I'll try to keep this brief, but maybe this cathartic outpouring (or ranting, depending on your point of view) is just what I need.
My interest in the band has definitely waned over the past year, even to the point where this is the first U2 release that I'm not pumped up for. It's been coming for quite a while, starting with my frustration back in early 2014 when we still had no album news and rumors were swirling that the band was going to delay their album yet again. By the summer of that year my wife and I were busy moving to another state and U2, sadly, didn't play much of a role in that soundtrack. I found myself frustrated and tired of listening to the band drag their heels and tease us with bits that never materialized. I loved "Invisible" but after that we heard nothing for nine long months, until the surprise release of SOI. That definitely got me excited again and helped keep the flame alive for a bit longer, along with the I+E tour the following year.
By 2016 I started to notice the fatigue again, mainly because the band was once again talking about another album that had yet to see the light of day. Around that time I was also growing weary of the fanbase, as the election had caused a lot of arguing, both on the forums and on Facebook. My final straw was when someone suggested that because I lean to the right politically that I don't "get U2's music" and perhaps I didn't have a place among the fans. I don't care where artists lean politically, nor do I care if their fans happen to share those views, but that kind of bickering and condescension eventually wore me down. I stopped posting on the forums, didn't listen to much U2, and just wanted to get as far away from the fanbase as possible. The band and extended family I had loved for over 15 years was gone, replaced by vicious ideologues and a band that seemed unable to walk that fine line between discourse and reciting talking points. In short: I was done.
When the Joshua Tree tour was announced I got excited yet again, with the promise of seeing my all time favorite album performed live too good to pass up. Yet when it came time to buy tickets I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I had them in my cart, debit card number at the ready, but something just didn't feel right. The excitement wasn't there. I ended up scoring tickets to see Radiohead instead, as they've always been my second favorite and the only band I could ever conceive of taking U2's place at the top. That night in Kansas City they did it. I was stunned and blown away from the first note to the last. The unpredictable setlist, the lack of theatrics or political grandstanding, the sheer precision and enthusiasm of the band. I distinctly remember thinking during the show "I was right to pass up U2 for this. This is the band they could be if they'd be more adventurous." Radiohead took the top spot that night and still remain there. Sorry Bono, but the silver medal is about all I can give you at this point. The second time they came around we ended up going to Japan on mission trip, so I missed the show but traded it for a week in Japan, which is an experience that tops any concert!
I'm just now starting to venture out in to the fan community again, with SOE looking more and more like a real possibility by the end of this year. I still love the band, and will always appreciate the years I spent obsessing over them, but that time is gone now and I'm okay with it. I may not get chills when I hear my favorites or attempt to collect every rarity that pops up, but that's okay. There's so much music out there and if anything it reminded me that I can still be impartial. U2 CAN be overthrown and if they don't step up their game then there are other artists who will. There are other fanbases who are more open and tolerant of differing opinions, as well as other fanclubs that have offered me far more bang for my buck than U2.com ever has (They Might Be Giants have one of the best offers I've ever seen and I'm going with them for 2018).
Sorry for making this so long, but that's how I feel. I'll always love the music and I look forward to the new album and tour, but I've just be through too much to think that things can ever be like they once were. That's okay, though. I'm happy just sitting on the sidelines right now and watching the rest of the team.
