you too?

Everybody and their dog went to the U2/Black-Eyed Peas concert last night. And by that I mean the entire OU stadium of about 80,000. And by that I mean I WAS TOTALLY THERE!!

Yep. Epic. I like U2, but it is far from my favorite band. I listen to their music on occasion and know a few songs not terribly well. But people, this is U2! And it's in Norman! And tickets are cheap! (I started to type chickets are teap at first...dyslexia). How could I not go? This will be one of those things I tell my kids about. "Yeah, I was at the U2 concert back in 09....it sure was windy where we were sitting..."

I thought I didn't know the Black-Eyed Peas at all but apparently I know some of their songs. It was a good show. It was loud. It was cold and windy. There were A LOT of people there. Traffic was bad. But you can't not go. Not an option, really.

And I thought again about how much I like live music. I didn't used to. It gave me a headache and it actually still does. I thought it was the same as music on a CD. Oh how wrong and stupid and naive and dumb and uneducated and uninformed and ridiculous of me. I'm glad I'm more mature and well-rounded and artistically inclined and self-aware now. Whew. But yeah, live music. It is good. It is an experience rather than a sound that you listen to or even just hear, like recorded music is. I mean, I love recorded music. But live music is moving. And there are so many more elements, namely the audience and watching the performer.

A few weeks ago I went to a live jazz performance. It was a five-member band that improvised the entire show. It was so good and so intense. Their first song lasted an hour and I didn't last much more than that. I felt exhausted just watching them. But it was really great. It was so interesting to see how each of them experienced the music so differently. And it was moving to watch music being invented and created right in front of me, not just played from memory. They worked together, taking turns taking the lead. And really it was the music leading. And they were enjoying it so much and feeling it and one guy was moving around like some Other had invaded his body. And one guy looked so smug and self-satisfied. And one guy was just childishly happy. But it was an amazing experience. It was intense because it was loud and continuous and improvised and there was so much energy between the five of them that some of it escaped to the audience too.

I am using really stream-of-consciousness writing so I hope that is intelligible and okay. The jazz was cool. I love jazz. Then there was U2. (i just typed u3....that's an available band name if anyone is out there looking. not copyrighted...yet.) That was intense but so totally different. That was just HUGE. That is probably the best word to describe the entire evening. The stage is big, the lights are big, the wind is big, Bono's voice is big, the audience and stadium is big, the songs are big, the screen is big, the excitement is big, the environment and feel and sound and everything are just BIG. The media and hype beforehand, the expectations, the set list, the alien theme...big. It may not be the best music I'll ever hear, or at least not the music I'll like the most, but it may be the best/biggest show I ever see. It was a good time. Good entertainment. Sensory overload. And they played the songs that I know plus some others. And a group of friends managed to sit together, which was unexpected and nice.

Well, I guess it's picture time!!

[alien stage]

[waiting for it to start. windy!]

[aw...look at the little interns...]

[the only time the crowd is not a wash of crimson]

[The Black-Eyed Peas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

[the group minus some Servens]

[BONO!!!!!!]

[the screen separated and descended...impressive]

[Bono goes Blue]