"Lya, is that you?"

The security guard peered at my body huddled on the sidewalk outside the (then) Delta Center. It's 3 a.m. in the middle of winter in 2005, and I was covered with just a thin blanket and a good dose of adrenalin to keep me warm in the falling snow.

Yes, that was me, a sportswriter who regularly works at the Delta Center to report on basketball games. Here I was choosing to spend a rare night off to sleep outside the cold arena, my second office. Only one event could get me to partake in such craziness: A visit from the boys in U2.

I've been a diehard fan ever since Dec. 8, 1987, when I went to my first U2 show in Atlanta. I was a big concertgoer back then, attending concerts by musicians such as Journey, Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen.

I was going to see U2 to hear the hits I knew: "With or Without You" and "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking for."

I might not have known what I was searching for, but I found a band with a beat and a cause that got me hooked. The music has kept me hooked for more than 40 concerts over the past 20 years.

Why U2? I can't say exactly, except I love the energy and vibe of these Irish rockers, whose music has pulled me from one side of the country to the other and across the pond. I'll be there in Rice-Eccles Stadium on Tuesday, up close and in the front, making one of the shortest trips from my home to see the band on this leg of the tour.

Luckily, I'm not alone in my obsession. Other generations followed the Grateful Dead, but my generation follows U2. I have friends in New York, Canada, Miami, North Carolina, Anaheim and other places whom I've met through the group. Each of the shows have been memorable, not just for the shows but for the whole U2 experience.

There was the time in Philadelphia when the rain was coming down so hard during the day that the band took pity on the few of us hanging outside the stadium and let us into soundcheck. To be in a near-empty stadium with only 50 other people while Bono belted at the top of his lungs was memorable.

There was the time in Charlotte when I found out how well my mother — as obsessive of a fan as I am — could lie. We'd camped out all day in hopes of seeing the band arrive. During our lunch break, security closed the access roads to the arena.

My mother feigned horror and told the security guard she'd left her young son inside the arena, and he quickly let us pass. Such a lie might not have been good for karma, but it was good for meeting the band before the show.

I can't eat mustard without thinking of U2. During the Zoo TV tour, one of my college roommates and I followed the band up the East coast. We were on a tight budget and had just enough money for gas, lodging and some food. We forgot to factor in the costs of toll roads, which is why we were forced to subsist on Wonder bread and mustard sandwiches for three or four days.

In 1993, to celebrate my college graduation, I traveled to Ireland for a concert. An Irish friend I had met at an Atlanta show used his connections to get me a photo pass to one of the Zooropa shows in Dublin. There I was onstage, sandwiched between the professional photographers, with my little instant camera photographing the band. My pictures came out blurry, but my memories are crystal clear.

I'll never forget that show in the Delta Center, not only for the freezing temps that made for a long night but for the lucky ticket my mother's husband held. Back then, to get into the heart of the action, you had to have a special general admission ticket that lit up as you went through the doors. Then it was a sprint to get the best spot in the arena.

None of our tickets lit up until Jeff's was scanned, and that's when the whooping and hollering started. "Run," I told Jeff, who was looking a little stunned. "Run where?" he asked.

"To the stage," we yelled, as if there was any other place to be.

We got a prime spot, right on the rail in between Bono and Edge, who Jeff quickly deemed as the coolest member of the band.

That was his first U2 show, but not his last. He's hooked now, too.

For many fans, that is how it happens. You experience one concert and suddenly one band becomes a lifelong obsession.

You meet friends, you make memories, you see an awesome show, and then you go back for more. And more, even if it means sleeping outside of your second office in the snow.

lwodraska@sltrib.com —

Finding what you're looking for at Tuesday's U2 concert

For a unique U2 experience, avoid reserved seats, and instead buy general admission tickets. Thanks to the cancellation of last year's show, general admission tickets might still be available for Tuesday's show.

Get to Rice-Eccles Stadium early and be prepared to spend most of the day at the stadium, just as you would for a tailgate event before a game. (You decide how early, but thanks to the large circular stage, you won't need to wait in line all night to get inside.)

Bring drinks, games, food and chairs. Get a number and make friends with those around you, which will enable you to leave the line for food and bathroom breaks.

Fan etiquette says that you shouldn't camp out all day and then have friends join you and cut lines in the afternoon. (Don't even consider this.)

You'll need to be in line during organizers' roll calls, generally between 3 and 5 p.m.

Once inside, find a good spot to hang out. After the initial rush, holding your place works much like it did in line.

Again, make friends with those around you, so you can leave for food and bathroom breaks.

Because after the show begins, you won't want to miss a note.