U2 has been my favorite band since I first saw their video for “Sunday, Bloody Sunday” on that newfangled video channel called MTV back in the early 80’s.  But when I got to Aloha Stadium this past Saturday, ready to roll up my sleeves and work the U2/Pearl Jam concert, the only people I wanted to see were these.  Because, like…they are the awesomest bunch of roadies I’ve ever had the damned pleasure to work with.

So with the first downbeat, I rushed away from my makeshift office in the press boxes to witness, both on stage and on huge video screens, my buddy Rocko Reedy and the Journey road crew making their Hawaii stadium performance debut.

It was stellar.  It was the kind of stellar that makes you all giddy inside.  The band was tight; they sounded like they’d been doing this for years.  After a musical prelude that had the crowd looking toward the stage saying, “Whoa, good stuff,” the Devils launched into Eleanor Rigby…a really rockin’, really fab, really awesome Eleanor Rigby.  I stood by the window and thought, “Yep.  Perfect.  Just perfect.”

I didn’t get to see Rocko in person, though.  When I finally got to his office it was deserted, packed up at the end of the show.  Tom and I circled the stage as the local crew was breaking things down, but we didn’t see him or Jake Berry, another old friend from previous stadium shows.  It was a real drag…I had wanted to gush at Rocko and say things like, ”OMFG!”  “DUUUUUUUUDE!” and “You truly are the devil incarnate…”

I met that other dude, though.  The one named Bono.