Conan to Turn Entire Show Over to U2
Tuesday October 4 4:47 PM ET

In his 12 years in charge of booking musical guests on Conan O'Brien's "Late Night," Jim Pitt always listed U2 and Johnny Cash as the dream artists he'd tried but never succeeded in getting.

He lost his chance with the late Cash, but the U2 dream is coming true Thursday in a major way.

O'Brien will turn over his entire show to the band, which is in New York for seven sold-out engagements at Madison Square Garden.

"We were able to offer them something to feel enough like an event for them to do the show," Pitt said. "It's basically `Late Night with Conan O'Brien,' the U2 edition."

The NBC show has never before devoted itself entirely to a musical guest, although it gave major time a few years back to a holiday appearance by bandleader Max Weinberg's other employer, Bruce Springsteen.

O'Brien's a big U2 fan, and made a personal connection by talking at length with Bono during breaks in rehearsals for the band's "Saturday Night Live" appearance last season, Pitt said.

It may be a nervous time for Bono, who is nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his work in trying to ease Third World poverty. People who watch the Nobel closely list the lead singer as one of the favorites. The winner is expected to be named Friday.

The band is expected to perform three songs and be interviewed by O'Brien.

Pitt is not pushing for any material in particular.

"When U2 decides they want to come on the show for an hour, you don't get too picky about what they play," he said.

awesome.

Lame.

not indie enough?

Ha! No, I just don't like U2. It's gay to devote a whole show to any band, in my opinion.

Since when am I into indie? I'm not Kilman, for crying out loud.

We're going to discuss this at some point, Nate.

I don't get how they're devoting an entire show to U2 if all they're doing is playing three songs and being interviewed. It doesn't take that long to play Vertigo. Any idea if they'll be doing anything else?

anyway, i bet they play vertigo, where the streets have no name and... either city of blinding lights (unless they have another new single out) or something old and less predictable like 40 or like a song.

Out of the three songs that they play, two of them will be Vertigo.

They could play it catorce times.

alot of hatorade in this thread ....anyway, I can't wait for this.

do they really need to play in NY 7 times? that's just crazy.

i'll be watching, it'll gear me up to see them on friday night

Very impressive. They might be the only band who could do that right now.

They have some good songs, but as a band they're simply given too much praise, and I don't think they justify it. It's true that I haven't heard very much of their material, but it doesn't seem awe-inspiring like people make it out to be. I mean, seven sold out dates and a whole show to themselves? They're just not worth it.

Between Conan's monologue, the usual comedy bits and U2's interview and 3 performances I'm sure they won't have any trouble filling up the hour.

Yeah, that's at least 14 Vertigos. Ouch.

Springsteen did 15 nights there his last tour.
15.

Sold out.

Selling out MSG isn't a big deal. Look at how many times Bon Jovi has sold out the Meadowlands!!!!

I'll be watching this but not for U2.

There are loads of 30 somethings in New York who are trying to re-connect to a time in their life before they (the 30 somethings) completely sold out. Never underestimate the marketing power of nostalgia.


That being said I'll probably tune in for Conan. But U2 post Zooropa is pretty insiginificant. I do applaud Bono for his Humantarian work though.