Emily M. Beck ([email protected])
Sat, 25 Jul 1998 19:01:08 -0400 (EDT)
i have been, for the most part, a silent witness to wire for the last few
months - i usually just skim through the list for amusement, and to keep
in touch with what the band is up to - suddenly, after months of silent
observation, though,i am ready to comment, as i am fascinated and amazed
at what has become of this great band
i became a fan back in '84, when i was twelve - my first show was in april
of '85, the unforgettable fire tour - a life-altering experience, in all
seriousness - and herein lies my point, and i think it will touch upon
themes which have emerged from previous threads: i became enamoured of
the band at a point in my social, political and personal development when
i was VERY
IMPRESSIONABLE (i note with interest and a quiet smirk, the "young'ns" of
today who are going through this same process with u2, when the band is in
a very different stage than it was when i was a kid) - as a matter of
fact, as ridiculous as this sounds (i feel so strange admitting this to a
group of faceless strangers), i really credit the band as being one of my
major personal and political influences - ever since encountering them as
a prepubescent radical lefty, i have charted a sometimes winding, but
always earnest, path of world-saving efforts, a path which lead me to law
school, which i have just finished, and which continues to guide me
my question to wirelings of my generation is this: for those of you who
can relate at all to the above, what is your feeling about all of the
political passion and energy and drive which so uniquely defined the u2 of
the early-late '80's?? i have remained a fan, in varying degrees of
intensity, since those early days in '84 - i have even, after much
reluctance and resistance, come to appreciate the power of what they are
doing now (it took me at least a year to warm up to "pop," and i
deliberately avoided the tour)
i still hold such a dear place in my heart for this band, for how they
inspired me at a time in my life when i most desperately needed influence
and shaping - i just sometimes find myself squinting into the bright
lights of their current incarnation, and wondering, "is this the same
band?"
if anyone has read this far, i anticipate a vigorous "flaming" (is that
the right word?) - so let me make myself clear: i adore the band, they
are mired deep in my soul, have been for over half my life - but,
consistent with the values that they helped me cultivate in my youth, i
want to question and challenge them to look hard at what
they are doing, to look for the truth and honesty that i know they are, at
bottom, about...
anxious for feedback,
emily in philly
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b2 on Sat Jul 25 1998 - 16:02:14 PDT