Monday, April 6, 2009
Cream Calendar Roadtrip to Atlanta: U2 Play the Georgia Dome Oct. 6
Posted by Adam Gold on Mon, Apr 6, 2009 at 3:03 PM
As many of you know, I'm a diehard U2 fan. You might ask yourself, "What could cause this to happen? Is it his fault?" The mitigating circumstances that have led to my unabashed love of what has now become one of the most un-hip bands to persist in the highest echelon of super-stardom is, of course, rooted in childhood.
I was the baby of my family, reared in a household with an older sibling who exposed my young palate to a lot of new wave. For some reason--perhaps their awesomeness--I took a liking to U2 and would watch the Live Under a Blood Red Sky VHS constantly. At 11-years-old, my older sister took me to see the band's Zoo TV tour (with opening acts the Sugarcubes and Public Enemy) at Dodger Stadium. It's still the greatest show I've ever seen--I've attended 15 U2 shows since then, like a heroin addict chasing a virgin high. It's safe to say Bono, The Edge, Adam and Larry hold a special place in my heart. A place so special it's allowed me to overlook latter-day cringe-worthy lyrics like, "The songs in your head are now on my mind, you put me on pause / I'm trying to rewind and replay."
Or: "Restart and re-boot yourself / You're free to go / Oh, oh / Shout for joy if you get the chance / Password, you, enter here, right now."
Or: "Freedom has a scent / Like the top of a newborn baby's head."
Or, the now infamous "uno dos tres catorce!" I could continue quoting, but I'll spare you the pain and myself the embarrassment.
I'm well aware that the band's output over the last third of their career, coupled with Bono's undying megalomania, is endless fodder for hipster criticism, but I've still yet to hear someone tell me why the War album sucks, perhaps because it doesn't. The same goes for Boy, The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby. While my unconditional love for the band makes it easy for me to say that these records are groundbreaking enough to absolve a song like "Vertigo," I do think those records really are that good.
Despite their artistic transgressions of the last decade, U2 still put on the best show in rock next to Bruce Springsteen and the E Streeters. The U.S. leg of their forthcoming "360º Tour" kicks off Sept. 12 at Chicago's Soldier Field and comes to Atlanta's 75,000-capacity Georgia Dome on Oct. 6. Tickets to the Atlanta show went on sale this morning here. They range in price from $30-$250. While the $250 price might seem to fly in the face of the band's populist message, it's worth noting that the majority of the tickets are priced under $100, including the general admission field level that are going for $55 a pop.
U2 when they were cool:
Comments (18)
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No need to apologize ever! Us fellow-die-hards know exactly what you are talking about. The rest of the disgruntled masses can "walk-on".
i'm not the first to point out that U2 is actually more popular for their new material than their 80s catalogue. Sasha Frere Jones points out in his latest article that, at a live show, "City of Blinding Lights" will get the crowd screaming madly whereas a (critically superior) track like "I Will Follow" elicits a mild, if only polite response.
Being that I saw 7 shows on the last tour I'd have to disagree. "I Will Follow" always gets an insane response. "City of Blinding Lights" was the opening song on almost every show of the last tour, that is only reason it got the response that it did. My comments are more in response to the hipster backlash against the band. I know the band is unhip, it's just that the same kids who fawn over Echo and the Bunnymen records dismiss U2's entire catalogue because they think Bono's a douche. Trust me Ian McCulloch would've taken the mantle had he been given the opportunity. In the last 5 years Robert Smith has worked with Korn, Blink 182 and Ashlee Simpson, yet all is forgiven and Three Imaginary Boys is still regarded as awesome.
I'll be right there with you at the Atlanta show (already got my tickets!)since that's as close to Nashville as they're getting. By the way, regarding the expensive "red zone" tickets - the proceeds are all going to charity. It is estimated that U2 will make an estimated donation of US$12 million from this tour. Not too shabby.
I disagree with you on their coolness, though. I think they define "cool". I've seen them 15 times or so and they never dissapoint.
Since I love U2, I thought I'd indulge myself, Gold and the rest of us with my ranking of U2's records. Hopefully others will follow.
1. Achtung Baby
2. Unforgettable Fire
3. Joshua Tree
4. Zooropa
5. War
6. Pop
7. Boy
8. October
9. No Line on the Horizon (not totally sure)
10. Rattle and Hum
11. All That You Can't Leave Behind
12. so bad, I still won't type its name
If you want to throw the EPs in there,
5.5 Under a Blood Red Sky
7.5 Wide Awake in America
Your thoughts, Adam?
How about the Million Dollar Hotel soundtrack that US is on? I really liked that, but people tend to overlook it.
maybe you should read Jones'article; i'm reporting his account. not really sure why thought my comment was "hipster backlash;" maybe you should take it easy with the U2 sheriff's badge. that video you posted is simply awesome though.
The hipster backlash thing wasn't in response to your comment, just sort of an addendum to the overall post.
Gold is the Mayor Of U2 he was promoted from sheriff seven years ago. also, August 14, 1989?
I've got tickets for the show in ATL. Be sure to show up for the opening band Muse. I can't believe U2 were dumb enough to book Muse to open-Muse is the best live band on the planet. And you don't have to make any excuses for the singer's ego.
Actually, U2 know how good Muse are live, as I've read comments from Bono to this effect in the British press, so props to them for booking them--it should be an amazing night of music.
Uh...let me just pick up the pieces of my exploded head. Kibo, it seems by your comment that this is going to be your first U2 show. A few years ago I found myself at the Muse show at War Memorial. I left after the first song. The singer might not have an ego to appologize for, but he certainly has an identity crisis. Dude is so all over Thom Yorke's nuts it's downright uncomfortable. Also, he thinks he can play piano. Moreover, his lyrics make those on the U2 record sound like Blood on the Tracks. "Bury it/ Won't let you Bury it/ Won't let you murder it/ Won't let you smother it" or whatever he says in that asinine song. The poetry that the goth girl who was my lab partner in 10th grade summer school chemistry wrote was better than that shit. That being said, I'm sure the Muse set will at least be more interesting than the two times I endured Kings of Leon opening for U2. Boooorrrring. Enjoy the show!
This will be my 5th U2 show. Hop onto YouTube for the HAARP show at Wembley Stadium to see Muse in action. They have that audience whipped into a frenzy with the opener and never let up.
Interesting that you would mention Dylan lyrics as an argument against a writer that doesn't conform. Also interesting that you don't like KoL either. Could you be any more Top 40? Good news for you that Coldplay's coming to town.
I'm so tired of everyone being compared to Radiohead--who are peerless. I'm happy to admit that Muse aren't Radiohead, I don't really need them to be. Radiohead, you may remember, were laughed off as Nirvana wannabe's. I guess we can be happy that they didn't just pack it in, but decided to go ahead and record The Bends.
Black Holes & Revelations is an amazing album--for people who like rock music. Do you like rock music? Do you remember the joy of popping in a new album and playing it over and over and over? That's Muse for me. And Radiohead. And sometimes U2, but not so much in the last decade and a half.
U2 write perfectly professional pop songs and Bono can make with the cute lyrical jokes, but Knights of Cydonia (I admit, I had to google it to have any clue what he was referring to) is so out of left field it's brilliant. That someone would write an epic song equal parts spaghetti western and post-apocalypse about warriors on Mars in this day of safe boring music is fantastic. I guess my taste for the absurd is greater than yours. But as I said, there's always Coldplay for you.
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