Bono's contributions go well beyond music

The lead singer has gotten away from political bashing during concerts.
By JOHN BENSON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
The latest U2 joke goes like this: The Edge and Bono go to heaven. God asks the Edge what he believes in. The guitarist says his Gibson guitar and the fact the world would be a better place if U2 had made more albums.
God tells the Edge to take a seat to his right and then asks Bono what he believes in. Bono replies, "I believe you're sitting in my seat."
For more than 25 years, Bono's ego has been legendary, but so have his benevolent ways, raising awareness of racial intolerance, political injustice and tyrannical oppression around the globe. While raging against the machine creates publicity and consciousness, Bono eventually realized, like many before him, a change in policy, a change in mindset, a change in daily life is ultimately the only gauge of success.
Change
The metamorphosis for U2's outspoken, egomaniacal lead singer from white-flag-waving-peacenik revolutionary, a relic from the Reagan Administration, to world-renowned political mover and shaker, who single-handedly donated his money, time and celebrity to help African debt relief become a front-page issue around the globe, wasn't without its risks. But he had no choice.
Perhaps his altruistic ways are Catholic guilt remnants from his youth, or just the self-loathing of being a multimillionaire in a world where parents die from AIDS, which is treatable in the bottom-line world of the Western civilization, leaving behind orphaned children with no hope.
Other celebrities have taken up great causes, but Bono is the anomaly. You can easily say he's just a rock star, but this rock star has made great changes in the world that will positively affect generations to come, long after he's sung "One" or "With or Without You" for the last time.
Bono's ego deflation can be traced back to the band's 1992 "Zoo TV" tour, which marked an unfettered awakening of sorts in the band that continues today. Bono, who just years before on the band's "Joshua Tree" outing came across as a solemn Amnesty International emissary, self-righteous for a greater good, would be seen nightly dressed in a silver lame suit with cowboy hat and trademark fly sunglasses, kissing a full-length mirror with fake money falling like confetti and singing "Desire" as if it were his theme song.
For diehard U2 fans, it was tantamount to Dylan plugging in at the Newport Folk Festival. How dare their serious frontman mock himself. However, therein lies the genius of U2, deconstructing its sanctimonious '80s image on its own terms and building anew. That transformation continues in 2005.
In concert
Today, seeing U2 in concert is like going to church. Only the faith or religion is universal humanity, where those with help out those without. Rarely is a band capable of tugging at so many emotional strings while onstage. From the rawness of "Bullet the Blue Sky" and anger of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" to the naked idealism of "One" and sentimentality of "Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own," it's a religious experience in the rock revival tent of life, where audience members come to be cleansed of the negativism of the world for a ray of hope and a tear of joy celebrating the endless possibilities of a new day.
The arc of U2 began earnestly with the appropriately titled "Boy" a quarter of a century ago. The 10 albums that followed have crossed boundaries, embraced technology, defied convention and transcended trends, remaining not only relevant but prescient in the process. They've held onto the mantle of "Rock's Hottest Ticket" since Time Magazine put the Irish band on its cover in 1987. This past spring they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Talk about popularity -- the band sold out all 110 dates of its 2005, two-leg Stateside tour, including Oct. 22 at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh and Dec. 10 at The Q in Cleveland, before playing its first show. Why? Because U2 is more than just a promise in the year of an election. It's the real deal. And the group's latest album, "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb," defines not only its compelling songwriting but its rock 'n' roll wisdom.
Messages
If you find the mixing of politics and rock music to be bothersome, be prepared for messages between the music. However, Bono's stage banter no longer includes political bashing for the simple reason he's learned that having friends in high places can help him achieve his goal of saving the continent of Africa through debt relief.
After attending a show at New York City's Madison Square Garden last spring, it's clear how this Irish rock band works. With the audience's full attention, Bono wove a story about how the greatest country in the world can achieve anything it puts its mind to. Just like these four Irishman yearned to become the biggest band in the world, America set forth and accomplished John F. Kennedy's dream to visit the moon before the end of the '60s. And it's our generation's opportunity to make its mark by putting "humanity back on Earth" and eliminating abject poverty around the world.
Idealistic? Sure. But for a band that still hasn't found what it's looking for, it appears as though they haven't given up hope. Should we?