It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Everywhere you turn.
Bono’s on morning TV
Talking about poverty
And Edge is out and about at social gatherings.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Hopes of CDs out in the stores
2014 Grammys on January 26th
Eligibility’s only ‘til September 30th
No pressure on U2’s front door.

Our first 80-degree day in a while and I’m humming Christmas tunes, I know. But let’s face it, the signs are all there. Bono’s back to his usual front-and-center activities. He celebrated his birthday May 10 with the band and his friends in Dublin, flew to New York City for the Robin Hood Foundation’s benefit, singing “One” and “Moment Of Surrender” with Mary J. Blige. Then he was interviewed at The Spotted Pig restaurant by Charlie Rose for both his own show and CBS This Morning.  It should be noted that Bono is one of the partners in the restaurant, along with Jay-Z, Mario Batali Michael Stipe, Paul McGuiness and a few others. Not sure if this was the same meal shared with Dr. Jeff Sachs. He was also seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s rooftop for a new installation.

As a proud papa, he also turned down a commencement address request and an honorary degree from New York University so as not to upstage his daughter’s achievement in receiving her degree.

Rounding out the weekend, Bono introduced The Killers before they performed at the Saturday Night Live cast after party last night outside 30 Rockefeller Center.

Not to be outdone, Edge was seen in New York City at the Guggenheim Museum for its Arcane Collective event May 11 and 12, celebrating his wife’s work Cold Dream Colour. He also joined in a moderated discussion with the collaborators on the production.

On Tuesday he was spotted at 10 Downing Street meeting with Samantha Cameron and other representatives of Mencap. You might recall that his cousin, Ciara, works for Mencap.

As someone who has studied this band for close to 25 years, I see all the signs there for the fall. They’re coming out of their cocoons and resuming their public appearances. For me, I might as well start my U2 Advent calendar. Let the countdown commence!

As you might have noticed from the amount of links above, social media has been most helpful in keeping up with the comings and goings of our favorite band. As expected, social media usage was one of the topics of conversation at last month’s U2 Conference. What struck me was the way Jim Henke, Brian O’Neal, Jim Gorman and a few others felt that U2 was making a mistake in not fully embracing the world of social media.

In 2010, Edge said to Gibson.com, “I’m intrigued by new movements in digital domain and Twitter came along … I didn’t like the idea of a dialogue. From my experience words on the ’Net are very easy to misinterpret … But I thought an interesting way to use Twitter is to just use a photo diary so I’ve been sending loads of photographs out on this Twitter and people seem to like it.”

I have to wonder if his opinion will change when the new album is released. It will be difficult to market their new release without social media. I will be very interested in seeing what the app will be that U2 will release at that time too. It was mentioned at the U2 Conference that every image created for the band has been handed over for this application, so time will soon tell.

As part of my midlife crisis, I’ve been moonlighting with other fan clubs. Most recently, I signed up for Michael Buble’s Bungalow-B. This is the first official fan club that I’ve paid for outside of U2. For $$29.99, I received ticket presale access for his upcoming tour, a copy of his new album, a digital copy of the new album (saving me time from ripping it), a discount in his online store and access to the online fan club for the next 12 months. There were other levels of membership available with other benefits that would rival U2’s fan club cost. What I found interesting was that “legacy” members (a paid member for two-plus years) had a four-hour head start on the ticket presale, and the ability to purchase four tickets (four for one show or two for two shows). “Standard” members had access to two tickets for one show. While there was no guarantee that tickets would be available, I had no issue getting the two tickets.

What struck me, however, was that Buble’s fan club had no access to the front sections of the floor. Instead, rows 1 through 5 in sections 1, 2 and 3 were available through online auction only. As much as I could see U2.com following suit with the various membership pricing and ticket presale code availability, it pained me to see that members of Buble’s fan club could not have close access to the act they’re paying $$30 or more to support online annually.

With a potential U2 tour in 2014, I can only hope that the fans (legacy or not) who pay for fan club access can still be allowed to be in those coveted areas near the stage without going through an auction like Buble fans or paying thousands of dollars like Bon Jovi fans do.

And finally … something special for Larry fans. “The white T-shirt is a symbol with hunky, sexy male.” (It gets good around 1:37) Who knew Larry’s favorite film growing up was West Side Story?

Have a great week!

(c)@U2/Lawrence, 2013

Bono appeared on Charlie Rose's PBS show on Thursday in a full-length interview that ran close to an hour. (Clips of the interview also aired on CBS This Morning, where Rose is a co-host.) Rose and Bono taped the interview Wednesday in New York City.

