12/8/80 (In the Name of Love)

Hey there, everyone. I’d like to welcome you to a special edition of the podcast - a joint creation between Why Music Matters and The Buffalo History Museum.  This episode, which we’ve named 12/8/80 (In the Name of Love), was created with my good friend Anthony Greco, Director of Exhibits at The Buffalo History Museum, and creator and host of the Museum’s podcast. The episode explores an evening that changed the world for the worse. And it turns out that there’s an interesting Buffalo angle to the story of this tragic night. On December 8, 1980, as a then-unknown band called U2 played to a sparse crowd as they opened for the power trio Talas at Stage One, just outside Buffalo, the world was upended by the murder of John Lennon. Lennon’s death transformed an ordinary evening into a defining moment in music and cultural history. This episode tells the story of that night. I’d like to thank Anthony Greco for his outstanding work on this joint venture. And shout-outs are in order to Willie Nile and Billy Sheehan, both of whom were kind enough to share their memories of that fateful evening with me. Additional thanks to WKBW in Buffalo, who shared with us an excerpt of their 2017 interview with Bruce Moser - a Buffalo promoter and dear friend who played a significant role in breaking U2 in the American Northeast, way back in 1980. Bruce passed away in 2020. This joint podcast is dedicated to his memory, with thanks for all he gave - to Buffalo, and to the world. We all miss you, Bruce. Thanks for joining us. Take it away, Anthony Greco…