U2's Hi-Tech Tent Revival

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Screaming Flower

ONE love, blood, life
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interesting article from youtwo.net

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January 8, 2002
From America:

U2's Hi-Tech Tent Revival
Steve Braden
1/7/2002, America, Vol. 186 Issue 1, p19, 2p, 1c

GOD IS IN THE ROOM--even more than Elvis," quipped the lead singer
Bono in reference to U2 's concert performances last summer. The third
and final leg of their world tour, called "Elevation," opened on Oct. 10 in
Notre Dame's Joyce Athletic Convocation Center to a sold-out crowd of
approximately 10,000 fans. It was loud, ridiculously fun and the closest
thing to a tent revival this Catholic boy has ever experienced.

To begin to understand the mystique of the Irish rock band U2, one needs
only to experience the presence of Bono: the leather-clad, Scripture-
quoting, wraparound-sunglasses-wearing lobbyist for third world debt relief
whose larger than life personality effortlessly lights up a room. Or a stadium.
A tireless performer on the concert stage, Bono pursues an assortment of
social causes around the world as well. A rock star who hangs out with
Senator Jesse Helms and Pope John Paul II, Bono also gave the
commencement speech at Harvard University's graduation in 2000.

As the band struck the opening chords of "Beautiful Day," the J.A.C.C.
erupted with screams. Bono's first words were, "This is holy ground." Unlike
Moses in Exodus, however, the singer elected to keep his shoes on. On the
very next song, "Until the End of the World," the lead guitarist, known as The
Edge, and Bono walked out to the tip of the giant, heart-shaped stage for a
slightly bizarre piece of performance art, acting out the tension between
Jesus and Judas at the Last Supper. I quickly realized this was not your
ordinary rock concert.

But then again, this band has always puzzled me. The idealism of their early
rock records gave way to mid-1990's experiments of electronica with dark
lyrics that were barely accessible to many fans. For some concerts, Bono
would actually parade around onstage wearing a pair of devil horns. But I
guess it is the privilege of great artists to lose their minds eventually.

The Judeo-Christian story reminds us of the cyclic pattern of sin-grace-
redemption, and great art has always reflected those themes. The songs of
U2 's first public performance in a post-Sept. 11 world tended to concentrate
on the later elements of that pattern. During the gradually building introduction
to "Where the Streets Have No Name," Bono quoted a few verses from
Psalm 116 before tearing around the perimeter of the stage at breakneck
speed. By the time he started singing, the valley of the J.A.C.C. was shaking
like a small earthquake. No longer a mere witness to a performance, I had
been transported to that mythical place in "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation
Show" where Neil Diamond captures perfectly the feeling of a Southern
Gospel tent revival in his famous song.

Ah, but Brother Love never had the level of technical support at his tent show
that U2 has. Nitrogen smoke rose like incense from the stage prior to the
band's arrival. Dazzling lights, video screens and visuals were projected
around the arena's walls. Images of star charts, candles entwined in barbed
wire, symbolic doves of peace, suitcases decorated with a heart and other
signs that point to spiritual realities flashed everywhere. While much of U2's
stage show may be evangelical, the special effects were evidence of their
sacramental imagination.

At one point in the gospel-flavored "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For,"
Bono, leading the singalong, said "Take it to church; that's right, you're in
church." People never seem to tire of singing about the search for grace. And
what tent revival would be complete without a sermon? During the encore
song "One," Bono spoke for several minutes about the Sept. 11 disaster and
creative ways to respond. He mentioned that his friend, the president of the
World Bank, believes the roots of terrorism lie in the abject poverty of much
of the Middle East and how dealing with it will take bravery-bravery much like
what was shown by the New York City Fire and Police Departments on that
fateful day in September. And so for the altar call and final song, "Walk On,"
U2 brought onstage about a dozen members from the N.Y.P.D. and N.Y.F.D.,
who had flown in just for the concert, to take a bow and receive some
appreciation from Notre Dame's audience.

Grace, she takes the blame,
She covers the shame
Removes the stain.
Grace, it's the name for a girl, it's also a thought
that changed the world.
Grace finds goodness in everything,
Grace finds beauty in everything
Because Grace makes beauty out of ugly things.

--from "Grace," on U2's album
"All That You Can't Leave Behind"

Although the band never returned for a second encore, the arena sound system
played the CD version of the final song, "Grace," as the crowd filed out into the
autumn breeze.

The theology of the piece appears to mix together Augustinian and Thomistic
concepts. Bono can't seem to decide if the depravity of the fallen world is too
deep to clean, or if we live in the graced universe defined by St. Thomas
Aquinas, where all of creation is redeemed. But then again, on some days,
neither can I.

Just as pilgrims in medieval Europe would travel great distances to experience
something transcendent, I felt a sense of solidarity among the fans milling about
in the parking lot before and after the show. Some had traveled from other
schools in Indiana; some were visiting from halfway across the country, no doubt
staying with current Notre Dame students in their dorm rooms. Several mentioned
that the concert was a religious experience that would keep them aglow for days.
U2's performance at Notre Dame was the only college stop on their tour and in
their smallest arena to date since the mid-1980's. Perhaps the band was intrigued
by the chance to see the "Catholic Disneyland" outpost that Irish-Americans have
helped build. Bono admitted during the show that he was impressed with the
beautiful campus, which he had toured on a borrowed bike that afternoon. He
also commended Notre Dame's ethos of service, mentioning how our teacher-
volunteer program was a way of changing the world.

