U2 Mobile Album Goes Live
U2 Mobile Album Goes Live
Follow the band on the 360° Tour with images, interviews and videos on the new Blackberry App. ‘It’s all about U2. And it’s all on your BlackBerry smartphone.’
Get inside the album with access to songs from No Line On The Horizon, essays from the band, and video clips.
View the original, origami-style photo displays inspired by the music.
Access dynamic news feeds from U2.com and receive alerts when new content is available.
View exclusive images of the band in the recording studio and on the road.
Mark your place in the crowd with geocoding, chat and share images with other fans, and view postings from the band (coming soon).
Tap into the Who’s Listening section and see when and where other users are listening to the album (coming soon).
Track the tour as the band moves across the globe – see where they’re going and where they’ve been (coming soon).
To get the app visit Blackberry App World or download from here.
For FAQs related to the U2 Mobile Album visit the Blackberry site.
Trying to do it all, U2 plays it safe at Soldier Field
Trying to do it all, U2 plays it safe at Soldier Field
Trying to do it all, U2 plays it safe at Soldier Field
REVIEW | Fails to uphold creative spirit of new album
September 13, 2009
by Jim DeRogatis
Bono takes the stage with U2 in concert Saturday evening at Soldier Field in the first of two sold out Chicago shows. Scott Stewart~Sun-Times
Touring in support of its first two albums in the new millennium, the unadventurous U2-by-the-numbers “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” (2000) and “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” (2004), Bono and the boys were in danger of becoming their generation’s Rolling Stones — a rote if occasionally rousing arena act more devoted to selling tickets than to breaking new musical ground.
Released last February, “No Line on the Horizon,” the Dublin band’s 12th studio album, came as a welcome surprise: Though they didn’t always succeed, the musicians at least took chances again, veering from that familiar U2 bombast to deliver their most creative disc since “Achtung Baby” (1991). Unfortunately, the new album also has been the slowest selling of their career, with U.S. sales yet to reach platinum status of a million sold — a fact that can be attributed to no one buying CDs anymore, or to fans being turned off by the group’s experimentation.
Eighteen years ago, “Achtung Baby” inspired the Zoo TV Tour, a multimedia sensory assault that stands as the most inventive arena jaunt I’ve witnessed.
The question looming over Soldier Field on Saturday night as U2 launched the North American leg of its 360 Tour at the first of two concerts in Chicago was whether the band would uphold the creative spirit of the new album, matching or topping Zoo TV, or play it safe in an attempt to reconnect with conservative fans and please its new partner, giant national concert promoter Live Nation.
The answer, as is often the case with this band, was that it tried to do it all and please everyone.
Though it avoided the most ambient and atmospheric of the new tracks crafted with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, the group did play a hefty chunk of “No Line on the Horizon,” including the strong show opener “Breathe,” the hypnotizing “Unknown Caller” and the soaring “Magnificent,” which really was.
But in place of the disorienting buzz of Zoo TV, U2 gave us the empty spectacle of the multimillion-dollar stage fans have come to call “the Claw,” a ludicrous, fog-belching, crablike mega-structure that primarily succeeds in dwarfing the musicians onstage, recalling David Bowie’s equally silly Glass Spider Tour and making recent Stones stages seem modest in comparison. (U2 really ought to talk to the Flaming Lips, who’ve been building a more impressive UFO stage out of supplies found at Home Depot at a cost of a few thousand bucks.)
Zoo TV wasn’t the superior experience only because of technology, though. The early ’90s were the only period in U2’s three-decades-plus career when the band dared to laugh at itself, with Bono trading his messiah complex for irony and the Macphisto alter ego, and the group suggesting that maybe, just maybe, its desire to save the world was a bit pompous and self-aggrandizing.
Alas, the crusaders were back Saturday, linking “Sunday Bloody Sunday” to Iranian pro-democracy demonstrators, turning “Walk On” into an act of solidarity with Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese politician under house arrest, and trotting out Archbishop Desmond Tutu on video to make a plea to end poverty and cure AIDS.
Um, Bono, old chum, many activists cite corporate globalization as the prime culprit responsible for some of the ills just cited. Care to explain how that jibes with you and the band wholeheartedly endorsing Live Nation’s controversial mega-merger with Ticketmaster? On second thought, maybe there was some irony on Saturday.
