04 August 2005: Meadows Music Theatre, Hartford, CT, USA
From WikiColdplay
Setlist
- Square One
- Politik
- Yellow
- God Put A Smile Upon Your Face
- Speed Of Sound
- Low
- The Hardest Part
- Everything’s Not Lost
- White Shadows
- The Scientist
- ’Til Kingdom Come
- Don’t Panic
- Clocks
- Talk
Encore - Swallowed In The Sea
- In My Place
- Fix You
Reviews
HARTFORD — "We had these seats for, like, a couple of months, and I have been listening to (the "X&Y" CD) and it just gets you more excited," said Alyssa Simmons, 24, of East Haven. "I’ve always liked Coldplay. I’m excited because the new stuff is so good," said Jarrod Bruce, 23, East Haven.
For more than two years, local fans like Simmons and Bruce have waited. They sat patiently while Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin married Gwyneth Paltrow, twiddled their thumbs while the band recorded its hit album "X&Y." Now comes the payoff — a live show Thursday at the Dodge Music Center in Hartford.
And how things have changed since the last time.
Last time Coldplay visited Connecticut, in February 2003, the foursome boasted a mild following, the kind of fan base that gets you gigs at the 5,000-plus seat Oakdale (now Chevrolet) Theatre. Thursday, the guys stepped out of their tour van to begin the American leg of their Twisted Logic tour at the 19,000-plus sold-out Dodge center, a venue still not large enough to hold the fans of a band some consider the next U2.
Coldplay’s latest release has sold some 10 million units.
The band last played in Canada, and the show here was delayed because of a problem at the border.
Connecticut’s August heat forced the band to take a mid-concert break to change out of their sweat-soaked clothing.
Several audience members succumbed to the sweltering night air and were whisked away for aid.
A security guard at the venue was hailed as a hero for giving away water bottles to the over-heated audience.
When Coldplay took the stage shortly after 9:30 p.m., it kicked things off with "Square One" and "Politik."
Lead singer Martin bid welcome to the crowd, mostly people in their late teens and early 20s, all of whom seemed to stand throughout the show, despite the heat, singing along to every tune.
"This is the sound that brought us here," Martin said before the band broke into a rendition of their big hit "Yellow."
Formed at University College of London in 1998, Coldplay — singer/pianist Martin, guitarist Jon Buckland, drummer Will Champion and bassist Guy Berryman — first started washing up on American shores in 2000 when the band’s Radiohead-like single "Yellow" generated a big buzz.
By the time "X&Y" saw store shelves in June of this year, Martin’s name had already found a home in the gossip columns because of his marriage, and the band’s huge hit "Clocks" had become a popular radio staple. "X&Y," of course debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s album charts.
"I really liked it before when they were more raw, but they are still good live," said Tommy Lee, the 30-year-old bass player of the New Haven-based band Mighty Purple. This was his fourth time seeing Coldplay.
"Anytime you can see them, it’s a good thing," he said.
Source: http://www.nhregister.com
HARTFORD — It took about four years for Coldplay to go from a rock group with an underground-type following to one with mass popularity and being considered one of the best bands playing today.
The nearly sold-out audience at last night’s concert at the Dodge Music Center in Hartford proved the popularity part.
Coldplay’s performance, led by singer Chris Martin, proved its recognition as one of the top modern rock bands is well deserved. After playing two dates in Canada, Coldplay made Hartford its first U.S. stop on its “Twisted Logic Tour” with the next stop coming Saturday at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, Mass.
For 90 minutes, Martin and his three bandmates poured out liters of sweat, emotion and passion into their 17-song set list that included three encore tunes. Beaming and pulsating lights accompanied many of the songs that only enhanced the group’s effectiveness.
Martin spent a good portion of the concert at his keyboards. When he wasn’t rocking back and forth wildly in his chair, he leaned so far over that his face almost touched the keys. It has become one of his trademarks.
Some have compared him to Schroeder from the “Peanuts” gang. Probably more apt is that Martin appeared to be some mad musician concocting some brilliant piece of music.
As much as the spotlight was and always is on Martin, guitarist Jon Buckland, drummer Will Champion and bassist Guy Berryman put forth equal amounts of emotion into their playing as Martin did in his singing.
Many of the songs came from Coldplay’s latest album, “X&Y.” The group opened with the CD’s first track, “Square One,” before going into “Politik,” the first track from its second album, “A Rush of Blood to the Head.”
During the opening number, little light was shown on the band so the audience could only see the members’ silhouettes as they performed. Martin introduced the group’s hit “Yellow” as the song that brought Coldplay to America. Toward the end of the performance, giant yellow balloons filled with confetti came down. Martin told the audience to pop the balloons after the song.
The group came to the front of the stage and went acoustic for “’Til Kingdom Come,” the hidden track on “X&Y” that was written for Johnny Cash. Martin temporarily forgot the words for the last verse.
