to see where the Louisiana Hayride took place. I didn’t love New Mexico or San Antonio, but I’m glad I went because I have always wanted to. And I would rather go somewhere and not like it, then to never go and always wonder what it is like.

ON THE ROAD San Antonio to Southfork

by

5

Today was a great day, but it started out as badly as yesterday ended. We woke up before 6am and couldn’t get out of San Antonio fast enough. Our hotel was terrible and in a bad part of town. Also, San Antonio is just a big icky city. But before we left, we saw this cool sculpture, the Alamo, the alamodome and the Riverwalk.

San Antonio

The Alamo

Riverwalk

Once out of the traffic and hustle and bustle of San Antonio, we headed north about 70 miles to Austin. This seemed like a nice city. I’ll have to come back for a weekend to hear some live music. But at this point, I just wanted to head north and leave southern Texas behind.

Austin

I made a 30 minute detour to Killeen to see the house Elvis Presley rented while he was at Ft Hood.

Elvis

At this point, I was relaxed. I definitely prefer northern Texas to southern. I love Dallas. I love the Southfork hotel. Everyone is so nice.

Dallas

inside Southfork hotel

outside Southfork hotel

I toured Southfork Ranch, as in where the Ewings lived in the tv show Dallas. It was so cool. The tv show was never filmed inside the house until the reunion show. But all the exteriors were shot on Southfork – the pool, the back porch, the driveway, the front and back yards, the front of the house. The pool was tiny. They used mirrors to make it look bigger on tv. The driveway is shorter than in looked on tv. And they used to put powder down to make it look as if it was a dirt driveway.

Southfork Ranch

southfork

southfork driveway

southfork house

breakfast on the back porch

southfork pool

the only room ever used on Dallas, and it was the reunion special

The tour was great. I got the free shuttle from Southfork hotel, and they even gave me a coupon for the tour. I first toured the ‘Dallas’ museum and then the ranch. A guy in a tractor pulled us around the ranch and told us about the real Southfork, which was owned coincidently by a guy named JR. We then went inside the house and learned about the real house, which is only about 5000 square feet, and the house on ‘Dallas’ was supposed to be about 30,000 square feet.

who shot jr?

Jock

our tractor tour guide

horses at southfork

Ewing Oil

southfork souvenirs

I returned to the lovely Southfork hotel after being gone for 2 1/2 hours to a very excited Elvis and Cilla. I left them in the hotel room alone, and they didn’t destroy anything or make a mess or bark. I’m pretty sure they slept the entire time I was gone. I ordered dinner from the Cattleman’s Club bar and took it to my room. Very good, cheesy quesedillas and a ceasar salad. It was fabulous. I’m exhausted, but very relaxed and very happy. This was a great day! We are going to sleep very well tonight. The hotel is quiet, and Elvis and Cilla are relaxed.

ON THE ROAD Lubbock to San Antonio

by

0

Today started out great, even though I was supposed to be in Salt Lake City for the U2 tour opener. Last night I realized there were more Buddy Holly sites to see in Lubbock, so we left the hotel around 8 am after a quiet, restful night.

Buddy Holly’s studio at 1926 19th Street.

Buddy Holly’s high school, next door to his studio.

Fair Park Coliseum was where Buddy Holly was discovered and played several times. He also opened for Elvis Presley here.

I searched over a half hour for the City of Lubbock cemetary. My car GPS was wrong, so I had to use the gps on my phone. I eventually found it and the final resting place of Buddy Holly.

Buddy Holly’s real named was spelled Holley. When it was mispelled on his first record, he decided to keep it as Holly.

Just after 9am we headed east then south to San Antonio. We traveled through many small towns and saw lots of drilling.

We arrived in San Antonio around 3pm. I was surprised at all the traffic and how big a city it is. I booked a hotel that was supposed to be a few blocks from the famous Riverwalk. Well it’s about a mile, and it’s not in a very nice part of downtown. I’m hoping there is a nice part of downtown because so far I’m not a fan of San Antonio – and I’ve always wanted to visit here :(

Supposed to stay here 2 nights, but after lots of people hanging around the hotel causing my dogs to bark, people putting menus through my door causing my dogs to bark and no phone in the room, we’re just staying tonight.

Going to get up early tomorrow (because I doubt we’ll sleep anyway) and see the sites of San Antonio then head north to Austin then Plano. We are going to stay at the Southfork Hotel tomorrow night, so I can tour Southfork Ranch Saturday morning.

ON THE ROAD in Lubbock, TX

by

0

Today is June 2, 2010, and I am on my way to Salt Lake City for the U2 tour opener tomorrow. Oh wait, the u2 tour was postponed until next year. So instead of going to Salt Lake City, I headed to Lubbock, TX in search of another music great – Buddy Holly.

On the way, we came across Billy the Kid’s grave in Fort Sumner, NM.

Fort Sumner, NM

Billy the Kid grave

history of billy the kid grave

Billy the Kid gravesite

Today we drove smaller roads, not the big route 40. So we passed a lot of cattle ranches and horse farms. Elvis barks at every cow and horse he sees. He’s not a big fan of animals.

I was looking for the Buddy Holly statue in Clovis, but I didn’t find it. I did, however, find the studio where Buddy Holly recorded ‘That’ll Be the Day.’

Buddy Holly's That'll Be the Day

Buddy Holly recorded here in Clovis, NM

As I was driving from Clovis to Lubbock and listening to Buddy Holly, I had an interesting thought. What if Elvis had died early on and all we had of his music were the Sun recordings? Sure, they were great, but his voice and music got so much better as he got older. Buddy Holly’s music was fantastic. Just imagine what he could have done had he lived.

Buddy Holly Center Lubbock, TX

Lubbock, TXBuddy's glasses

Buddy Holly Plaza Lubbock, TX

Buddy Holly Walk of Fame

Walk of Fame Lubbock, TX

Lubbock is a bigger city than I expected. Not sure how it was when Buddy lived here. I thought it would be a small town, but it’s an actual city. And the motel doesn’t look great from the outside but I have a fridge and it’s quiet, so the dogs are not stressed by slamming doors. It seems we might get a good night’s sleep tonight before heading down to San Antonio.

Ordered a pizza, the best yet. Now I’ve had pizza in all 3 states I’ve been in. Elvis and Cilla ate and took a walk and are now relaxing. Cilla wanted her own bed, but Elvis likes to stay close to me.