Tuesday , March 19 2024

U2 Goes For Thirds On Saturday Night Live

U2 SNL video of “I Will Follow” here.

As Randy Reichardt and Lono have already ably and passionately described, U2 brought down the house last night on SNL, first blowing through the greatest rock single of the year, the effervescent and elevating “Vertigo,” then easing things down for “Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own.”

We were in bed struggling to stay awake until U2’s second song at about 12:40 and shut it off immediately after the applause died down. Woe woe woe to us because U2 returned for an encore in place of the night-nights, driving cast and audience out of their minds with “I Will Follow,” their very first hit and still once of my very favorite U2 songs.

I would be far more down than I am about missing it if it wasn’t for the glorious bounty of the Internet, for I just watched a QuickTime version of the performance courtesy the exceptional U2log.com site. Apparently U2 performed three MORE songs after NBC cut off the live feed at 1am, including an encore of “Vertigo” and “All Because of You.”

Why U2? Who cares? Millions do because THEY still do, as exemplified by going the extra mile, reveling in the moment, doing what they do best as if the party had just begun 25 years on. No other rock band has remained at the center of the action, been on the tip of the most viciously contemporary tongues, been this real and important this far into their careers, with the possible exception of Bruce Springsteen, who at this point isn’t so much contemporary as timeless. U2 is timeless AND contemporary and that is some potent magic.

And check this out, also via U2log, MTV is presenting a

    surprise performance by one of the BIGGEST ROCK BANDS in the WORLD!! This event has been kept a secret because of the sheer magnitude of this band, but now some of you lucky 1iota members will be in on the secret… Come down to the show location in Brooklyn on monday and you’ll be in for one of the best performances of your life!

. The performance is at 2:30 tomorrow in at a “secret location” in Brooklyn. Rumor has it the band is U2. Request tickets from 1iota.com here.

Update from U2log:

    Some fans with whom U2log.com staff have a personal connection (and therefore trust) met Bono after the Saturday Night Live performance last night. They said that he whispered the secret show will be at the Brooklyn Bridge. Empire Fulton Ferry State Park is located between Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges and has been used by other artists for promotional events filmed by MTV. This park could be the true location of the secret show OR a location of a second show, which is what we suspect. There could be a caravan of performances on Monday. We’ve heard a rumor that a flatbed truck will be involved.

    If you want to believe the theory that there will be a second show (or the only show!) in Brooklyn, go to to 1iota.com and register for free tickets to a special event with “one of the biggest rock bands in the world.” But watch out: it might be Bon Jovi you’ll be seeing.

    In short, we stand by our earlier recommendation that fans be at Washington Square Park at 1 pm. If this is only a meeting spot, the crew can lead fans to the final destination.

Whoa, intrigue.

And if you can’t make it to Brooklyn tomorrow (wherever it turns out to be), you can feel secure in the knowledge that U2 will be touring North America, Europe, Japan and Australia in ’05, starting March 1 in Florida, according to Billboard.

UPDATE
WM audio of “Vertigo” here, “Sometimes YOu Can’t Make it On Your Own” here, both courtesy U2 Exit.

Entire SNL episode in bittorrent here.

About Eric Olsen

Career media professional and serial entrepreneur Eric Olsen flung himself into the paranormal world in 2012, creating the America's Most Haunted brand and co-authoring the award-winning America's Most Haunted book, published by Berkley/Penguin in Sept, 2014. Olsen is co-host of the nationally syndicated broadcast and Internet radio talk show After Hours AM; his entertaining and informative America's Most Haunted website and social media outlets are must-reads: Twitter@amhaunted, Facebook.com/amhaunted, Pinterest America's Most Haunted. Olsen is also guitarist/singer for popular and wildly eclectic Cleveland cover band The Props.

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