In between the bounty of new tunes, the band trotted out the expected crowd pleasers — “Beautiful Day,” “Pride (In the Name of Love),” “Where the Streets Have No Name” — though some of these were truncated or delivered medley-style with awkward bits of covers (“Blackbird,” “Stand By Me,” “Oliver’s Army”), with choppy and unsatisfying results.
As always, the deft rhythm section of drummer Larry Mullen Jr. and bassist Adam Clayton did their best to keep things moving, and the Edge was a deceptively simple one-man orchestra. Meanwhile, Bono posed and preened, emoted and yowled, flogging every millimeter of charisma he possesses. But as someone who has seen the group on nearly every tour since it first came to the U.S., I never found what I was looking for — that perfect mix of genuine passion and stadium-rock showmanship.
This band just may not be capable of it anymore — which means it may have become the Rolling Stones after all.
In 360 Degrees, Bono & Co. Will Face the Music
In 360 Degrees, Bono & Co. Will Face the Music
U2 at FedEx Field
Is the world coming to an end? Nah ¿ it's just U2's in-the-round extravaganza, the 360 Degrees Tour (during a stop in Croatia). Given the state of the music industry, though, it could be the end of the road for tours on this scale. (Darko Bandic - AP)
By Chris Richards
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, September 13, 2009
With more than 120 trucks transporting a stage that cost $40 million to build, U2’s 360 Degrees Tour is being touted as the most expensive rock-and-roll expedition ever waged. Could the timing be any worse? Fans are still reeling from a global recession and America’s live music industry seems more harried than ever.
But U2 works in mysterious ways. For years, the band has thrived at the uncomfortable intersection of social uplift and capitalist sensationalism, and this time out, Bono and the boys appear to be placing their bets on the latter.
The stage itself is a true retina-scorcher. Unofficially dubbed “The Claw,” it’s a 164-foot-tall, dry-ice-belching monstrosity comprising four columns that resemble robotic crab pincers. Covered in strobe lights and subwoofers, each column reaches toward a central cylindrical JumboTron that serves as the eye of the concert’s storm. When the band performs beneath this hulking piece of technology, it appears as if planet Earth has decided to sacrifice its highest-grossing Irish rock troupe to our new alien overlords.
The menacing, sci-fi aesthetic also feels completely at odds with the warm fuzzies U2 so desperately try to arouse. And while the 360-degree setup allows fans to experience the band in the round, it still gives the proceedings an acute sense of foreboding.
Perhaps there is something ominous about this trip for U2. The rockers are touring in support of their lowest-selling album of all time — this year’s adequate “No Line on the Horizon” — and with the music industry still bleeding dollars by the millions, one has to wonder how much longer bands will be able to stage concerts this indulgent.
Meanwhile, the tour’s summer romp across Europe hasn’t gone without hiccups. Critics have accused Bono of trivializing a spectrum of political struggles from his $40 million pulpit, while venue neighbors in U2’s native Dublin decided to protest after noise violations kept them awake at night. (Don’t expect Bono to turn down the volume when Live Nation brings the 360 Degrees Tour to FedEx Field on Sept. 29 — he’s often long-winded at area appearances, perhaps in hopes that his sermons will carry all the way to the White House.)
Mixed feelings about St. Bono aside, U2 still deserves credit for its refusal to become a nostalgia act. The tour features oodles of tunes from “No Line on the Horizon,” some of them delivered compellingly.
Some fans might feel better singing new songs “Magnificent” and “Get on Your Boots” knowing that the band has donated heaps of the tour’s proceeds to various charities and purchased the requisite carbon offsets, but I’m still conflicted. Sure, U2 may be trying to feed the hungry, but the band is also undeniably feeding the idea that spectacle is activism’s only means of making an impact in our global mediascape.
