Film Review:
Bono: Stories of Surrender, rated TV-MA
*** ½

In October, 2022, U2 front man Bono published his memoir Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story (now titled Stories of Surrender). The following month, he began a twenty-six show Stories of Surrender tour. This film features footage from one of his one man show Beacon Theatre performances in New York City. The film was directed by Andrew Dominik. The black and white film, which is rated TV-MA for adult language, is available on Apple TV+, and is dedicated to Bono’s parents, Bob and Iris Hewson.
Where U2 often has an elaborate stage in concert, Bono has a very simple stage, with two tables and a few chairs here. The chairs at different times represent his father Bob, who he talks directly to, his mother Iris, and his U2 bandmates The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:

• More of this review and a review of Curioso by Wilder Woods
• Music News
• Song of the Week Lyrics:  Come, Christians, Join to Sing – Keith & Kristyn Getty, Matt Boswell and Matt Papa

There are a few musicians onstage with Bono – Kate Ellis, plays the cello; Gemma Doherty, plays keyboards and provides background vocals, and the Irish music producer and mixer Jacknife Lee, plays keyboards and percussion. The film includes partial performances of several songs, including “Pride (In the Name of Love): “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, “Vertigo”, “Desire”, “With or Without You”, “Beautiful Day”, and “The Showman”. A three-song Stories of Surrender EP from the film was released to coincide with the film’s release.
The film gives us an intimate look at Bono as he is more vulnerable than you will see him elsewhere as he talks about U2, his activism, being a husband, and son, with touching insights on his relationship with his father. Bono tells us that he met his future U2 bandmates and his wife Ali the same week. Throughout, Bono shows that he is a great storyteller.
Bono tells about losing his mother at a young age, and how her name was never mentioned again in their home. He tells us about trying to impress his father by telling him the Luciano Pavarotti wanted Bono and The Edge to write a song for him. He felt his relationship with  his father was really improving only to be told by his father that he had cancer. Sadly, just before his death, his father told Bono that he had lost his faith, and told him not to lose his.
I’ve been a long-time fan of U2, and enjoyed this film. I also read and enjoyed the book. Bono can be polarizing, so some may be hesitant to give this film a look.
Here is the trailer for the film.

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Music Review:
Curioso – Wilder Woods
****

Curioso is Bear Rinehart’s (singer and songwriter with NEEDTOBREATHE) third solo release as Wilder Woods, and my favorite of the three. The album is fresh and energetic. Each repeated listening brings out new elements of each song. Rinehart’s strong vocals are excellent as usual, and I particularly liked the guitar, drums, and backing vocals on the album. The album features a mix of upbeat, mid-tempo and slower songs, all of them strong. I list my favorites below.
Rinehart wrote or co-wrote each of the ten songs. The album was produced by Jeremy Lutito. Curioso is sure to show up on my best albums of 2025.
Here are a few comments on each of the songs.

Swimming In The Ocean – This song was written by Bear Rinehart and Sam Westhoff. The song features a driving beat led by guitar and drums. He’s asking her to take a ride with him in his 1973 Camino. A highlight.
Key lyric:
We can ride it like a river
Going down our spines, holy ghost given shivers

Time On My Hands – This love song was written by Bear Rinehart, Trent Dabbs and Mokita, and features My Morning Jacket’s Jim James on vocals. The mid-tempo song features a bass line, keys, drums and backing vocals.
Key lyric:
Cause we got time on our hands
We got love that we can’t deny
Oh, we got time on our hands
Slow it down, let the water just roll on by

Hide Anymore – This upbeat song was written by Bear Rinehart, Foy Vance and Konrad Snyder. The song features drum, bass, guitar, and is about him asking God not to hide anymore.
Key lyric:  
The hope, the shame
The crown of thorns
The love, the pain, I felt it all
I know your name, I hear your calling
I really need you not to hide anymore
I really need ya

Offering – This mid-tempo love song was written by Bear Rinehart and Mokita, and features Anna Graves on vocals. The acoustic song, with guitar, light drums, and bass, features wonderful harmonies between Rinehart and Graves.
Key lyric:
Baby, I don’t really know just where we’re going
But I promise I’ll never leave
I guess that’ll have to be my offering

