We’re hitting the airwaves this week to spread the word.

Earlier today, Conference Director Scott Calhoun recorded an interview with MusicSpot to be distributed in Ireland.  You might have heard him live “On the QT” today in Dublin, chatting with Q102 FM’s Scott Williams.

And on Thursday, in Cleveland, home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum, he’ll be in the studio with Mary and Todd for WBWC-FM’s U2 Radio Marathon. You can stream the 18-hour marathon with RealPlayer from WBWC-FM’s site.

On Monday, August 31, at 5:45 p.m. Dublin time, I’ll be talking about the U2 conference on Scott Williams’ drivetime chat show , “On the QT.” It airs on Q102 FM.

One of the questions they said they would like to hear about goes like this: “There’s a lot of debate in Ireland about the fact that U2 are beleived to pay their tax out of the country and yet their frontman is so vocal about economic issues … How do people view Bono in the states?”

Well, how do we view Bono in the states on this matter?

This is the text of our 08.18.09 press release.

FULL PROGRAM POSTED FOR UPCOMING U2 CONFERENCE

Release date: August 18, 2009

U2: The Hype and The Feedback, the first academic conference on the world’s biggest band, has posted a complete program schedule of over 40 presentations on a wide range of topics on the music, work and influence of U2. ( www.u2conference.com/schedule.php )

As U2 take to U.S. stadiums this fall on their 360° tour, a celebration of their big ideas and epic cultural impact will bring together fans from around the world who relate to U2’s plea: “Let me in the sound!” U2: The Hype and The Feedback touches down October 2 - 4, 2009 in Durham, North Carolina, on the campus of North Carolina Central University, — the same weekend as a U2 concert in Raleigh.

“This will be the place to meet and hear people long connected to U2 and to covering their career,” says organizer Scott Calhoun, English professor and a U2 academician. “The whole weekend is for discussing U2, and the 360° tour makes a stop nearby too.”

Speakers to date include Rolling Stone contributing editor (and Ph.D) Anthony DeCurtis, the UK’s Telegraph columnist (and schoolmate of the band members) Neil McCormick, Ugandan AIDS activist Agnes Nyamawaro, who has worked with Bono’s ONE Campaign, and Matt McGee, founder of @U2 (www.atu2.com) and author of U2-A Diary.  Attendees will also hear from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Curator Jim Henke via video.

An international line-up of paper presenters will talk about topics ranging from “U2 and the Politics of Irony” to “Bono Versus Nick Cave on Jesus” and “U2: An Elevated Brand,” as well as other topics addressing U2’s influence in rock history, the entertainment industry, and on humanitarian and social justice initiatives.

“We know U2’s appeal is without borders and everyone is welcome. Whether you come in tweed or leather, do vinyl or download, you’ll connect with people who want to talk about U2,” Calhoun promises.

Host school North Carolina Central University (NCCU) will kick off its centennial celebration this fall. Rich in history, NCCU is the nation’s first state supported liberal arts college founded for African Americans. The late historian John Hope Franklin once taught at NCCU and jazz great Branford Marsalis is currently an artist-in-residence.

Located in the Research Triangle, between Raleigh and Chapel Hill, Durham is a vibrant city for education, arts and culture, and was recently named by Forbes as the #3 “Best Place for Business” and by U. S. News & World Report as the #5 “Best Places to Live” in the United States.

“Durham has been well-served for a long time by NCCU’s efforts to educate students and the community through the arts and music,” Calhoun said. “In that respect, the institution closely parallels U2’s history which has been to create music that inspires everyone and honors the overlooked, the oppressed and the champions of freedom for all peoples, from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to Central America’s Mothers of the Disappeared, and more recently Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi.  We’re thrilled we can bring the conference to Durham and be on their campus for the weekend.”

Register for U2: The Hype and the Feedback at www.U2conference.com

Contact: press@U2conference.com

FIRST ACADEMIC CONFERENCE ON RENOWNED ROCK BAND U2

As U2 take to the stadiums this fall in their 360° Tour, a celebration of their Big Ideas and epic cultural impact will bring together fans from around the world who relate to U2’s plea: “Let me in the sound!” The first academic conference on the world’s biggest band, U2: The Hype and The Feedback, touches down October 2-4, 2009 at North Carolina Central University in Durham — the same weekend as a U2 concert in Raleigh. Registration opens August 1st, 2009

“This will be the place to meet and hear people long connected to U2 and to covering their career,” says organizer Scott Calhoun, English professor and a U2 academician. The whole weekend is for exploring the music, work and influence of U2.

