SEPTEMBER 17: Wire for the first time / lighting systems fails / GO HOME / count down until nov 22 for HTDAAB / 64th 'VERTIGO' show: Lanois and Eddie Vedder join the band-POPMuzik-Discotheque-Yahweh to Willie Williams / Bono and Ali, in Los Angeles !

"Boy" tour - september 17, 1980. U2 perform in Penzance, England at Demelza's.

"The Unforgettable Fire" tour - september 17, 1984. U2 perform in Melbourne, Australia at the Sports And Entertainment Centre. A fifth concert is considered for September 19th, but never occurs. On this night, U2 introduce the song "Wire" to the crowd for the first time.

"The Joshua Tree" tour - septmeber 17, 1987. U2 perform in Boston, Massachusetts at the Boston Gardens. On the first night's performance of "I Will Follow", the band's lighting system fails and Bono shouts, "Well, if the lights don't work, let's turn on the house lights, I don't care!" After the song, the Gardens fully illuminated, the band continue for more than an hour, while the road crew try and figure out what is wrong. Finally the lighting system starts working, and U2 finish the concert with their lights. Steve Morse, of the Boston Globe writes about the experience: "Where other superstars might have fallen flat without their lights, U2 carried on like troupers, forging an ever closer bond with the audience. Bono was infinitely more chatty, while still managing to convey the spiritual power of the band's music as the crowd spurred him on with long, majestic singalongs." Support is Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul.

'New U2 home video formally announced' - september 17, 2003. Universal Music formally announces the November release of U2 Go Home - Live from Slane Castle, Ireland, the first home video recorded in U2's home country. The release features U2's September 1, 2001, concert at the castle north of Dublin.

'Official countdown begins for HTDAAB' - september 17, 2004. U2 begins an official countdown toward the release of How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb with the launch of two web sites -- htdaab.com and howtodismantleanatomicbomb.com. Both sites show the same thing: a real-time, red LED timer counting down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until November 22nd, the album's release date.

64th 'VERTIGO' show - september 17, 2005 - Toronto ON, Canada - Air Canada Center - Dashboard Confessional - Lanois and Eddie Vedder join the band / 'POPMuzik' / 'Discotheque / 'Yahweh' to Willie Williams! City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo - Rockaway Beach, Elevation, The Electric Co., The Ocean, Beautiful Day - Sgt. Pepper's, Miracle Drug, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own - Dirty Old Town, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet the Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One - Ol' Man River . Encore(s): Discotheque, The Fly, With or Without You, All Because of You, Fast Cars, Yahweh, 40. Daniel Lanois joins the band for the 3rd straight night, again playing guitar on an extended version of One. Eddie Vedder joins them on stage as the song segues into Ol' Man River. The encore begins with the 'Pop Muzik' intro from the PopMart Tour, as U2 plays Discotheque for the first time since 2001. Bono dedicates Yahweh to the departing Willie Williams. **** Back to Earth after visiting Planet Edge this week: ...Another full-energy show. Bono was really sweating there. It was really hot in there. He was drinking lot water, threw water on to the audience (maybe to wake them up). And he didn't bring anyone up from the audience.... Strong performances during Electric Co., Miracle Drug (which Bono dictated to the nurses of Toronto's Children's Hospital), Sometimes, (Bono hit the opera part this time, wonderful, then he mime carrying his dad's casket, singing Dirty Old town I think). Love and Peace, Sunday, Bullet..Pride, Streets..etc.. just wonderful..hometown boy Danny Lanois played the Irish Falcon during One, then Eddie Vedder came on! Sang Ol' Man River with Bono!! THAT WAS AMAZING! And yeah then came the POP encore! It started with the POP graphics (reminded of Popmart Skydome 97), Popmusic played and I thought they were going to played Mofo, but it was Discotheque (with the disco lights)...Fast Cars, great drumming from Larry. Edge had some guitar problems during With or Without You, and with the start of Yahweh, and Bono dictated this song to Willie Williams and said something that this was his last show and he was leaving the tour, maybe for good. 40, with Bono and his handheld spotlight and it just great performance from the guys. **** Some photos on: U2tours * U2tours

Bono and Ali, in Los Angeles - September 17, 2006 - Bono is bringing his "One" campaign against AIDS and poverty to . . . Nordstrom. The U2 singer and wife Ali Hewson visited the store's downtown Chicago branch Saturday and one in Los Angeles yesterday to promote a designer T-shirt that will raise money to pay for AIDS care in Africa.The shirts are made in the village of Butha-Buthe, Lesotho, by Edun, a "fair trade" clothing label started by the couple. The company will donate $10 from every $40 shirt sold to a fund supporting the health care of Lesothan workers and their families.
washingtonpost. Some photos: Interference