In this postmodern world, there are fewer events that bring people together. For
much of history, the church was the only show in town. It provided surreal
cathedral architecture, dazzling stained-glass light shows, the clergy in elaborate
costumes and stories of sinners who became heroic saints depicted in art. Yet with
the dwindling numbers of young people who identify with "organized religion," I
must admit there is something we could learn from a band whose fans wait in line
for several hours to buy tickets for $46 or $86 apiece. Days before the show, tickets
were being bid up to $400 a pair on E-bay. But hey, nobody ever said salvation
was cheap.

Even though part of me tries to deny it, I believe that contemporary cultural attitudes
are influenced more by the people who write popular songs, movies and television
programs than all the classrooms and pulpits in this country put together. But even
this most thoughtful band has a fair amount of contradictions. In a global
environment, where most people live day to day, this group enjoys the high life in
penthouse suites at the finest hotels around the country while it is on tour. Maybe
there is still room for God in the decadent world of rock-and-roll, as U2 's song lyrics
are among the most socially aware, compassionate and hope-filled on the radio
today. The realms of the sacred and the profane have never been so blurred.

~~~~~~~~

Steve Braden received his master of divinity degree from the University of Notre Dame.
U2's tour across America finished on Dec. 2, 2001.
 
Great article! Kinda weird how we were just talking about this very thing in the "Walk On-Foreword" thread. God is definitely in the room at these shows. I wanna go back and read this again and respond in more detail...the comparison to the church is fascinating.


-sula

[This message has been edited by sulawesigirl4 (edited 01-08-2002).]
 
This article left me going ?hmmmm??

Steve Braden?s opinion is kind of blurry?At one point he seems to praise the band saying, ?U2 's song lyrics are among the most socially aware, compassionate and hope-filled on the radio today.? On the other hand he brings up the ticket prices and says, ?But hey, nobody ever said salvation was cheap.? Does he, or doesn?t he agree with/support U2?

The article kind of seems underdone, underdeveloped to me. He seems not to be able to come right out and say anything. He doesn?t say, U2 is great, not that he has to. But then he doesn?t come right out and say, I don?t agree with all the hype?Where does this guy really stand. The very last sentence of the article (The realms of the sacred and the profane have never been so blurred.) would lead me to believe that Mr. Braden still has many of his own issues to work out about whether rock n? roll and Christianity mix. In my humble opinion, they most certainly do. But what about Mr. Braden?s opinion? It would seem that even he doesn?t know.


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And your earth moves beneath
Your own dream landscape

You can dream, so dream out loud!

"The way to be optimistic is not to shut your eyes and close your ears." -Bono

Create Light, Create Unity, Create Joy, CREATE PEACE!
 
It seems this author comes from a deeply Christian background and the band has him a wonderin'...he seems to be regarding U2's efforts in a positive light, though wary.

interesting is his remark "While much of U2's stage show may be evangelical.." Haven't ever heard anyone come right out and say this before, except Stockman indirectly.
Do you think U2 IS intending it to be evangelical, in the strict sense of the term?
 
In answer to your last Q, I believe U2 know the influence they have on people, and ARE using their opportunitities to give hope, etc., to people. This is for you, Deb
 
I became a fan of the band after Pop came out and didn't really get into the band until after the Popmart train was long past, so I have a question for all of you guys.

It seems that Christians all over the place are grabbing for and rejoicing in the ability to point out all of the Christianity associated with U2. They write about the band alot in such glowing terms but I wonder, and I have an idea, that until ATYCLB, Christians really shunned the band for exploring darker issues. Is this the case? Did Christian reviews of the 90s catalog and tours condemn U2 for leaving "their first love" or did they praise U2 for showing their audiences what a world without God was like? I have a general idea from the reviews given by Focus on the Family for Pop and ATYCLB.

It just seems lame for Christians to be so ignorant and only praise the band when they are blatantly optimistic instead of helping to assist.
 
ocu2fan, you make an excellent and a very valid point. Where WERE the Christians during U2's groundbreaking, inconclastic 90s music? Or at least where were the Christian critics? Letting the message go right over their heads for the most part. Getting offended that the band was singing about sex and Bono said "fuck" in a song. But I don't find that surprising really. Christianity and art in the last century or two have been very uneasy bedfellows...if even friends at all. We have relegated our minds to the back burner in favor of bumper sticker messages and tried to whittle down the Gospel of Jesus, the Gospel of grace...into a neat little package. One thing I have to say in favor of Steve Stockman, the author of "Walk On" is that if you have followed his online articles at all (as I have), he's been begging Christians to take U2's 90s work as serious and very thoughtful work that is very very relevant to spirituality and faith.

Anyways, I suppose that almost sounds like a rant, so pardon me for that. I guess I'm just tired sometimes of having to "justify" 90s, ironic U2 to Christians when to me it is glaringly obvious how much they have been saying and exploring through their music.

-sula
 
unfort, don't have time for a more lengthy post, but I like the comparison to a big-time tent revival...cos it surely felt that way to me! The arms in the air, the mass of bodies pressing up against one another, sweating, the 'hallelujas', Bono whipping the crowd into an emotional frenzy...
biggrin.gif


Just gimme some of that old time 'religion'! (and some of the new stuff too)

disco
 
Closest thing to a revival that I've ever been too! My 10/13 experience in Hamilton, ON fulfilled all my expectations of a wake and funeral, crying, screaming...it felt like church to me!!! The Spirit was definitely in the room.

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If your glass house should crack....POE
 
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