75 Comments »

1. Yes! I say that not because I live in Memphis, but for all the reasons you outline in the first paragraph.

   U2 has always been vocal about how the blues and the soul of the American South have influenced their music, and I can’t think of a better place for reflection on how their powerful music has influenced us.

   Comment by Verlinda Henning — May 6, 2009 @ 8:44 pm

2. I live 30 miles from Oxford, so I obviously love the idea. Don’t forget, Oxford is only 45 minutes from Elvis’ birthplace in Tupelo., and it’s an even shorter ride to the Tunica casinos.

   Comment by Nick Holloway — May 6, 2009 @ 8:51 pm

3. I’m sorry to say this but I would think that this is not the best place to attract U2 fans to come to especially in the middle of the North American leg of the tour.

   I have talked to NO ONE outside of this area of the country that has shown any interest in coming to Mississippi for a U2 Conference.

   It might be better to put off the Conference a bit longer until the time is economically better for this Conference (perhaps the Spring of 2010?) and then you can consider a city to host the U2 Conference that has a meaning in U2 history. (NYC, Chicago, Boston, etc)

   Have you ever thought about holding it in Cleveland where the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is?
   That would be a GREAT place for the Conference!

   This is my sincerest opinion.

   All the Best, debbie

   Comment by Debbie K — May 6, 2009 @ 8:58 pm

4. I’d be interested in knowing how the keynote speakers feel about Oxford vs Chicago. And whether those same speakers are still in the line-up.

   Comment by Cheryl Herr — May 6, 2009 @ 9:01 pm

5. I think it would be great to have it there. Just wish it was going to be in 2010, because otherwise I will not be able to make it.

   Comment by lifetraveler — May 6, 2009 @ 9:02 pm

6. I think the conference should EITHER be 1) in a city where U2 will be playing (but fall 2009 may be too soon to really pull this together; however, U2 probably will be coming back to North America in 2010), or 2) at a time that does not conflict with the tour. Oxford works better for me in terms of timing, but it may be too far out of the way for many, myself included.

   Comment by Bob Derrenbacker — May 6, 2009 @ 9:10 pm

7. I think Philadelphia is the place. Sorry all, but I think it should be a place that would attract a ton of fans….and Bono and the boys have always had a true love of Phildelphia. Bono recieved the Liberty Medal there and couldn’t have said enough about his love for the city!

   Comment by Doris — May 6, 2009 @ 9:13 pm

8. Absolutely! Ole Miss is a very well known academic institution, and it is a very nice alternative for the U2 Conference. I would be there in a second.

   Comment by Jaime Rodriguez — May 6, 2009 @ 9:17 pm

9. Miss Debbie..
   In all due respect..
   If it’s true, as Bono says in his Elvis poem, that “Elvis invented the Beatles”, it’s fair to say that Mississippi “invented” Elvis, not to mention the blues of Muddy, Howlin’ and of course B.B. King (”When Love Comes to Town”). Having a U2 Conference in the cradle of rock and roll, down the road from Faulkner, in the shadows of Sun Studio, a stone’s throw from the Big River, is not only “tied” to U2 history, it is U2’s history. You can explore it, but you cannot feel it with all due respect, munching croissants in a Marriot in Boston.

   Comment by Oxfordgal — May 6, 2009 @ 10:02 pm

10. Oh, do please read Bono’s tribute poem to Elvis today in USA Today http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/new/2009-05-06-bono-elvis_N.htm

    Thank ya’ll .. Thank ya’ll very much

    Comment by Oxfordgal — May 6, 2009 @ 10:03 pm

11. http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news.2009-05-06-bono-elvis_N.htm

    Comment by Oxfordgal — May 6, 2009 @ 10:05 pm

12. I agree with Debbie (above). I think that perhaps the conference needs to be in a place where there are many different options for public transportation. As it stands….people flying into Memphis would have to rent cars to drive an hour away to go to the conference….not to mention drive BACK to Memphis if they wanted to take part in any of the aforementioned sight seeing places.

    What happened to wanting to try to have the conference in a town where U2 was going to be touring? That sounded like a great idea! Head to the conference during the day…..head to a concert at night!

    Comment by Bethany — May 6, 2009 @ 11:18 pm

13. I say that NYC or Cleveland (where the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is located) would be the best places… please, please, please NYC!!!

