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"I'm sure the work that I do . . . is some kind of Catholic guilt, but it's working, so we'll continue with it." -- Bono |
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"I'm sure the work that I do . . . is some kind of Catholic guilt, but it's working, so we'll continue with it." -- Bono |
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It's Bono's WorldWe're Just Living In It
Press of Atlantic City,
September 27, 2009
Joe Ciapanna's first encounter with U2 occurred in 1980 when he heard the album Boy playing on Rowan University's radio station in Glassboro. It was love at first listen for the college student, whose fascination with Boy soon bled over into the Irish rock band's follow-up album, October. Not everyone shared his passion. "We were only playing them on college radio," the Smithville resident, now in his late 40s, said. "And back then, college radio was all underground." As self-appointed disciple of Bono and company, Ciapanna took it upon himself to introduce the world to U2 upon graduation. "My first paying radio job was at a Christian radio station and I actually talked them into playing U2," says Ciapanna, who now hosts the morning show on local rock station WZXL-FM. "My first day was New Year's Eve back in 1983, and the highlight of my show that day was playing 'New Year's Day' by U2." Twenty-two Grammy Awards, 145 million album sales and one Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction later, U2 is doing just fine on its own, and no longer needs helping hands from college radio jocks. Especially the band's frontman, Bono, who is currently leading the band on the North American leg of the "U2360" tour, which played Giants Stadium last week and hits Washington Tuesday. The man. Is. Everywhere. If he's not escorting news anchors on trips to Africa, he's editing Vanity Fair magazine and starting clothing lines. Like his music or not. Appreciate his humanitarian efforts or not. Admire his taste in flashy eyewear ... Um, not. What is undeniable is that Bono and U2 have taught the world a few valuable lessons over the past three decades. Sometimes, having one identity isn't enough It began in the early 1990s with Achtung Baby and the corresponding Zoo TV Tour. Suddenly, Bono wasn't Bono anymore. He was sporting wraparound shades as "The Fly," parodying the devil as rockstar "Mr. MacPhisto" and dressing up as a the silvery, cash-obsessed "Mirror Ball Man." Can we say "identity crisis?" He doesn't dress up anymore, but Bono still seems to be trying to find himself. He and U2 guitarist The Edge own the five-star Clarence Hotel in Dublin. He edited the July 2007 issue of Vanity Fair magazine. He played the trippy Dr. Robert in the 2007 Beatles-themed film Across the Universe. All this, in addition to making speeches and starting charities such as Inspi(red) and One.org in an ongoing global humanitarianism crusade. "On every tour, (Bono) has something to say," says Joseph Cumia, founder of 2U, a U2 cover band that plays regularly in Atlantic City. "There's always something political, and I think that's a huge part of U2's persona." Poor CD sales won't diminish live power Although No Line on the Horizon received favorable reviews from critics, the band's 12th album likely won't join the ranks of such cash cows as The Joshua Tree and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. "I think as much thought went into writing (No Line) as went into doing the album cover," Cumia says. "And the cover's like the Beatles White Album, with a line line down the middle and 'U2' written on the cover." But have you seen the ticket sales for U2360 lately? On March 30, the day tickets went on sale, the band sold 82,000 tickets for its New York show, 72,000 in Boston and 65,000 in Chicago, setting the largest single-day attendance record in each city. "(Bono) is the picture of tenacity," Cumia says. "You just keep plugging on no matter what happens, no matter how many people tell you that you suck. Just keep doing what you're doing and you will succeed. Feed enough hungry, get your own conference On Friday, academics from across the country will gather in Durham, N.C., for "U2: The Hype and the Feedback," a conference of teachers, students, journalists, clergy and musicians exploring the music, work and influences of U2. Among the session topics: "Common Aspirations: Media Theory and U2's Zoo TV Tour," "U2 and the Poetics of Absence" and "U2 in the Church - How it is Done in Denmark." Bruce Edwards, professor of English and Africana Studies at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, is doing a presentation titled "Pro Bono: Translating and Transforming Africa for the Consumerist West." "In some sense, I came to learn about U2 through their ethical-conscience efforts before I learned or cared about their music," Edwards says. There's a fine line between a fitting tribute and overkill A few short months after the Sept. 11 attacks, U2 took the stage in New Orleans to play the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXVI. As the band launched into "Where the Streets Have No Name," the names of the victims of 9/11 scrolled upwards against a black screen At the end of the song, the screens fell away and Bono opened up his jacked to reveal an American flag sewn in as the lining. Powerful, yet classy. "I think the nation was so down at that point after 9/11 and (U2) really did a good job with that," Ciapanna said. "(The song) was angry, but at the same time embracing. I thought it had kind of a healing effect for everyone." U2 has often incorporated social action, from performing in both Live Aid and Live 8, to playing the "The Saints are Coming" with Green Day after the New Orleans Saints' first game back in the Superdome in 2006 following Hurricane Katrina. But some went better than others. Fast forward to a 2007 gig in Glasgow, Scotland. Bono asked the audience for total quiet and began clapping his hands every few seconds. He leaned into the microphone and said "Every time I clap my hands, a child in Africa dies." Talk about a buzz kill. "'Everyone clap your hands.' Was it supposed to be for educational reasons?" wondered Elayne Rapping, professor of American Studies at the University of Buffalo in New York. "To ask people to clap their hands in the middle of a performance, it just becomes part of the performance." You can save the world and maintain the band The Beatles tried it back in the 1960s. John Lennon wanted to hold bed-ins for peace. George Harrison wanted to play the sitar and actually write songs for a change. Paul and Ringo wanted to put out solo material. We all know how well that worked out. U2 is another four-man band whose members are always working on other things. Bono is trying to save the Third World. The Edge has "Music Rising," a project to help raise money for New Orleans musicians who lost their instruments to Hurricane Katrina. Both musicians have recorded side and solo projects. Drummer Larry Mullen Jr. and bassist Adam Clayton co-wrote the soundtrack for the 1996 Mission: Impossible remake. Yet, time after time, the musicians reunite to record a new album or go on tour. "(U2) is more of a team, I think," Ciapanna said. "Individually, they are great. But together, they are rare." © Press of Atlantic City Media Group, 2009.
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