www.U2.com

by Billboard Staff | November 04, 2011 10:50 EDT

Don Arnold/WireImage

U2, Bon Jovi, Take That, Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift, and Usher are among the finalists for the set for Nov. 10 at the Roosevelt Hotel ballroom in New York City. The awards are primarily based on box office numbers reported to Billboard Boxscore from Oct. 1, 2010, through Sept. 30, 2011.

“To a large degree, the touring industry rebounded this year, and the tours, venues, companies and events that are finalists for the 2011 Billboard Touring Awards are examples of the types of shows that worked,” says Billboard’s Ray Waddell. “The wide range of success shown by the finalists proves superstars are still superstars, artist development is still happening, and fans still love the live concert experience.”
Don’t miss the 8th Annual Billboard Touring Conference & Awards, taking place November 9-10 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York. Now in its 8th year, the conference features unique programming that informs, educates and provides a forum for promoters, agents, managers, venues, sponsors, merchandisers, ticketing companies and all touring-related businesses about the industry’s latest opportunities, current challenges and biggest successes.

The finalists for the Top Tour, based on Boxscore gross, and Top Draw, based on Boxscore attendance, are the same three acts: U2 for their record-setting 360 tour; Bon Jovi with their massively successful Circle tour; and Take That’s European/U.K. tour, which shattered box office records as the reunited group went out again with breakout superstar Robbie Williams.

Finalists for the Top Package award, which goes to the top-grossing tour with three or more artists on the bill, include six-time winner Kenny Chesney for his Goin’ Coastal tour; http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/touring/kenny-chesney-on-verge-of-touring-milestone-1005296162.story Usher’s OMG tour, and Taylor Swift’s Speak Now tour.

The finalists for Top Boxscore, which recognizes the highest-grossing single engagement for the time period, are Take That for their stands at Wembley Stadium, and City of Manchester Stadium, and U2′s mega-show at Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo, Brazil. Finalists for the Breakthrough Award, which honors an artist in their first decade of headlining who cracked the top 25 tours for the first time, are Katy Perry, Jason Aldean, and Rihanna.

The Billboard Touring Awards culminates the two-day Billboard Touring Conference, presented by ShowClix, taking place at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City on November 9-10. The conference unites today’s top touring professionals to discuss the current state of the industry. This unique event includes provocative panels, productive roundtables and networking opportunities with touring industry power players and decision makers.

The complete list of finalists for the 2011 Billboard Touring Awards:

TOP TOUR
Bon Jovi, The Circle
Take That, Progress Live
U2, 360

TOP DRAW
Bon Jovi
Take That
U2

TOP PACKAGE
-Kenny Chesney’s Goin’ Coastal tour, with Zac Brown Band, Uncle Kracker, Billy Currington
-Taylor Swift’s Speak Now tour, with Needtobreathe, Danny Gokey, Frankie Ballard, others
-Usher’s OMG tour, with Miguel, Trey Songz, others

BREAKTHROUGH
Jason Aldean
Katy Perry
Rihanna

TOP COMEDY TOUR
Jeff Dunham
Peter Kay
Robin Williams

TOP BOXSCORE
Take That, Wembley Stadium, London – June 30-July 9
Take That – City of Manchester (U.K.) Stadium – June 3-12
U2 – Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo, Brazil – April 9-13

TOP PROMOTER
AEG Live
Live Nation Entertainment
SJM

TOP INDEPENDENT PROMOTER (U.S.)
Beaver Productions, New Orleans
C3 Presents, Austin, Texas
Jam Productions, Chicago

TOP INDEPENDENT PROMOTER (International)
Michael Coppel Presents, Australia
SJM, London
T4F, Sao Paulo, Brazil

TOP MANAGER
Bon Jovi Management
Front Line Management Group
Principle Management

TOP AGENCY
Artists Group International
Creative Artists Agency
William Morris Endeavor Entertainment

TOP FESTIVAL
Austin City Limits Music Festival, Austin, Texas
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Indio, Calif.
Lollapalooza, Chicago

TOP AMPHITHEATER
Comcast Center, Mansfield, Mass.
The Gorge, George, Wash.
Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, Calif.