If, like me, you missed the interview on TV, you can catch the whole thing via the show's YouTube channel ... and embedded below.

An interview with Bono by Charlie Rose on his PBS show is scheduled to air Thursday, May 16. CBS This Morning aired part of Rose's Bono interview as well, sharing a bit of it online.

Bono and Mary J. Blige performed two songs together on Monday night at the Robin Hood Foundation's 25th anniversary gala in New York City. They started with "Moment Of Surrender" and then did "One," a song that Blige covered back in 2005. The event raised more than $$80 million to fight poverty.

UPDATE: Here are videos of each performance.

I think the high from the 2013 U2 Conference is finally starting to wear off (yup, it was THAT good). But it was refreshing to have U2 once again take center stage in my professional life. Fatherhood, working retail full-time and applying for a new music theory teaching job have stretched me pretty thin over the last several months, so I haven't had much time to analyze the band's music for any length of time. It was a welcome change to have a singular focus, even for only a weekend.

Gathering with all kinds of die-hard U2 fans -- collectors, concertgoers, academics, writers, performers and critics -- and talking about the band and their music once again cemented what many of us already knew: The community of U2 fans is an eclectic mix of intelligent, kind and passionate people. I am grateful to be a part of it, both professionally and personally. To echo Matt McGee's sentiments, the conference helped me refocus on my U2 work and erased any doubts in my mind whatsoever as to my research concentration. As this conference proved, this band and their music are special and worthy of academic attention. I'm proud that my scholarship specializes in U2's music, and I'm proud that, at work and among my music theory colleagues, I'm known as "The U2 Guy."

One of the recurring conversations during the conference revolved around the band's next album. I talked about this with fellow @U2 staff members as well as other conference attendees, and each person seemed to have a different theory as to what's taking so long.

That got me thinking about album releases and how, in 2013, it's about so much more than just the music. I think radio airplay is extremely important, especially for an aging band like U2. I still hear their music played on the radio, but not as consistently as I did even five years ago. Bono has mentioned on several occasions the importance of U2's relevance in the mainstream music world and how it's directly related to radio airtime. Of course, the tunes and the songwriting must be top-notch, but in the multimedia and digital age, where information overload is the norm, the music is only a fraction of the package. If U2 want to connect with as wide an audience as possible (and not just us die-hards who would buy their albums no matter what), I think the band has to go on an all-out multimedia barrage. Essentially, they need to "Zoo TV" their album. In addition to the standard talk-show circuit and one-off gigs to promote the record, the album needs an accompanying interactive app and website that provides insightful material like in-depth behind-the-scenes clips of the recording and songwriting process, interviews with the band and producers discussing the philosophy and aesthetic of the record, outtakes, alternate and early versions of songs, wallpapers, screensavers, as well as discounts on merchandise and (eventually) concert tickets. And, of course, an actively used Facebook page and Twitter account are must-haves.

I have a two-part theory as to why it's taking U2 so long with this new album. First, they've worked with so many different producers that they're having trouble deciding what kind of album to make. By talking so openly about maintaining relevance, the band (and Bono, in particular) has put a lot of pressure on itself to release something that will keep current fans interested and attract new ones. Second, I think the band realizes that the next record needs to be a multimedia success, and planning it is taking much longer than they and most fans would like. I have faith, though. If there's one band in the world that can pull it off, it's U2.

Thinking about the new U2 album eventually got me thinking about the last one, No Line On The Horizon, and how its commercial reception didn't live up to the critical praise. Count me among those who really like the record, so I was a bit surprised that it didn't sell more copies. I recognize now, however, that the album is a "slow burner": It's not as readily accessible as The Joshua Tree or All That You Can't Leave Behind. But given enough time, NLOTH's brilliant musical moments shine through.

I think there were two main reasons NLOTH was only a moderate commercial success (by U2's lofty standards, anyway): the order of tracks and choices of singles. The record was released as a kind of concept album, but the original song order had little flow. As a result, the "concept" was lost by as early as the third track. I've used iTunes to experiment with various orderings and timings. NLOTH has a better sense of cohesion and continuity if the tracks were arranged as they are below and the end of one song were adjoined to the beginning of the next, thereby leaving no gap or silence between tracks. My reordering divides the album into three sections that transition into and out of each other much more smoothly than the original order.