Speakers include Rolling Stone contributing editor (and Ph.D) Anthony DeCurtis, the UK’s Telegraph columnist (and schoolmate of the band members) Neil McCormick, Ugandan AIDS activist Agnes Nyamawaro, who has worked with Bono’s ONE Campaign, and Matt McGee, founder of @U2 (www.atu2.com) and author ofU2-A Diary. Attendees will also hear from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Curator Jim Henke via video.

An international line-up of paper presenters will talk about topics ranging from “U2 and the Politics of Irony” to “Bono Versus Nick Cave on Jesus” and “U2: An Elevated Brand,” as well as other topics addressing U2’s influence in rock history, the entertainment industry, and on humanitarian and social justice initiatives.

“We know U2’s appeal is without borders and everyone is welcome. Whether you come in tweed or leather, do vinyl or download, you’ll connect with people who want to talk about U2,” Calhoun promises.

Host school North Carolina Central University (NCCU) will kick off its centennial celebration this fall. Rich in history, NCCU is the nation’s first state supported liberal arts college founded for African Americans. The late historian John Hope Franklin once taught at NCCU and jazz great Branford Marsalis is currently an artist-in-residence.

Located in the Research Triangle and situated between Raleigh and Chapel Hill, Durham is a vibrant city for education, arts and culture, and was recently named by Forbes as the #3 “Best Place for Business” and by U. S. News & World Report as the #5 “Best Places to Live” in the United States.

“Durham has been well-served for a long time by NCCU’s efforts to educate students and the community through the arts and music,” Calhoun said. “In that respect, the institution closely parallels U2’s history which has been to create music that inspires everyone and honors the overlooked, the oppressed and the champions of freedom for all peoples, from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to Central America’s Mothers of the Disappeared, and more recently Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi. We’re thrilled we can bring the conference to Durham and be on their campus for the weekend.”

Register for U2: The Hype and the Feedback or find out more at www.U2conference.com.

CONTACT: SCOTT CALHOUN, CONFERENCE DIRECTOR | 937-766-3214 | PRESS@U2CONFERENCE.COM

We are pleased to announce The Hype and The Feedback: A Conference Exploring the Music, Work and Influence of U2 will be hosted by the H. M. Michaux School of Education at North Carolina Central University in Durham, from October 2 - 4, 2009.

North Carolina Central is the nation’s first public liberal arts college founded for African-Americans.

Our U2 conference staff wishes to thank Chancellor Charles Nelms for his vision and leadership, as well as the NCCU community and the city of Durham for extending this invitation to have the first ever academic conference about U2.

Our thanks also go to the great people with the DurhamCares organization for their work in facilitating The Hype and The Feedback coming to Durham.

Conference events will start Friday evening, Oct. 2, and will conclude on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 4.

Please watch our conference website for many more updates during the rest of this month: more about the conference program; more about NCCU; more about Durham; and more about the Raleigh-Durham area. If you have not signed up for email alerts, you can do so here.

Some notices:

• Registration: We plan to open registration in July.  Registration will be handled through our registration page and we anticipate offering conference tickets at levels from $90 - $200.  Registration will close when we have reached capacity.

• Lodging: We are securing a range of hotel options at a U2 Conference discount rate for the nights of Oct. 1 - 4. Rates will range from $70 - $110 a night. Registrants should make lodging arrangements on their own.  Information on the conference hotels will be here later this month.

• Transportation: Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) serves the area and is about 15 miles from Durham.  Information on transportation suggestions from the airport to Durham and for getting around in the area will be here later this month.

• Program: A tentative schedule for the program is here, with a list of the accepted paper presentations here.  We are working on arranging the papers into panel sessions.  Please keep an eye on the program schedule as it will have regular updates to it.

• U2’s concert in Raleigh: U2’s 360° Tour plays at the Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, Saturday evening, Oct. 3, starting at 7:00 p.m.  Their concert date falls right in the middle of our conference weekend.  We will conclude Saturday’s program by 4:00 p.m. to allow time to get to the show. (Raleigh is about 25 miles from Durham.  You can view a map here.) Then, when we re-convene Sunday morning we should have even more to talk about! Conference registration DOES NOT include a ticket to U2’s concert.  Tickets are still available here.

Thank you to everyone who has been with us for many months now.  We appreciate your patience, your encouragement and your enthusiasm for the conference.  Thanks again to the H. M. Michaux School of Education at North Carolina Central University.

We look forward to seeing you in Durham!

Questions? Please use our contact form.