“Here’s where we gotta be… love and community!”

As U2 so profoundly put it in their song “Get On Your Boots,” the idea of love and community is one that every organization has “gotta” have.

Kinda makes you wonder whether or not our fearless leader Gene was in cahoots with the band as they wrote this song!

This Wednesday, the Pop Labs crew was treated with tickets to the U2 360° Tour Concert at Houston’s Reliant Stadium. Braving the two hour traffic before the concert and the mass exodus of U2 fans, our little crew of Pop Labbers showed up at the concert and was thoroughly touched by U2’s amazing performance.

More importantly, it was a great time to spend with one another. Everyone was seated together and even sang a song or two in harmony (cough, cough – @leonardsara). At one point, some of the Pop Labs leading ladies – lead by @llogue – even joined hands and got down with The Edge.

All in all, it was a “Beautiful Day,” and not just because we got to see an amazing concert, but because we were experiencing an epic performance while bonding with the people with whom we work every day. U2’s been around for a freaking long time; for more than 30 years, they have touched the world with their music, their vision and their passion. Each member is an individual – you’ve got Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen – each with his personal convictions, each with their individual passions. But they help each other out and “in the name of U2″ (as corny as that may sound) they empower each of their band-mates to succeed.

All in the name of U2.

Some may think of Bono as the face of the band; others may regard The Edge as the musical genius behind it all. But in the grand scheme of things, these individual talents make U2. They are the building blocks by which U2 is built; they are the foundation by which U2 is grounded.

Taking a look around the lovely people who sat by me at the concert (as well as the next morning on the production floor, haha) I couldn’t help but to think about each person’s individual talents, and how they make up Pop Labs. I had the pleasure of sitting next to Lonnie (@SpaceCity), who – out of all of us – felt the music on the deepest level and knew all of the words. The next morning, this same Lonnie took an hour out of his day – put me on his calendar, LOL – and walked me through coding email newsletter templates. It’s guys like Lonnie, leaders like Gene, team members like Sara, and mentors like Lori who bring their special talents and individual passions to the table and make this organization a better place.

So, a great thanks to Gene for making this event happen. But (and I hope you don’t take offense to this, Gene) an even bigger thanks to every single person with whom I have the pleasure of working. To the coders, to the designers, to the marketing team, to the sales team, and to the lovely team of project managers… you guys are always there to “Stand By Me” when I’m “Stuck In A Moment [I] Can’t Get Out Of.” I want to say “Thank You” because you all have told me “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” Y’all have been my “Amazing Grace” and together, there will be “No Line On The Horizon.”

Funday Friday Factoids

1. Our very own Suzanne Blair is the biggest U2 fan at Pop Labs – her Twitter meme is @u2ultraviolet81
2. The Pop Labs PC’s have decided that Lonnie Minter is the “cutest” person to go to a concert with!
3. @SpaceCity (Lonnie Minter) knew all the words at the U2 concert… or maybe he was just digging the “Space City” set?
4. 90% of the Pop Labs crew was stuck in the terrible traffic and missed U2’s opening act – Muse. @llogue was the most upset about this.
5. Jillian Fortin (@notahickie) missed the first song of U2’s set because she was on a journey seeking a pretzel… sources report that she found it in time for the second song – and her favorite – Get On Your Boots

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