CelebrityAccess MediaWire) —
Geek Squad, the 24-hour computer support task force, has partnered with Clear Channel to provide complete computer support for the U2 World Tour. As part of this relationship, a Geek Squad agent accompanies the tour at all stops, providing computer support for the production crew, the band and other members of the touring company, including roadies.
"At some point during the early '90s, right around the time Bill Gates became the richest man in the world, it was clear that the geeks were taking over," said Robert Stephens, founder and chief inspector of Geek Squad. "It was only a matter of time before Geek Squad Agents became rock stars unto themselves."
Joshua Kapellen (Special Agent 41) is the Geek Squad representative out with the U2 world tour. Kapellen has been on the road since March traveling with the tour through North America and Europe, taming unruly computers, establishing and securing wireless networks necessary for the on-stage show and backstage production, and enabling online gaming capabilities for the crew.
"Going out on the road with a technology-heavy show like the U2 World Tour requires someone from Geek Squad who knows computers better than even his own family," said Jake Berry, U2's production director. "Wireless Internet is imperative to this tour, and Josh is the guy who keeps all of us connected to our friends, business associates and fans around the world."
"Now that I'm on the road with this incredible tour, people expect me to be this crazy, larger-than-life person," said Kapellen. "I don't know what to tell them; I'm still the same guy who reads computer manuals on Saturday nights." –Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen
