The Waltonian

I can imagine that Inhaler’s leading man, Eli Hewson, hates hearing it, but during his concert at Irving Plaza — a venue that his father once graced — he sure resembled his dad. For those that don’t know, Eli is the son of U2’s frontman, Bono. Yes, the band that put an album on your iTunes account is now old enough to have children at the age that they started out. Inhaler, after
years of singles releases, finally put out a full album, titled “It Won’t Always Be Like This,” last summer (the CD is still in the first slot of my car’s player). Now they are embarking on their first headlining tour and have just wrapped up their North American dates. I was lucky enough to catch their show at Irving Plaza last Monday, and what a night it was.

When Inhaler took the stage, the energy in Irving Plaza rose exponentially when the opening synthesizer from“It Won’t Always Be Like This” — the titular track from their debut album — hit. Keeping the momentum going, the band went into the fast-paced “We Have to Move On,” a single that wasn’t on their debut album. The same goes for “Ice Cream Sundae,” which is one of
the band’s lighter songs.

The whole band is great, but shoutout to drummer Ryan McMahon, who deserves a lot of credit for keeping the beat steady. A drummer has one of the hardest jobs in the band, and McMahon never faltered. As a bass player, I also appreciated Robert Keating, whose bass line in “In My Sleep” is the best part of the song. Out of all of the band members, Keating is by far the most active on stage; standing close to the fans and interacting with McMahon on a few occasions.

Unlike some younger groups, Inhaler looks like a well-oiled machine on stage. They’ve been playing together for years, but an almost spotless performance is worth noting. Mistakes are kept to a minimum, and it’s impressive how much the band connects with the audience and each other. Eli has the audience in the palm of his hand — much like his father — and can have people hoppin’ and boppin’ to “Who’s Your Money On? (Plastic House)” and lovers swaying to “Totally.” This is not a criticism of other young bands — being on stage is not an easy task — but you’d swear that Inhaler was as experienced as the Goo Goo Dolls if not for their babyfaces.

Perhaps the only criticism of their show is that it’s a bit short. The band plays for roughly an hour, and that’s including the entirety of their debut album (with the exception of “A Strange Time to Be Alive,” an interlude) and a couple of non-album singles (“We Have to Move On” and “Ice Cream Sundae”). They don’t have a lot of other released songs to play, but “Falling In” was
severely missed.

Just over 20 years ago, in anticipation of their new album, “All That You Can’t Leave Behind,” U2 played a promotional show at Irving Plaza. It’s now amazing to see Bono’s son, who was likely a toddler when his father played there, headline a show there with a crowd of rabid fans of his group. Bono was there in-person, and I’m still kicking myself for missing a chance to meet the Irish legend. And while Inhaler certainly benefits from having the Bono connection (Eli smartly goes by his real name and not “Bono Jr.”), they are talented with or without that connection. Greta Van Fleet is here to save the 70s rock and the spirits of Led Zeppelin; Inhaler is here to save the 80s punk rock scene and spirits of The Cure, The Smiths, and Joy Division. Inhaler is a band still on the rise, and their status as such will only last so long. As the name of their debut album and opening track on their album suggests, “it won’t always be like this,” and they’re going to become a household name sooner than later.

I know that on the heels of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and the upcoming release of “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” all of the talk is focused on how [x] movie brought back [y] character from the [z] cinematic universe. But I’m here to tell you that only one film has done the multiverse right: “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

For some background, “EEAAO” — being abbreviated for the sake of space — is a film about a Chinese immigrant family that lives a mundane life of running a laundromat and has a loveless marriage on the verge of breaking between Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh) and Waymond (Ke Huy Quan). The IRS is somehow not even their biggest concern, as their daughter Joy is slowly drifting apart from them. During one fateful meeting with their auditor, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, Evelyn is dragged into a fight spanning the multiverse.