    Comment by Katie Stefko — May 6, 2009 @ 11:44 pm

14. We’ll get some comments here soon from our main speakers and paper presenters. Thanks for all the discussion.

    We know nowhere is going to be a perfect place, but we are looking for the place that shows enthusiasm for having the conference and that’s accessible to many fans. We can’t fit “a ton” of fans into the conference rooms, but we do want there to be a great turn out!

    Ole Miss has a shuttle service from campus to the Memphis airport, BTW. In fact, Sun Studio runs shuttle vans to and from the airport!

    Comment by U2conference — May 7, 2009 @ 12:25 am

15. From the USA today article about Bono’s Elvis poem, mentioned above by Oxfordgal:

    “‘Elvis woke up my heart,’ Bono says near the end of the work, which celebrates Presley’s small-town Mississippi roots and global influence. It will be broadcast May 13 on BBC Radio 4 after more than a decade of sitting on a shelf waiting for a producer to give it a proper treatment.” … “Bono and U2 have often praised Elvis and even traveled to Sun Studios in Memphis to record their Rattle and Hum album. Bono made it a point to use a microphone the King had used and to quiz producers and session men about Presley’s recording technique.”

    Comment by U2conference — May 7, 2009 @ 12:28 am

16. Elvis is my man….but a U2 conference needs to be in a big city. Chicago, NY or Boston. A big city will draw a crowd of people that can easily travel to and from the conference. Plus, airfare and hotel accomodations are easy to find.

    Comment by Michelle — May 7, 2009 @ 2:50 am

17. Not happy about it. I think the best place would be “the Big Apple”. Big city = more people.

    Comment by ckk — May 7, 2009 @ 11:30 am

18. I think it should absolutely be in Chicago. The U2 connection there is much stronger.

    Comment by Gloria Vox — May 7, 2009 @ 11:36 am

19. higher population density equals higher u2 fan turnout. it’s always about economics and convenience. put it close to where the MOST number of fans have to do the LEAST amount of work and spending to do it. at $300-$400 i am not going to do this AAAAND spend on hotel, car, airfare etc. too damn much money. pick someplace BIG, and if it happens to not be NY i’ll deal. i love u2 by-the-way in case i sound crass.

    Comment by Jason — May 7, 2009 @ 12:04 pm

20. I don’t object to Ole Miss- I would actually love to have an excuse to get a taste of this part of American history…BUT at this point, unfortunately, October 2009 is a very bad time for me- not far away enough to make the needed plans for me, and I’m on the program as a paper presenter…but this is just me and my personal circumstances…I would really love to attend the conference and will do my best to do so, but the timing makes it hard for me, as some others have said here Spring 2010 would be better at this point.

    Thanks for asking for our opinion!

    Comment by Rachel E. Seiler — May 7, 2009 @ 1:20 pm

21. I wouldn’t include Mississippi in any “civil rights” references. What a terrible place for this conference.

    Comment by Bob — May 7, 2009 @ 2:23 pm

22. Here’s another factor to consider- I was just talking to my sister who also intends to attend the conference…and October 2009 is an awfully difficult time for any students who may want to come to the conference to be able to do so…the fall semester is in full swing- what about June 2010 when classes are out for the summer- I attended a successful and well attended international social work conference on the campus of St. Thomas University in Canada last June, and the costs were reduced by providing lodging for conference attendees in vacant-for-the-summer student housing. Is this a viable option?

    Comment by Rachel E. Seiler — May 7, 2009 @ 3:23 pm

23. I like the idea of staging the show in the midst of culture of the blues, but in the end I echo the “Big city = more people” argument. The eastern seaboard has such a large population concentration that we’re more likely to get a critical mass attendees and presenters here. Philly is nicely located two hours from DC and two hours from New York. I’ll be able to attend if it is held in any of those cities. Possibly Cleveland, possibly Chicago. (Full disclosure: I live in Philly. Yes, I’m biased, but reasonable.)

    Comment by David McBride — May 7, 2009 @ 3:36 pm

24. P.S. to clarify my post above- I’m not suggesting we consider moving the conference to Canada/campus of St. Thomas U.- I’m just asking if using a campus facility and offering conference attendees out-of-use-for-the-summer student housing if the conference were to be staged in June 2010 would be a viable way to bring costs down.

