One honors U2 in a full tribute to the Irish rockers

Photo cutline info: Kenny Hale portrays Bono in the U2 tribute band One. The group will perform a benefit in support of underprivileged Ugandan children at OC Pavilion in Santa Ana on Nov. 17.




One (tribute to U2)
Where: OC Pavilion, 801 N. Main St., Santa Ana
When: 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2007
How much: $35 (orchestra), $30 (balcony), $25 (theatre)
Online: www.ocpavilion.com.
Call: 714-550-0880



Anyone not content to patiently wait until the opening of the highly-anticipated film “U2 3D” in late January 2008 might want to consider catching the acclaimed U2 tribute band One when the Orange County-based quartet headlines at OC Pavilion in Santa Ana on Nov. 17.

“Regarding the fans, we have a pretty strong fan base from the Web site and definitely from our MySpace page,” said bassist Damon Tucker, who has portrayed Adam Clayton in One since early 2006.
“We sound just like the band; this is no watered-down version of the real thing. The people who continue to come to the shows over and over and visit the Web site and Myspace are a testament of that.”

Indeed, since One launched its Myspace page (www.myspace.com/u2tributebandone) in May 2007, the band has recorded more than 245,000 visits to the site.
“We get emails and postings from all over the world regarding the band,” Tucker said.
Not only does One recreate the magic of a U2 concert and play the music with mirror-minded precision, but the band’s charitable aim is pointed in the same direction as the Irish troupe. Proceeds from the upcoming concert will go to support needy children in sub-Saharan Africa.

“The main thing is to bring awareness and tie that in with U2 because of Bono’s commitment to Africa,” said Kenny Hale, who portrays U2’s famous lead singer in One. The Edge is played by Aaron Broering (who recently released his strong solo effort “Reason to Believe”) and the role of drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. is played by Dave Goode (who is the touring drummer for Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush). The aforementioned Tucker is also a member of the outstanding original rock act Parkaimoon.

Hale noted he is a worship leader at his Costa Mesa-based The Crossing; that church supports a program titled Compassion (www.compassion.com), which provides food, medical care and other needed services to children in Uganda, as well as Mosaic Vision (www.mosaicvision.org), specifically geared toward assisting many of the estimated 1.8 million Ugandan children who are orphans because of the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Ian Stevenson, pastor of outreach services at The Crossing, was the one who saw the obvious link between the growing popularity of One and an organized benefit to assist Compassion and Mosaic Vision.
“We’re going to give people at the concert a chance to make a difference,” said Stevenson, noting they are assisting an area where it is estimated that 30 percent of the population suffers from HIV or AIDS.
“There is a clinic we’re working on (expanding) to turn into a hospital.”

He added he was attending a concert at OC Pavilion a few months ago and ran into Hale at the show. It was there he realized the benefit of staging a tribute to U2 that would celebrate both the Irish band’s music and long-time commitment to helping children in Africa.
“I said ‘You have to do something for Africa. That’s what Bono is all about’, “ Stevenson recalled.
“We do U2 songs at our church. He (Hale) is phenomenal.”
Stevenson said one of the things that really impresses him about the work of Mosaic Vision is how the group works with so-called “double orphans,” children who have lost both parents and aunts and uncles so they are truly on their own.
“People have a chance to get personally involved,” said Hale, who also fronts the Kenny Hale Band. Hale opened for Shaw-Blades (Styx’ Tommy Shaw and Damn Yankees’ Jack Blades) at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Nov 8.
“It’s something easy to do and it’s fun,” said Hale, of the ability for music fans to help underprivileged children in Africa.
“When kids get help, they flourish.”

For more information on One and to hear the band perform solid versions of several U2 classics, visit www.myspace.com/u2tributebandone.