The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 21

Anijete CALENDAR THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015 LATIMES.COMCALENDAR Michael Robinson Chavez Los Angeles Times THE EDGE, left, Bono and the rest of U2 commence a series of shows at the Forum, to roars from fans a natural response to a musical show of force. POP MUSIC REVIEW In the name of now U2 nods to past but makes convincing case for its relevance Randall Roberts pop music critic There's something to be said for the symmetry of your basic rock 'n' roll quartet, of which U2 is the most globally successful and enduring of the past three decades. Like a table, the unit needs four solid supports bass, guitar, drums and vocals to keep it sturdy, but once it's stabilized, most anything can be stacked upon it. Whether an optimistic ballad, an arena rock anthem or a rhythm-heavy banger, a proper quartet can handle it. During the first of the Irish band's weeklong set of five concerts at the Forum, U2's musician pillars held and expelled so much energy Tuesday that at times the sold-out arena could barely contain itself.

It was an environment in which the band's exuberant performance of "Beautiful Day" midway through felt like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Through songs that drew on its post-punk origins in war- torn Ireland, its late-'80s Brian Eno-inspired sonic expansion, its Biggest Band in the World play in the '90s and its Apple-centric, anthemic 21st century, the band explored its past while making an argument for continued relevance. The response? Fans, including many in their 30s and 40s who have lived with the band since its rise, roared between nearly every song, the room a rush of human bliss. Unlike at some arena gigs, the applause seldom felt compulsory. Rather, it was a natural response to an inarguable show of force.

Along with singer Bono, guitarist the Edge, bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen Jr. worked within a unique stage setup that made the arena feel something close to intimate. Compared to its appearance in 2009 at the Rose Bowl, this Forum gig had the feel of a theater date. The band opened with the 2014 song, "The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)," its ode to the lightning bolt that See U2, E6 RlCARDO DEARATANHA L.A. Times BETTE MIDLER'S new tour stops at Staples and Honda this week.

Divine time for Midler The turbulent age of 'Aquarius' The singer keeps the quips coming as she takes on her first road show in a decade. Duchovny's new alien terrain is '60s. TELEVISION REVIEW The Summer of Love's darker side. By Greg Braxton ROBERT LLOYD III 1 By Mikael Wood Bette Midler knows what's expected of her onstage in 2 015. "I have to sing well, and I have to have a great band," she said recently.

"But my audience, they've known me at this point for 50 years. Whether I show up in a fishtail or not, I don't think it matters to them." The fishtail, of course, is a reference to her character Delores DeLago, the mermaid in a wheelchair who (mostly) sits out Midler's new show. So what does it mean for this veteran enter-tainerto skip one of her most famous bits? "It means I had to fill 20 minutes," she answered with a throaty laugh. As quick with a quip as ever, Midler, 69, sat down in Hollywood for a chatty interview between rehearsals for See Bette Midler, E4 NBC's "Aquarius" transports hippies, flower power, free love and a budding psychopath named Charles Manson to prime time. More significant for network TV watchers, "Aquarius" marks the dawning of the new age of David Duchovny.

The drama, premiering Thursday, is a return to broadcast for the actor who first shot to stardom on Fox with the iconic sci-fi series "The X-Files" and then leaped to cable, spending seven seasons on Show-time's racy "Californication" as a troubled, alcoholic writer grappling with life and family difficulties. "Aquarius" comes as Duchovny prepares for the long-awaited reboot of "The See Duchovny, E8 Here come the 1960s again. Yes, you're tired of hearing about them, just like I'm tired of hearing about the 1820s. Now that "Mad Men" has ended, having tired of the '60s itself, you might have thought you were getting a break from them. You might have thought wrong.

In mid-June ABC's "The Astronaut Wives Club" will take viewers back to the early part of that decade, the bright and hopeful part, when Don Draper still had Betty to cheat on. But first, premiering Thursday, is NBC's "Aquarius," as in the Age of. It's set in 1967, the year of the so-called Sum- See E8 Vivian Zink nbc DAVID DUCHOVNY, right, as homicide cop Sam Hodiak, confronts a wild and woolly Charles Manson (Gethin Anthony) in the new NBC series "Aquarius." Ask Amy E12 Bridge E12 Comics E12-13 Horoscope E12 TV grid Ell New blood for Green Umbrella John Adams, right, picks composers for new talent series. E4-5 Streisand has gift for LACMA The singer donates a painting to mark its 50th anniversary. E2 'True Cost' cites garment job toll A documentary shows the ugly side of the fashion industry.

E3 Acceptance at last for Jett Joan Jett talks Rock Hall of Fame honor, airing on HBO. E6-7.