In the Naaaaaammmmmee of Loooooove

Stephanie and I went to the new Silverado theater in Tomball last night to see U2 3D. Yes, it was really in 3D. What a great experience! First of all, the theater is awesome. They have a drink station for free refills including Icees! More specifically......Dr. Pepper Icees.

So, enough about the incredible theater. Let's talk about the concert. The concert was filmed mostly in Buenos Aires which provided an exciting, charged crowd. Unlike U.S. crowds, you don't see a bunch of people walking around to go get another beer. They were there for the music. U2 is such an incredible band. Their activism and lyrics transcend regionalization. It's amazing when you realize that although U2 may have written a politically charged song for a specific situation or country, it can relate to an entirely different situation or country.

For example, they performed "Pride (in the Name of Love), which is a song they wrote early in their career in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. So, think about this. These young, white guys from Ireland recognized what an incredible human and leader that Dr. King was, and wrote one of their songs, which is considered to be a bit of a Magnum Opus, about him and his dream. Now, it's 2006 or 2007 and they're in Buenos Aires, Argentina. They perform this song which the crowd knows every word of. Projected on the backdrop, is an image of Dr. King. Bono repeatedly exclaims during the song to "sing for Martin Luther King". He mentions that his dream was not only an American dream, but even a Latin American dream. That really made me think. Do Argentineans really know who Dr. King was? I certainly hope so. It makes me feel good that Dr. King, who never held a prestigious office, is recognized worldwide. I would love to see his image blazoned on T-shirts instead of Che Guevara's; which incidentally if you were to ask the adolescent wearing the Che Guevara shirt, they probably could not tell you who it is, much less what he stood for.

Religious strife is another area of focus in U2's music. To their credit, they do not knock religion. In fact, you will find a lot Biblical references in their music. For example, in "One", you hear, "Have you come here to play Jesus to the lepers in your head". One of my favorite references is in "Bullet the Blue Sky" where Bono sings, "Jacob wrestled the Angel, and the Angel was overcome." Keep in mind that when U2 was first becoming popular, Ireland was in the midst of the Catholic & Protestant conflict which was ripping their country apart. Their focus on religious strife, however, is more along the lines of the horrible acts perpetrated by believers of different religions supposedly in the name of their God. They have a logo that commonly is projected which says, "COEXIST". The letter C is represented by the Muslim Crescent. The letter X is represented by the Jewish Star of David. The letter T is represented by the Christian Cross. Let's face it. Each of these religions has been here for thousands of years. While I firmly believe that Christianity is the one, true faith, and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for our sins, the other religions will remain on this planet. We have to live together. And, we need to live together in peace. During one song in particular, which I think may have been "New Years Day" or "Sunday Bloody Sunday", Bono adlibbed about how we all sons of Father Abraham. It was a good point. Abraham is a common figure you will find in the Quran, the Torah, and the Holy Bible. The film ended with a song called "Yahweh" while the ending credits rolled on.

We need more bands like U2; talented musicians and song writers. They don't rely on cheap, sexual, shocking, or profane lyrics. They don't have to hide behind studio magic tricks to obtain quality sound. This is widely apparent in the film, as we hear the strength of Bono's vocals, and the point is further driven home when you get to really hear the Edge's back-up vocals, which are incredibly strong. U2 has been together for about 30 years, and are more valid today then when they first came on the scene. I am proud that this band exists in its long, seemingly unending prime during my generation. When I think about what music my kids and grandkids will be interested in from my generation, U2 is definitely on that extremely short list.



"Free at last! They took your life. They could not take your pride!" Pride (In the Name of Love) by U2