U2 fans are ready to rock
John W. Barry | Poughkeepsie Journal • Felicia Zammit | Poughkeepsie • September 23, 2009
About five months and three weeks shy of St. Patrick’s Day, the Irish rock band U2 is set to perform two concerts at Giants Stadium, with a massive stage and blizzard of lights complementing a raw sound that borders on rock ‘n’ roll religion.
U2'S The Edge, left and Bono perform at the Rogers Center
U2 is scheduled to perform at the home of the Giants and Jets football teams in northern New Jersey on Wednesday and Thursday. And Hudson Valley fans of the Dublin-based band have plenty to say about this ensemble’s new album, legacy and live performances .
“What I love about U2, besides their incredible musical talent, is the fact that they are rock stars with soul. They’re all high school friends who came together through their love of music. They’re not manufactured by a big music producer, they didn’t answer an ad in the paper, they came together as friends who enjoyed playing music and remain friends to this day.[0xa0]That’s what it means to have soul. They’re family men who realize family (in whatever sense you believe that to be) is more important than money or any of the luxuries that come with it.[0xa0]
“If all the fame and fortune went away, they’d be just as happy – that’s soul.
“They understand their fans are the ones who have gotten them where they are today, not their music. They thank their fans for blessing them with the life they’ve gotten to live – that’s soul.
“They are the only ones who can sell out stadiums across the globe, and can unite thousands of people though music. They know, in those crowds, there are friends and foes. They know if enemies can share one commonality, they could become friends – that’s soul.
“Having had the opportunity to meet the band last March in New York City, they treat their fans as friends. I’ve never witnessed anything like that in my life.
“How lucky we are to have a group such as U2 to bring the world together and to show up-and-coming musicians what it takes to be a rock star.”
“My wife, Mary, and I are huge fans of U2. We went to two concerts when they did their ‘Vertigo’ tour, one at the Meadowlands and one at Madison Square Garden. I?thought that album was great, and they were the best concerts I’ve been to, and I’ve seen some of the great rock acts. We own many of their albums, including the new one, ‘No Line on the Horizon.’
“As it turns out, my wife and I made the decision not to attend one of the upcoming concerts because we were largely unimpressed by the new album. There were a couple of decent songs (the title track and “Magnificent”), but too many that just didn’t grab us.
“Unlike ‘How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb’ and ‘All That You Can’t Leave Behind’ and ‘The Joshua Tree,’ all of which have many excellent and very listenable tunes, this album reminds me of ‘Zooropa’ or ‘Pop’: artistic and different, but not necessarily their best work.
“We saw U2 perform songs from ‘No Line …’ on the Letterman show in the late winter, then bought and listened to the album. We just didn’t feel like making the investment for a concert that would feature an album we were not that into.
“That being said, I’m really looking forward to seeing them as the musical guest on the season-opening ‘Saturday Night Live.’ Hopefully they’ll do one of their oldie but goodies.”
“U2’s music replenishes my soul.
“Their passion and bond as a band are inspiring. Although Bono is the frontman, they all share the spotlight – Larry on drums, Adam on bass and The Edge on guitar, supporting each other with no grandstanding among them.
“I love the fact they willed themselves to become the artists they are today: from their early beginnings as a band in 1978, they poured their collective heart and souls into making music that resonates.
“I came on board late to see them live. My first show was the ‘Vertigo’ tour at Madison Square Garden, Oct. 14, 2005 – it was High Mass. Not only are they consummate performers live and their stage design, sound and visuals on the cutting edge of technology, but to hear the ‘choral’ accompaniment of the audience singing along is about as close to euphoria as I will ever experience.
“Going to see U2 in concert was truly an amazing experience.
“They did not disappoint the 20,000 fans at Madison Square Garden on an October night in 2005. They rocked the place, and the fans were on their feet from start to finish as the band played many of their classic hits as well as the hits from their current album at the time, ‘How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.’ I’ll never forget that night for a great concert, and the 10-plus inches of rain we had here in the mid-Hudson Valley.
“As an added bonus, my wife, Nora, and I had the opportunity to see a pretty good unknown opening act back then on that night at the Garden – Keane.”
Reach John W. Barry at jobarry@poughkeepsiejournal.com or 845-437-4822.
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com
March 28th, 2010 on 5:37 pm
Wow, that’s a thought-provoker!