U2: The Hype and the Feedback
Friday, October 02 2009
by Frank Stasio and Katy Barron
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www.u2.com
If the critics are right, this Saturday in Raleigh, fans of Bono, The Edge, Adam and Larry are in for a spectacular rock concert. This being U2, the crowds can also expect a heavy dose of political activism. Among other things, the show includes a video message from South African Bishop Desmond Tutu and a song written for a jailed Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. In advance of the show, scholars are gathering on the campus of North Carolina Central University to discuss the band's place in rock music and its position of influence on the world. The conference is called “U2—the Hype and the Feedback,”and three of the speakers are on the program today to talk about it: Matt McGee founder and editor U2 internet fan site @U2 and author of “U2 - A Diary” (Omnibus Press/2008); AIDS activist and ONE campaign spokesperson Agnes Nyamayarwo; and Beth Maynard, co-editor of the book, “Get Up Off Your Knees: Preaching the U2 Catalog” (Cowley Publications/2003).
