U2 to play Super Bowl weekend as it adds Sphere dates

The Sphere’s first (and thus far, only) headlining band is tacking on 11 shows in January and February.

We speak of U2, which is moving forward with 11 dates in January and February, kicking off Super Bowl weekend at the wondrous globe. The universally acclaimed “U2:UV Achtung Baby Live” plays Jan. 26, 27, 31; Feb. 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 15, 17 and 28.

Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Bram van den Berg will play the series. Van den Berg continues to sit in on drums for Larry Mullen Jr. (Previous reports that Mullen would return in this set of shows were not accurate.)

The new Vegas-centric single “Atomic City,” issued as the show opened Sept. 29, has reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Digital Song Sales Chart. It is U2’s first No. 1 and fifth Top 10 hit on this chart. The track has also landed in the top 5 at Triple A radio, and moving up.

Ticket-buying directives: All U2.com paid subscribers are eligible to submit a ticket request for the 11 added shows, even if they have requested or secured tickets for previously announced dates. The presale opened Thursday morning and closes at 10 p.m. Saturday. Ticket confirmations will be sent out by Tuesday evening.

For general on sale: Tickets will be available during a general on sale starting 11 a.m. Wednesday at Ticketmaster.com. On sale times might vary. Check the Ticketmaster listing for more information.

General-admission floor ticket restrictions: To help minimize resale and keep ticket prices at face value for fans, GA floor tickets for will be restricted from transfer. They may only be resold at the original purchase price.

Fans will still have protection against unforeseen circumstances. Those who purchase tickets and are no longer able to attend their show will be able to sell their tickets at the price they paid using the Ticketmaster Face Value Exchange (go to blog.ticketmaster.com/how-ticketmaster-face-value-ticket-exchange-works/ for info).

Angelo to the House!

Italian American Social Club President Angelo Cassaro was an guest (invited, even) at the White House last Thursday night. Cassaro and his wife, Nancy, were invited by First Lady Jill Biden to represent the Italian American Club of Southern Nevada. The event was to celebrate the first National Italian American Heritage Month.

Cassaro attended as a member of Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO), representing nearly 60 Italian-American organizations across the country. Jill Biden is of Sicilian descent, and the country’s first Italian American first lady.

Cassaro kept with the IAC’s nonpartisan position, as an organization, but he did say the Bidens were gracious hosts. He said, “I went representing Italian American Club of Southern Nevada and the 18 million Italian Americans in the country. This was not about politics.” And, the food was great.

NF time for us

We recall the first NF Hope Concert, hosted by then “Jersey Boys” cast member Jeff Leibow, at the Las Vegas Hilton in 2011. Over the years the venues have changed, but the need has not. The event is to combat Neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder of the nervous system characterized by tumors that can grow on any nerve in the body without warning.

Jeff and Melody Leibow’s daughter, Emma, was diagnosed with NF in 2010 when she was just nine months old. She’s 14 today, and a quite the dancer who attends Las Vegas Academy.

The next NF Hope Concert is 11:30 a.m. (lobby opening) and 1 p.m. (entertainment program) Sunday at Myron’s at the Smith Center. The show features such Vegas favorites as Skye Dee Miles, Jasmine Trias, Ben Stone, Gabie Lopez and the Las Vegas Academy Choir. The Leibows — all of the Leibows, including Emma — are also on the bill.

Jeff Leibow has fought tirelessly on behalf of this effort since launching the campaign in ‘11. The founding member of the new vocal group The Fourmers has lobbied annually in Washington D.C. to secure funding to battle NF.

But he says, “The real heroes in this fight are the NF families. They are the reason we have worked so hard for the last 13 years, and they are the reason why we will do everything we possibly can to make a difference.” Tickets start at $49 and can be purchased at 702-749-2000 or at thesmithcenter.com/nfhope. As we say, get there.

Cool Hang Alert

Aaron Benward’s Nashville Unplugged live-music series returns at 8 p.m. Friday at Mandalay Bay’s Rhythm & Riffs. Benward is a seasoned pro, great artist and songwriter, and funny, too. A model for no-cover entertainment on the Strip. Ages 21-over. Support the bar and the tip jar.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.