(04-05-2006) Bono to Speak at Michigan Club's Dinner -- AP*

[DesiresFire27]

Please Help a newbie

Hello! My name's Kristie and I'm a newbie. When I heard that Bono was coming to Michigan I thought someone was pulling my leg, but now I believe it.
I was wondering if anyone could please, please help me find info on this event. I know you have to buy a membership to get in, and I can't afford that. But I was wondering if anyone had any idea as to what time the dinner was taking place and in which area? If you don't feel comfortable talking about it, please pm me.
I'm thinking about rescheduling my college exam to a different date and traveling about four hours via the train, to try and meet Bono. He's been an inspiration to me, and I think this is my one and only chance to ever say Hello so to speak.

Thanks for reading my plea....lol

Kristie

 

[Liesje]

Re: Please Help a newbie

Hello! My name's Kristie and I'm a newbie. When I heard that Bono was coming to Michigan I thought someone was pulling my leg, but now I believe it.
I was wondering if anyone could please, please help me find info on this event. I know you have to buy a membership to get in, and I can't afford that. But I was wondering if anyone had any idea as to what time the dinner was taking place and in which area? If you don't feel comfortable talking about it, please pm me.
I'm thinking about rescheduling my college exam to a different date and traveling about four hours via the train, to try and meet Bono. He's been an inspiration to me, and I think this is my one and only chance to ever say Hello so to speak.

Thanks for reading my plea....lol

Kristie

You do not have to be a member to attend, but only members can buy tickets. Memberships are $175 and dinner tickets are $150. Each member can request up to 4 dinner tickets.

The event is May 4 at the DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids. Cash bar starts at 6pm, dinner starts at 7:30. The new DeVos place is a rather large convention center with several rooms/galleries, so it would be difficult to find Bono without being admitted to the event. It does say on the confirmation which ballroom, but I don't feel comfortable posting information which isn't already public.

If you have to reschedule an exam and travel 4 hours, it most likely will not be worth it. I've lived in GR my entire life and have been to DeVos Place for other dinners and there's not really anywhere for fans who aren't attending the event to loiter. It's not like a concert where there is always a loading dock you know the band will enter and leave from. Also, I doubt Bono will be spending time in Grand Rapids beyond a few hours for this event, especially afterwards since he is speaking in Dallas the next day. Don't let me stop you from trying though! Maybe I'll see you there...

 

[DesiresFire27]

Thanks for what information you could provide me. I do realize in away that this trip could be a fruitless effort, and I have seen the scale of the building and the list of numerous rooms in the convention center. I doubt that I will ever be able to meet him or any of the guys at a concert since they usually treat the Palace like a maximum security prison.
I was going to see if one of my friends knows anyone for the club with and extra ticket that I could buy off of them.

I hope that I can meet him someday.

Kristie

 

[Liesje]

Thanks for what information you could provide me. I do realize in away that this trip could be a fruitless effort, and I have seen the scale of the building and the list of numerous rooms in the convention center. I doubt that I will ever be able to meet him or any of the guys at a concert since they usually treat the Palace like a maximum security prison.
I was going to see if one of my friends knows anyone for the club with and extra ticket that I could buy off of them.

I hope that I can meet him someday.

Kristie

Hey, I know what you mean about the Palace. I went to both shows there, and even though it's the only place they go in Michigan, I'm NEVER going there again! Ugh, I don't even want to get into it...

Check the club's website and see if you have connections to any of the published members.

 

[Liesje]

When Bono Comes To Town
Posted: May 3, 2006 01:52 PM


GRAND RAPIDS – They rolled into town on their first tour, four Irish lads all fighting colds. Scarves wrapped around their necks, sniffling, they surveyed the stage set up for that night's performance at Fountain Street Church.

"I've never played in a church before," Bono said.

24 years later, Bono returns to Grand Rapids – without his U2 bandmates – as the keynote speaker at the Grand Rapids Economic Club's annual dinner on Thursday. Since that day when he and Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen, Jr. and The Edge performed in front of wildly enthusiastic fans at Fountain Street Church, Bono has played for college students, kings and presidents.