Love Last – This upbeat love song was written by Bear Rinehart, Trent Dabbs and Konrad Snyder. The song about fighting to make love last, features a driving beat led by keys, bass, guitar, drums, and backing vocals.
Key lyric:
Down on your knees, empty-handed
Pile full of bones on the canvas
Carried me home, wrapped a bandage and took the pain

Where Do We Go From Here – This song was written by Bear Rinehart. It starts with drums and distorted vocals. It is a driving song led by guitar, bass, backing vocals, and drums. It’s the most musically interesting song on the album.
Key lyric:
Love my place in the wild, but I keep the doors wide
Fall down every turn, but I hold the line

Devil In My Eyes – This rocker was written by Bear Rinehart, Trent Dabbs and Konrad Snyder. The song features a raucous vocal over guitar, bass, drums, and backing vocals. He’s got those angels on his shoulders and the devil in his eyes.
Key lyric:
Running ragged nearly all my life
Still I’m chasing something
That I should not find

Kind Of Magic – This mid-temp love song was written by Bear Rinehart and Trent Dabbs. The song features drums, synth, background vocals and guitar. He will love her to the end and after that.
Key lyric:
‘Cause you are my favorite kind of magic
Don’t know how it happened
Close my eyes and there you are

Descendants – This upbeat song was written by written Bear Rinehart, Trent Dabbs and Anderson East. The song is driven Rinehart’s strong vocal and keys, guitar, bass, drums and backing vocals. He hopes the world gets better for all your descendants.
Key lyric:
Shame, we got a lot of it
Pain, we paid the cost of it
Blame it on the currency, blame it on the crawl
Shine a little light into the nature of it all

Wild Fire – This love song was written by Bear Rinehart, Trent Dabbs and Anderson East, and features Maggie Rose on vocals. The song features piano, guitar, drums, and bass, and wonderful harmonies of Rinehart and Rose.
Key lyric:
I wanna see all of the light you save
Shine like a diamond
So bright and so unafraid

Favorite songs:
Swimming in the Ocean
Time on Our Hands
Offering
Love Last
Where Do We Go From Here
Devil in My Eyes

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• Oh My Soul (Psalm 103). Here is new version of TobyMac’s “Oh My Soul (Psalm 103)” featuring CeCe Winans.
• Homesick for Heaven. Enjoy the video for the new song from Phil Wickham, “Homesick for Heaven”.
• Light of the World. Here is “Light of the World”, the title song for the 2D animated film opening September 5, which tells the story of Jesus through the eyes of his friend the Apostle John.
• Here is an acoustic version of “Wait” by Matt Maher.
• Chris Tomlin: Full Worship Set from Worship Together Conference. Watch the full worship set of Chris Tomlin from the Worship Together Conference.
• The First Hymn by Chris Tomlin and Ben Fielding. Watch this acoustic performance of “The First Hymn” by Chris Tomlin and Ben Fielding recorded at the Museum Of the Bible.

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  Come, Christians, Join to Sing – Keith & Kristyn Getty, Matt Boswell and Matt Papa

This week’s song of the week is “Come, Christians, Join to Sing” by Keith & Kristyn Getty, Matt Boswell and Matt Papa. The song was written by C. H. Bateman in 1843. New words and arrangement are by Matt Boswell, Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, and Matt Papa. Listen to the song here.

Verse 1
Come, Christians, join to sing
Alleluia, amen!
Loud praise to Christ our King
Alleluia, amen!
Let all, with heart and voice,
Before His throne rejoice;
Praise is His gracious choice,
Alleluia, amen!

Verse 2
Come lift your hearts on high,
Alleluia, amen!
Let praises fill the sky,
Alleluia, amen!
He who made all things well
Formed us His praise to tell;
Hear now the anthem swell,
Alleluia, amen!

Verse 3
Sing this salvation song,
Alleluia, amen!
Christ on the cross has won,
Alleluia, amen!
Praise we the risen Lord;
Come run through mercy’s door;
Loved, rescued, and restored,
Alleluia, amen!

Verse 4
Lift high the Savior’s name,
Alleluia, amen!
Til all the earth proclaims,
Alleluia, amen!
Let now the gospel ring,
Christ for the world we sing;
The world to Christ we bring,
Alleluia, amen!