September 25: A Beautiful Day?

Was September 25 the date Larry posted the notice at the school, or was it the date of U2’s first meeting in his kitchen? *(Answer below). More importantly, will it be the date U2 releases Songs of Experience? That’s the question some of us are asking as we wait on a bed of nails for SOE to arrive, analyzing every sound that emits from Bono’s villa in Eze and scrutinizing his wine choices in Croatia.

It would make perfect sense for that to be the release date, with the I Heart Radio appearance happening two days before. But forget “sense” for a minute. If we’re being honest, releasing Songs of Experience on their 40^th anniversary could go down as the most symbolic gesture U2 ever did for their fans. No matter how it’s released or how the non-U2 public receive it, dropping Songs of Experience on the day U2 became a band would be the ultimate way for them to say what Bono has repeated for years: “Thanks for giving us a great life.” In fact – and I’m reaching here, but play along – what if they did it at one of the #U240 events, either Dublin or Cleveland? *Drops mouth open*

Will I love the album if it’s released on September 27, October 1 or some other arbitrary date in that time frame? Of course. But we’re holding our breath now, diving for pearls as we wait for Songs of Experience – so why not make the wait as interesting as possible?

*The kitchen. But you knew that!