Mind you, this is not a review of the film, rather an attempt to do justice for the film’s usage of the multiverse concept. The multiverse isn’t used as an excuse to bring back old characters in “EEAAO,” which is a welcomed change of pace (not that this film has any previous entries to take from). But for as cool of a concept as the multiverse is — who wouldn’t want to see alternate timelines? — the multiverse has been reduced down to a gimmick to get easy cheers from audiences. It’s reached a point similar to the “science” in comic book movies. Again, I’m not expecting any verbiage spewed out by characters in the MCU to be approved by the world’s smartest scientists, but slapping “quantum” at the end of every sentence doesn’t excuse the laziness, and I don’t care that the movies tried to be self-aware of this. It’s similar to how Tony Stark made the quantum-sized leap from metal suits to nanotechnology. Forgive me if I’m forgetting the lore of the films, but I don’t know what possibly happened in between “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and “Infinity War” that would suggest that nanotech was available to him, but I digress.

Back to the multiverse, rather than using the multiverse to stop past events, or recruit/fight past versions of themselves to save the world, “EEAAO” uses it to unlock more potential for Evelyn like power-ups in a video game. And if nothing else, the bodies of Evelyn are used as a vessel to channel other versions of Evelyn that are helpful in certain situations whether it be trained in martial arts or has hot dog hands. These abilities take over Evelyn in her battles and make for some hilarious, albeit unexpected moments. “EEAAO” is an absurd movie that truly throws spaghetti at the wall and sees what sticks; it’s almost sensory overload but it is somehow the right kind of chaos.

Look, Marvel can and will continue to use the multiverse for the foreseeable future and that’s fine. That well will inevitably run dry when all of the X-Men characters have been brought back and every Batman actor has graced the silver screen for one last curtain call. Watch “EEAAO” when it makes its wide release on April 8 for a multiverse adventure that is so unique that you can’t help but take it all in. It’s the multiverse done right, and I don’t care what Doctor Strange has to say about it.

For over fifty years, Elton John has been recording hits and touring the world, bringing audiences his wonderful music. But, like all things, it eventually has to come to an end. Not all can continue revolutionizing concert tours like U2, or have the happiness to play 40-song sets like Paul McCartney. That’s not to say Elton John isn’t a performer or on either of their levels. Rather, John has clearly reached a point of contention in his life, finally drug-free and yearning for more time with his young children. So, after nearly three years of waiting since I bought my ticket, Elton John finally made his way to the Barclays Center in my home of Brooklyn, New York for an epic two-and-a-half-hour show filled with hits, deep cuts, and some new material.

There was no opening act on this tour, so John made his way to the stage at 8:05 (great timing considering the official 8:00 start time). After the lights dim and a montage of snippets played over the loudspeaker, I heard “Pinball Wizard” in there somewhere, the opening chords of Bennie and the Jets blare from the speakers like the battle of the bands in “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.”

The biggest deep cut of the set was “Have Mercy on the Criminal,” a track from “Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player.” When introducing the song, John mentioned “Daniel” and “Crocodile Rock,” the latter of which he did play, and perhaps adding “Daniel” to the setlist would have enhanced the night. Another unique track played was “Border Song,” which, due to John’s current age, his vocals are limited and as a result, a lot of the soul is sucked from the song.

The middle of the set is a bit uneven, including some classic songs like “Levon” and “Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding,” but the tempos of “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” and “Burn Down The Mission” ran the risk of slowing the concert to a halt. “Sad Songs (Say So Much)” and “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” definitely picked up this portion of the concert.

Things pick up once “The B***h is Back” kicks off a quarter of fast tempo songs, and the audience was loving it. You can’t help but dance to “I’m Still Standing,” and we were all “hoppin’ and boppin’” to “Crocodile Rock.” Almost everyone was singing the “la la la la la” refrain, but even louder was the repeated “Saturday’s” during, you guessed it, “Saturday Nights Alright For Fighting.”

The encore opened up with “Cold Heart,” a strange remix of “Sacrifice and Rocketman (I Think It’s Gonna Be A Long, Long Time)” that John recorded with Dua Lipa. He sang the verses before letting a video projection of Dua Lipa play during the chorus. It was just an awkward way to get cheap applause from the younger audience members. But picking up the slack for it was “Your Song,” which is, in my opinion, right up there with “Maybe I’m Amazed” for the best love song ever. John can’t sing nearly as high as he used to, in fact, you can hear it wear down in the middle of his set, resulting in him practically shouting and barking out words, but this version of “Your Song” with his deeper tone is beautiful.