His speech Thursday continues his work through The ONE Campaign to fight the global AIDS epidemic and extreme poverty. His efforts to provide debt relief to the poorest nations have granted him access to world leaders, and his visibility and knowledge of these issues have earned him many accolades, including Time Magazine's Person of the Year.

In choosing him, Time said, "Bono charmed and bullied and morally blackmailed the leaders of the world’s richest countries into forgiving $40 billion in debt owed by the poorest." The current issue of Time includes him in the list of "100 People Who Shape Our World."

But the early steps along the road brought U2 to Grand Rapids.

"I got a call from Tim McGrath at Premier Talent Agency," said local concert promoter Alan Bashara. "He said, 'I got this new band, they're gonna be huge.' You know, the standard hype job."

But Bashara took a chance, and the third concert he ever booked for his company, Blue Suede Shows, was U2.

"Their first album (Boy) was out, and they'd released the single, 'I Will Follow.' It was just the beginning of MTV, and that was one of the few videos they had, so they played it all the time."

Bashara partnered with Fountain Street Church and WLAV-FM to promote the show. He bought local commercials on MTV, and tickets started selling well.

"We were worried, though," Bashara said, "that no one would buy the tickets because the Stones were playing at the Silverdome around the same time."

1080 people showed up, "and it was a high energy show. All the kids were standing on chairs. I'm telling you, it was a new level of performance for a rock band."

Today, U2 is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Bono is an internationally known voice for social justice. But on December 5, 1981, they were a punk band from Dublin who earned $2000 for a night at Fountain Street Church.

"I made about $600 profit," Bashara said with a chuckle.

==========================================

http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?s=4851292

 

[DesiresFire27]

I know this is a little late, but could someone get me an autograph? I can't make it to the event because my friend is very Ill. I hope you guys have fun tonight, take plenty of pictures if you can.

Hugs

Kristie

 

[Liesje]

Hi Kristie, there were no pics by us (only the AP photographer was allowed at the event) and less than a dozen fans actually met him. H was VERY quick going in and out and does not appear to be staying in town tonight (he drove off immediately even though the Amway Hotel is connected to the DeVos Hall). He did meet a few select people at the VIP reception, but those were the rich business bigwigs, so I doubt they asked for autographs.

This is what I posed in the other thread:


We went downtown around 5 because it was a nice day. We walked around a bit, just looking at stuff (I've lived in GR my entire life, but I never go downtown). We went into the Amway and were bored so we got drinks at a sports bar. On our way out, we say this herd of security by the door and they told us we had to go out the front. We went out and around and met up with Beth. While we were talking to a GR Press reporter, Bono pulled up in a black SVU. He entered the Amway at the media entrance. It was so fast, only Erin saw him and there was no way we could've met him b/c he went straight in and it was a special entrance.

Right before dinner, one of the guys at my table was looking for a friend when he saw Bono standing at the front and just walked up to him, introduced himself, and shook his hand. He kept saying "He was so nice, just a regular guy!" My friend and I had to use the bathroom, so we went around, but Bono was seated eating so we didn't bother, however the security told other ladies at our table that he might stick around after to meet people.

The speech was good, the usual stuff. We clapped after every few lines. Towards the end if the speech he paused and said "Can I get some water....or some whiskey?" and then someone handed him a water bottle. At the end, we went out near the front door to see if Bono would come out like they said, but he left quickly. Beth was outside and said he left very fast, they just got a wave, and he was off down the street (did not re-enter the Amway hotel).

So then we went to Fridays for some more drinks!

Maybe my name and the others I was with will be in the paper tomorrow. The GR Press guy basically followed us around the entire evening and kept asking questions.

It was good times, getting all dressed up, like for a prom.

I'm not disappoined about not meeting him, I was not expecting too. In fact, I was surprised that he arrived early to speak to the press and that he actually sat down and ate dinner.

 

[trillian]

Hello all-
Forgive me, I'm a newbie and don't know how to post a link yet, but if you go to woodtv.com (a Grand Rapids tv station) they have about 9 min. of Bono's talk on the web site. Enjoy!

 

[kellystefanie]

ok...so has anyone heard of future speaking dates???? i've perused the internet and can't seem to find ANYTHING!!
thanks
Kelly