U2 Won Me Back With “The Greatest Show on Earth

U2 is still making music, and it is currently still the soundtrack to my life. U2 just released a few singles, two EPs. And at first, the EPs, I was like, I finally disconnected from this band. This band is no longer relevant for me. I know that's harsh to say before you shoot me, you big YouTube fans out there. I am a YouTube fan. But I'm just saying at the point in people's careers, at some point, the bottom falls out. The bottom falls out. And you see a lot of these guys that didn't manage their money well, they continue to tour off the hits. And at the end of the day, that's all they have. They have to keep the lights on. They continue to tour into the 70s and 80s. And quite frankly, they're a fraction of what they were in the past. It's sad. We see it all the time. Things happen in life. God knows it's happened to me. It's happened to me twice where the bottom's fallen out and I have to start over. So I probably, if I had a hit, I'd probably be one of those guys still playing that hit just to make ends meet. So I get it. I'm not hating on that. But U2' s music... over all these years, carries different weight with me. It just does. And each moment in my life, U2 has just been there. It's just been there as this inspiration of a guiding light of hope or the soundtrack to my life. It's been an amazing experience. U2 has meant so much to me. I've got to seeing them twice live. And both of those times have just been this over spiritual experience. People are like, wow, what are you talking about? Now hear me out. I think U2 has been the only band in time that has been able to take religious, political, and romance and create this atmosphere where it all works simultaneously at the same time. I just remember all the good times. The first time I ever was aware of U2, I mean, I listened to the radio when I was growing up and I think I heard their songs, but until it impacted me, I was in my brother's Zuzu truck and He picked me up from church or Royal Rangers, wherever I was doing at the time. I was a young lad, a young lad who loved music. But he had just turned 16. He got this truck. And in his truck, he had a cassette player. He had the cassette tape U2 Joshua Tree. And he was playing it in his car. Now, granted, my brother, he had a very spiritual experience, so he stopped listening to mainstream culture, but he felt like that record meant something spiritually, so he was playing it. That's the first time I really paid attention to U2 was Joshua Tree. And since then, I have always been... with the pulse of what U2 has been doing, what they have done, and where they're currently headed. I'm just curious as a band, because no other band in the world, to me, people say, you know what annoys me more than anything? I get it. They go, well, U2 is just really overrated. Just really overrated. I don't think so. I don't think so. They're just not. They're not. Because you haven't experience them for what they are. And the fact that they can take so many, I mean, three different things. They can talk about romance, love, spirituality, religious, and political. No other band, I don't know, if there is a band out there at their level that has done that, correct me if I'm wrong, but they've done it with Strives. And the fact that The Edge created this beautiful tones with his guitar, this atmosphere of sound that every modern-day worship church or worship song emulates into the worship songs in the Christian church. They revolutionized a whole sound poetically. The fact that I see sometimes with music and the fact that I can just see true art, I can see that the frontman Bono is a true artist. And sometimes I see him portraying himself as a Charlie Chaplin, this force to be reckoned with, a creative force. Then Adam Clayton, one of a kind, one of a kind. The whole band is just spectacular. The fact that they could stay together for 50 years. They're celebrating 50 years of making music. It is their 16th record studio release. Okay. When I heard their EPs, I was like, okay. The newer EPs, I was like, okay. Some songs just gravitated. It just didn't connect with me as a whole, but I appreciate it. I listened to it. I found time to do it. When you get older, it's just hard to find time to listen to music because you're so doing things. Not unless you're commuting somewhere long distance. That's the only time I really get time to really just hone in and listen to music. And most of the time, it's a feeling for me. I want to go back to some of the songs that just resonated with me. So the listening to music, it's a commitment. It's a commitment. So the two EPs, there was some movement there for me until as of late, October 15th. They released the greatest show on earth. And I probably have listened to that song over a hundred times. I was just like, my gosh, this is just a spectacular piece of art. I mean, there's just no words. And I wish I could play this on YouTube for you to experience this song, but I can't because... The music industry sucks and I can't share that with you. You have to go listen to it on your own. Go watch the video. But it's just so good. U2 has just played such a soundtrack in my life over the years. Every record. Octoon Baby. Going back to the records before Joshua Tree and learning to appreciate those records. And I'm just not a new U2 fan. I've been a U2 fan since since 1986, 87. They just were it. Even when I was involved with rap music, I thought Bono was so cool because he appreciated and he was open to the movement of what hip hop was doing. Even with the record Octoon Baby, they realized like doing traditional rock and roll music was played out. It was too folky. They wanted to Push it a little bit and do something different. Do something tech. And they did that. They accomplished that from their shows. They just were ahead of everything. How to do a over-the-top show. And there was just moments, 1998, whenever that record, all that was left behind. 99, I think it came out. 98 or 99. It's around that time. All that was left behind, that record was a soundtrack in my life at the time. It was beautiful. In 2004, Atomic Bomb was a special place in my life because I was soon to becoming dad who had no clue what it was going to be like to be a dad in a very hard relationship. that record brought hope to me. When it came out, I listened to it to start and finish. And to me, that's one of the better records that they've ever done because it was just a moment in time for me. Like each song resonated with me because where I was at. And all their records have always held a special place in my heart. U2 is just one of those bands that For me, I'm going to say it today. When I first was introduced to music, it was through the Beatles. And the Beatles are one of a kind. And I always struggle with that. I'm like saying the Beatles are U2. And tonight I'm saying it's U2 for me all the way. It's generational because the Beatles didn't have a big enough window. U2' s been together for 50 years through thick and thin, friendships since high school, still making relevant music. And I'm excited about the future of what they're doing, where they're going. They are special. And I'm so excited for this full-length record to come out in November. Do yourself a favor. Go check these EPs out they just released. Go check out the pre-releases on the singles of this new record. I promise you, if you are a U2 fan, you won't be disappointed. I'm thinking that this could be probably one of their greats. Their new album is Carnival de Luz. I hope I'm saying that right. It's releasing November 13th, 2026. I'm looking forward to it because I'm just in one of these patterns right now and I need a soundtrack for my life. And this song just resonated with me. Everything about this record is resonating with me right now. And I can't wait for the full release to come out. And you know what? And I probably, they're going to announce some things in 2027. They're probably going to announce the world tour. And guess what? If they come into Tampa, they come into Orlando, Florida, where I'm located in central Florida, I'm going. I'm going to see that show. It's just one of those bands that held the test of time for me. It's been so special to me. And they shifted culture and moved the needle with religious, spiritual, political, and romance vibes that just works in music. There's no other band like U2. Go check them out. If you've never heard of U2 or maybe you're on the fence like, I don't know, U2 is overrated, I don't think you really gave it a shot. All right, Pedro, take us out of here. When Jeff is buying, the prime rib's frying.