TOP ARENA
Allphones Arena, Sydney
O2 Arena, London
Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

TOP VENUE – UNDER 10,000 SEATS
Auditorio Nacional, Mexico City
Radio City Music Hall, New York
The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York

TOP VENUE – UNDER 5,000 SEATS
Beacon Theatre, New York
The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas
Fox Theatre, Atlanta

TOP CLUB (based on attendance)
9:30 Club, Washington, D.C.
House Of Blues, Chicago
House Of Blues, Orlando

CONCERT MARKETING & PROMOTION AWARD
-Weezer Memories Tour, Driven by State Farm
-Dave Matthews Band Caravan/Brita FilterForGood
-AT&T/Samsung Present the Keith Urban Get Closer Tour
-Zac Brown Band Eat and Greets Sponsored By Kingsford Charcoal
-Natasha Bedingfield Less Is More Tour Presented By Freschetta
-Taylor Swift Speak Now World Tour 2011 Sponsored by COVERGIRL
-Foo Fighters Garage Tour Presented by BlackBerry

Eventful Fans’ Choice Award
(TBA)

The Apple Award
Perry Farrell

Humanitarian Award
Coran Capshaw

Legend Of Live
Journey

http://www.u2.com

CBC News
Posted: Jul 29, 2011 3:31 PM AT

Bono, right, and Adam Clayton perform in concert as part of U2's 360 Tour on July 20. The tour's final concert will be held in Moncton on Saturday. (Charles Sykes/Associated Press)

Moncton is preparing to welcome as many as 100,000 music fans to the southeastern New Brunswick city to watch the final concert of U2′s record-setting tour.

The Irish rock band wraps up its 360 Tour in Moncton on Saturday at the Magnetic Hill outdoor concert venue, the same location that has previously hosted bands such as the Rolling Stones and AC/DC.

Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc said he is expecting U2 to draw a larger crowd than any of the earlier mega-concerts. A record crowd is also expected to earn the city a windfall of cash.

The Rolling Stones drew 78,000 fans to their 2005 concert, the previous record. Moncton officials predicted after the U2 concert was announced that as many as 100,000 people could pack into the outdoor concert venue.

“We would expect that it would probably be somewhere in the range of $15 million and up,” LeBlanc said of the concert’s estimated economic benefit to the city.

“We were looking at about, I believe, 75,000 to 85,000 people then [in 2005], and the economic benefit from that was about $15 million, so we expect it will be equal to that if not greater.”

The Moncton concert is U2′s first appearance in Atlantic Canada and it is capping off a record-breaking concert tour.
Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc says adjustments had to be made to the outdoor concert site to allow for U2′s special stage.Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc says adjustments had to be made to the outdoor concert site to allow for U2′s special stage. (CBC)

The concert tour kicked off in Barcelona in the summer of 2009, and has passed the $558-million threshold in revenue, making it the highest-grossing music tour of all time. Some industry estimates suggest the tour could gross roughly $700 million by the time the Moncton concert wraps up.

The city’s mayor said officials worked hard to bring the tour’s final show to New Brunswick.

“This is a very big show.… This is the biggest, most successful tour in history for a rock band,” LeBlanc said.

“We’re having the grand finale of the world tour right here in Moncton, so that’s pretty special. It’s going to be big. It’s going to be very big. And you know, whatever the challenges are, we will meet them.”

One of the challenges the city had to overcome was the layout of the Magnetic Hill venue.

LeBlanc said the outdoor concert site had to be adapted to fit U2′s massive stage.

“Because of the nature of the stage, it’s not really meant for an outdoor downhill type of concert venue like this,” LeBlanc said.

“But we’ve made some adaptations so that they can get the stage on level ground, and it’s ready to go.”

Montreal’s Arcade Fire will make a special appearance at the concert. The Canadian indie rockers won a Grammy Award in February for album of the year.

The Moncton concert was added in January after months of speculation that the Irish rock band would visit the city. Tickets are still available at prices ranging from $84 to $226 including fees.

Environment Canada meteorologist Linda Libby said a trough of low pressure will be crossing the Maritimes Saturday.

She’s predicting rain all day, ending around 9 p.m.

“There’s still a possibility it can be adjusted a little bit further,” said Libby. “It could get worse, it could get better, so this is one of those cases people need to be prepared for what could happen.”

Libby said that with the cloud cover temperatures will stay down and Moncton will be lucky to reach 20 C.

Don Rittwage, an experienced outdoorsman, said he’s planning to dress in layers, including raincoat and hat, for Saturday’s show.

