8
Jan
2010
U2: Music for Outsiders
Like all good alternative rock musicians, the Irish band, U2 makes music for outsiders. Near the beginning of their 30 year career, the band was filmed performing songs from their 1983 album, War, at the Red Rocks amphitheatre in Colorado for 9,000 fans. Holed up in the canyon, lead singer Bono seemed to be rallying a band of rebels rather than putting on a rock and roll show. Their hit at the time, “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” featured a machine-gun-like rhythm from guitarist, The Edge. The emotionally charged and socially conscious performance soon became the band’s trademark.
26 years, 22 Grammy awards and 145 million record sales later, U2 has clearly outgrown its underground status. No longer just a voice for alienated teenagers, the band has branched out into partnerships with major corporations, (Apple’s U2- inspired iPod) organized religion (the U2 Eucharist) and even world leaders (Bono’s work with the “Drop the Debt” program.)
At times, Bono himself seems chagrined by the mainstream success of the band. While speaking to an audience, which included President George W. Bush at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. in 2006, Bono joked that, “… there’s something unnatural, something unseemly about rock stars mounting the pulpit and preaching at presidents.”
Still, Bono seems to alternate between being embarrassed by the band’s world domination status and loving it. For example, while he poked fun at his overblown celebrity self by donning dark wraparound sunglasses and becoming “The Fly” during 1992-93’s Zoo TV tour, he has also repeatedly called U2, “The greatest band in the world!”
Despite their massive success in the rock and roll business, U2 has managed to keep creating songs with their personal, universal appeal still intact. The songs for outsiders, in other words. These songs, say many fans, are what has made them stick by the band all these years
The band’s latest recording, No Line on the Horizon has received generally good reviews. But if the song’s third single is any indication, Bono won’t be reforming his lead singer antics any time soon. For on “I’ll go Crazy, if I don’t go crazy tonight,” he sings that “The right to appear ridiculous is something I hold dear.” But for what the fans are getting, that is something they are willing to endure.
Nothing beats hearing the music of U2 in person. But you can only do that if you have tickets. When you’re ready to see U2 in person, remember that u2tickets.com has the largest selection of seats and tickets available online.