Closing out the show was “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” after which John is taken up on an elevator to a “Truman Show”-like door as he waves his final goodbyes. There’s a finality to the show that felt satisfying and appropriate. No number of “One more song” chants could lure John back out to the stage; this was it, and the crowd knew it.

Elton John is a legend and just seeing him sing these songs that have crossed numerous generations was special. They didn’t flow quite as well as a McCartney concert, which is a shame considering just how long they’ve been playing this set, but it’s a heartfelt goodbye filled with songs from his catalog that will generally satisfy lifelong diehard fans of John and those who just want to see a legend of the music industry on his farewell tour.

Jeff Sneider is an experienced film reporter who has worked for the likes of TheWrap, Mashable, Collider and is now an Editor at Below The Line.

Do you remember the first time I reached out to you a couple of years ago?

I do. I was impressed that you reached out. I think people are afraid sometimes to themselves out there, and they don’t speak up about what they want, and to me, closed mouths don’t get fed. You have got to speak up about what you want to pursue in this life. When I was younger, I don’t know that I had the best mentors or even a mentor. Everyone had mindsets like “You have got to figure this out for yourself,” and “Keep your eyes on your own paper.” And I guess I’m self-taught in that sense, but I wish I had someone to bounce stuff off of and you’re welcome to continue to.

Could you share your story?

I’ve been obsessed with movies since I was a kid. And when I was 12, I saw “Scream,” and that made me want to be a writer. I got into Tisch at NYU and was in the screenwriting department. While I was at NYU, I was writing for the student paper, Washington Square News, and I had a friend, Janelle Wohltmann, who worked at the NYU radio station as a DJ. She would get invites to press screenings but she knew I love movies and I took an invite to one of the “Matrix” sequels. I went to see that and decided to write a review and then I sent it to Ain’t It Cool News, and they ran it. This is when I began a cordial relationship with Harry Knowles, and I would send whatever I couldn’t get into NYU’s paper to them. From there, I was rushing off to New York’s finest hotels to do roundtable interviews with the world’s biggest stars in between classes.

When I graduated from NYU, I ended up getting an internship at Blumhouse, which was unpaid, and I needed to make some money. I saw that Variety was hiring paid interns, so that’s really how I fell into the trade game. I eventually made my way to The Wrap where Sharon Waxman taught me how to be a reporter. I returned to Variety, before going to The Wrap, then Mashable, The Tracking Board, and Collider before finally landing at Below the Line.

A lot of outlets seem to be going towards digital content, am I wrong in saying that?

That’s a good question. I definitely sense the move towards interviews, I just feel like that is what publicity departments seem to value. But it’s still “hot take culture,” right? That’s the stuff that ends up going viral. I would say that news is less valued, unfortunately. It’s always going to be valued because you can’t have takes without the news, and there’s always going to be a premium on exclusives and breaking news, but you’re right. You used to see places trumpeting their exclusives. And it was all about being first. And I do feel that it has moved away from that a little bit. With Below The Line, I am trying to publish an interview a day and to give a voice to these artisans.

You spoke about everyone rushing to be first, do you think about the way the embargoes are set up for big-budget movies is a part of that issue? For example, I saw “No Way Home” at one of the first press screenings and then the embargo goes up at like 2:00 AM the next morning.

Yeah, but that’s a choice that you’re making, Andrew. What happens if you don’t publish the review in six hours? Nothing happens. It’s the studio. Embargoes are good because I think that they level the playing field, but I don’t know why everyone rushes to meet them, unless it makes sense for their readership and their audience. I did it for “Scream” (2022), the embargo was 3:00 AM Eastern, and I stayed up until 4:30 to finish. Now, why didn’t I just go to bed and finish in the morning? Or post on Friday? I guess it’s because yeah, I wanted to be part of that first wave of reviews that gets shared and passed around, but you’re right that it’s never helpful to write under that kind of deadline and. It takes a certain kind of critic to that, one who is not in a rush to hit those embargoes. A lot of people just go and don’t even write reviews, just look at the people in the Critics’ Choice Awards. Are you a critic because you go on YouTube and talk about your feelings on a movie? Is a critic just someone who sees a movie and has an opinion?

