A Somber and Solemn Anniversary - UPDATED

Since September 11th there have been any number of attempts to make an artistic response to the tragedies of that day. Unfortunately, the 9/11 films that I have seen have failed because they were too concerned with the overwhelming nature of the day's visuals and insufficiently capable of capturing the rapid and unexpected shifts in the emotional landscape of New York City. Perhaps this says something about the state of the cinematic arts, I don't know.

Then, there are apparently a number of novels that have achieved this goal, but I am not very familiar with the modern American novel. Pete Hamill's "Forever" is the only explicitly post-9/11 novel I have read, and I think it does address the existential issues in an interesting and compelling manner.

I am most familiar, however, with the musical responses to the day. In my homily I mentioned one attempt by Alan Jackson, his song "Where Were You." I've always thought his lyrics displayed an amazing ability to name, without judging or over-explaining, the tremendously varied emotional responses to that day.

Bruce Springsteen's album, "The Rising," especially the singles, "The Rising," "Empty Sky," and "My City of Ruins" have always been my gold-standard for evaluating artistic responses to September 11th.  Springsteen's roots in the New York-New Jersey area, his working class sensibilities, and his theology deeply rooted in Catholic themes of sacramentality and redemption, combine with his singular musical and storytelling abilities to produce a truly amazing album.

But somehow, another fantastic musical response and tribute to the heroes of September 11th alluded my attention until this year: "Grand Central Station" by Mary Chapin Carpenter.  The haunting melody is combined with lyrics that tell the story of a construction worker, helping dig out the pile in the days and weeks after September 11th. The lyrics are his meditation on feeling the presence of all the missing, and sensing their spirits' desire for him to lead them to Grand Central Station for one last journey home. It is a truly remarkable song.

One line in particular stands out: "I guess you're never really all alone, or too far from the pull of home." That's been the theme of my prayer and reflection this day ... for myself and for all my loved ones and fellow New Yorkers: that we never forgot that we're not alone, and home is always closer than we realize ... and for all those who were lost: that they find their way home and await us there.

UPDATE - Of the many touching and inspiring stories from that day, this one had alluded me until now. I was amazed that the marine evacuation of Lower Manhattan on September 11th was the largest in history, larger even than the British evacuation of Dunkirk. Another great story of everyday heroes.

U2 360 in NYC

U2 360 has rolled into NYC and the local fishwrapper has the scoop. Can't help but agree with the assessment.

"Let Me In The Sound!" - UPDATED

The past several weeks have really been quite good, but they've also been unbelievably busy. None more so than this past week. On top of my usual responsibilities with classes and Old College, I also took a practice GRE and presided and preached at all three of the Sunday Masses at the Basilica.

So Sunday afternoon and evening was high-time for relaxation and fun - and it couldn't have come in a better way. Jim Gallagher, Greg Haake and I drove up to Chicago and enjoyed the beautiful late summer weather . . .

We walked along the lake shore and then into Millennium Park.

We stopped for a bite to eat and a few beers, while we counted down the hours until the real aim of our Chicago sojourn . . . .

The U2 360 show at Soldier Field!!

I have been anxiously anticipating this concert since Easter. I was en route to Alaska for Holy Week when the tickets for the opening concert of the American leg of the tour went on sale. The show for Soldier Field on Saturday September 12th sold out in minutes, and I didn't get tickets.

But after I lamented this fact in a Facebook post, dear Amanda Lazinski came through with a tip about tickets for a quickly announced second Chicago show on Sunday the 13th. Just like that I had tickets reserved just before I departed for my great northern adventure.

This is the fourth U2 show I've had the pleasure of seeing, and the second time I have seen them in Soldier Field. My first U2 concert was the Popmart tour of 1997 at Soldier Field. Since then I've seen the boys on the 2001 Elevation tour (at the United Center with Pat McDonald) and on the Vertigo tour in 2005 (with Jim Gallagher in Seattle's Key Arena).

This time Jim and I were joined by Greg Haake, as I already mentioned, and Nate Wills, who has just completed his move to Madison, Wisconsin to begin doctoral studies. Amazingly, this was Greg's first ever rock concert, and boy did he pick a good one to start on.

I think it's fair to say there is no greater spectacle in rock and roll than a U2 concert . . . and the 360 tour has taken that to a whole new level. The name of the tour comes from the elaborate stage design which allows 360 degree views of the stage - the video screens, lights and speakers being suspended above the stage from a giant crab-like structure. The idea is to get the crowd as close to the band as possible, and to make even a huge stadium like Soldier Field feel like a more intimate setting.

The Chicago Tribune had a great post about the unique stage design.

All I can say is that it worked beyond anything I could have imagined. Because the stage was so large, and the lighting so spectacular, you really did feel very close to the action on the stage.

We didn't get into the stadium in time to hear much of the opening act, Snow Patrol, but what we heard was impressive. They seemed to handle the magnitude of the event pretty well for such a new group.