“Let’s rewind that,” Martin said as they started the last verse again. It was the band’s only mistake of the night.
Other highlights included the powerful ending for “Clocks” and the encore of “Swallowed In The Sea,” “In My Place” and “Fix You.” Martin and company definitely delivered a fix to fans up in Hartford.
The rest of America is next.
Black Mountain was supposed to open the event, but apparently some members of the group had trouble entering the United States from Canada. Bassist Matt Camirand took the stage 30 minutes after the concert was scheduled to start and told the crowd that a few of his bandmates, including lead singer Stephen McBean, had trouble entering America.
Instead of a full set, Camirand played a 20-minute acoustic concert.
Source: http://www.norwichbulletin.com
HARTFORD - Coldplay has made no secret of its goal to supplant U2 as the biggest rock band in the world. They are not there yet.
Coldplay opened its U.S. tour at the Dodge Music Center in Hartford on Thursday night, selling out the venue and offering a 2½-hour set. The U.K. band is touring in support of its recent release "X&Y."
Could they one day supplant the greatest rock band in the world?
They could.
Coldplay has the engaging front man in Chris Martin, the big hits at a relatively early stage in development (the group is only three albums into its career) and a bombastic live show that sells out large venues.
However, it is along way from top-selling pop band to cultural icon. They'd need a quarter century of history to start, and songs that reflect the lives of a generation. Right now they are just a top-selling pop band.
Martin does not have the gravitas of a Bono, and the band's live show would be a little too familiar for fans of U2. Coldplay is not an outright copy, just a little too familiar.
The quartet opened with "Square One," with Martin singing from the back of the stage while facing the large video wall that served as a backdrop.
The band is into creating an aura. Dressed entirely in black, the group was backlit for the opening song and then completely strobe-lit during the follow-up "Politik."
Martin welcomed the fans to the show.
"We hope you're OK," Martin said. "Welcome to the first American show of the tour. This is the song that brought us here."
Coldplay unleashed the radio hit "Yellow," closing out the song by dumping giant yellow, confetti filled balloons from the rafters.
Creating a wall of sound with a keyboard loop, the band worked up another radio hit "Speed of Sound," and engaged the crowd on the piano-based ballad "Everything's Not Lost," letting the fans take over on the chorus. They sang "The Scientist" with the house lights on and let the synthesizers take over at the end of the song so the band members could walk across the front of the stage to take pictures of the crowd.
Breaking down into an acoustic setting, Martin dedicated "'Til Kingdom Come," to Johnny Cash, who he called "a great American hero," and worked the hit "Clocks" into a double-timed frenzy to close out the show.
The group returned to encore with "Swallowed in the Sea," "In My Place" and "Fix You."
Source: http://www.masslive.com
Coldplay heats up Hartford
Can't afford to hit every music festival this summer? We've got you covered. USATODAY.com's Summer Music Road Trip stopped at the Meadow Music Theater in Hartford, Conn., Thursday night to catch Coldplay in action. Alison Maxwell reported live.
Fan reaction: Mark Murphy, 19, of Boston, described the concert as "awesome." "The end was the best," he said. "This is my first concert and it rocked." Melissa Clark, 27, of Hartford had this to say: "[Coldplay] is my favorite group, and I couldn't get enough. They can't play a bad song." Posted 12:11 a.m. ET
The end of the show: Coldplay wrapped up the concert with Fix You, a ballad which is just starting to receive radio play. The crowd seemed to know it well, perhaps because it debuted on one of the last episodes of The OC. A single lightbulb hung from the ceiling over Martin's piano. When the song built to the breaking point, Martin swung the hanging bulb around in circles and then let it go flying over the crowd.Posted 11:10 p.m. ET
Encore! Encore!: Coldplay kicked off its encore with Swallowed in the Sea, followed by the smash hit In My Place. Martin mocked the fact that the tune is a love-song. He approached guitarist Johnny Buckland and sang "Yeah Johnny, I would wait for you," a modification of the song's actual chorus. Posted 11 p.m. ET
Closing out the set: Coldplay wrapped up its set with Talk off X&Y. Video of a pacing black bear flashed throughtout the pavilion. "You can climb a ladder up to the sun," Martin sang as he mimed climbing a ladder. Posted 10:52 p.m. ET
Giving fans what they want: Clocks received a huge reception from the crowd. Images of a mannequin head danced across the screen behind the band as Martin banged on the piano. The song reached a crescendo and the band picked up tempo. Ultimately, it seemed that Martin was playing on fast forward.Posted 10:47 p.m. ET
For the man in black: Coldplay dedicated 'Til Kingdom Come, the "hidden track" on X&Y, to "the great Johnny Cash." The four band members congregated at the very front of the stage, clumped together closely to sing. Martin slipped and forgot the words in the middle of the song. He laughed, then swore and said "Oh, now you'll get us voted off American Idol." Posted 10:36 p.m. ET
