Free Concert: U2 at the Rose Bowl

Living above the Rose Bowl definitely has its perks. Not only do we receive a heads up once UCLA scores a touchdown when we hear the crowds roar 10 seconds before the tape delay airs the play on TV, but on occasion we're treated to the musical genius of large bands whose fan base can fill the near 100,000 seats. Last weekend U2 picked Pasadena to host the stop on its 360 Degrees Tour that it chose to broadcast to fans around the world. U2 streamed the show live on YouTube, making it the first band to do so in real time on the site. The concert also broke the record, which was previusly set by U2 in 1987 on its Joshua Tree Tour, to headline a concert with the highest attendance record in US history. And this was the concert the band chose to film its tour DVD. Needless to say the stage was set (literally) for a fantastic event. For a full week before the concert we heard workers building the stage and checking the lights and sound system at all hours of the night. About two hours before the show fans started to arrive and U2 performed its final sound check.
By 7:15, opener Black Eyed Peas took the stage, and rocked it, at one point calling on Slash to join them for a rendition of Sweet Child of Mine. By the time U2 took the stage, shortly after 9 pm, the Rose Bowl was so packed they had park the cars on the fairways of nearby Brookside Golf Course.
U2's massive stage towered above the stadium, and though we couldn't see directly inside, we had front row seats for the amazing light show, heard the songs perfectly, and ran into the house to catch the best moments on YouTube. U2 played old favorites, such as "Where The Streets Have No Name" and "Sunday Bloody Sunday," and recent hits including "No Line On The Horizon" and "Beautiful Day." My favorite song of the night was the touching performance of "Walk On," written by Bono for Myanmar's benevolent imprisoned human rights activist Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
To commemorate our first free Rose Bowl concert in the new house, we invited family and friends to join in the fun and listen to the show on our outdoor patio, complete with grilled burgers, beer, and wine. By the time the show ended at 11:30 after the 4th encore, our guests left satisfied, and we chuckled, grateful as we stumbled off to bed enjoying a healthy buzz while 100,000 concertgoers had to sit for an hour trying to exit the parking lot.

Adventure: Wyoming

Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, is a bittersweet one for me as it marks the day of my mother's death. Rather than wash myself once more in grief, this year I decided to atone for my sins in Wyoming. Autumn is the perfect time to visit the national parks of Grand Teton and Yellowstone, if you can make it before the weather turns icy. In autumn the leaves of the aspen trees turn yellow and red, the animals are all out in force trying to fatten up before the winter, and the air bathes your skin in electricty as you hike through the bush.
Having never visited a national park outside of California, I was surprised to learn that here, the animals are hunted with camera, not rifle. Amateur photographers and tourists scout for wildlife, then pull off to the side of the road, furiously set up their tripods and cameras with the mamajama lenses weighing at least 1/2 a ton, and snap away at the elk or moose or antelope far off in the distance with an intensity to rival any National Geographic pro. Even Big N and I got into the spirit, pulling over whenever we saw a stalled car and asking "whattya got" to tourists already in prime position. Grand Teton did not disappoint. In a span of less than two hours we feasted our eyes on moose, elk, antelope, and bear. Unfortunately, fires closed most of Yellowstone so we'll have to return there on another visit, after I upgrade my photographic equipment and actually learn how to take a decent wild beast shot. Consider it training for the african safari. Here are just a few shots that I hope capture even a glimmer of the majestic beauty of Wyoming.