When 360 Degrees descends upon FedEx Field, fans will be faced with a multi-sensory extravaganza that’s utterly hideous, undeniably impressive and tough to reconcile. For better or for worse, it might
U2 in Chicago: Here’s what you need to know
U2 in Chicago: Here’s what you need to know
Steph Yiu
U2's 360 degree tour at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany (AP)
By Kent Green
FOR REDEYE
THE STAGE
Imagine a massive metal eagle grabbing a football stadium in its talons, and you’ve got a pretty good idea of the 360 Tour’s setup. Informally dubbed “The Claw,” the stage is so big that only sports stadiums can contain it–well, some of them can. Cowboys Stadium near Dallas will raise its enormous scoreboard next month to accommodate the 164-foot-tall rig. The Claws–there are three of them that leapfrog from venue to venue–weigh about 180 tons each and take about a week to assemble.
THE PAYOFF
What recession? On March 30, U2 sold more than 65,000 tickets to Saturday’s concert, which will set a single-day attendance record for Chicago, according to promoter Live Nation. That same day, organizers made the no-brainer decision to add a Sunday show. And U2 fever extends well beyond Chicago. All 24 European shows on this tour sold out, grossing more than $188 million, Billboard reported. With more dates expected to be added in 2010, the music mag suggests the 360 Tour could top the Rolling Stones’ 2005-07 A Bigger Bang Tour ($558 million) as the highest-grossing in history.
THE BAND
These guys are busy! Bono and guitarist The Edge have written the score for a musical about Spider-Man. However, despite the big names behind it, “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” has run into financial trouble and temporarily has suspended production, according to The Village Voice. If the musical makes it to the stage, the show would follow the superhero’s origin story, with slight changes from the movie and comic book, Bono told the BBC. Edge has said the production will be almost opera-like, and actress Evan Rachel Wood has been tapped to play Peter Parker’s love interest, Mary Jane Watson. Edge also is featured in the recently released documentary “It Might Get Loud,” along with fellow guitar icons Jimmy Page and Jack White.
THE TUNES
We wish we could tell you which songs U2 will perform this weekend, but not even Oprah is that powerful. Instead, we’ll turn to the set lists from the band’s European leg of the tour for some clues. The band has been kicking off the shows with new songs such as “Get On Your Boots” and “Magnificent” before blending in some classics, according to u2gigs.com, a database of U2 shows. Other live staples have been “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” “Mysterious Ways,” “One” and “Where the Streets Have No Name.” Each night’s encore in Europe was the same: “Ultraviolet,” “With or Without You” and “Moment of Surrender.”
THE OPENERS
Thanks to TV and movies, Snow Patrol has been operating in a flurry of activity. The Scottish rockers, who will open both shows this weekend for U2, got major play on U.S. radio with “Chasing Cars” in 2006 after the song appeared on “Grey’s Anatomy.” Another episode of the drama used “Somewhere a Clock is Ticking,” and “Signal Fire” was featured on the “Spider-Man 3″ soundtrack. So will Snow Patrol properly warm up Chicago’s U2 audience? If it means anything, U2 fan sites gave the Scots generally positive reviews for their performances in Europe.
SOURCES: Billboard, The Associated Press, Reuters, u2gigs.com, Los Angeles Times, BBC, Product Design & Development, The New York Times, Time, Village Voice
GET READY CHICAGO
Jeff Elbel recites the date so quickly you’d think it’s his birthday: Dec. 11, 1984.
But it’s not.
That was the day Elbel saw his first live U2 concert, at the Aragon in Chicago.
“My memory is a weird thing,” said Elbel, 42. “Big gaps from my youth seem to be missing. But I can vividly picture Edge playing the jagged intro to `Wire’ at the Aragon. It was like lightning straight through my spine.”
An electrified Elbel has missed only one U2 tour since–1992’s Zoo TV–and his streak will continue Sunday, when the Wheaton resident sees the second of the band’s two highly anticipated concerts at a slightly larger venue–Soldier Field. (Saturday’s show is a sellout, though as of Friday afternoon, tickets remained for Sunday’s concert.)
The 360 Tour, named for the 360-degree views of Bono, Edge, Larry Mullen and Adam Clayton that the colossal stage provides for fans, was a sensation in Europe and kicks off the North American leg with this weekend’s two-night stand at Soldier Field.
How great is the anticipation? Mark Souce, 35, told RedEye he plans to drive 865 miles to witness Sunday’s show.
