 Bono-fide Bliss for Tribute Band Man
Omaha World-Herald
Saturday, December 22, 2007
By Michael Kelly
As rock star Bono of the band U2 left the Dundee Dell, Mike Daeges said hi and mentioned his own band-Me2.
Mike, a drummer, just happened to be at the restaurant when Bono arrived Sunday with Susie Buffet and other friends. Mike waited and then showed a poster of the Omaha band, which plays in tribute to U2.
“Very cool,” Bono said.
Mike, 38, whose day job is vice president of the Orthopaedic Marketing Group, performs in Me2 with Billy McGuigan, Jay Hanson and Brad Dienstbier.
They play around Omaha, and not that often. But they have a gig at the Waiting Room on May 10-Bono’s birthday. Mike kiddingly told Bono that if he didn’t have a better offer, he should stop by.
Bono smiled and signed Mikes poster: “Merry Christmas 2U.”
Paying faithful tribute to U2
This year’s show by local band Me2 will have new songs and more special effects. And don’t miss out-they’re performing it only once.
Omaha World-Herald
Thursday, November 22, 2007
By Niz Proskocil
It’s not uncommon for local bands to play once a month, or even once a week, for that matter.
But fans have only one chance this year to see the local band Me2.
That opportunity comes Saturday night at Murphy’s Lounge.
Me2 is a U2 tribute band created by four longtime Omaha musicians.
The group made its live debut last year playing to a packed house at Murphy’s during the Christmas holiday.
“The response was fantastic. It was really well-received,” said Me2 drummer Mike Daeges. “For our first time, it was very encouraging.”
Me2, which prides itself on recreating U2’s music down to every last guitar riff, will perform songs spanning the Irish rock group’s three-decade career.
“We’re not putting our own twist on anything. We’re trying to sonically be as accurate as possible,” Daeges said.
Daeges, who plays U2 drummer member Larry Mullen Jr., is joined by local musician-actor Billy McGuigan as lead singer Bono.
Jay Hanson, a sound engineer at Ware House Productions, portrays U2 guitarist the Edge. Bassist Brad Dienstbier is Adam Clayton.
To re-create accurate renditions of U2’s music, Me2 members use equipment and gear similar to what he real band uses. They also dress and act the part of the U2 rockers.
For this year’s show, band members have added new songs and more visual elements, including video screens, moving lights, fog and other special effects.
“We’re really, really excited,” Daeges said. “It’s been so much fun putting it together.”
Local Tunes
Thankful for music
City Weekly
November 21-27, 2007
By Marq Manner
……The other act is Me2, a U2 tribute band that will be performing on Saturday night at Murphy’s. I caught these guys earlier this year and it was amazing. Again, you have a group of well-known and experienced musicians and this time an experienced frontman in Billy McGuigan.
McGuigan is probably more experienced as an actor than as a frontman for a band, but that is part of what makes this tribute so spot on. To pay tribute to the many personas of Bono, one would need to be an actor. I highly recommend checking these guys out.
Even Better Than The Real Thing?
Local tribute band Me2 gives it up for U2 at Murphy’s Saturday
City Weekly
November 21-27, 2007
By Jason Luth
Cover bands are rare as empty beer cans in a bar. A “Brown Eyed Girl” here, a “Jessie’s Girl” there. Some drunken fool bellowing out for “Free Bird” in the back. You know the scene.
Omaha’s Me2 is not a cover band. Me2 is a tribute band. And anyone who has ever watched the movie “Rock Star” knows the difference. As you may or may not have guessed, Me pays homage to the legendary rock outfit U2. Bono, the Edge-what more needs to be said? To know them is to love them.
“I guess the key difference is that you are focusing on one band,” Me2 Drummer and founding father Mike Daeges said. “Basically we play U2 shows as closely as we can to the real thing. We look at concert footage and all the arrangements they have done live. We are not just plucking out the songs. The songs flow into each other just as they would at a U2 concert. It’s more than just a bunch of songs. It’s a show.”
Me2 is more than just a clever charade or case of band hero-worship. This is more that just smoke and mirrors, well, there might be a smoke machine or two. The point is-this is a tribute band that puts on a hell of a show. Me2 might sound like a gimmick-until you hear them play.
“We had to get all the right gear just to do some of their things,” Daeges said. “In songs like ‘Lemon’ and stuff, there are some pretty freaky things going on sonically. My drum kit isn’t the same color as theirs, but other than that it is pretty much the exact same thing. We have 10 different guitars, a lot of the same amplifiers, and a lot of the same effects. We spent a lot of time on Ebay accumulating all that stuff.”
The only thing from Me2’s shows is the ridiculously low ticket prices. Want to see arena gods U2 play live? You might want to take out a second mortgage and pay for those tix with an installment program. Want to see the next best thing in Me2? Drop down to Murphy’s Lounge, located on 96th and L streets, this Saturday and pull up a stool.
“We try to be as accurate as possible,” Daeges said. “It has made bigger U2 fans out of us that is for sure. Nobody in our band was a huge into U2 when we started this, but once you get into the driver’s seat of their music so to speak, it is pretty impressive.”
In order to climb behind the wheel of a machine like U2, you better have the musicians who know their way around their instruments. Me2 has their bases covered.