“I might bring a couple of those survival blankets — one for sitting on and one for having over my knees if I’m sitting on the ground.”

Rittwage also recommends footwear that’s comfortable and waterproof, or at least dries quickly.

U2 is expected to hit the stage after dark — right when the rain is forecast to stop.

http://www.cbc.ca

Published Saturday July 30th, 2011

80,000 fans eager for tonight’s concert by Irish supergroup

BY BRENT MAZEROLLE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF

Like the very first song on U2′s very first 1,000-copies-in-Ireland-only EP – the song Bono wrote on his 18th birthday – tonight’s performance by the biggest band of our times is bound to be Out of Control.

Last-minute work was being done yesterday on the public entrance gates at the concert site.

RON WARD/TIMES The huge claw-shaped stage for tonight's concert by Irish superstars U2 is now complete and ready for action.

Bono and the rest of Irish supergroup U2 will be rocking the Magnetic Hill Concert Site tonight with a crowd of 80,000 people expected.

But in the best possible way.

If it’s possible for the music legends’ storied 32-year career to come a full 360 degrees to a place where those humble beginnings meet unimaginable worldwide success and a long-awaited conclusion that might be a conclusion – or then again might be the beginning of a whole new, even greater orbit – if it’s possible, that circle might just close tonight on a tour called 360 in a place called Moncton.

Yes, Moncton is the place where mere concerts have a way of becoming events. But no event has the potential to go down in music history like this one, the wrapup of the most successful concert tour ever held.

The Rolling Stones’ 2005 Moncton show was huge and AC/DC’s 2009 show was huge, both the biggest shows of their respective North American tours when they hit a farmer’s field turned fan-freaking-tastic festival ground.

But tonight we break whole new ground on our whole new grounds, looking like they never have before as a result of the combined efforts of 2,400 people, a place where today stands a giant spaceship taller than almost every other building in our city, and where a population greater than the city itself will soon be pulled into the orbit of its perfect circle stage, the saturnalian ring wrapped ’round its heady atmosphere.

All of that sounds hopelessly over-the-top, of course, unless you’ve been to one of the 109 other shows on U2′s 360 Tour.

If you haven’t, you’ll soon understand. It’s over the top and halfway to space. There are no superlatives to describe it. It is the superlative.

And if you don’t go see and hear it for yourself tonight, you’ll just have to find something else to talk about at pubs and parties and water coolers around here for the next 32 years or so.

If you hate U2, you’ll still end up hating yourself for missing this one. If you love U2, it looks like you’re about to be in really good and growing company around here.

Less than 24 hours ago, a crowd of print and television and radio and online journalists, bloggers and even a couple of pseudo-freelance BSers who talked their way through the gates just to get an up-close look at the concert site got that up-close look and knew all their previous descriptions of this thing coming had somehow been inadequate.

It’s rock ‘n’ roll, baby, like it’s never rocked and rolled before.

Donald Tarlton, the real man behind what millions of Canadians over two or three generations know as Donald K. Donald, picks up the story from there.

“It all started about three years ago,” Tarlton said yesterday, the giant claws rising 15 storeys above him. “I had a dream. My partner André Hudon had a dream – wouldn’t it be great to get U2 to come to Atlantic Canada?”

He admitted it seemed like an impossible task when they first investigated it because the show was built to play in stadiums.

But then, “an unfortunate incident involving Bono’s back forced a reschedule and André and I spotted a window of opportunity,” he said.

“It’s a great coup for Atlantic Canada and a great thrill for us to be involved.”

Tarlton said when he heard it would indeed be the tour’s finale, he said, “if it turns out to be the last show of the tour, I’m telling you there’s no greater place for a party than Atlantic Canada. The fans of Atlantic Canada will give this band the greatest send-off for a tour they could possibly have. We know we’ve got the fans coming tomorrow and we know we’ve got the band coming tomorrow, and it’s going to be great.”

U2 production director Jake Berry takes over from Tarlton.

“As everybody knows, this is a very special show for everyone on the tour because this is the last one.”

On Monday, the three spaceship/claw stages go up for sale, their work complete after helping the band entertain more than seven million people around the world.

“It’s not very special for us crew people because we’ve got to look for jobs on Monday,” Berry said, but, “we chose to finish off in this beautiful site, and we’re ready.”

The show is special enough for U2 fans that they’ve literally been coming to Moncton from all over the world the past few days, whether they have to save money by staying in tents or they can afford their own private jets.