    Honestly, cost is a big factor for me and I agree with everyone’s arguments posted here for the conference to be in a major Eastern-seaboard city for that reason.

    Comment by Rachel E. Seiler — May 7, 2009 @ 4:55 pm

25. (Disclaimer: I am not the conference organizer, just one of the speakers and promoters of it.)

    It’s funny. When the conference was scheduled for NYC, it seemed like a lot of the feedback was “This is way too expensive. How can you charge $400 for a conference, and the hotel is charging $350/night for a room?” and on and on. No one could afford it, early registration was low, and the university got cold feet and removed itself as the primary underwriter/financial supporter.

    These things are expensive to put on. If it’s gonna be in a big city, the conference space is gonna cost more, the rooms are gonna cost more, the hotels require more guaranteed income in order to block rooms … and the conference has to pay if attendees don’t use those rooms. There’s an enormous financial risk in putting on an event like this.

    In a big city, the U2 conference is nothing special. New York, Chicago, Philly — they have tons of conferences happening all the time, and the industry there couldn’t care less if the U2 conference comes or not. Scott has been shopping the conference around for a while now, and we know this to be true. The big cities are not gonna make anything easier or less expensive for the conference to happen.

    I’m not sure Oxford is the perfect place, but really - there’s no such thing as a perfect place. I do know that no other group of people wants the conference as much as Oxford, and no one is making as many offers and concessions to bring it to fruition as Oxford is. That counts a lot.

    For me personally, the timing and travel is a bit inconvenient. But I gave Scott my word that I’ll speak, and promised @U2’s support of the event, so if it happens in Oxford, I’ll be there and @U2 will throw its weight behind the event 100%.

    I know that ANYWHERE a big group of U2 fans get together is gonna be a great, great time.

    Comment by m2 — May 7, 2009 @ 6:00 pm

26. I’m excited to come to Oxford in the fall –
    Kevin Dettmar

    Comment by Kevin Dettmar — May 7, 2009 @ 6:39 pm

27. I’ve been invited to present at the conference and I will be honored to go to Ole Miss.

    Comment by Stephen Catanzarite — May 7, 2009 @ 6:39 pm

28. I wish we could have a conference in all of your hometowns, but . . . the U2 Conference is not an independently wealthy entity. We want to work with a host city and school and don’t have the resources to pick any place we want and rent meeting rooms to have a conference. If we did, we would be heading to Dublin this summer!

    Consider this: if the conference is in Oxford, we are looking at hotel rooms for $80 - $130 a night and a registration price of under $200. Oxford is a walkable community, has public transportation, and you can eat well and enjoy live, local music for a fraction of what it would cost in NYC, Boston, or possibly Chicago.

    I know many of us are spending money to go see U2 this fall and we’ll spend more next spring/summer to see them again, right? Would you really have more money next year to attend the conference?

    And if the conference was scheduled on a concert day and the conference was going to have afternoon events that ran until 3 or 4 p.m., and if U2’s show was starting at 7 p.m. that night, do you think you’d want to be in meetings that afternoon or do you think you want to be standing in the GA line or otherwise getting ready for the show?

    Comment by U2 Conference — May 7, 2009 @ 6:47 pm

29. Matt makes a great point that there isn’t a “perfect place” to host a conference of this size. Big cities, like NYC and Chicago, are great for promotion, transportation, and cultural/social diversity, but the fact that they are big cities presents the hosting institution, the Conference itself, and the attendees with a tremendous financial burden. On the other hand, holding the conference in a smaller place, such as Oxford, would be great for those venues, but they present transportation challenges, which translate to financial burdens for conference attendees and speakers. Essentially, there are pros and cons for both big-city and small town venues.

    Hosting and attending the conference is going to cost money and a bit of convenience, period. So it boils down to whether we all want it to happen badly enough. I do. So, whether it’s in Oxford, MS, or Chicago, or any other place for that matter, I’ll be there, ready to present, and eager to listen and talk about the biggest band in the world with fellow fans, scholars, and journalists. It’ll be an amazing time, regardless of location.

    Comment by Christopher Endrinal — May 7, 2009 @ 6:58 pm

30. I will attend the conference no matter where it is, and enjoy it in Oxford or anywhere else. However, having it in a large city would be much better for me, my institution’s budget, and a few other things. In other words, if its in Oxford, great, but if it could be in the spring of 2010 in a large city, that would be better.