“It’s all about the fans,” Souce said by phone from his hometown of Winnipeg, Canada. “It’s like everyone’s one.”
MEGA BRAND
U2 will perform on the season premiere of “Saturday Night Live” on Sept. 26 to promote the tour. Yawn. The foursome have shown themselves to be masters of promotion, so an “SNL” appearance rates on the promo scale somewhere around coffee shop flier. Here are five of U2’s more memorable moments. KENT GREEN
Meet Dave
March 2009
To promote its most recent album, “No Line on the Horizon,” the band played for five consecutive nights on the “Late Show with David Letterman.” The Edge even dropped some improv comedy skills while reading No. 5 on the “Top 10 Things U2 Has Learned Over The Years”: “Cool name: The Edge. Uncool name: Sting,” he said, cracking up the audience. (The line was supposed to be, “Uncool name: The Itch.”)
Apple a day
October 2004
U2 partnered with Apple to bring attention to the release of “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.” Apple got use of the single “Vertigo” for an iPod commercial and released a special U2 edition of the mp3 player. The band received no money for the ad but did receive royalties on iPod sales, Rolling Stone reported.
Super band
Feb. 3, 2002
Just a few months after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, the Irish band paid tribute to the victims in what Sports Illustrated earlier this year called the greatest Super Bowl halftime show ever. During a medley of “Where the Streets Have No Name” and “MLK,” names of the victims scrolled across a massive video screen. At the end, Bono revealed a stars-and-stripes pattern on the inside of his coat.
Culture clash
Both 1992-93’s Zoo TV tour and 1997’s PopMart tour aimed to send up certain elements of Western culture through outlandish and elaborate stage setups. Zoo TV featured countless video screens, satirizing the public’s appetite for information. PopMart, with its lit-up arch, mirrored lemon and garish costumes, aimed to be mock the band’s own fame and pop culture as a whole.
Singin’ in the rain
June 5, 1983
This was the day that the U.S. and U2 fell in love. The band was playing Red Rocks Amphitheatre outside of Denver, and the venue was deluged by heavy rain. Instead of canceling, U2 played the gig of their young careers. Bono famously hoisted a white flag during “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” the first hint of his unabashed earnestness.
U2 brings monster stage to Soldier Field
strong>U2 brings monster stage to Soldier Field
U2's stage takes shape in Soldier Field. (Tribune photo by Abel Uribe / Sept. 11, 2009)
U2 is bringing the heavy metal to Soldier Field for its two concerts this weekend.
The Irish quartet will open its North American tour Saturday on a circular stage underneath a 90-foot-tall, four-pronged canopy that suggests an alien invader from “War of the Worlds.” The steel structure took four days to build, and will house not only the band but a 150-foot pylon and a 54-ton cylindrical video screen that should light up the stadium, if not the entire South Side. Sunglasses are optional, apparently.
When the fans aren’t staring at this monstrosity, U2 is expected to occupy their attention for about two hours with 22 to 24 songs spanning its career. Saturday’s show is sold out, tour promoter Live Nation says, but tickets – ranging from $30 to $250 (plus service fees) – are still available for Sunday.
Stats on the stage:
Designed by Willie Williams (his 10th U2 production)
Architect is Mark Fisher (his 6th U2 production)
Built by Belgian company Stageco using high-pressure hydraulic systems.
Steel structure is 90 feet tall
Center pylon reaches 150 feet
Designed to support 180 tons
Cylindrical video screen weighs 54 tons opening to 14,000 square feet (as big as 2 doubles tennis courts).
Video screen is made up of 1 million pieces.(500,000 pixels, 320,000 fasteners, 30,000 cables, 150,000 machined pieces).
Takes four days to build
Takes 12 hours to load in screen, stage and universal production equipment
Takes six hours for production to dismantle stage and 48 hours to dismantle and load it out of the stadium.
http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/
On Air and On The Streets
On Air and On The Streets
Keep an eye open for the band in Chicago today – they’re dropping by radio stations WXRT, Q101, and WTMX for live studio interviews ahead of tomorrows opening night of the North American tour.
Last night U2 arrived at Soldier Field where their space age 360; tour production has touched down following the European shows.