Look around and you may see that one of U2′s fans who is saying farewell to the 360 Tour is actor – fellow social activist and fellow Irishman Pierce Brosnan. If you do spot him, remember you heard it here first, folks.

While the Brad and Angelina and Oprah story particle colliding in an uncontrolled chain reaction yesterday seemed too far fetched to believe – Oprah doesn’t go to concerts; they come to her – the chance of seeing Eric Clapton might be better, though far from confirmed.

And the speculation about Neil Young having breakfast at Cora’s yesterday seems to actually be true, with several reported sightings. Moncton’s Tracey Suley was among them. She didn’t see the Canadian music icon at Cora’s, but did cross paths with a man who was either Young or the identical twin brother he didn’t know he had in behind the restaurant near the Delta Beauséjour Hotel.

And speaking of special visitors, don’t be surprised if for a spilt second or so tonight there is in fact someone at the site louder than the show itself. At the site, or maybe over it.

Craig Evans, U2′s 360 Tour manager, picks up the story.

Asked about all the swirling talk of other celebrities coming to Moncton because it’s the 360 Tour’s final date, he said yesterday, “there are certainly other people who we are expecting here tonight. This band has a lot of fans who are both celebrities and common people. There will be a bunch of familiar faces. It happens at most shows.”

There’s a huge amount of loyalty among those fans, he said.

“You get to understand the passion that they feel. That passion is when every show happens, the first time when the lights go down and the audience stands up and starts roaring and the band comes on the stage, everybody has an arm with hair standing up on end, feeling that moment. In a U2 show, what’s kind of unique is that happens several times during the evening.”

He couldn’t speak of what surprises the band might have in store, but “without a doubt, the crew has a few things in mind that we can’t speak about yet because it’s going to be a surprise to the band.”

And by the way, Evans said U2 is well aware the Town of Springhill, N.S., has made them honourary citizens for their keeping the memory of the town’s mining history alive through their singing of the classic Springhill Mining Disaster.

He said, however, travel timing would prevent the band from visiting the town in response to an invitation from the mayor, but he did hint the kindness might be acknowledged somehow at the show.

Evans predicted people will be really taken by the whole spectacle that is U2, especially on this mother of all tours. Beyond the show itself, he spoke of the view of the city and the acres of forest in their full summer greenery just behind the venue will make the final night special.

“That’s an amazing thing,” he said. “It’s one thing playing in a well-designed cement stadium. It’s another thing entirely to play in nature and grass and people. This is real. It’s more of an event than a concert. I think we have a very special opportunity to end this tour in a very unique and special place.

“This was a big decision to end the tour here, but it was very much a part of the band’s decision and wish.

“The band’s going to be emotional. They have had a huge journey. I think you’re going to see that.”

http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com

* Article by: JON BREAM and CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER , Star Tribune staff writers
* Updated: July 25, 2011

These were the most unforgettable sights and sounds of Saturday’s wow-inducing show at TCF Bank Stadium.

The U2 360 Tour was ablaze with lights and pageantry as the Irish band performed before an enthusiastic crowd at TCF Bank Stadium Saturday evening, July 23, 2011.

Photo: Jim Gehrz

As the battalion of roadies broke down the mammoth “Claw” stage late Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium, we similarly cleared our minds about what we’d just witnessed. The sensory overload that was U2′s 360° Tour left us with these lasting impressions of what was unquestionably one of the most memorable rock concerts in Twin Cities history.
Singin’ in the rain

Bono has been compared to Dylan, Springsteen, the Pope. Add Gene Kelly to the list. Toting a U.S. flag umbrella, he relished singin’ in the rain. He and the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. were undaunted by the downpour, which gave the nearly 60,000 soaked fans a glorious feeling.