    Comment by Dan Pinkston — May 7, 2009 @ 7:03 pm

31. Let’s do this thing! Or, as Jack Bauer would say, “LET’S DO THIS THING! NOW!”

    October is fine.

    Dr Bruce Edwards
    Bowling Green State University

    Comment by Bruce Edwards — May 7, 2009 @ 7:24 pm

32. Perhaps it needs to be said for big city advocates that this conference WAS already in NYC, and because it lacked conference registrations paid in a timely manner, ended up being postponed. N’est-ce pas?

    Comment by Bruce Edwards — May 7, 2009 @ 7:34 pm

33. As one of the invited presenters, I’d be happy to come to Oxford. I’m in LA, so almost any location (except LA!) will take some doing. I’m a huge blues fan, and so would love to see the cradle. I went to grad school at UNC and Duke and love the South; October there is uniformly gorgeous. One the one hand, you will lose the cache of a big-city venue; one the other, you’ll make it economically easier at a number of levels, and you’ll get a LOT of local attention for bringing it to Ole Miss. And i bet the band would like the idea! It may balance out.

    Comment by Prof. Grant Horner — May 7, 2009 @ 8:17 pm

34. I will also attend and give my paper in any location. The cost and transportation advantages of a place like Oxford are an attractive argument for me (don’t have to rent a car, easy to get around conference/restaurants/nightlife, much lower cost hotel and registration fee than in a big city) and as a humanities type, I’d love to come soak up the ambiance of Oxford in general. But I do question whether having this particular conference at a time+location that directly conflicts with the exact 7-8 weeks when U2 are on tour in the USA may cut into registration. I’d feel better about an early 2010 date. But as others have said, there is no perfect place…

    Comment by Beth Maynard — May 7, 2009 @ 8:17 pm

35. I am one of two presenters from Denmark, Europe and I would clearly prefer Chicago or another big city with a mayor international airport. New York was perfect - easy accessible (and affordable) from all over the world. We will do what we can to participate whereever and whenever the conference may be, but we do hope that Chicago or a city like it could host the conference.

    Comment by Jens Moesgard Nielsen — May 7, 2009 @ 9:28 pm

36. i live in New Zealand and i’m down to be a presenter. When you fly 14 hours just to get to Los Angeles, it then get’s sort of wierd to hear people in USA complain about travel within US.

    so i’m easy on location, but i can’t do early October without cancelling another speaking engagement and missing my father’s 70th birthday. so as a presenter, please avoid early Oct.

    steve taylor

    Comment by steve — May 7, 2009 @ 10:23 pm

37. Memphis International Airport is a hub for International travel. Ya’ll from across the pond will have no trouble getting here.

    Comment by Oxfordgal — May 8, 2009 @ 11:32 am

38. At the very least, pick medium-sized (perhaps one with lots of universities) city that doesn’t require a car rental ordeal to get to.

    Kansas City, Baltimore, San Jose, St. Paul, Cincinatti, Madison, Buffalo.

    East coast also allows people to come in by cheap busses, Amtrak, etc. The same can’t be said about Mississippi, as inter-city transportation simply isn’t as developed or cheap in that area.

    Not that I don’t love Memphis, but it just seems unnecessarily out of the way.

    Comment by Luke — May 8, 2009 @ 1:44 pm

39. If you are a fan of having the U2 Conference in Oxford, Mississippi please join our Facebook page: Oxford Friends of the U2 Conference. On this page I will post up all the cool connections I have made in the past couple of weeks — including an encounter with Bono’s jacket from the Love Town Tour.

    Let’s Boogie!

    Comment by Oxfordgal — May 8, 2009 @ 1:55 pm

40. I’d also prefer Chicago, primarily because it’s easier for travel. Oxford is a lovely town but more more difficult to get to and from for most folks (I think). Chicago has also been a good town for U2 over the years.

    I’m also scheduled to present, but Alaska is a fair piece to travel, even if it’s still technically the US.

    My own sense is that Oxford would need to pony up some terrific benefits for the whole conference to give it the advantage over Chicago.