This interview was edited for clarity and is part one of a two-part interview to be continued in the next issue.

As some students, including myself, are still attempting to figure out how they can return to campus amidst positive tests and the always-changing policies for handling said tests, the NCAA has recently announced its updated COVID-19 guidelines for winter sports that are playing and practicing amidst the pandemic. On January 6th, the NCAA stated these three guidelines for what it means to be “fully vaccinated”: “1. Within two months of having completed the primary series of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine (one dose). 2. Within five months of having completed the primary series of the mRNA Pfizer vaccine, or within six months of having completed the primary series of the mRNA Moderna vaccine (two doses for both). 3. Who have received a booster vaccine if they are beyond two months of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or beyond five or six months of the mRNA Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, respectively.” Additionally, those who have been infected by COVID-19 with documentation in the past 90 days is also “fully vaccinated.”

Speaking to student-athlete Connor Gill, a member of Eastern’s lacrosse team that is heading into his senior season. This means that over the past three years, he has only had one “normal” season due to COVID-19, with the other seasons being cut short. This has messed up his athletic career according to him, but it has also resulted in him being able to step back and look at his career (both athletically and professionally) differently. Gill is unlikely the only athlete to feel this way. Be that as it may, at least the protocols for COVID-19 and vaccination status have evolved over the past couple of years.

In regards to the rest of his team, Gill stated that there is a variety of vaccinated and unvaccinated players that make up the team, which can be frustrating. It does affect players as those who are unvaccinated have to get tested three days a week, but some of the changes make it work enough that they are just grateful to even be able to play.

Similar to Eastern’s COVID-19 policies, those who test positive are suggested to isolate for five days. If no symptoms are shown after those days, athletes can return to action. Gill, who was “very aware” of the new COVID-19 and vaccination status protocols, “I was just isolated for the past five days. I am glad that the NCAA came out with these new protocols since the CDC changed up the isolation period,” said Gill. He is also not vaccinated at all to his own admission but is relieved because the new protocols call him “fully vaccinated” as a result of him having COVID in the last 90 days and he will not have to get tested for the next three months.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted almost every aspect of our daily lives. With the constantly changing nature of rules and regulations regarding safety protocols, we should be grateful that our lacrosse team is even able to have their season, as annoying as certain regulations may be.

Photo 1: EU Athletic Photography

Connor Gill running down the field with the ball during an Eastern lacrosse game.

[/media-credit] Orange, CA – August 19: Nurse Mary Ezzat administers a Pfizer COVID-19 booster shot to Jessica M. at UCI Medical Center in Orange, CA, on Thursday, August 19, 2021. Jessica is a healthcare worker and is also immuno compromised. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

Photo 2: Orange County Register/Getty Images

Nurse administering a Covid booster for a patient.

I first met Dan Dombrowski when I was offered an interview through his representatives during the promotional rounds for a film called “The Estate.” The first thing I noticed about Dan was how open he was. I was supposed to have a short window with him, maybe 15 minutes, and we ended up talking for an extended period of time about things that surpassed his score for “The Estate.” But that’s how Dan is; he is always eager to help and to chat about anything. I would consider him a friend that just so happens to work in the film industry.

You may not know Dan by name, but if you have watched “The Carbonaro Effect,” you can hear Dan’s music and sound effects in the first three seasons. His music was also used for “Buying Alaska.” Despite the fact that none of his family members played music, Dan’s music career began before college where he played in a band. But it wasn’t until after college that he got a real job in the music industry. Dan worked at a recording studio in New York City that is no longer open. Dan described the position as: “I was essentially a runner, like just running around town, getting stuff for sessions and making coffee and cleaning the room and setting stuff up and putting stuff away and I earned a whopping $5 and 15 cents an hour in New York doing that.”

After that stint, Dan found himself going to Costa Rica for a period of time before getting another job for Zomba Records. He began as a worker in the archiving department before secretly moving into the international marketing department. “I ended up working in the international department handling all of the release planning and manufacturing of us repertoire outside of the US so whenever we would really see us, artists, anywhere in the world, I would be the guy that made that happen. At that point, it was manufacturing, CDs because iTunes was just kind of happening,” said Dan.

