U2 make their ‘first’ US fest appearance

Hockey, country collide

MANCHESTER, Tenn, June 10, (Agencies): U2 turned their first headlining appearance at a US music festival into Bono-roo.

The Irish rockers performed a two-hour set on Friday night at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, as part of their world tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of their Grammy-winning “The Joshua Tree” album.

They played the full album, as well as some of their other hits, including “New Year’s Day” and “Beautiful Day,” to tens of thousands of music fans.

Toward the end of the performance, lead singer Bono asked if they had made a mistake in not coming to the festival sooner, and later added, “Thanks for naming it after me.” The band kicked off their tour last month in Canada, which hits the United Kingdom, Europe and Central America through Oct 19.

The band has previously played the Glastonbury Festival, but their appearance on the Bonnaroo lineup this year was a huge get for the 16-year-old music festival.

Prior to their set, U2 guitarist The Edge received the Les Paul Spirit Award in a presentation from the Les Paul Foundation on the festival grounds. The Edge, whose name is David Evans, called Paul an inventor and innovator who pioneered advances in electric guitars and recording.

“I owe him a great debt of gratitude not only for the contributions he made to music, but in terms of his contributions to the technology,” Evans said.

Hours before the band took to the stage, fans lined up to get a place close to the stage. Many held signs detailing the first time they had seen U2 play.

The political nature of the album, which was inspired by the band’s fascination with America, was reflected on the giant screens behind the band. The screens showed images of female activists, scenes of the American desert and poems from American writers. Often Bono would stop singing to let the chorus of voices from fans complete the song.

As he ended the performance with their hit, “One,” he called it “a night we will never forget.”

Bono

The Nashville Predators’ improbable run to the Stanley Cup Finals has blurred the dividing line between music and sports, a convergence that’s expected to hit a crescendo in Tennessee’s capital city this weekend.

The thousands of fans in town to celebrate the annual CMA Music Festival have joined with thousands more hockey fans celebrating in the streets and honkey-tonks of Music City.

“Nashville is a hockey town; they are crazy about the Preds here,” said country artist Darius Rucker, the former frontman of Hootie and the Blowfish.

“It’s great for hockey for a Southern town to be that much into the team and into the sport.”

Anticipation

Anticipation has grown with each game over which country music legend will sing the national anthem. Will it be Carrie Underwood, whose husband, Mike Fisher, is the Predators’ captain? Tim McGraw and/ or Faith Hill, one of Nashville’s power couples? Maybe even Dolly Parton?

The Predators host Game 6 of the NHL Finals on Sunday evening as the country music fest holds its closing concert, headlined by Keith Urban and Brad Paisley. The entertainment district between the two venues will be packed: City officials expect 100,000 people to throng the downtown streets.

Country music fan Darlene Dye, who planned her trip from Dayton, Ohio, months before the Predators’ playoff run, said she’s enjoyed seeing the team embraced by country stars.

“Even the artists are like, ‘Go Preds!’ And they’re wearing their jerseys,” she said. “I think it’s a blast.”

The live bands in the lower Broadway bars have had to work their sets around game action, and Predators’ goals have been met with enormous cheers roaring through the city’s main commercial thoroughfare from fans watching on big screens.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said John Ettinger, a hockey fan who moved to Nashville from New York, has been to two previous NHL Finals, and will attend Sunday’s game.

The Predators have won both home games so far but dropped all three on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ home ice. Fans hope their energy can help the Predators tie up the series and set up a decisive Game 7.

Cowboy Troy, who performs with country duo Big & Rich, said he’s confident Nashville can handle the descending on downtown Sunday.

“Nashville is equipped for this,” he said. “Nashville is ready for all the energy that is going on down here.” City officials say they’re ready, too. “Our job should be to convert the 40,000 to 45,000 out-of-towners to become Preds fans before they leave, and the Preds fans to become CMA fans,” said Butch Spyridon, president of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. “This is an incredible opportunity.”

Spyridon noted that the downtown events combined with the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival about 60 miles outside Nashville require scores of support workers, stage hands, and video and sound technicians.

Sheila E. is booked. The Grammy-nominated performer is keeping busy by recording two albums, performing shows around the country and working on a documentary.

She recently spoke to The Associated Press on a number of topics, including her late mentor Prince and her show at The Apollo Theater in New York City on Monday.

A year after the death of her mentor, Prince, Sheila E. said it’s been hard to move on.

“I try to celebrate his life . ... He would not want us to mourn him, he’d want us to celebrate. But it’s easier said than done, absolutely. With the support of my family and the fans and my friends, it’s been better, time does heal. But there are some days when I go, ‘This doesn’t even make sense,’” she recalled.

Sheila E. was engaged to The Purple One and they worked on a number of memorable songs, including the funky ’80s hit “The Glamorous Life.”

She said it felt strange recording the song “America” without Prince beside her.

“I kind of broke down during that session, like, ‘This is weird, strange.’ There are those moments, and some days I’m OK,” she said.