    Dan Kline
    U of Alaska Anchorage

    Comment by dtkline — May 8, 2009 @ 5:13 pm

41. I’m a co-presenter. The location is not really an issue for me, though since I’m likely to have to come for a weekend the longer the travel the more difficult it would be to fit it all in. Timing is a bigger issue in mid-semester since my calendar is far more packed in October than it ever is in May.

    Comment by Paul Rowe — May 9, 2009 @ 12:52 am

42. I’m hoping to have a documentary about U2 fans around the world, and how they have used the music to inspire them, screen for the first time at the U2 Conference.

    The opportunity to come from Australia, and be with other U2 nutters, while also getting the chance to take in the Old South (I’ve never really thought about visiting this area of America), which has such a rich and diverse history with such strongs links to American music culture, sounds wonderful.

    It sounds like an opportunity to open my eyes to a different part of America than what I’ve already seen, and what I know from popular culture. And that, in itself, is a blessing.

    What U2 fan hasn’t wanted to find that hill, and to ‘thumb a lift there, Edge’? To visit Graceland and find out ‘what a Harley means to that man’? To visit Sun Studios and ‘bleeding bury’ their head in the music history of the place? This area is just as much of U2’s rich tapestry as the big cities mentioned.

    Having said that, I would have thought that Chicago would have been a better option from a marketing perspective - if it could be held in the week before the commencement of the North American leg of 360, and really build in the momentum and publicity of the tour, with fans already travelling from around the world for that date alone - it just makes more sense.

    Either way, I’m hoping (please pray for me!) that all goes well and the doco will be ready, regardless.

    Best wishes, Scott.

    Comment by Natalie Baker — May 9, 2009 @ 10:09 am

43. I’m excited about the prospect of going to Oxford for the U2 conference. I don’t have a preference for when it takes place. I can think of one definite advantage for Oxford, people-wise–we may get lots of U2 fans who are “underserved” because U2 hardly ever tours the South exhaustively.

    Comment by Angela Pancella — May 9, 2009 @ 8:59 pm

44. Dan -
    Oxford is willing to participate in U2 Week the week of the conference. All local bars/pubs, restaurants will feature U2 inspired dishes and will play a different era of their music during the evening.
    We have public transportation and the University will shuttle from campus to town square (2 minute ride or 5 minute walk).

    Comment by Oxfordgal — May 11, 2009 @ 11:10 am

45. Scott, thanks for asking for feedback. I think Oxford would be a very interesting place to hold the conference.

    Comment by David Comay — May 12, 2009 @ 5:18 am

46. After reading all the comments, the location is sounding much better to me. The month of October will be horrid for me, since I’ll be doing a fair amount of traveling to see U2 shows. As much as I would adore the conversations, it is unlikely that I would be able to make it then. I do greatly appreciate that the conference is being put on to start with!

    Comment by AustinFan — May 13, 2009 @ 4:32 am

47. The Conference made the news! Check it OUT! The Tupelo Daily Journal called and interviewed me last night!~

    http://nems360.com/pages/full_story?hash=comments_2587637&page_label=news&id=2587637&widget=push&instance=lead_story_left_column&article-Oxford%20could%20be%20site%20of%20U2%20conference%20=&open=&#comments_2587637

    Comment by Oxfordgal — May 20, 2009 @ 2:35 pm

48. Cleveland is the worst choice because the Rock hall of fame should not have been built there. It should have been in Memphis and to do anything to validate it being in northern Ohio is bad.

    “I wouldn’t include Mississippi in any “civil rights” references. What a terrible place for this conference.”

    Why, because Mississippi has more black elected officials than any other state? Because the most recent Miss Mississippi from Oxford is black? Because the elected student body president at Ole Miss is black?
    Such stereotyping is unattractive.
    Oxford is the best place for several reasons:
    For world-wide travel, Oxford is more centrally located than Chicago or New York, and as someone who spent much time over decades in both cities, is much less expensive (though Oxford does have the highest cost-of-living in the state).
    Oxford is an academic community used to conferences being staged: Faulkner, Living Blues, Conference for the Book, etc., and could handle it with easily with ample hotel rooms and public transportation around town and to Memphis.
    October weather in Oxford is sublime.
    Considering what U2 does for a living, Oxford makes much sense historically, being located almost exactly between Clarksdale and Tupelo.
    With B.B. Kings blues archives located in Oxford and Elvis Costello recently making a record here and gearing up for another (with Hubert Sumlin), there is fine chance of some cool surprise guests.
    I’ve recently put on Beatles and Springsteen appreciation shows to promote the Mississippi Music and Musicians Hall of Fame being built on Oxford. The Rolling Stones are in August and Ramones in October, but if the U2 conference is here, the U2 show will be moved up to coincide with the event.
    http://www.oxfordland.net/bruce/
    http://www.oxfordland.net/beatles/
    http://oxfordland.net/beatles50/index.html
    Plus, we have much better barbecue than New York or Chicago.

