Date Night

Last night, Mike and I had our big date night.  It was almost 2 years in the making.  For my birthday in 2009, Mike bought U2 tickets for the show scheduled last summer.  That show was canceled because Bono had to have emergency back surgery.  It was rescheduled for last night so we finally got to go to the U2 concert and it was worth the wait!  This was also our first time leaving someone else to put Charlotte to bed.  We have gone out many times since she was born, but we usually go out after she's asleep so nobody else has put her to bed since she was in the hospital.  So, that was a big deal for us.  

I only have crappy photos from my phone because I didn't want to bring  our real camera since it was going to rain.  However, I think these photos capture a few key elements of the show.  

Anticipation!

The band takes the stage

Fireworks from downtown Minneapolis in the distance

More fireworks

The stage itself was something to see.  It takes 100 semi trucks to deliver all the parts and several days to create the 170 foot tall stage.   There are 3 stages so they can be setting up at the next location while performing in the current location.  They will be for sale at the end of the tour for $25 million each.

We had just experienced a week of oppressive heat here in Minneapolis so I was expecting to be hot at the show too.  The forecast called for rain, but the thought of wearing my raincoat on a hot rainy night sounded gross to me.  Besides, as I told Mike when we were leaving, "the band won't be wearing raincoats!" So, we just dressed for being wet.  By an hour into the show it was raining pretty hard, but it just kind of added to the spectacle of it all.  I have been searching for pictures of the show during the rain because it was so cool, but I haven't found any yet.   The rain turned to a downpour and it was actually cold.  At first, it was nice to be cold after a week of sauna like conditions, but then I was just plain cold.  A nice gentleman behind us offered me his coat so I wore that for the rest of the show, but poor Mike was still cold.  Bono sang a few bars of "Purple Rain" so it really could not have been better for me.  There were also fireworks in downtown Minneapolis for the end of the Aquatennial festival.  It is known as the biggest fireworks display in these parts and it lasted for 5 songs or so.  It was truly awesome!  Another awesome thing, that Mike would be very proud to share, is that we got the rockingest of rock star parking.  We parked for free less than a mile away, which in University of Minnesota parking spheres is a coup.  Especially considering all the road construction in the area.  It was a legendary date night!