Lead singer Billy McGuigan (staring as Bono) is a nationally recognized astor, musician and singer. His interpretation of Buddy Holly has take him all over the United States. McGuigan also released a solo album of original music called “Billy as Billy” in the Summer of 2006. Guitarist Jay Hanson (The Edge) has created the perfect tone through a combination of musical talent and 12 months worth of musical acquisitions from Ebay. Hanson was also a member of the Omaha Project-an original pop/folk based in Omaha. Bassist Brad Dienstbier (Adam Clayton) helps drive the rhythm section of Me2 and is regarded as the best dresser in the band. Last but not least, Daeges (Larry Mullen Jr.) completes U2’s signature sound behind the drum kit. He is also a member of Omaha funk and soul band Satchel Grande and has an album’s worth of original material he is in the process of recording.
“We could certainly make more money of we didn’t put so much into it, but that is not the point,” Daeges said of Me2’s show. “The point is to do justice of one of the better bands around for the last 20years or so. Everybody in our band would tell you that they are better musicians for having done this. A tribute band is going to be able to be a lot more literal in their translation of the songs, instead of just being in the ballpark. That is kind of our deal. We just want to literally pull off these songs just as U2 would.”
City Weekly Review
December, 2006
by Jim Minge
We’ve all seen a cover band perform at one of Omaha’s fine local bars. They’ve ranged from Green Day to Metallica to Guns ‘N’ Roses. They get up on stage, play the songs, maybe sound a little like the original, and then that’s it. No costumes, no themes-just bar band covers.
Not so with the new group Me2-the U2 experience, a collection of noted Omaha musicians who have come together to put on a full production of U2 repertoire.
“This is the whole deal,” said Mike Daeges, the drummer who plays the part of U2’s Larry Mullen Jr. “This is a theatrical production, of sorts. From the look to the sound- we’ve spent the past year buying instruments on eBay so we can play the songs like ‘Vertigo,’ ‘ Numb’ or ‘The Fly.’ “
Besides Daeges, the person who takes on the Bono persona is well-known in Omaha. He’s Billy McGuigan, whose interpretation of Buddy Holly in the show “Rave On” has taken him across the united states.
On guitar, playing The Edge, is Jay Hanson (also a member of the Omaha Project folk-pop band), who “has gone beyond approximating the sounds of U2’s guitar wizardry; he has mastered them,” says Daeges. Rounding out the group out the group on bass is locally adored bass player Brad Dienstbier (another member of the Omaha project), who plays U2’s Adam Clayton. “Similar to Adam Clayton, if Brad were a football player, he’d be one of the unsung heroes blocking on the line,” Daeges said.
U2 fans can expect to hear Me2 perform songs like “I Will Follow,” “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “Bullet the Blue Sky,” as well as rockers like “Vertigo” and “Elevation”
- Jim Minge, City Weekly reporter
 Shades of Bono
A local tribute band prides itself on sonically accurate reproductions of U2’s music.
Go!
December 2006
by Niz Proskocil
It’ll be a “Beautiful Day” for local U2 fans Saturday.
Four longtime Omaha musicians have formed a U2 tribute band called Me2, and they’ll debut the group at a concert Saturday at Murphy’s Lounge.
Me2, which prides itself on sonically accurate reproductions of U2’s music, will perform songs spanning the Irish rock group’s three-decade career.
Fans at the show can expect to hear more than two dozen songs, including “I Will Follow,” “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “Where the Streets Have No Name,” “Beautiful Day,” “Lemon,” “Elevation,” and “One,” among other classics.
“It really mirrors what they’re doing these days live,” Me2 drummer Mike Daeges said of the song list.
Daeges, who also is a member of Omaha funk/soul band Satchel Grande, came up with the name Me2 about a year ago while brainstorming names for his solo project. (Daeges has an album’s worth of original material that he plans to record in spring 2007.)
He liked the name Me2 but didn’t think it suited his wn music. It would make a great name for a U2 tribute band though.
So Daeges pitched the idea of forming such a band to some friends, including local actor-musician Billy McGuigan.
Best known to audiences for his interpretation of Buddy Holly on local and national stages, McGuigan agreed to take on another role-U2 lead singer Bono.
Portraying U2 guitarist the Edge is Jay Hanson, a member of the Omaha Project, an original pop-folk band based in Omaha.
Another Omaha Project member, Brad Dienstbier, handles bass duties in Me2. He portrays U2’s Adam Clayton.
Daeges mans the drum kit as U2 member Larry Mullen Jr.
“The mission of the band really is just to have some fun,” he said. “We might play once every couple of months, so that we’re ding shows rather than bar gigs.”
To re-create accurate renditions of U2’s music, Me2 members have used eBay to track down equipment and gear similar to what U2 uses.
Learning the songs and planning a live show with lights, projection screens and other special effects consistent with a real U2 concert has been a diligent, meticulous and rewarding process, Daeges said.
While immersing themselves in U2’s music over the past year, the Omaha musicians have become even bigger fans of Bono and company and have grown musically.
“It’s really been a fun challenge to reproduce sonically what they’ve been doing. It’s stretched each one of us quite a bit,” he said. “We’re definitely going to be dressing and looking the part. There’s going to be a lot of good energy.”
- Niz Proskocil, WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
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