    Comment by Chico Harris — May 20, 2009 @ 5:14 pm

49. Please bring this conference to Oxford, MS!~ it is the perfect place for musical growth and knowledge. Oxford strives to accompany events like this and would be the most hospitable town you will come across. Oxford has more music/musicians per capita than anywhere in the country. The town would support this conference and get behind it with full force! Bring it.

    Comment by Austin Marshall — May 21, 2009 @ 3:29 pm

50. This sounds great, but it better be October 3 or October 31 (or a weekday), otherwise there will not be a hotel room or restaurant available.

    Sept. 6, 2009 at Memphis
    Sept. 19, 2009 SE Lousiana
    Sept. 24, 2009 at South Carolina
    Oct. 3, 2009 at Vanderbilt
    Oct. 10, 2009 Alabama
    Oct. 17, 2009 UAB
    Oct. 24, 2009 Arkansas
    Oct. 31, 2009 at Auburn
    Nov. 7, 2009 Northern Arizona
    Nov. 14, 2009 Tennessee
    Nov. 21, 2009 LSU

    HOTTY TODDY!

    Comment by OXFORDorbust — May 21, 2009 @ 4:02 pm

51. Hell Yes. No further comment necessary. It is a NO-Brainer.

    Comment by Richard Gober — May 21, 2009 @ 5:22 pm

52. Oxford is a unique and wise choice as it is in the center of the birthplace and cultivation of American music and is still a music hotbed. Oxford is out of the way, but that has the advantage of not being adulterated by tourism. No tourist crap there. The food is good. The party is even better, and there is a ton of great music in that little backwoods town. It’s a beautiful place that feels like it is out of a movie, though it still has the heart and soul of the culture that gave birth to American music. And the blues archive is worth the trip alone.

    Comment by Charleston Guy — May 21, 2009 @ 7:27 pm

53. that would be the 3rd. we are well aware of football and are beyond that obstacle. did you read the article in the northeast ms daily journal?

    come down to oxford!

    Comment by misty leigh — May 21, 2009 @ 7:28 pm

54. The art, culture and ambiance of this town is why I moved back after graduating from Ole Miss almost a decade ago. The Blues Arcives is pure historical enlightenment one cannot find anywhere else. Whether it is the literature, music or artistry one is looking for, you will find it ALL.
    And I have to mention the “after hours” party/bar experience. That’s pure icing on a delectible cake……

    Comment by Kari Kohne — May 21, 2009 @ 9:40 pm

55. If you have any questions as to Oxford and Ole Miss’s ability to host a national event, ask anyone from a different part of the country who attended the first Presidential debate last fall - which was held there. I’m sure they will tell you that all of the town’s businesses, the University, and the locals were very hospitable and provided excellent service to the large influx of attendees. Further, any questions as to the town’s ability to handle that many people are easily dismissed upon consideration of the fact that it provides services to the tens of thousands of people that flood the town at least six to seven weekends every fall for football games. Additionally, it is within an hour and fifteen minutes of an international airport in Memphis, along with its proximity to musical landmarks in Memphis (Graceland, Stax, Beale Street, etc.), Tupelo (Elvis’s birthplace), and the Mississippi Delta (birthplace of the blues).

    Comment by Charles — May 22, 2009 @ 12:07 pm

56. Thank you Charles and Kari!
    I am going to be at Music in the Hall tonite with a banner promoting the conference - Thank you Daniel - I will also have promotional post-cards - please come by and see me and tell your friends about this HUGE opportunity for all of us!

    Comment by Oxfordgal — May 22, 2009 @ 2:22 pm

57. Big City = expensive.

    Oxford is very affordable and has a rich music culture.

