Return Of The Fly

How long must I sing this song? A little bit longer it would seem. U2 kicked off the Grammys last night, literally. Haven't seen Bono kick like that since Popmart. He's really looking very trim and spry these days. The Bono of the last 9 years has been a fat and slow Bono. After Pop was such a critical and commercial disappointment the band decided to pull in the reigns musically to win back the masses. This meant 2 "back to basics" albums and the basketball arena tours that followed. Of course their bank statements and the pile of Grammys that came along suggests that this was the right move for the time. And I, at the time, was very excited to hear a bit more stripped down U2. But lately I've been listening to Pop more and more.

For the Elevation and Vertigo tours, U2 went back indoors and played smaller venues than they had in over a decade. Management trumpeted the party line that this was what the band wanted because these venues had far better acoustics (which is true) and the shows would be more enjoyable for the fans. But what about the frontman? They say a goldfish will grow to fill the bowl. Well, put Bono on a small stage in front of 20,000 baby boomers and he's tired, bloated, and stagnant. Put him on a huge stage playing to 80,000 and we get the high kicking commanding frontman we all know and love. For all the rhetoric of the last 2 tours, the guys are once again booking a stadium tour and no one could be happier than the band themselves. They need to push, they need to break new ground.

This approach is unusual as most bands are better suited to smaller venues. As a concert goer, I'd nearly always be in a theater or arena than an outdoor venue. But U2 is different and the last 2 tours nearly killed them.

Being chosen to play the Grammys was interesting as they didn't release anything last year and thus weren't up for any awards. I guess it was a pretty weak roster this year. What with Miley Cyrus, The Jonas Brothers, and Justin Timberlake, it was looking for like the Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards. So the powers that be decided to fatten it up a little with some ROCK AND ROLL, thank God. Not that I even watched this year- I was busy at the Oregon Sports Awards rubbing elbows with the Schonz and Jerome Kersey. I had to see U2 on YouTube, before Grammy pulled the clips.