Complexions Ballet to Feature U2

U2 might be the hardest working band in modern music, and is one of my favorite rock groups of all time.

The lineup of Bono (vocals), The Edge (guitar), Adam Clayton (bass), and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums) has remained unchanged since the band formed as teens way back in 1976. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005, the band has sold more than 140 million albums worldwide, won 22 Grammy's, and is frequently involved in activism for human rights and HIV/AIDS awareness.

Over the course of three decades and 10 albums, the music of U2 has featured many different sounds and influences, including rock, soul, dance, gospel, alternative, blues, and country; the last two most notably on 1986-1989's The Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum, albums that launched the band into superstardom.

This success came with both critical praise (for Joshua Tree) and then a backlash (Rattle and Hum) and created something of an identity crisis for the group. According to Adam Clayton, U2 was becoming a "shrill, sloganeering arena-rock band."

The group took a hard left turn in the 1990's by exploring techno and industrial music on Achtung Baby, Zoo TV, and Zooropa. The tracks on these albums were at times flippant, dark, and self-deprecating. In an effort to poke fun at the commercialism of pop music, stardom, and themselves, U2 went on a massive world tour that incorporated hundreds of video screens, over-the-top stage props, and multi-media effects. They came to Birmingham's Legion Field on this tour and it was one of the most impressive live shows I've ever seen.

As the 90's progressed, however, this stylistic makeover into pop/rock juggernaut alienated many of their hardcore fans. From 2000 to present, U2 wisely abandoned the campy, experimental kitsch of the 90's and rediscovered their more traditional sound with All That You Can't Leave Behind and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, two albums that won back critics and fans alike.

As the group puts the finishing touches on its most recent album No Line on the Horizon (due later this year), their music is being featured in an unusual way right here at the Alys Stephens Center! Complexions Contemporary Ballet will feature a dance number choreographed to several songs from the U2 catalogue including "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," "With or Without You," "Desire," and "Pride," among others. This unique program is being performed on January 16-18 for three shows: Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Don't wait to get your tickets because all three shows are expected to sell out! You can reserve your seats by calling our Box Office at (205) 975-ARTS (2787), toll free at 1-877-ART-TIKS, or go online here.