    See the link below for picture below for the 14 acre oak Grove where many concerts and events are held (Including 80,000 football fans on some Saturdays). As mentioned earlier Mississippi is the birthplace of the blues (that’s not disputable), and, as I learned in my History of Music in the South class, blues spawned rock and roll. Just because Mississippi has a strange past, doesn’t mean it’s not worth traveling here. Don’t you want to know what its really like post-Civil Rights? If you think we shouldn’t get it because of what happened in 1962, that’s simply not fair to the 1000s of people who are working everyday for equality.

    I’ve started seeing signs and other shows of support around Oxford to get this event here, I think people should give it a chance before saying “no.” It’ll be worth it for all, and affordable too.

    Thanks for the consideration.

    http://shawn-knight.net/photos/grovebowl1.jpg

    Comment by Oxfordjourno — May 23, 2009 @ 5:48 pm

58. This is an excellent idea. The Birthplace of American Music is an ideal place for any scholarly conference about music but is especially perfect for a meeting about a great band whose best work made a transatlantic connection with this place.

    If you have not been to Oxford, a visit should be on your to-do list. It is difficult to overstate the charm of the place and its people. Ole Miss reconciled with its troubled past to become a great public university but, along the way, Oxford became much more than just a college town. Oxford is the kind of place that makes you grateful for life itself. It shares that characteristic with the music of U2. The band’s spiritual connection with this part of the world much stronger than any bond with the other cities mentioned. I agree with Chico that the Rock Hall is out of place (although I like Cleveland) but the reason cities in the northern heartland lay claim to the Deep South’s cultural treasure is that “we” spent generations rejecting our artists and musicians and diminishing their contributions. The diaspora from the Jim Crow South is responsible for the location of the Rock Hall and all of the other blues/rock & roll credibility claimed by Chicago, Detroit, and others. Nevertheless, in the modern era, Mississippi is inviting everyone to come learn the first chapter of the story. Oxford is not only our literary capital, but also the best example of modern Mississippi. Great studio recordings have been made by legendary artists in Oxford. The live music scene is significant. The restaurants are astonishingly good. I could go on.

    With so many U2 stadium tours through the years, it’s understandable that large cities would claim a close connection with the band. For purposes of this conference, however, Oxford, MS, may be the perfect location. Please come see us.

    p.s., You can count on a conference registration fee from this Mississippian (with Soldier Field tickets in hand).

    Comment by Alton Dalton — May 25, 2009 @ 10:47 pm

59. dont forget bono has been to JRs place that burned, Oxford should get this, its the crossroads of southern culture and music bingo.

    Comment by dleat — May 26, 2009 @ 1:00 am

60. From Oxford’s Mayor - Richard Howorth:

    Dear Mr. Calhoun,

    I am writing at the suggestion of Misty Phillips to encourage your consideration of Oxford for the U2 Conference venue. The Oxford / University of Mississippi community hosts many conferences and events – the Conference for the Book, Double Decker Festival, Blues Conference, Faulkner Conference, and, this past year, the first debate between Barack Obama and John McCain – so we’ve got the basics down.

    Our city is well known for its small-town feel with big-city amenities, including excellent restaurants, shops, bars, and a thriving cultural destination for many writers, musicians, artists, and performers, some of whom come for one of the two area recording studios, Sweet Tea and Fat Possum. Accommodations here are generally available, with food and lodging costs quite reasonable.

    Oxford is easy to get around in by car (zero traffic problems), on foot (the campus and town square are merely 10 blocks apart), by bicycle (Oxford was designated Mississippi’s first Bicycle Friendly Community last year by the League of American Bicyclists, one of only four cities in the Southeast to get this designation), and by a newly created public transit system.

    We are 70 miles from Memphis International Airport (about as easy to get to as the Denver airport is for folks in Denver), 30 miles east of the legendary Mississippi Delta, and 50 miles west of America’s great undiscovered national parkway, the beautiful Natchez Trace.

    Should you choose to come here, we believe your conference attendees will be pleased with the fun, relaxed pace of life in a place that is unique and whose people very welcoming. I understand many of your constituents would prefer to be closer to a U2 concert. Perhaps they would like to come here, too.