But even at this point, with a steady job and all, Dan felt frustrated and unfulfilled in work. This is where Dan’s story can be a message for college students: utilize your talents and do what you enjoy. Like many students, Dan said, “I didn’t know that [there were] other things besides getting out of school, working a job in rising up the ranks.” But Dan added, “You’re not going to be happy all the time. You’re not like there’s a lot of stuff that talks about this job. Like you write a piece of music, but if it’s not what the person wants.”

Dan’s biggest piece of advice was to take risks, especially while in school. Dan said, “You don’t need to send money to people. You don’t have a mortgage, [and] crazy payments. That’s when you should chase these things, you can always go get a job. There’s always a way to earn a living.” Dan’s big break in composing came when he was working at Sony, and someone he knew connected him with someone making videos that he could score for. That ended up being TV show “South Beach Tow.”

If one thing can be learned from Dan, it’s to find what you love and just do it. No matter what, you can always find a way to make a living. Dan knows that he may not be Hans Zimmer or John Williams (yet), but he is constantly booked and working on various projects for film, TV, and video games. For all of the uncertainty many college students face, as they prepare for the world, take a look at the story of a man who went from being paid $5 an hour to scoring for “The Carbonaro Effect.”

It was not too long ago when Kevin Durant joined the Golden State Warriors and won back-to-back NBA championships and Finals MVPs. But, of course, it was not as if Durant’s arrival alone won Golden State championships; they had won one two years before and lost in seven games the year prior to Durant joining, but Durant was adding to a roster that already consisted of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, two of the greatest shooters the sport has seen, the always-reliable Draymond Green, and had set an NBA record with 73 regular season wins the year before Kevin Durant joined.

The Durant-Warriors teams only lost one game in their two series wins, annihilating the Lebron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers. Kevin Durant’s tenure with the Golden State Warriors was a reign of domination.

Sure, they failed to become a full dynasty, losing in their third finals series together against the Toronto Raptors after losing Durant and Thompson to injuries that postseason, but this Warriors team made it look easy to win NBA championships. When various teams are assembling the best of the best players, or what could be called “superteams,” it is fair to raise the question of whether these help or hurt professional sports.

To start with the positive about superteams, they are entertaining. Love or hate them, the Warriors with Durant were fun to watch. While the perception of superteams is that they are unfair to face, these teams are filled with really talented players in the world.

Watching the Warriors move the ball is a sight to behold, and adding Durant gave potential cases where there were four or five players on the floor who could possibly shoot. I remember when Steph threw a pass from over halfcourt behind his back and hit someone in-stride for two points. It was a one-of-a-kind play that can only be seen with these teams. Superteams also give real fans of the team a joyous time.

Recently, another team has assembled a powerhouse. The Los Angeles Rams made big moves obtaining Mathew Stafford, Von Miller, and Odell Beckham Jr. alongside their already dominant big three in Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, and Cooper Kupp. It’s a matter of where their team stinks and the fanbase is not happy. Even the Warriors were not nearly as good before Stephen Curry’s ascension in 2014. Superteams give a fanbase a time to shine and something to cheer for, and as a Giants fan, I can understand this.

An obvious downside to superteams is that they create a significant talent gap and makes the final winner predictable. From other leagues, the NBA seems to be the sport where this occurs the most, perhaps due to the number of games played.

Even if superteams are generally dominant, they still can be vulnerable. While the Rams are stacked, they’ve suffered three straight bad losses with their new additions. So it’s understandable how some view superteams as a problem. While I do not wholly condone them, I believe that they do some good for sports, including giving fanbases something to cheer for and bringing the best of the best together, resulting in magnificent plays.

Sources: Basketball Reference

It has been about two years since Martin Scorsese made waves by declaring the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies as “not cinema.” It sparked controversy, as various filmmakers and actors involved with the Marvel Cinematic Universe came out and defended their product. Even two years later, it seems as though filmmakers are still trying to defend their stance. James Gunn, the director of “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” along with the recent “The Suicide Squad” responded to Scorsese once again during the promo tour for “The Suicide Squad.” While many may still be offended by what Scorsese said, I wanted to give my opinion on the matter.

