Last friday night (4/15) we were able to go see U2′s Vertigo 2005 Tour at the Glendale Arena. The show was simply wow. I always wanted to see U2 live, not only for their songs but for the quality of the show they put together. This one was not a disappointment, I feel they don’t give you a concert, instead you get an experience that is hard to describe.

I guess other big-time bands can also offer the high caliber of concert but there was something about U2 that truly makes it an experience. For some it may be the social message behind their music or the use of visual technology throughout the stage, for me it was all of it. I was truly a great show and should they come anywhere near your town, I would highly recommend it.

I have posted a few photos that I was able to take and while not the best images you have ever seen, I hope you can get an idea of the energy in the place.

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Analog cable services are a thing of the past or fast heading in that direction. We recently received a letter that our community was going to be changing to a newer infrastructure which would allow us to take advantage of digital service. The market trends appear to lead in that direction, so what benefits will digital television will provide the customer?

I know that having a nice tv guide available through your television is nice to have but I want more. A better signal could also be a welcome benefit but what about the casual person who does not watch a whole lot of tv? The reason that I ask is because I would like to see a change in how we consume these services. I would like to be able to buy channels on demand, I see that a true value proposition which would be feasible through true digital tv signals.

For example, currently Fox Sports en Español is showing the games for Copa Libertadores. I would really like to watch these games live but in order to do so I would have to buy the entire latin package from Cox. A package that includes several channels which we already receive from our local stations. I don’t think that one channel is worth the cost of the entire package so I listen ot these games over the web. However, if I was able to buy just this channel for a period of time, maybe even just pay for the programming related to this event (similar to what you can do with big sporting events like March Madness) I would do it without thinking twice about it.

I have not done much research on this since I have just been thinking about it recently but I believe that by giving customers options and easy access to them, the entertainment companies will provide a more valuable offer to ALL customers. The casual tv watcher will have a reason to believe in this medium again if he/she has the option to spend its money buying only the programming they find worthwhile. Cox, this is what I want from my digital tv package!

This past saturday I spent close to an hour hitting up Ticketmaster‘s servers in hope of getting two tickets for U2′s concert here in Phoenix. The Vertigo Tour will be in town April 14th and tickets went on sale Saturday morning. After many attempts it appeared as though the tickets available were sold out. Not giving up I tried one more time but this time I noticed that Ticketmaster announced a new date, April 15th, had been added to the calendar. I tried a couple more times and I was able to get two tickets for friday’s concert. Not the best tickets in town but at least we will be in-front of the stage, second floor an all but we’ll be able to see the band on stage.

It’s going to be a blast since U2 has always been a concert that I wish I could’ve been to, come April we’ll have our chance to see them live!

Not because a calendar marks the end of the season or the because temperatures are not reaching as high as they did last week but because Big Brother and The Amazing Race both end tonight. Now, that is the end of the summer.

update: Drew has won the half a million dollars by beating "Cowboy" by one vote (4-3). This season will not go down as one of my favorites but it was good to see Drew win it at the end. Now, we’ll see who will win the best reality show in TV – The Amazing Race.

update II: Chip and Kim have won the million dollars as the winners from this year’s Amazing Race. It is good to see good people win any contest, specially $1M, but I just hate the way they played the last few legs of the game. My vote was with Collin & Christie and their "crazy" driver!
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Sarah and I are going to Sarah Mclachlan tonight at the Glendale Arena. We bought the tickets a few months back, when the concert was first announced here in Phoenix.

I don’t think either one of us is a die-hard fan of SM but we have always enjoyed her music. I am not quite familiar with her last couple CD’s but I expect the show to be quite good. How can you go wrong with a three time Grammy Award winner? exactly.

McLachlan recently released, Afterglow, a record of many layers. The warmth of production, the purity of her voice and the beautiful harmonies all serve as a reminder of the reasons that McLachlan has gained worldwide acclaim for her talents.

“When you look up Afterglow in the dictionary, it is defined as ‘the glow or light that remains once the sun is gone’. You’re used to this bright, shiny beautiful glow but the moment the sun disappears, all of a sudden you have to readjust everything. It’s a very transitional moment. A lot of these songs are about transition…the turning over of the rock, what’s underneath, the murky, shadowy uncertainty where everything looks very different.”
- Sarah McLachlan

update: I know it has been a few days (a week to be precise) since the concert took place and I am sorry it has taken me this long to come back to revisit this entry. Thank you for waiting patiently and let me tell you that SM will not disappoint you with this show. Sarah and I decided that the magic of the show is the interaction that SM has with her audience. Unlike other artist who use their concerts just to "play" their latest singles, SM uses this opportunity to create and nurture a bond with her fans. It had the feel of an "unplugged" – although in a much greater scale – type show and that was worth the ticket price for me.