On Friday as I was running errands, I had on my favorite radio station - Q104.3 - which for those of you our of the New York City area, is classic rock. I am in LOVE with the DJ Ian O'Malley - he has the best voice, the best radio show, and he plays golf. What more could a girl want?? :-) But, I digress.....
As I switched from all-news, all-the-time 1010 WINS, Q104.3 had on a U2 song...followed by another...followed by another. Thoughts sprang to mind, "It is St. Patrick's Day this week - Q104 is doing the all-U2 weekend again!", but the songs were from "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb", and the all-U2 weekends in the past were always in alphabetical order. As DJ Ken Daschle noted, this years U2 weekend wasn't all-band 24 hrs, but album sides mixed in with regular classic rock music. BIG BUMMER for me because when Q104 did the all U2 weekends in the past, I was literally glued to my radio.
I was a bigger U2 fan of the earlier albums, and sort of dropped off after "Rattle and Hum". But a free ticket to the "Pop" tour reminded me why I loved the band and I went out to buy "Pop", "Zooropa", "Achtung Baby", etc etc. I've since tried to get tickets to recent tours to no avail - seeing a band live has to be one of the best experiences in the world. My first U2 show was "A Sort of Homecoming" tour at Nassau Collesium, six rows from the back stage. Maybe I'll get lucky this year if they tour NYC? My friend Lorena had the pleasure of meeting Bono in a hotel lobby bar and after 2 hours of conversation, he gave her two tickets front and center and passes to the after party, so he is a nice guy. :-) She took her boyfriend instead of me! :-( But, again I digress...
I think the band's music has evolved and stood the test of time. While "Two Hearts", "Trip Through Your Wires", "New Years Day", and "Party Girl" favorites have been joined by "Discotheque", "Please", "Numb", "Electrical Storm", and "City of Blinding Light", among MANY others, nothing will ever replace "Wire" as my favorite of favorites. So when Q104 does the all-U2 all-weekend, I'm reminded of my crazy younger days, my insane single-in-the-City days, and my married-in-suburbia-but-still-dance-to-"Elevation" days, all in a fantastic weekend of music from a band I will never tire hearing. I hope next year brings back the U2 alphabet playlist. HEY Mr. DJ.....You hearing me?? ;-)
P.S. Can 'listen live' through streaming radio at www.q1043.com
Oh, I adore U2..
ReplyDeleteThe other day I randomly heard "All I want is you" on the Radio ( which they rarely play as far as U2 songs go) and it just so perfectly fit in that moment.
I think they're one of those bands that perfectly-fits sometimes without you knowing it in a u2-shaped hole in your heart.
Hi Jennifer!! So glad you found me! We're U2 fans here as well. Good radio is one thing I really miss up here! Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteU2 still rocks! You can't say that about many bands.
ReplyDeleteIlena- Q1043 has streaming radio through its website...www.q1043.com
ReplyDeleteHammer- you are SO right! There are very few songs of theirs that I don't like...