Now, in all fairness, I initially heard the comments by Scorsese and was defensive. I grew up watching the MCU, and even up to 2019, I would consider myself a pretty big fan of the franchise. But I also did not know Martin Scorsese at that point. I did see “The Irishman” that fall in theatres, but once I decided that I wanted to write about films for a living, I began diving into Scorsese’s filmography. As of this writing, I have watched 20 of his 25 feature films, and there is no doubt in my mind that Scorsese was correct in what he said.

The big misunderstanding is what Scorsese means by the Marvel movies not being “cinema.” If you read the full comment, he does acknowledge the fact that the movies are well-made but points to their lack of real emotion as to why they are not cinema. Before you freak out, just consider this: how many Marvel movies actually have stakes? “Avengers: Endgame” may be the only Marvel movie with actual stakes, killing off some of the franchise’s longtime heroes, but that was also the 22nd film of the series. It should not take 22 movies to finally reach a point where the stakes matter. Yes, “Infinity War” did kill off half of the universe, but there was a second part announced before the movie released, so was anything but a cliffhanger ending expected? We have to remember that at the end of the day, the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies are glorified toy commercials, and why would they let the likes of Spider-Man or the Guardians of the Galaxy die when there are more action figure variants to sell?

The other major issue with the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies is how they over-saturate the movie market. Taking 2020 out of the equation because of the pandemic, all ten of the highest-grossing films of 2019 were sequels, prequels, or tied to some IP. All three Marvel movies that year are included: “Captain Marvel,” “Avengers: Endgame,” and “Spider-Man: Far From Home.” Disney as a company made up 70% of the top ten (80% if you include “Spider-Man: Far From Home” which is a Sony and Disney property.) In 2021, Marvel had five streaming shows and four movies come out. You could blame that on the pandemic clogging the slate, but this would likely happen one way or another. There is just too much superhero/franchise content that is taking eyes away from independent movies.

If you are a Marvel fan, this piece is not intended to change your mind. Look, there is no shame in enjoying Marvel movies. I still catch the latest Marvel movies, “Shang-Chi” was fine — far better than the repulsive “Black Widow” I might add — but Marvel seems to want to make themselves out to be “artsy”; thanks, “Eternals.” The fact of the matter is: these are cotton candy movies. A lot of fun, but no substance. “The Irishman” is probably Scorsese’s weakest mob movie, yet it still is better than any Marvel movie to date. Marvel will not change their ways because it works. They will continue cut-and-pasting these movies without taking risks until people eventually grow bored. It has not happened yet, but one can hope. Scorsese compared the Marvel movies to “theme park rides,” and while that may have riled fans up, Disney did just open the “Avengers Campus.”

Box Office Mojo, CNET, Vulture

On November 18, U2’s 1991 album, “Achtung Baby,” will celebrate its 30th anniversary. It may not be the band’s most well-known album, but it is the album that completely changed the band U2 is. After “Rattle and Hum,” which was accompanied by a concert film and received a lukewarm reception, the band totally shifted gears with “Achtung Baby.” The support tour, the “ZooTV Tour” made major advances for the concert industry; with dozens of television sets making up the backdrop of the stage and a b-stage where the band could play closer to the crowd.

The opening ambient sounds lead right into The Edge’s guitar riff on “Zoo Station.” Bono states that he is “ready for the laughing gas,” and “ready for what’s next,” signaling a radically different direction for the band. Right after is “Even Better Than The Real Thing,” which opens with another funky guitar riff by The Edge, including a lot of wah-wah effects and delay.

“One” is perhaps the most important song U2 has ever written. The lines “We’re one, but we’re not the same/We get to carry each other, carry each other,” feel relevant to our current political divide. It is chill-inducing when U2 plays this song live; lights are usually dimmed, phones are out, and many hands are up in unison. Bono occasionally snippets “Invisible” towards the end of the song, singing the refrain: “No them, there’s only us.”