(Note from our electrician: The Edge and Clayton wouldn’t get electrocuted with 12-volt batteries on their wireless guitars, but there was a concern about the electric pickups on those instruments getting wet.)
“Hold Me” thrills me

The rather forgettable song “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me” at the start of the second encore was brightened by the night’s most mesmerizing visual stunt. A lit steering wheel with a microphone in the middle hung from the rafters, to which Bono attached himself for several swings over the crowd while wearing a matching, Tron-like suit adorned with red lasers.
The stars are falling from the sky

U2 is always cutting-edge with its video work. This tour’s 360-degree cylindrical video screen — which expanded and contracted like an accordion — not only gave riveting live closeups but mesmerizing artsy visuals. The show felt like part planetarium, part space oddity, part religious experience.
“Streets” smart

Whatever the visual gimmickry, wherever the show, “Where the Streets Have No Name” is always the song that delivers on purely musical/visceral energy. That was proven again at the end of the first encore Saturday as the massive crowd was lit up singing along to every word.
A moment that sticks

The other pure-music moment was the acoustic “Stuck in a Moment That You Can’t Get Out Of,” which Bono dedicated to Amy Winehouse. It was just two voices and one acoustic guitar, holding the rapt attention of 60,000 in a rainy stadium.
Party for two – parties, that is

We’re not sure if they actually crossed the aisle to say hello, but we spotted both Sen. Al Franken and presidential candidate ex-Gov. Tim Pawlenty in the “Round Room” VIP area. Maybe Bono should be mediating the White House vs. Majority Leadership budget deliberations.
Drinkin’ in the day

The no-booze policy at the U’s Bank had one noteworthy benefit: “It cut down on the lines at the men’s bathroom,” said concertgoer Duane Poehls of Ham Lake. And maybe encouraged the pot smoking. We could smell it all the way in the press box, high above the crowd.
Moment of surrender

Sensing the lone media representative in the room for his pre-concert meeting backstage with local Somali-American activists, the publicity-savvy Bono reached out to shake hands while speculating on the value of tying Riemenschneider to a tree so other media outlets would pay attention to Somalia’s deepening famine crisis. He’s so slick, the music critic committed to it.
The traffic is stuck and you’re not moving anywhere

The roads weren’t too bad before the show thanks to dispersed arrivals, but the mass exodus afterward led to major congestion. Concertgoers complained of two-hour waits for shuttle buses to the main off-site parking area (near the State Fairgrounds); one trio of fans had to walk to the West Bank to find a cab to take them to downtown Minneapolis. Those parked on campus were lucky to get out in an hour. U and city officials will have to do better next time.

* Twitter: @JonBream • 612-673-1719
* Twitter: @ChrisRStrib • 612-673-4658

http://www.startribune.com

By Ross Raihala
Pioneer Press Music Critic
Updated: 07/24/2011 03:24:51 AM CDT

U2 lights up TCF Bank Stadium with its 360° Tour on Saturday in Minneapolis. (Pioneer Press: Sherri LaRose-Chiglo)

Much fuss has been made in the past week about the magnitude of U2′s current tour, including mention of its 170-foot stage dubbed “the Claw” and the almost 60,000 fans who crowded into TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday night to witness the Twin Cities’ largest outdoor concert in more than three decades.

But what lead singer Bono and the rest of U2 proved to the sold-out crowd – who braved road construction and stormy weather to get to the University of Minnesota football stadium’s first major rock show – was just how skilled they are at creating a memorable and, yes, even intimate evening.

Saturday’s show was U2′s third-to-last stop on a world tour that started more than two years ago, with the Minneapolis gig delayed a year thanks to Bono’s back problems. But the band rarely felt tired and instead rallied like a marathon runner in the final mile.

Reminiscent of an arachnid-inspired spaceship, the Claw imbued the proceedings with a real sense of importance, long before U2 took the stage at its center. Its ultimate purpose, though, was to provide a relatively unobtrusive way to elevate the speakers and lighting and make way for a breathtaking, 360-degree screen that gave nearly all of the audience – and freeloaders on the lawn across the street – terrific views of the action.

Soon after the band opened with a selection of tracks from its 1991 masterpiece “Achtung Baby,” rain started to fall. Bono responded by breaking into an impromptu verse from the Beatles “Rain.”

(Later, he managed to work in bits of several downpour-related hits, including the inevitable “Purple Rain.”)

That was just the start of a steady stream of sprinkles from the sky, and while it made for some waterlogged concertgoers, the rain looked fantastic up on the big screen. Plus, the possible lightning that threatened to evacuate fans to nearby buildings blew over the stadium. The random storm flashes in the distance only added to the evening’s grandeur, as did the nearby Aquatennial fireworks display.

Of course, U2 aired the big hits, including “I Will Follow,” “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “Elevation.” The band downplayed material from its most recent album, 2009′s “No Line on the Horizon,” probably because it was the band’s weakest seller in 15 years.

