I Go There With You

June 2, 2017


Night 22: Outside Soldier Field, Chicago


It was surreal and fabulous to be waiting to meet the band with my big brother, who had displayed his original Joshua Tree poster on the wall of his room from 1987 through about 1992.  I used to sneak into his room as a pre-teen, before I had caught the real obsession with the music, and gaze at Bono's striking profile, already captivated.


I found a spot to stand near the rail, behind a quiet couple on the sidewalk by the driveway entrance, and next to a few people standing on the hillside where the rail met the grass.  I checked in with Elsha and her mom Shana via Facebook IM video chat.  They were ready to take my call when it was time.  I disconnected with a promise to ring them back if and when any of the band came out to say hello.


I started chatting with the young man in front of me, who wore a big backpack, and found out his name was Paul.  When I introduced myself as Marcy, he remarked that I had the same name as his girlfriend, Marcela, who stood quietly, intently watching the activity behind the gates.  He introduced me to her, and she smiled slightly and said hello, then went back to watching the gates.  I recognized her then, in her black hat with a white brim band, from Facebook U2 fan groups, as one of the women that Bono had onstage during the tour two years prior.  We talked a bit about our experiences onstage with Bono, hers only 2 years ago, and mine almost 20 years prior.  She and Paul watched the video I had on my phone from my time onstage with Bono those decades ago, and I looked at her pictures.


Before too long, the energy changed as more police and a body guard that I recognized came out to let us know that they would be coming out to see us.  I got Elsha back on line via Facebook video chat.  The crowd cheered as Edge emerged from a black vehicle that pulled out of the underground, and he began quickly and quietly making his way down the barricade on the opposite side of the driveway, saying hello and shaking hands. 


After just a minute or so, Edge crossed over to our side, and we all cheered again as my brother filmed.  I reached out my hand across the gap between us and he shook it, saying, "thanks for coming out" to everyone as he managed all the extended hands and declined to sign the outstretched albums.  His body guard asserted in a lovely Irish brogue, "Not gonna be doin' any signing today, just coming out for a quick hello", and I managed to vocalize over the excitement, "Hey Edge, I've got Elsha here for ya.... on the phone, it's Elsha".   Edge looked over, surprised, and saw the phone I was holding out with Elsha's smiling face on the screen.  His voice rose with pleasure as he flashed her a big gorgeous grin and said "Hi!!  How are you!  Big kiss!!" and blew her a kiss through my phone!

To be honest, I can't remember much about what happened between then and when Adam came out, because of course by then we were all REALLY buzzing.  Adam followed Edge's lead, and he managed to sign as he went along the lines.  When he came to us I presented him with a book I had made of pictures from two years before in Denver, on June 6 and 7, when we had met the whole band one by one outside the Denver Arena.  I had it opened to the page that features a picture of him signing my then 13-month old daughter's back.  That day in 2015, she had been wearing a U2 onesie that Miss Elsha had sent her as a gift.  On June 2, 2017, Adam grinned as he signed the photo of himself signing my baby's back two years prior.  As he did, I said to him "Adam I've got Elsha here for you on the phone".  He looked up, surprised, then looked at my phone and said "oh, Hello!" to Elsha.  He moved on down the line, signing for everyone, smiling and said, "I'm on a roll!".

Then he was gone, and the guards said that was it, Larry and Bono had left through a different exit already,  and we floated away from the scene, buzz buzz buzzing, and the Chicago night was dripping with sparkling magic in my eyes.  I took some pictures, and Chris and I wandered back toward my hostel and his car, marveling over the awesomeness we had just shared.  We met two more giddy fans as we walked, and they showed us that Adam had signed their forearms, and they planned to get the Sharpie scripts turned into tattoos ASAP.

I got to the hostel, met uber fan Dubliner Greg Fitzsimons on the way in, who had flown in to surprise the U2 tribe.  We said goodnight and see ya tomorrow.  Finally, I sat in a delicious meditation in my private room before surrendering to sleep.