Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Music Makes the World Move

I played my stereo today for the first time in weeks. That shit cranks. Being part of the IPOD nation, I rarely find use for the goddamn component system that has probably cost me a $1,000 over the years with add on, speakers and what not. And now that I finally own a car with a built in dash CD player, I usually reserve my CD listening for the drive time. Anyway, Jimmy Eats World sounds good blarring....

What I really wanted to discuss is the newest U2 album that "drops" today in a Best Buy near you. I'm that guy. The one who laughs at idiot who still shell out mucho dinero to go see the Rolling Stones play the VET or Robert Plant sans Jimmy Paige just cos he was in Led Zepplin 400 years ago. I grew up with these artists being "classic rock" bands, so I don't have the connection to them that some fans have. But with U2 continuing to put out records, I wonder if one day I will be the guy who pays $300 to see U2 play Lincoln Financial Field? I'm genuinely excited about the new U2 record, Uno, Dos, Tres, Catorce! I recall reading that they were going to do a whirl wind US tour in the Spring and my first thought was "I must go and support U2!" Scary. But I have very fond memories of U2, old and relatively new ones.

1989: Senior year of high school, fully immersed in spending every waking hour watching MTV, I came across a video for With or Without You. I thought it was the greatest song I had ever heard. I spent many nights going to sleep in my parent's basement drifting off to sleep singing along to every track on Joshua Tree dreaming of what college would be like.

My Birthday, 1991: I'm in my second year of college and Achtung Baby is released. I'm caught up in the U2 explosion for the next six months. The one and only time I sleep out to buy concert tickets is to see this tour come to the Spectrum, a show that I almost blow off completely when the girl I was in love with at the time lost 2 of our foursomes tickets in a drain on Packer Avenue. I spent the show being marveled by just how amazing U2 are as live performers and consoling a crying girl who had to tell 2 of her friends that she lost their tickets moments before the show.

Spring 2001: I'm in Amsterdam with friends, high on hash and watching Dutch Music Television in my room at the Bicycle Hotel, a dive hostel kind of place and on comes the video for Stuck In A Moment and You Can't Get Out of it. Maybe it was the hash, but man I cried like a baby for no reason.

I can listen to U2 anytime, anywhere and be happy. They continue to put out quality music and if I do become that 50 year old guy lining up to see them in Vegas, so be it. I'm a fucking hypocrite. Sue me.

P.S. I used my Tower Records giftcard from my work peeps to buy the new jawn today and so far, so good.

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