Bono introduced a stripped-down “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of” as a song he wrote for the late INXS frontman Michael Hutchence, but dedicated it to Amy Winehouse, the famously troubled Brit who was found dead earlier Saturday. Elsewhere, the band covered “Stand By Me” with the help of Somalian/Canadian rapper K’naan (who briefly called Minneapolis home). At one point, Bono marveled at the new stadium and said it was a “handsome place for us to be hanging
out in.” Near the end of the set, 51-year-old bassist Adam Clayton stripped off his shirt and let the rain wet his buff, bare chest.

One of the most touching moments, though, came when astronaut Mark Kelly delivered a prerecorded intro to “Beautiful Day” from the space shuttle Endeavour. He dedicated it to his wife, Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who survived an assassination attempt earlier this year. Quoting David Bowie’s classic “Space Oddity,” Kelly said: “Tell my wife I love her very much, she knows.” Leave it U2 to include such a tender, human message – sent from outer space, no less! – in the midst of so much spectacle.

http://www.twincities.com

* Article by: JON BREAM , Star Tribune
* Updated: July 23, 2011

REVIEW: Bono and the boys began their end of the tour party.

It was the beginning and the end in the same night.

U2′s concert — nah, the Bonolicious spectacular — Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium ushered in a new era of big-time outdoor stadium concerts (after a 33-year, Metrodome-dominated hiatus). It was also one of the last nights on U2′s record- setting two-year, 110-concert (only two more to go) 360° Tour, which will gross an unprecedented $717 million.

“I think this is the place to begin the end of the tour party,” said Bono.

Funny thing about the 360 Tour in Minneapolis — it went full circle in the Twin Cities outdoor stadium concert history. The last biggie in 1978 at the old Met Stadium featured the Eagles and a hard-driving rain during Steve Miller’s set in front of 65,000 people. On Saturday, the drizzle eventually turned into a deluge, and Bono and the boys played on, getting pelted by the downpour, along with nearly 60,000 jubilant fans.

“Unbelievable,” Bono declared after “Walk On,” “I cannot get over this.”

Yes, it was an unforgettable show — for U2′s unstoppable fortitude, uplifting music and the invigorating rain.

Despite having the most expensive touring production in the history of popular music, the $25 million stage came with no roof. So U2 improvised with equipment (Bono held a U.S. flag umbrella for a bit and bassist Adam Clayton took his shirt off) and in song (with snippets of the Beatles’ “Rain,” “Singing in the Rain,” and, of course, Prince’s “Purple Rain”).

Before the rain came, it almost felt as if the much-hyped stage was going to be the star of the show, not Bono or the music. Dubbed the Claw, the stage looked like a collision of a spider and a spaceship or a crab and a cathedral. The mammoth four-legged monster afforded the fans a 360-degree view of the band.

Despite all the bells and whistles, U2 gave a performance that was both over-the-top and intimate, both epic and informal, both highfalutin’ and fun. The quartet kept it intimate by playing on a relatively small (for a football stadium) stage, surrounded by a circle walkway that every band member (including Larry Mullen Jr. on conga once) used to good effect.

Moreover, there were quieter musical moments, most notably “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of,” a duet by Bono and the Edge (who unleashed a stunning falsetto). In introducing the song, Bono mentioned that it was written for INXS’ late singer Michael Hutchence but on this day, it would be dedicated to British pop star Amy Winehouse, who died Saturday.

Just two voices and an acoustic guitar made it feel like a living room performance — inside a football stadium.

The Edge’s wondrous electric guitar framed every song. Often sounding like a one-man orchestra, his vibe was less majestic than on previous tours but just as potent. He went for wah-wah funk on “Mysterious Ways,” chilling sweetness on “Beautiful Day,” punky slashing on “The Fly.”

Bono, 51, came on like a rock icon, in leather jacket and pants, with his Tom Hanks hairdo and tinted glasses. But he was also very in the moment. The Irishman was well aware of where he was, acknowledging the new stadium and bringing out a former Twin Cities resident, Somali rapper K’naan, to sing a bit of Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me” at the end of “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.”