The heat is on: Martin changed his shirt and rushed back on stage. "We're getting close to a Celine Dion concert here," he said, joking about his costume change. "If you want a refund for all of the sweat you've seen tonight, you get 50 cents for each liter that comes off us." Posted 10:32 p.m. ET
With a little help from his friends: Martin called for a group effort on The Scientist. The crowd belted out every last lyric and swayed to the music. Not surprisingly, the lighters came out. Posted 10:29 p.m. ET
A whirling dervish: Martin continued his stage antics during White Shadows, twirling in circles from one side of the stage to the other while singing the entire time. Posted 10:19 p.m. ET
Time for a campy sing-along: The crowd was particularly pleased with Coldplay's next selection, Everything's Not Lost. Concertgoers sang boisterously to the chorus: "Come on yeah; awww awww yeah; awww awww yeah; you know that everything's not lost." Martin complimented the crowd's ability: "Someone's a good singing teacher in Connecticut," he said. Posted 10:13 p.m. ET
Enjoying success: A sweaty Martin told the crowd that having had a No. 1 album was a "tiny bit of pleasure." He then launched into Hardest Part off X&Y. Posted 10:08 p.m. ET
Captured on film: During Low, the words "get your camera ready, take a picture" repeatedly ran across the video screen. The crowd happily obliged and snapped shots of the performance. Posted 10:03 p.m. ET
Listening intently: The crowd mellowed out to the hit Speed of Sound, Coldplay's first release from X&Y. Large green letters "MTF" — for Make Trade Fair — were illuminated on Martin's piano. Posted 10 p.m. ET
Smiling faces: Coldplay followed Yellow with God Put a Smile Upon Your Face from Rush of Blood. Martin did an extended riff and jumped around in a frenzy on stage to the crowd's delight. Posted 9:54 p.m. ET
Crowd appreciation: Before singing the band's first big hit, Yellow, off Parachutes, Martin, wearing black pants, his ubiquitous high-collared black jacket and white Adidas shoes with black stripes, thanked fans for making the band feel welcome on the first stop of its U.S. tour. At the end of Yellow, large yellow balloons fell on the audience. When the crowd popped them, yellow confetti spilled out. Posted 9:49 p.m. ET
Tickling the keys: Martin continued his animated play with Politik off the CD A Rush of Blood to the Head. Fans sang along and pumped their fists. A large stage-wide horizontal screen showed Martin's hands working the piano. Posted 9:42 p.m. ET
Let's get the show on the road: Coldplay's Chris Martin took the stage with his trademark gait — a vibrant spring in his step — and belted out Square One, the first tune on the chart-topping CD X&Y. He hit the piano keys and played vigorously, nearly knocking over his piano stool. Posted 9:37 p.m. ET
Ready to rock: About 30 minutes remained until Coldplay started its U.S. leg of the tour. The crowd was psyched. Roadies set up the stage, and the pavilion was filled to capacity. Posted 9:03 p.m. ET
Short and sweet: Black Mountain wrapped up its truncated set with a slow tune called Most Days. Posted 8:49 p.m. ET
Issues at the border: Black Mountain was held up at the border coming in from Canada, delaying the set. "American immigration is a (expletive)," Black Mountain's Stephen McBean told the restless crowd. Posted 8:40 p.m. ET
Crowd control: The lawn section at Meadow Music Theater holds approximately 15,000 people and according to a security guard "that's where all of the fights break out." Recently at Ozzfest, fans began throwing chunks of grass at each other. "That won't happen at this concert though," he said with a grin. 8:27 p.m. ET
Pricey souvenirs: Gone are the days of affordable concert T-shirts and programs. A basic Coldplay X&Y tee is going for $35, a sweatshirt for $65 and a program for $20. Posted 8:10 p.m. ET
A Coldplay and Michael Bolton fan? That's doubtful, but the best T-shirt sighting of the night on a hipster: an authentic, black Michael Bolton concert T where Bolton looks strangely like Jesus. Posted 7:43 p.m. ET
Helping spread the word: There was at least one official Make Trade Fair representative per 30 concertgoers early in the evening. That wasn't surprising considering free trade is Coldplay frontman Chris Martin's pet cause. Posted 7:23 p.m. ET
Indie-rock opener: Vancouver-based indie rockers Black Mountain had a chance to make a bigger name for itself, opening for one of the hottest bands touring this summer. Drawing inspiration from Neil Young, the Velvet Underground and Pink Floyd, Black Mountain will open for Coldplay on 17 dates. Posted 7:07 p.m. ET
Hot night in Hartford: Coldplay hadn't even hit the stage and they had already created quite a buzz in Hartford, Conn. The local papers warned drivers of major traffic delays. The greeting at the local Sheraton hotel was "Are you heading to the show?" The hotel manager said about 80% of Thursday's guest were in town for the concert. He even rerouted the hotel shuttle to include a stop at the concert venue. Posted 6:56 p.m. ET
http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2005-08-02-coldplay-blog_x.htm
