In celebration/promotion of their new record No Line on the Horizon, U2 have taken up a week-long residence on Late Show with David Letterman. (What exactly does "residence" mean - do Adam and Larry bunk in the green room?)
The first of these performances was last night, where the band played a tune called "Breathe." Bono was typically preacher-like, exhorting the studio audience to its feet and even dropping in an au courant reference to the Nor'Easter that rolled into town.
U2: "Breathe" Late Show w/David Letterman 2 March 09
"Every day I have to find the courage to walk out into the street," sings lead singer/world leader Bono. Like all good song lyrics, it works on several levels, here as a comment on fame and/or the existential realities of societal living.
So far, No Line on the Horizon is getting mixed reviews. Rolling Stone says it's a masterpiece, Time says it's kind of a dud. A Canadian website called Jam! has a very interesting article about whether U2 has begun the inevitable slide into irrelevance that has gripped so many great acts before them, from the Stones to Dylan to R.E.M.
Anyway, U2 is one of the only acts that still makes records that are events. And even if their new record is no Joshua Tree, doing five nights at the Ed Sullivan Theater, where the Beatles debuted in the US in early 1964, is admirable and generous. In fact, let's take a look at that magical moment from 45 years and 1 month ago.
The Beatles: Ed Sullivan Show, February 1964
U2 have framed themselves in Beatlesque terms for some time now -- in fact, as recently as this past weekend, when they played a surprise rooftop show on the BBC building:
Proving the adage that good artists borrow but great artists steal, U2 has not only stolen the rooftop show concept from the Beatles but from themselves:
U2: "Where the Streets Have No Name," 1987
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