    With best wishes,

    Sincerely,

    Richard Howorth

    Comment by Oxfordgal — May 27, 2009 @ 11:19 am

61. I could actually attend if this conference comes to Oxford. OMG! The very thought threatens to overwhelm me. Good food, plenty of places to stay–Tupelo is close and has MANY hotel rooms AND an airport with service to Memphis and Atlanta. This would be SO awesome.

    Comment by Melinda — May 27, 2009 @ 4:04 pm

62. With all love and respect to the awesome Oxford organizers, Ole Miss would be great — but not that particular weekend. As I have already said, if it will not be at Duke in October, how about Oxford in 2010?

    Comment by Andy Smith — May 27, 2009 @ 10:49 pm

63. I agree for spring 2010, at either location, honestly- it is getting late in the game for me, personally, to be able to make the arrangements that would need to be made to attend the conference this fall, being that there is not a set time/place as of yet. Believe me, I understand the complexities of conference organizing and I think the committee is doing a great job checking out multiple options, but maybe it is better to give everyone interested in attending enough time to get plans together for 2010 at this point?

    Comment by Rachel E. Seiler — May 28, 2009 @ 2:27 pm

64. This is a great Idea

    Comment by Brett — May 28, 2009 @ 5:14 pm

65. Oxford is an absolutely outstanding choice. It has more “culture per capita” than anywhere in the United States, from someone who has lived in London and lives in New York now.

    Comment by Steve — May 28, 2009 @ 7:36 pm

66. And let’s not forget that we will have a U2 tribute concert by all the great local Oxford musicians!!

    Comment by Austin Marshall — June 2, 2009 @ 4:11 pm

67. I was on the news last night promoting conference - check it out here!

    http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/news/mississippi/060109_Ole_Miss_Wants_U2_to_Come_to_Oxford

    Comment by Misty Phillips — June 2, 2009 @ 6:32 pm

68. http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/news/mississippi/060109_Ole_Miss_Wants_U2_to_Come_to_Oxford

    Comment by Misty Phillips — June 2, 2009 @ 7:00 pm

69. I’m not nearly as eloquent as some of these other posters. But, I have lived in Oxford for 7 years and I know that no one that comes to the U2 conference here will be disappointed in the location. Oxford is a great town full of great people and surrounded by great Music!
    Hope to See Everyone Here Soon!

    Comment by Step — June 2, 2009 @ 9:05 pm

70. Great Job on TV Misty!

    Comment by Step — June 2, 2009 @ 9:06 pm

71. Oxford would be a great location for this conference. It’s proximity to Memphis is a big plus and the town itself is great. Oxford did a great job hosting last year’s presidential debate.

    Comment by Matt Jones — June 3, 2009 @ 4:29 pm

72. In Oxford, you could hear music from the living artists and/or their descendants that Bono talks about in this movie:

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363223

    Comment by Randy Wadkins — June 3, 2009 @ 7:05 pm

73. Oxford would be a much more affordable alternative than a larger city. Renting a car isn’t really required at all! You can shuttle from the airport, then take advantage of our free local bus system while here. Hotels are much less expensive in Oxford than in any downtown metropolitan city, and the reduced cost to the organizers means a reduced registration fee!

    Come on down, y’all! You won’t be disappointed. We have hosted a Presidential Debate here, we can more than show the scholars and fans of U2 the hospitality required.

    Besides, you have to get close to the Delta to really be able to talk about rock and roll. Blues legends play here every weekend.

    Comment by Anna S. — June 4, 2009 @ 3:29 am

74. U2 recorded in Memphis. “In The Name of Love” mentions the “shot (that) rang out in the Memphis Sky”. At any given moment you can run into any number of internationally acclaimed musicians, artists, and writers in Oxford. I can think of no other place that would appreciate this conference more than Oxford and the University of Mississippi.

    Comment by Kim — June 5, 2009 @ 4:45 pm

75. Thank you friends and family who supported my attempt to land this conference in Oxford. I truly am blessed by your generosity and enthusiasm.

    I am “neither down, nor out!”

    I told Scott at the beginning of this adventure that I would be sad if I did not “win” but I sincerely and prayerfully wanted what is best for the conference.

    I have faith that what’s best has happened. Who knows? Maybe next time?

    Also, I am still planning to get a group together to ride a bus to Atlanta. More on that soon.

    Love to all y’all.

    Misty

    Comment by Misty Phillips — June 8, 2009 @ 12:24 pm

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI

Leave a comment