Being Born (retitled)
Magnificent
Get On Your Boots
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
Unknown Caller
Moment Of Surrender
White As Snow
Stand Up Comedy
Breathe
No Line On The Horizon
Cedars Of Lebanon

"Get On Your Boots" would not have been my choice as the lead single. It's essentially "Vertigo II," so I think audiences didn't respond to it because it sounded too similar to what had been released a few years ago. "Magnificent" would have been my choice as the first single. To my ears, it's the song on the NLOTH that most successfully marries the traditional "U2 sound" with some new textures, thereby serving as the perfect transition from How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb while also introducing the new material. The song's placement within the new song order is also conducive to a straight play-through of the album, encouraging the audience to listen to the entire record from start to finish rather than skipping to the middle right off the bat. The next single released would have been the title track, "No Line On The Horizon." It's got a more experimental sound and would have also reminded audiences of the album's title.

Last, but certainly not least, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! As a new father, today has taken on a whole new meaning. To help celebrate mothers everywhere, here's the video for "Lemon," which is, of course, about Bono's mother. What U2 songs would you include on a Mother's Day playlist? Head over to our Forum and share the U2 songs that your Mother's Day tribute would include.

© @U2, 2013.

Bono is reportedly going to front the Irish band Aslan next month during a charity gig for Christy Dignam. "A Night For Christy" is scheduled for June 21st at Dublin's Olympia Theatre. Tickets are available now via Ticketmaster.ie.

Dignam has been Aslan's lead singer on-and-off since the band formed in 1982. He's battled drug addicition over the years and was recently diagnosed with cancer.

The charity gig lineup includes Gavin Friday, Horslips, members of Westlife, Shane MacGowan, Mary Black and a veritable who's-who of Irish music.

There's probably a big party happening Friday night in Dublin ... or maybe New York City ... or the south of France ... or somewhere! That's because Bono is celebrating his 53rd birthday, so please join us in wishing everyone's favorite singer/lyricist/humanitarian a happy day.

Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday, dear Bono!
Happy birthday to you!

Feel free to join fans in our forum that are wishing Bono a happy birthday.

Bono will apparently be appearing in a new TV documentary before he appears in a new U2 album. Ireland's RTE-TV has announced a series of new summer programs and it includes a documentary that's described as "The Meaning Of Life with Bono." There's no other information available at the documentary at the moment, at least not that we've been able to find via a few quick searches.

There's an Irish Times article that lists the documentary's title as "Would You Believe," but we'll stick with the title that RTE uses on its own site. (That article also mentions that longtime U2 producer Steve Lillywhite will be hosting "The Hit," an RTE series that aims to uncover great songwriters. Congrats Steve!)

UPDATE: Bono is not "doing" an RTE documentary this summer, he's the subject of one. Thx to an @U2 reader for letting us know that "The Meaning Of Life" is an ongoing series hosted by Irish TV legend Gay Byrne.

[Ed. note: This is the 76th in a series of personal essays by the @U2 staff about songs and/or albums that have had great meaning or impact in our lives.]

My world in the autumn of 2006 was very dark — I'd recently lost the love of my life, was burnt out on my fashion-writing job of seven years and felt a terrible sense of loneliness. Of course I'd suffered breakups before, but this was different. The person who had at first made me feel as if I could take on the world instead validated every horrible word my internal dialogue had ever spoken. And he did this without warning or provocation. 

My inherently optimistic nature eroded to the point that I had no faith in anything — love, God, humanity. Though I sought help from a therapist at the time, her advice wasn't doing much (and it was costing me a fortune). 

Furthermore, everyone was telling me what I already knew to be true — when you're in a sea of negativity, you'll only attract more darkness. It was a very self-destructive pattern to follow, and one I was becoming more and more skilled at perfecting each day.

One of the only lights in my life at the time was, as usual, U2. 

I was the lead on the Edun campaign at my day job, so I had the privilege of writing newspaper ads, catalog copy, event invites and window displays about clothing that spoke directly to the U2 audience. I even got to attend an event with Ali Hewson down in San Francisco to launch the first wave of ONE Campaign T-shirts. She was wonderful and I was honored to be involved.

But coming down from that event, I arrived at my lowest point. I foolishly invited my former love to hurt me again and he delivered. I wasn't sure if I could recover. In fact, most of me didn't want to recover. I had a cab driver who was taking me to the Golden Gate Bridge to sightsee pull over and let me out in an unfamiliar neighborhood because I didn't trust myself at those heights. I'd never been depressed in my life, and I had no clue how to manage the pain.

