Raised on MTV #4: This Is Not A Rebel Song
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Ah, remember the days when MTV used to air videos? Now, scan even further back, and remember the very first years of MTV. They didn't have a large catalog of music videos, so in order to make the programming work, they showed full-length concerts every Saturday night. Some of the concerts were pretty good (Squeeze jumps to mind), some were forgettable (Rainbow ... yikes!)Some shows, however, were etched indelibly in my memory. Chief among those was U2 at Red Rocks.This video above, as the first song from the show and the lead single, really captures why this show became so legendary, at least in my mind. Just the opening scene, with the three huge flames lighting everything, catch the eye. And bless his heart, look at how young, fit and earnest Bono is! The sweeping movements, the waving of the white flag, the crouch at the end, signaled that this is a performer to watch.Interestingly enough, when I finally went back and listened to War, the studio version of this song didn't hold a candle to the live version. I miss the scene where Bono gets the audience to sing together "NO MORE!" in mid-bridge.My friend Eric had managed to tape this concert, and it became daily viewing at his house. Every day after school, we'd get off the bus, I'd run into the house and throw down my backpack, and head over to his place to munch on whatever snacks he had handy and watch U2 at Red Rocks one more time.One of the things I hope to remedy this year is the sad fact that I have never attended a concert at Red Rocks. That wouldn't be a big deal, except I lived in Colorado for SEVEN YEARS! WHAT WAS I WAITING FOR?!? This year, I hope to attend the Monolith Festival at Red Rocks this year, and meet up with some beloved Colorado MOGgers in the process.I wonder if they still use those flames, because that was really, really cool.
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