so we are doing the conference for them!

No, U2 aren’t hosting a academic conference about themselves.  When would they have the time??  And who could they get for their main speakers??

Maybe you saw this headline on a press release issued by North Carolina Central University and picked up by many agencies, including ModernGhana.com: “Renowned Rock Band U2 To Host Academic Conference At NCCU.”

The headline should be, as we posted on our blog Monday, and on our Press page, and as reported by @U2: “First Academic Conference on Renowned Rock Band U2.” Just a few words difference, but kind of a big difference in meaning, eh?

North Carolina Central University is hosting the conference and we’re thrilled to be working with them.  And we’ll all save some seats for the band if they should have some down time and want to stop by.

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

If you are coming to our blog first to get the news, here’s some of our recent activity.  (And if you aren’t following us on twitter or getting our email alerts, why not? )

1. We posted information about our host hotel in Durham and a second hotel option here.

2. We’ve created a free-to-join YahooGroup for connecting with others who are coming to the conference to talk about sharing a hotel room and transportation. Join this group here. (You’ll need to create a free Yahoo account if you don’t yet have one.)

3. We’ve got maps!

4. We’ll post and email our first official press release in a few days.  Stay tuned.

5. If you are interested in being a conference sponsor, start here.

6. Have you seen our list of forty accepted paper presentations? You can view it at the bottom of our schedule page or get to a PDF from the schedule page.

7. Registration opens August 1.  We’re working every day to finalize the program and set the price. You will have the option of paying via PayPal, by credit card, or by check.  Keep and eye on our registration page here.

8. We’re asking if you would be interested in buying a ticket for a chartered bus ride to and from the host hotel to the U2 concert, Saturday, Oct. 3, at Carter-Finley stadium in Raleigh.  Nothing definite yet, but we’d love to hear a comment if this interests you. If we offer this, the bus will take you there and back in style, with fans and with fun!  The bus won’t leave until later in the afternoon (sorry GA ticket holders who want to be falling at the bands’ feet) and will make the 30 minute trip to get you there in plenty of time to hear the opening act (or do whatever your pre-concert ritual is).

Cheers,

The Hype and The Feedback Team