Before long, U2 emerged and kicked things off with "Breathe," which was the perfect first song - with a building drum solo. They continued with a run of songs from their newest album: "No Line On The Horizon," "Get On Your Boots," and one of my new favorites, "Magnificent."

Reaching back to some of their older albums, they then played "Beautiful Day," "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," a spectacular "Elevation," and for the first time ever "Your Blue Room," from the 1995 Passengers album. The final words of the song were spoken by astronauts from the Space Station, in a pre-recorded video projected on the screens above the stage.

Getting back into full throttle, they led the crowd in a fabulous sing along version of "Unknown Caller," and then played "Until the End of the World," "Stay (Faraway, So Close)," which is one of my all-time favorite U2 songs, and "The Unforgettable Fire."

While we were in Chicago, and there were plenty of references to the windy city in Bono's lyrical ad-libs, they also played a song I consider a NY anthem: "City of Blinding Lights." That was followed by "Vertigo." The lone disappointment of the evening was a remixed version of "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight." It's one of my favorite songs off the new album, but this version was way too clubby for my liking - it was hardly recognizable.

The main set concluded with a great run of songs, including :"Sunday Bloody Sunday," "MLK," and "Walk On," and then a medley of "One," "Amazing Grace," and "Where the Streets Have No Name."

The three song encore included "Ultraviolet," "With or Without You," and a fabulous version of "Moment of Surrender."

For the second time, Fr. Tim Scully, CSC got a shout-out during one of the songs. (This You Tube video gives you the reference at about the 53 second mark) Fr. Tim founded the ACE program and helped host U2 when they played at ND in 2001. Bono was pretty impressed with the work of ACE and has referred to Fr. Tim by name during each Chicago show since then.

The crowd, while not amazing, was good enough, especially on the sing along songs. In that respect, it was the typical U2 concert experience - akin to a tent revival more than a rock concert. Indeed, in his opening remarks Bono said, "bring up the lights . . . let's go to church."

Altogether it was a wonderful evening that made me all the more desperate to see another show later in this tour!

Music Review: No Line on the Horizon

One of the other wonderful parts about my trip to Los Angeles was getting the chance to listen to the new U2 album with Pat and to discuss its relative merits. Pat is the single biggest U2 fan I know and we have had the pleasure of attending a U2 concert together.

While I had purchased and listened to the CD myself, and was already formulating my opinion about different songs and the album as a whole, I didn't feel I could commit any thoughts to the blog until I had discussed it all with Pat.

I think No Line on the Horizon is indeed a success, even if it's not an instant rock and roll classic like Joshua Tree. Not every album can rise to that level even when you're the greatest band in the world.

I have to confess to being a little worried when the first single, "Get On Your Boots" was released. It's a fine song, but I wasn't totally won over. And indeed, after listening to the album I think there are at least two other songs that would have been better first singles, but that's neither here nor there.

The title track, "No Line on the Horizon" starts the album off well - Bono's crescendo will be classic in the live performance. "Magnificent" and "Moment of Surrender" are, in my opinion, the two best songs on the album.  "Magnificent" contains the wonderful refrain, "only love can leave such a mark." The very first time I heard "Moment of Surrender" I was singing along with the refrain - it's just one of those songs that is destined to be sung by a football stadium full of people as only really happens at U2 concerts.

Despite some slightly cheesy lyrics, "Unknown Caller" is a pretty decent song; I appreciate it's attempt to comment on our society's self-deafening dependency on technology. Pat definitely helped me appreciate the finer points of "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" - the refrain; "it's not a hill, it's a mountain as you start out to climb;" is particularly good, and the Edge gives us chords that are reminiscent of "All That You Can't Leave Behind."

The second half of the album is clearly the weaker half. "Stand Up Comedy" is a pretty good song - it too might have the chops for a decent single. I've got a long way to go on "Fez - Being Born," despite Pat's recommendations.

I like that "White As Snow" has the base line of O Come O Come Emmanuel. "Breathe" has grown on me considerably - I kind of like the rather staccato verses and Bono's delivery of them. But "Cedars of Lebanon," while a good song in and of itself, rounds the album out a little bit slowly for my liking. I'll have to keep working on appreciating this second half of the album.

 
I read a number of reviews in the days leading up to the official release and quite frankly I thought they were all over the place. For the best of these reviews visit Entertainment Weekly and The New York Times.

Overall, I give the album a high B+, low A- and look forward to bumping it up when I hear it performed live - God willing in Chicago on September 12th!

No Line On The Horizon

I was extremely excited to see that the current issue of Rolling Stone magazine contains an article about U2's forthcoming album. The boys' offering will be entitled "No Line On The Horizon" and is set for release on Monday March 2nd, 2009. I know where I'll be Sunday night at midnight!!

Ave Maria

A tip of the biretta to The Anchoress for posting this video of a men's schola from Goshen College singing my single favorite piece of classical music: Franz Biebl's Ave Marie. Beautiful!