Not having been to the Oregon Zoo in Portland for about 30 years, my wife and I decided to view the delights offered by the zoo prior to the B-52s concert. As we arrived at the zoo, the clouds darkened and emitted forth a deluge not seen since Noah. Lugging our blankets and chairs around the zoo for four hours, the exhibits were vacant. Most of the animals, except for the penguins and fish, were smarter than we, and were snuggled away in their sheltered lairs. We walked past the concert site at 3:30, and were treated to an improptu rehearsal rendering of "PUMP" by the B-52s!! The ten people in attendence applauded voraciously, and were rewarded with a polite "Thank You!" by Kate Pierson. The grassy concert lawn was soon closed, to be opened later for seating. We joined the huge line for entrance at 6:00, grabbing spots about halfway up the arena in pouring rain. Some kind of shelter erected in the center of the arena blocked the view of much of the area; most people seated themselves outside of the void created behind the shelter. Standing water 2 or 3 inches deep surrounded us as we seated ourselves near a short retaining wall. As others erected small shelters beneath blue tarps, we comforted outselves with a small umbrella and a wet blanket. The opening band began promplty at 7:00, and although I don't remember the name of the group, they actually played some decent songs. But we were all here for the B-52s. At about 8:00, they took the stage!! Amazingly, the rain stopped at about the same time!! The band began with "PUMP" (again) off of their new album, which was great!! They followed with a few of their latest songs, which had the audience dancing. However, the bulk of the concert consisted of their classics, which had us all on our feet dancing. A crowd of devotees had formed at the foot of the stage, all dancing with ourselves and each other. But the focus was on the stage, where the band seemed to perform only for those in the front. The band sounded great!! The majority of the audience were on their feet the entire time of the concert, oblivious to the soggy conditions. Of course, the overplayed "Love Shack" received the most adoration by the crowd. The concert ended abrubtly after about 1.5 hours, after one encore. The band did not play some personal favorites such as "Channel Z", which was somewhat disappointing. However, considering the rainy conditions and enthusiasm of the crowd, this was one of the most memorable concerts that I have ever attended. If the B-52s ever return to Portland, I will be there.