RE:ACTION pt.3

September 23rd, 2009

The above “reaction” shot that I’m submitting to the HWCH is of Bono at Chicago’s United Center as he gallops along the heart-shaped catwalk.  U2 were in town for three-sold out shows on their Elevation Tour back in May of ‘01, and this is by far my favorite pic from the concert that I shot.

It seems all too appropriate to be featuring a photo of U2 today as it’s my birthday; I’m now officially 32.  While I haven’t been a huge fan of the band’s last few albums, I can easily say that if it weren’t for U2, I would probably be living a different life today.  This was the band that inspired me to dream big back when I was a teenager.  To pick up a guitar (which I would later put down for a camera) and to embrace my desire to live a creative life.  And through all of it, to try and leave some sort of positive mark on the world.  If it wasn’t for albums like “The Joshua Tree” and “Achtung Baby,” I don’t know if I would be here today, chasing this crazy film making dream.  And for that, I will always be indebted to Bono and the boys, and I will always be a U2 fan.

Back in high school, my buddies and I staged somewhat of a political coup during our senior year.  Our class song up until that point had been “Today” by The Smashing Pumpkins, however, none us really thought, nor wanted to think, that “those days were the greatest days we’d ever known.”  So we started a petition to change the song, and in the end, we prevailed.  We changed Elgin High School’s Class of ’95’s song to “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” by U2.  We didn’t really know what we wanted from life back then, but we knew our brightest days were still ahead of us.  And in many ways, I still feel the same today.

Entry Filed under: Bands, HWCH, Pic of the Day