U2 Drafts Kanye, Arcade Fire For Fall Dates

(Billboard.com) -- U2 has drafted Kanye West, the Arcade Fire, Patti Smith and Damian Marley as support acts for its just-underway fall North American tour. As previously reported, Dashboard Confessional and Keane are also opening various dates; an opening band has yet to be confirmed for the Nov. 13-19/Dec. 4-12 portion of the trek.

Marley will be on the bill from Oct. 16 in Philadelphia to Nov. 9 in Oakland, Calif., while Smith will support the Nov. 21-22 shows at New York's Madison Square Garden and the Arcade Fire will play Nov. 25 in Ottawa, Ontario, and Nov. 26, 28 in Montreal.

West will take a break from his own North American tour to open the last four shows of the U2 outing: Dec. 14 in St. Louis, Dec. 15 in Omaha, Neb., Dec. 17 in Salt Lake City and Dec. 19 in Portland, Ore.

Meanwhile, U2 was joined by longtime producer/collaborator Daniel Lanois and Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder during Saturday's show at Toronto's Air Canada Centre. Lanois played guitar on a long version of "One," while Vedder chipped in a few lyrics on "Ol' Man River." It is rumored members of U2 will return the favor tonight (Sept. 19) during Pearl Jam's show at the same venue.

In related news, Interscope has set a Nov. 15 release date for the DVD "U2//Vertigo//2005 Live from Chicago," which was shot this spring over four nights in the Windy City.

Jonathan Cohen, Billboard