The set list was heavy on hits, with a few tunes from 2009′s “No Line on the Horizon” sprinkled in. There were many highlights but none brighter than the closing “Moment of Surrender.” Bono asked for all the lights in the stadium turned off, as he delivered the soulful hymn, which took on a new meaning on this night, about U2 and their fans refusing to surrender to the rain.

http://www.startribune.com

http://www.u2.com

http://www.u2.com

http://www.u2.com

http://www.u2.com

May 30, 2011

Sandra Sperounes

The last time U2 played Edmonton … in 1997 … fans gathered at the airport to welcome Bono and the boys, who were then attacked by mosquitos. (Thankfully, this was all documented by a MuchMusic crew and posted on YouTube.)

Well, it’s almost that time again … we’ll try to keep you posted on any airport activities over the next little while.

http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com

Band perform folk legend’s co-penned track ‘Love Rescue Me’

Photo Gallery: U2 Photo: PA

U2 wished Bob Dylan a happy 70th birthday during their 360° tour show in Salt Lake City last night (May 24).

The band performed a rare rendition of ‘Love Rescue Me’ from their 1998 album ‘Rattle And Hum’ at the Rice-Eccles Stadium, a track Dylan co-wrote. Bono then wished the folk legend many happy returns with the help of the crowd.

Watch footage of the singer paying tribute to Dylan by clicking below.

Later in the show Bono threw snippets of Dylan classics ‘Times They Are A-Changin’ and Blowin’ In The Wind’ into ‘Where The Streets Have No Name’ into the setlist.

U2 were among a host of stars who paid tribute to Dylan on his big day yesterday. Arcade Fire, Kings Of Leon, Slash and My Chemical Romance also offered their best wishes to him.

Add your own tributes to Dylan at Facebook.com/nmemagazine.

http://www.nme.com

http://www.u2.com

http://www.u2.com

11:43 PM 5/22/2011 by Gary Graff, Shirley Halperin

Juan Mabromata/Getty Images The Edge during a stop on U2's "360 World Tour"

The band took a break from the just-started second North American leg of its 360 World Tour to receive the honor Sunday night.

U2 took a break from the just-started second North American leg of its 360 World Tour to accept the Touring Award — for both the biggest tour of the year and of all-time — at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards.??

After the Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am introduced U2 as “the most important group in music, my friends and inspiration,” frontman Bono said, “Some of the greatest music is made so quietly, and you can make classic albums in your bedroom and you can play the greatest show of your life on a one-string guitar — but we don’t do that.”

Drummer Larry Mullen Jr. cut him short to thank the tour crew, acknowledging that “I don’t know all of them, don’t know all their names.”

Bassist Adam Clayton likened the 360 Tour stage to “a children’s toy,” while guitarist the Edge noted that the setting allows U2 “to feel like we’ve alone, surrounded by our audience completely.”

Backstage, Bono expounded on what the honor means to him: “That’s where we live: live.”

U2 surpassed the Rolling Stones’ A Bigger Bang Tour earlier this year as the most successful tour ever. By the time the trek ends on July 30 in New Brunswick, it’s expected to top $700 million in ticket sales and play to nearly eight million people. The tour was extended when the current North American leg, originally scheduled for 2010, was postponed after Bono injured his back during rehearsals.

Of the tour, the Edge said backstage: “I’m thrilled that more people came to this show than any other. Seven million people I still can’t get my head around that figure.”

Meanwhie, Bono addressed the intimacy of the tour.

“It’s a magic trick,” he said. “It’s the strange thing about scale and spectacle that disappear.”

As for the band’s longevity, the Edge attributes it to the group members’ ability to get along.

“Because it’s a band — and a real band — and we’re used to working in a cooperative way. We never let anything go that’s not great.”

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com

By Dave Herrera, Sun., May 22 2011 at 1:29 PM

Photos by Aaron Thackeray

Say what you will about U2. Name another band that can fill a stadium these days… Time’s up. Drawing a blank? That’s because there aren’t any — certainly not any from this era. That said, you’ve got to give it the band its props: Without question, it can still put asses in the seats. Just the same, let’s remember: The band has had more than three decades to cultivate its following. That’s an eternity by today’s standards.

By contrast, openers, the Fray — who, along with U2′s many other descendents, Coldplay, Kings of Leon, Muse, Arcade Fire, is the the closest we come to something that passes for iconic these days — is a bit of a marvel for still standing after two records and nearly a decade in the game. That said, not to take anything away from U2 or those bands, but c’mon, is it really all that noteworthy to be the tallest guy in a room full of short people?

