U2 Blog

Why U2 Might Be the Best Band Ever

For more than two decades, U2 has been exciting, entertaining, and enlightening audiences worldwide. Just another rock band? Hardly! In fact, there is a case to be made that they might be the best rock band ever.

Around since the 1980s, the band still amazes. Front man Bono is still capable of wailing out the lyrics that gave rise to his iconic “solo moniker” status, still surrounded by the same talented team from its humble beginnings, still championing causes like peace in Northern Ireland, and engaging audiences all the way. The Edge, Larry Mullen, and Adam Clayton round out the Dublin, Ireland crew, and in the 1980′s after more than a decade getting attention in live venues, U2 hit rock n’ roll gold with the release of “The Joshua Tree.” With the vocal and musical ambition to capture rock, alternative, progressive, and techno music the band was launched into superstardom where it remains today.

The genres may vary, but the band has stayed true to its core beliefs and style. The focus remains making good music, while affecting change in social and political climates. The formidable foursome is steadfast: donating proceeds of sell out national and international venues to health concerns like AIDS, and malaria, while singing and backing the goals of peacemakers like Desmond Tutu. This chamelon like band was able to change with the times, all the while still preserving its place in the rock n’ roll hall of fame.

With the energy of an anthem rock n’ roll cover band and the ability to deliver mellower music, U2 continues to amaze. Take the song and video “Magnificent,” for instance. It was filmed in Morocco, and in it, Bono and company deliver a compelling and stirring message. The video takes place in a town with ominous, ancient buildings shrouded in sheets. It’s a suggestive sort of middle eastern venue longing for change. It’s Bono that spearheads that message. In his vocals, backed with a compelling beat, it’s not long before we witness the band’s message of hope come to life. The sheets lift seemingly without effort. The sun shines in all its glory. Then we experience hope for a new day. It’s not lip service either, with Bono at the helm. You know that this hope is something that the band truly believes. And lives.

Perhaps it’s that genuineness, more than anything, that makes U2 one of history’s greatest bands. Want to see this legendary band for yourself?  u2tickets.com sells tickets to all of their concerts, so contact us today.

U2 Strives to Lower Carbon Emissions

It was quite a wake-up call for Irish rock band U2 a few weeks ago when Helen Roberts of the environmentalist group Carbon Footprint publicly declared that the carbon put into the atmosphere by the band and people traveling to their concerts was enough to power a trip to Mars. While some rockers might let this roll off their back, U2 has built a reputation as a socially-conscious singing group. So they’ve responded.

Live Nation, the producers for the band’s current 360° Tour, have announced that they will begin adopting more environment-conscious policies. Their goal, according to the group, is to balance the Tour’s carbon footprint through an offset and reduction strategy.

The Tour has said their first goal is to work with venues, production and fans to reduce the Tour’s environmental impact, and yet not compromise the experience for the fans. For instance, they will set up recycling programs at many of the venues. They are also encouraging fans to use Brita hydration stations at venues to reduce plastic-bottle waste. Those directly involved in the concert will also ue these stations and Brita products to refill reusable steel water bottles.

The Tour is also offering fans a PickupPal carpooling program, so taht fans can lower the amount of carbon emissions from their vehicles while traveling to and from the concert.

There have also been several changes backstage at the U2 concerts, as well as in the office and on the road. For example, there is now bus and backstage recycling, recycling of batteries and electronics, refillable water sations, and constant analyzing of bus and truck operations for areas in which carbon emissions can be reduced.

And finally, the Tour is announcing a customized U2
“Next we will announce the 2009 customized U2-360° Tour OFFSET strategy, details of which are still being finetuned.

All of this is welcome from a band that preaches environmentalism to their fans and which is eager to not appear to be hypocritical. And they’re doing a fine job of living up to their own talk.

Interested in seeing the socially-conscious U2 in person? Tickets are still available for their current tour. And remember that FrontRow.com has the largest selection you’re likely to find on the Internet, so contact us with your ticket needs. http://u2tickets.com

U2: A Christian Band?

U2 is a Christian rock band. Or not.

So are they or aren’t they? The truth seems to lie somewhere in between.

There’s no denying that U2 songs have, for decades, popped up on contemporary Christian stations throughout the world, because their messages are so consistent with the Christian message. In fact, U2 lyrics can even be heard coming from Sunday school classes and church sanctuaries. You’ll also hear them in Jewish temples.

Not surprising, since the “secular” rock band which probably has the most spiritual themes and biblical allusions is U2. Some church leaders have even begun conducting classes centered around the messages in U2 songs.

So U2 must be Christian, right? Well–sort of. It’s an absolute fact that members Bono, Larry Mullen Jr. and The Edge come from Christian backgrounds and were part of the same conservative Christian youth group when they were teens in Ireland. However, the members left this youth group — and organized religion — behind after they disagreed with church leaders over whether Christians could play and sing rock and roll.

But even when they left, the three did not leave their faith behind. They routinely made it a regular part of their music. Indeed, they give a musical recitation of Psalm 40 in their song, “40.” And in their recent release, “No Line on the Horizon,” there are a whole slew of biblical images. For instance, “White as Snow” gives the biblical metaphor of a lamb which is white as snow.

There are other songs that specifically refer to Jesus and God and the failures of the modern-day church. So if they sing about the church’s failures, that should be a turn-off to Christian churches, right? Not at all. Many modern-day churches are introspective in much of the more mainstream “Contemporary Christian Music’ and welcome music that it is not meant to be judgmental of the church, but longing to fix those things which are wrong. And that, they say, seems to be the spirit behind U2′s message.

In fact, many churches use U2′s music to draw people into their services. One Episcopal church created a service that they called U2charist, in which the band’s music is presented and congregants are urged to give offerings for eradicating disease and poverty. And one United Methodist Church held a similar service and gave away tickets to a U2 concert.

Want to check out the spiritual message of U2 for yourself? As always, the best tickets at the best prices are available here: http://u2tickets.com