Holed up in my hotel room, and then later with a cup of coffee in the café downstairs, I devoured the book I had delayed in reading. It was Fools Rush In by Bill Carter.

I'd purchased the book when it first came out, but was infatuated with my boyfriend at the time and made little time for reading. Months after he broke my heart, I finally turned to Carter's Miss Sarajevo DVD, hoping for a sadness that would match my mood and easily found it.

Having no context for the song until I paid attention to the Missing Sarajevo documentary on U2's Best Of 1990-2000 DVD, it absolutely wrecked me once I learned of its significance.

The words began speaking directly to me, as many of U2's songs tend to do:

Is there a time for kohl and lipstick?
Is there a time for cutting hair?
Is there a time for high street shopping?
To find the right dress to wear?

My job in the midst of all the pain in the world seemed very superficial. I told myself for years that fashion could boost self-esteem in people, and clothing was obviously a basic human necessity, but I could no longer justify the luxury of what I was selling through my writing. I longed to find work that made more of a real difference in people's lives. 

As the river, you say that love will find a way
But love, I'm not a praying man
And in love I can't believe anymore
And for love I can't wait anymore 

I don't speak Italian, but the portion of the song that was sung by Pavarotti always moved me. When I learned what the words meant, I was a goner.

Bono's soothing voice contrasted with mental images of war made for a brutally emotional combination. Songs such as this, which contain notes that correspond to something inside your soul and open it up, raw to the world, have the ability to heal. And that, along with Carter's book, started to heal me. I finally turned off my breakup song ("Ultraviolet") and turned on "Miss Sarajevo."

As I listened to it over and over again, and made my way through the pages of Fools Rush In, I realized I could find peace in my situation, and got the perspective I desperately needed. People survive things far more horrible than unsatisfying jobs and failed relationships every day. In the face of what those in Sarajevo endured, I was ashamed by how deeply I had wallowed, and how long I had subjected my friends to my sadness. After all, I was mourning the death of a partnership — not the death of a human being.

After finishing the book that same day, I felt compelled to let the author know just how much it touched me, so I sent him a message, which I'm sure in retrospect was embarrassingly long. I don't remember how much I shared about my life at the time or if I was completely honest with him about how much pain I was experiencing. Knowing me, I probably shared too much, but I wanted him to see that his words, and his film that inspired this beautiful song, really did change my life. He would tell me later that I came to the book and film "when I was supposed to," and he was right. The universe places things in our path when we need them the most: both the good and the bad. We can never grow if we don't learn from our pain, and we can never heal if we don't find a way to get past it. Thankfully, this story got to me at the right time, and when I returned to Seattle, I slowly began transforming back into my authentic self. The happy, confident girl I once was.

Two years later I met Carter in person for the first time, at an event for his second book, Red Summer. Over cups of tea in the basement of Seattle's famous Elliott Bay Books, I learned that he was in a good place — he was married, enjoying fatherhood, and again working on various projects that promised to make the world better. I was proud to tell him I too had moved on from the dark place I inhabited when I first wrote to him. I quit my fashion job to work for a nonprofit, began dating a new man and devoted my free time to things that brought me joy. Though he'd just met me, he seemed to genuinely care.

As I got to know Bill a little better over the years, it came clear to me that U2 has some sort of divine assistance in finding the most extraordinary creatures on the planet with whom to associate. There are millions of good people on this earth blessed with charisma; and then there are people who have such a magnetic presence and inherent kindness that they draw everyone in their path in with an infectious spark of something intangible. I've only met a few people in my lifetime who possess that, and Bill is one of them.

I distanced myself from the pain of "Miss Sarajevo" in the years that followed, but it was never forgotten. Each time I heard the song, I was reminded of that horrible time in my life, and Carter's powerful book and documentary. 

Fast-forward to April of this year ... I was thrilled that he had accepted the invitation to speak at the U2 Conference and would be delivering a keynote about his time during the siege. However, like many of my fellow U2 fans, I thought that his presentation would be "old news."

I couldn't have been more wrong — his storytelling hooked me from the moment he opened his mouth, and instantly I was back in the zone, reuniting with an experience I can't genuinely fathom, stunned again by what those amazing people endured. 

I'm in love with the romantic way that Sarajevo has recovered, and have been planning a trip to visit for years. I think the timing of this story being again front-of-mind is telling me that I need to book that ticket sooner rather than later.

© @U2/Kokkoris, 2013.