U2 360⁰ (and then some)

U2 was originally slated to come to Denver in June of 2010. That was before Bono slipped a disc in his back,prompting a one year postponement of this entire leg of the U2360⁰ tour. We finally got to use our tickets on Saturday, as Bono and company finally made it to a sold out Invesco Field. It was entirely worth the wait.

As it turned out, it was also well worth camping out for seven hours on the tarmac outside in the general admission queue, and waiting for three more in the crowded "inner circle" under "the Claw". To explain, U2's stage for this tour is gigantic - it reportedly takes four days to set up and two to take down, and consists of a more or less basic center platform surrounded by a runway about 50 feet out. The two elements are connected via two bridges that can move around the radius of the circle. Above the whole thing stand four pillars the bend over the stage to connect in the middle, from which hangs a 360-degrees circular video screen that can expand to reach all the way down to the stage floor. We ended up getting a spot inside the circle between the stage and the circular runway, and the show was EPIC.

Waiting outside in the GA queue.

The Wife two-fisting it. (CAGE questionnaire anyone?)

People left behind everything from chairs to unopened Doritos to untouched six-packs (now you see where Amy got the liquid refreshment seen in previous shot).

Getting ready for the mad scramble.

Inside "the circle". First 2000 fans were allowed in, we were probably around #'s 800 and 801.

In between the opening act (The Fray) and the real thing, all these facts rotated by on the big screen - some lighthearted ("tweets today") and some more sobering ("People who died of hunger today").

The band shows up first on the big screen on their way out to the stage.

Bono on one of the moving bridges - my best shot of the night.

"In the place where art meets science, the super hero who was bitten by a spider and turned into a nerd...on guitar, The Edge."

"A wonder of nature, Adam Clayton became a father in the last year, still a young buck though!"

"Part-Terminator part Duracell Bunny....Larry Mullen Jr on drums..."

Ten feet away.

Bono and The Edge on main stage.

Even Larry got the chance to get out from behind his set and amble about on the runway.

The rhythm section steals the limelight for a minute.

Bono and Adam main stage - this was about 20 feet in front of us.

The video screen was massive, and later in the show expanded down to within about two feet of the stage floor.

Bono breaks out an ax of his own.

Wrapping it up - they would come back out two more times after leaving the stage the first time. Special thanks to the doofus who ruined the shot with his paws.

A shot back at the Claw as we leave the stadium. Thirty+ years and these guys still have it. Amazing show.