U2 has frequently thrown biblical allusions into their music, “Until The End Of The World” tells a version of the Jesus and Judas story; “In the garden I was playing the tart/I kissed your lips and broke your heart.” This leads right into “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses,” one of the band’s most underrated songs. “So Cruel” slows the tempo and momentum of the album down, but brings a classic Bono ballad to the mix.

It all picks back up with “The Fly,” a song that has a guitar riff that truly emulates the sound of a fly buzzing in your ear. Some of Bono’s best songwriting takes place here; with aphorisms like “It’s no secret that a liar won’t believe anyone else,” and “It’s no secret ambition bites the nails of success.” The funky “Mysterious Ways” proceeds “The Fly,” with a grooving bassline that allows Adam Clayton to shine for once. Rock radio stations still play this song. “Tryin’ to Throw Your Arms Around the World” is a fun song about a hangover. “Ultra Violet (Light My Way)” is akin to “With or Without You” in that it is a twisted love song. Take, for example, the lines: “Oh sugar, don’t you cry/Oh child wipe the tears from your eyes/You know I need you to be strong/And the day is as dark as the night is long.” It’s not a happy song, and live versions of the song are some of the most impassioned performances from Bono.

“Acrobat” is another song about hypocrisy and one of the most intense U2 songs: “I must be, an acrobat/To talk like this/And act like that.” It features a blistering solo from The Edge that leads to the crashing crescendo.

The closing song of “Achtung Baby” is “Love is Blindness.” It features a haunting organ, making this one of the eeriest U2 songs. It’s a rather slow song until the solo at the end, which The Edge once again nails. U2 has not closed out an album in such a manner until “The Troubles” on “Songs of Innocence.”

Without “Achtung Baby,” it’s hard to say where U2 would be. The band pushed the limits of their sound; infusing alternative rock and Motown and new guitar effects. The Edge does his best guitar work, and some of Bono’s lyrics are the strongest of his career. It is their masterpiece, and perhaps a “Zoo(m) TV Tour” could happen to celebrate the band.

U2.com

Eli Manning, the former New York Giant, and two-time Super Bowl champion and MVP, is hosting the “Manningcast” with his older brother Peyton. Eli was a staple of the NFL during his career and was the main reason I ever watched the New York Giants.

For sixteen seasons, Eli Manning was a New York Giant. He showed up and never missed a snap until 2017, something that will be touched upon later. Let’s face it; He was never the best quarterback in the NFL. Throwing game-losing interceptions, took sacks, overthrew receivers, and gave us meme-worthy faces after said moments.

Despite all of this, he also gave New York Giants fans two Super Bowl victories. First was the “Helmet Catch,”. The second Super Bowl victory also came against the Patriots, and the sideline throw to Mario Manningham is one of the most fabulous throws in NFL history.

The day Eli Manning was benched for Geno Smith was on that led to many tears. Indeed, other Giants fans felt the same way. Manning never complained; he never played the blame game and threw his slacking teammates under the bus even though he had every right to criticize. It sounds cliché, but Manning was truly the face of the New York Giants. So now, we are left with Daniel Jones, who is like a clone of Manning in terms of dialect and facial expressions, but unfortunately cannot repeat the same level of success that Manning had in his first few years starting.

The New York Giants have not been quite the same since Eli Manning retired. They went 6-10 last year in their first year with Daniel Jones as the team’s sole leader and are currently going through a rough season where they began 1-5. So it is more of the same, but the best part of Manning retiring has been seeing him outside of the field. The New York Giants have given Eli “The Eli Manning Show,” a YouTube show. At the same time, ESPN has also allowed Eli to travel around for “Eli’s Places,” going to various colleges across the country on top of the popular “Manningcast” with his brother Peyton. The Eli you see on Monday Nights on a telecast with his older brother is a far cry from the Eli you saw standing at the podium after every game as a player. For one, he is actually smiling and cracking jokes — something you did not see much of in the tail end of his New York Giants career — and it is just great to see him look happy. I miss seeing number 10 out on the field every Sunday for the New York Giants, but it is evident that he is in a much better place and enjoying himself.

Sources: Pro Football Reference, YouTube