Ear on TV: Week of 03.02.09 - U2 X5

There's a lot to see and hear this week, yet one band, U2, manages to dominate the landscape. They're not only playing Letterman an unprecedented five nights, but are also playing daytime TV (ABC's GMA on Friday,) for the first time in their career. This is after pulling an award show trifecta opening the Grammys, the Brit Awards (UK,) and the Echo Awards (Germany) with their first single "Get on Your Boots." All this to help promote their first album in nearly five years, No Line On The Horizon, an album which sees the band reaching back to the kind of experimentation we haven't heard from the Irishmen since Achtung Baby.

You know times are tough for the record industry when even a band as bankable as U2 has to sell themselves this hard, but at least it can be said they're not mailing it in this time out. With five nights, I supposed we might we expect more interaction with their host, and perhaps an outdoor performance or two (on the fire escape ala TV on the Radio, or, more appropriately, via the rooftop). Heck, maybe Dave can even get Joaquin Phoenix to join the band to rap a verse or two?

Meanwhile, we can't forget that this is week marks the debut Jimmy Fallon as Conan's replacement. The SNL vet has not only lined up some quality music this week (Van Morrison, Santigold, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Ludicris,) but he also managed to hire The Roots has the Late Night band. One of his first guests, though, is good friend Justin Timberlake, which means we just might get a little "Barry Gibb Talk Show," which qualifies as Fallon's prior talk show experience.

Besides U2, another noteworthy new music release this week comes from the alt-country chanteuse Neko Case, with her enchanting Middle Cyclone. On Wednesday she'll unleash her haunting voice on Jay Leno, singing "People Got A Lotta Nerve." And finally, it'd be criminal of me not to mention that David Byrne will be on Monday's edition of The Colbert Report, which has been welcoming a lot of music of late. I wonder what papa bear would make of this trend?



Playlist: Picks for the week
Monday, March 2
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: U2
COMEDY CENTRAL: The Colbert Report: David Byrne
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Justin Timberlake, Van Morrison
Tuesday, March 3
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Robyn
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: U2
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Bettye Lavette
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Santigold
SYNDICATION: Live With Regis and Kelly: Van Morrison
Wednesday, March 4
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Uh Huh Her
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: U2
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Cancer Bats
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Neko Case
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
SUNDANCE: Spectacle: Elvis Costello With...: Elvis Costello, Elton John (REPEAT)
Thursday, March 5
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: U2
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Andrew Bird
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Flobots, Saosin, Matisyahu and The Hives
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Tom Jones
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Ludacris
Friday, March 6
ABC: Good Morning America: U2
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: U2
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: M. Ward
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Thursday
Saturday, March 7
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Ray LaMontagne