Life is all about experiences. Some of my most memorable experiences include the birth of my children, the day I got married, and seeing U2 in concert 3 times in the same tour. The film I saw tonight, U2 3D, will surely be ranked among them.

As my wife put it, we’ve spent hundreds of dollars to see U2 live in concert. But this $10 movie (we were fortunate enough to see the premier tonight for free—thanks Tyson!) was almost as good, if not *even better than the real thing!* (forgive the pun). The sound is phenomenal, there’s not some loser spilling beer on your shoes and the girl in front of you isn’t calling her boyfriend on her cell phone to brag that she’s at the concert.

The 3D is not what you are used to seeing when it comes to 3D. As the movie poster points out, this is the *first-ever, live-action 3D digital film*. What does that mean, exactly? It means that when the first song ends, you find yourself getting up out of your seat wanting to cheer and clap because you absolutely forget that you are in a movie theater. The 3D is so real, and so perfect that you actually feel like you are there.

I’ve never met Bono in person, but after tonight I feel as though I have. For all of the photos, music videos and DVDs you’ve seen of U2. For all the interviews and concert footage that glamorize the band and put them up on a pedestal making them seem so out of reach to the lowly fan. This film, because of it’s intimate and realistic shots of the band members, really seems to humanize them and bring them back to earth.

Anyone out there who has had any desire to see U2 in concert but couldn’t afford it, or couldn’t attend for whatever reason: go see this film! As someone who has seen U2 as a fan several times, this was surely no disappointment and allowed me to relive the raw emotion that comes of attending a live show. If seeing a live concert in person gets you excited, try seeing it from the stage, and behind the band on stage to see the 3D crowd in front of you, and from overhead where you can see the glass of water and tissue box next to Larry as his sticks narrowly miss your head.

Oh, and stay through the end credits. It’s worth it