Photo by Dave Herrera

But let’s forget about all that for a moment, and talk about the actual tour itself. There’s certainly been no shortage of folks, particularly within the U2 camp, willing to pat themselves on the back for the grandiosity of the whole spectacle. And to be clear, it is a spectacle. The towering, ostentatious structure — which, you can probably see from space, and which takes nearly as long to erect as it took God to speak us into existence — is truly something to behold, the revolving bridges, the giant LEDs, the dazzling illumination.

But is it truly magnificent, or have we simply become so accustomed to not being dazzled in this new century that all you need to win us over is a few megatons of steel and some flashing lights? Are we are so easily awed that we’re oblivious to the fact that what we have here is really a lot of sizzle and not a lot of steak?

As I looked around at the awestruck expressions plastered to the faces of those around me as the band lowered its LED screens, cloaking itself with a mesh of screens that resembled a giant bug zapper during “Zooropa” and the fittingly titled “City of Blinding Lights,” I couldn’t help but be reminded of that scene from A Bug’s Life, in which one winged creature pleads with another: “No! Hurry! No! Don’t look at the light!” Inexplicably drawn to the glowing display, his counterpart responds intoxicatingly: “I can’t help it. It’s so beautiful.” That, as you might recall, is immediately followed by the unmistakable sound of his demise, BZZZT!

I will give them this, though: there really wasn’t a bad seat in the house. As advertised, the sight lines were mostly unobstructed. The only place in the stadium that might have been less desirable were the seats of those who happened to be seated behind the stage in the South Stands. It’s not that you couldn’t see. It’s just that although Larry Mullen’s drum riser rotated, and Bono and the other guys made a concerted effort to journey across the bridges to the outside track that circled the stage, where they played to the various sides of the stadium, for the most part, the outfit played facing the opposite direction.

But I’m just nitpicking here, really; you could lodge such a complaint with that sort of seating arrangement at any show. Most shows block that section off, actually. There really isn’t an effective way to play in the round a full 360° — well, unless the stage rotated constantly (talk about vertigo.) Fortunately, there was plenty else to distract those folks.

Which brings us to the visuals: Now maybe it’s because I still have that epic Roger Waters Wall show at the Pepsi Center from this past November fresh in my memory — and perhaps that has spoiled me for all subsequent arena rock experiences — but for all of its pomp and circumstance, I was a bit underwhelmed by U2′s much ballyhooed 360° Tour, particularly the visuals, some nods to previous outings.

In the PopMart-era, this sort of thing might’ve been considered ground-breaking, but by today’s standards, the random images and sound bites laid over and interspersed with stream of consciousness-like text felt a little hackneyed. By now, we’ve seen it all before. A thousand times. And better. Not only from this band, but from other acts. In a much smaller context, even. Honestly, I was probably more arrested by Muse’s presentation, and Madonna did a similar thing cloaking herself for a few songs with a wall of LEDs descended from the rafters.

http://blogs.westword.com

By Dave Herrera, Sat., May 21 2011 at 12:16 PM

Alright, so near as we can tell, when U2 takes the stage tonight at Invesco (after Isaac Slade and local homeboys in The Fray warm up the stage), the band’s set will consist of two-dozen songs, possibly 25. Since the 360° Tour first kicked off in Barcelona in June 2009, the setlist has changed rather dramatically. So it’s hard to say what the outfit has in store for Denver. But judging from the songs played last night at a private gig at Invesco and on the last three shows in Mexico, the show begins with “Even Better Than the Real Thing” and then immediately segues into a song from one of the early albums (thus far, “I Will Follow,” “Out of Control” and “New Year’s Day”).

Photo by Kevin Mazur

From there, the band has pretty consistently delved into “Get On Your Boots,” “Magnificent,” “Mysterious Ways,” “Elevation,” followed by, appropriately enough, considering it’s Judgement Day and all, “Until The End Of The World.” After that, it appears the act sort of zig zags in a free-form sort of way through its catalog with songs from Unforgettable Fire and the Joshua Tree-era woven in with more recent material like “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight,” from No Line on the Horizon, as well as bits from War, Zooropa, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb and others.

Looks like you can expect a two-song encore, broken up into two songs in the first and ending with three more. There’s a few other things in store. For more of that, check out the clip below featuring the Edge talking about the 360° Tour.

http://blogs.westword.com

http://www.u2.com