On Friday, Janaury 29th Paul David Hewson, better known as Bono, the lead singer of U2, visited Rabbi Schneier at Park East Synagogue. Through the work of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, Rabbi Schneier and Bono have developed a friendship as they both work for the cause of human rights around the world. Day School students and parents were treated with the opportunity to meet Bono at an assembly was held in the Synagogue. Bono delighted a very excited audience by singing “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and everyone joined in the chorus. Bono’s visit capped a busy week for our Day School students who also had the opportunity to meet the Consuls General of Brazil and Austria. These visiting dignitaries offer our Day School students a unique way of learning geography and social studies.
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I watched some of the Grammy Award show last night – with casual disinterest. I was not sad to see U2 snubbed for what they were nominated for. I am definitely among the group that feels No Line On the Horizon is their best work of the past decade, but I was not rooting for I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight to win for best rock performance. Or best rock song. ROCK?! Come on! Best will.i.am pop collab for a Blackberry advertisement. Maybe. (And I actually like this song. SHOOT ME. But not for a rock Grammy.) No Line On The Horizon also lost out in the best rock album category, but who cares? The bigger snub came a while ago when they weren’t nominated at all in the album of the year category.
If U2 keep making music and never win a Grammy again, I won’t be the CRY.
“Is he crucifying himself or torturing himself?”
“Is there a difference?”
“Is it possible to crucify yourself or does someone else have to do it for you?”
“I just hope Susan Sarandon doesn’t get involved.”
I took the above video at the end of the main set of the of Montreal show at Highline Ballroom in NYC earlier this week. Earlier in the night, yes, Susan Sarandon had come out and spanked the band’s pigs (see here) and other stuff, too (see here).
.
“What is Susan Sarandon doing?”
“She is spanking a pig with a ruler.”
“No I mean, WHAAAT is she doing?”
“Um, she’s spanking a pig with a ruler.”
“No, I mean wh-”
“Shhh! She’s having fun!”
FUN. Basically that is my three-letter description for an of Montreal show, and I’ve only been to two, but FUN is the word. Like, it ends and you immediately think “I would like to go to another of these shows RIGHT NOW!”
Maybe I shouldn’t have put that medieval torture part at the top. It may be a bit misleading on the “fun” front, I guess, heh. Well, bizarre might be a word. Eclectic. Entertaining as fuck? Hmmm. I think I’ll still go with FUN. (See videos below).
FUN: Beyonce’s sister Solange getting on stage with of Montreal to sing the last song of the night:
Here is reason #1.1 that i went to the Haiti benefit concert at The Bell House in Brooklyn on Wednesday night.
I ended up being too close to the stage, if that’s possible. When I got there all the people inside were waiting in the free food line instead of standing near the stage, so I just stood up close. (Who goes to concerts for the free food?! 21 year olds in Brooklyn. That’s who.)
It seems a tad silly to critique the acts that were there. It was a charity gig after all. (That would be my reason #1 for having gone. Sondre Lerche (and others) were reason #1.1). Proceeds from the concert were split between Save The Children and Partners In Health.
Most of the acts played between three and five songs, and it was pretty stripped bare, but some acts brought it a bit more than others. Apparently they raised $35,000. (It’s a pretty small venue). That’s very decent. Jimmy Fallon showed up but just for a one-song appearance as Neil Young doing The Fresh Prince song. Eugene Mirman was sort of the main comic host (awesome), and they had other between act entertainment – Jim Gaffigan and Todd Barry were also pretty funny in that role.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a show full of many acts getting it together on short notice without some of it not being as awesome as other parts of it. The highlights for me were The Walkmen, The Wrens, Sondre Lerche and a “super group” (Rhett Miller, A.C. Newman, Charles Bissell and Nicole Atkins) doing covers of songs by the folk band The Seekers. It’s not the set of songs I’d necessarily want to hear, but they made it worthwhile.
The show lasted until after 1 a.m., which meant half the place cleared out before the last act, The Walkmen, came out. They played without their drummer. But they had horns. Their set was mellow, but they sounded good.
The Wrens had played earlier and were really loud and definitely had the most rock n’ roll set of the night. They have a very straight forward punkish vibe live but they also have lots of atmospherics going on too. They piled a ton of pedals and effects onto the stage for an “acoustic” (not for them) gig. Nice.
Several one-of-a-kind collaborations will highlight the event, including a hookup between U2’s Bono and The Edge with Jay-Z and Rihanna in London and a jam featuring Kid Rock, Keith Urban and Sheryl Crow in Los Angeles; like all the night’s performances, the collabos will be available for download on iTunes for 99 cents the next day.
Not sure if that’s been floating around, but I’d never seen it. It’s from August, 2009. Luan Parle is an Irish singer/songwriter. Luan Parle on MySpace.
I might be on banjo crack, but I think that’s pretty good.
