On Stage: Boy George is Back

Yes, Boy George, the lead singer of Culture Club, a new wave pop band from the 1980s which is also going to tour this year, will be coming to a venue near you, unless you live in rural Kentucky.

The show which caught our attention is his scheduled April 21st performance at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC, which will assuredly be attended by Cong. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va), Cong. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Cong. Jason Chaffetz (R-Va), which reminds of the old Frank Zappa saying: "When God invented Republicans, he showed he has a sense of humor."

Culture Club, which is known for a number of top ten hits including "Karma Chameleon," has actually toured as well in recent years, including a 2011 concert in Dubai!

Boy George also sang with Bono, the lead singer of U2, on "Do They Know It's Christmas Time at Home?"....amazingly enough, both singers cite David Bowie as a major influence on them.

The lead singer of Culture Club is actually on tour with solo shows in Europe, we think he played somewhere in Belgium last night.

And, in addition to his 9:30 Club show, which costs $35, he will be at Irving Plaza in New York on the following night, April 22nd.

http://www.culture-club.co.uk

http://www.930.com

http://www.boygeorgeuk.com

From the Record Collection (5 of 8)_ U2 "The Unforgettable Fire"

Since we are discussing U2's album "The Unforgettable Fire" (1984) today, we send out special greetings to everyone in Dublin, Ireland, where the band originally formed in 1976 when lead singer Bono was just 16 years old. The band's first album "Boy" (1980) was released four years later.

This record is my personal favorite from U2, though fans of the band said on Twitter that the recently re-released "Achtung Baby" (1991) was the best album from the band. For many years, that distinction also belonged to U2's major commercial break-through record "The Joshua Tree" (1987).

But, for me, the fourth studio album from U2 will also be the most special one. It was released in October of 1984, which is a bit ironic because U2's second record (released in 1981) was called "October."

With a running time of 42:38, "The Unforgettable Fire" refers to an art exhibit about the nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945.

There are two songs dedicated to African-American Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., including the landmark song "Pride (in the Name of Love" and "MLK."

The record was produced by Brian Eno, who is also known for producing many exceptional Talking Heads records, and Daniel Lanois, who worked with Peter Gabriel. In more recent years, Lanois has also worked with Willie Nelson, Neil Young and Bob Dylan.

"The Unforgettable Fire," which also includes my personal favorite U2 song "A Sort of Homecoming" a song about the contradiction between rock and roll and spiritual life, was partially recorded at Shane Castle in Ireland, and footage of the album's recording is included in the video for "Pride (in the Name of Love)."

The title track, which was the record's second single, features a stirring use of a guitar solo from The Edge.

In a recent documentary about U2's recording of "Achtung Baby," it was revealed that for that album's popular song "One" that The Edge came up with music for the song first and then Bono figured out some lyrics that would match it.

The band is widely considered to be the most prolific active band behind The Rolling Stones, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary as a band this year. But, unlike The Rolling Stones, U2 has maintained its lineup which also includes Adam Clayton (bass) and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums) since the band was founded.

Quote of the Day/Week- Wim Wenders

We continue quoting famous Germans with a quip from my personal favorite German film director Wim Wenders, who is known for working with many unique artistic people, including the late actor Dennis Hopper ("The American Friend") in 1977; musician Ry Cooder ("Paris, Texas") in 1984; and rock icon Bono from U2 ("The Million Dollar Hotel") in 2000. Wenders in turn directed several of the legendary Irish band's videos.

Currently, audiences in large market American cities like Seattle, Chicago and New York can see his latest film, the documentary "Pina."

Here is his quote:

"Any film that supports the idea that things can be changed is a great film in my eyes."

Wenders is perhaps best-known for his amazing 1987 German-language film (several of the director's films have been in English, including "Paris, Texas") "Wings of Desire."

SIDEBAR ONE: Wow! As a subscriber to "The Washingtonian" magazine, I am wondering who the very attractive nude girl on the cover of the December 2011 issue is. In the photo taken by Erika McConnell, one can't actually see anything besides her hair, face, legs and feet, which looked so polished that one has to wonder if she got a pedicure at the supposedly upscale salon Joy Spa in the Adams Morgan part of Washington, D.C.

The magazine did not identify the woman in the credits insert, but one has to imagine she is a highly sought-after local model.

Of course, since I am a man, I am not inclined to get pedicures, and hence I have no idea how much they would cost, but I did get an expensive $45 haircut over the summer. (Not at Joy Spa, as I don't live in DC).

SIDEBAR TWO: Going back to cinema, the Circle Cinema in Tulsa, Oklahoma, put forth the following question via Twitter this afternoon: "What is your favorite Lars von Trier film?," in reference to the eccentric, controversial Danish director, known for "Dogville" and "Anti-Christ." My choice would be "Manderlay" as it is so over-the-top in every way.

The director's latest film "Melancholia" with Kirsten Dunst (wow, I actually had to google her name to make sure her first name was spelled right!) is showing at the A/perture Cinema in Winston-Salem, NC. We are not sure if Circle Cinema is actually showing the film, but we don't live in Oklahoma either!

Special Quote of the Week- Bono

We continue our series of quips from famous people from Ireland, in honor of Saint Patrick's Day on Thursday, with a quote from Bono who everyone knows as the lead singer of U2. Bono is also known for his civic activities, including helping third world countries like Ethiopia with their debt crisis problems.

My favorite U2 song is "A Sort of Homecoming" from the 1984 album "An Unforgettable Fire," which followed their classic album "War" (1983, pictured here). I did not know until researching this piece that another one of the songs on 'Fire' which is titled "Bad" (has the memorable lyrics: I'm wiiiiiiiddde awake") is about heroin addiction.

Apparently, Bono is also into reading as we gather from this quote:

"Books! I dunno if I ever told you this, but books are the greatest gifts one person can give another."

Speaking of books, I just finished Elif Batuman's excellent memoir "The Possessed" about her love of Russian literature (assuredly, she loves Leo Tolstoy) and the summer she spent in Uzbekistan as a Stanford student in 2002(she was either getting her graduate or doctoral degree at the time; Batuman was born in 1977)

Batuman, a fellow Turkish-American whom I've never met, also has a story in the March 7 issue of "New Yorker" about young fans for the Istanbul soccer power Besiktash. She will be in Ireland for an international book festival on April 14.