21 July 2009: Superpages.com Center, Dallas, TX, USA

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Superpages.com Center, Dallas, TX, USA

1 Setlist
2 Photos
3 Videos
4 Discussion
5 Fan Reviews
6 Media Reviews
7 Twitter Updates

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Setlist

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Photos

Photos from this show can be found at Coldplaying.com in the Gallery thread for Dallas. http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/1703

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Videos

Videos from this show can be found in the first post of the Coldplaying forum live thread for this show at http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54389

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Discussion

All post-show discussion for this show at the forum thread: http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54389

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Fan Reviews

All fan reviews have been submitted to us by the members of Coldplaying.com[1], unless stated otherwise.

Back from the show. I got pics of Phil, Franksie, Marta, a high 5 from Jonny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was on Jonny's side, right on the end of the row. I was on row J but that turned out to be row 2. The steps to leave the stage and go to the C stage were right in front of me. After Viva, they started putting up the security tape. Jackie, Kelly and Franksie were all threre. Lost ended and when they came down the steps, Jonny was first and I screamed his name and he came over and high fived me. Chrissy ran past too quick to see my cape. But Franksie was there and he gave me a thumbs up.

Chrissy didn't see my cape but all the Coldplayers did. The security guy asked me if I was someone famous because people kept coming over to meet me.

[TheAngie]

Hey guys!!! Just got back to the hotel after hellish traffic... W O W! This was THE best show I've been too hands down! I got to meet Angie finally, ha! She wasn't hard to find in her cape

The PIT was incredible! It was large but you were free to move around all over it so I was able to be right next to the little catwalks, right next to the rail when they ran to the B-Stage (which was weird since I was literally the ONLY person on the rail and felt kind of stupid! HA! But I got some GREAT video. I almost got a high five from Will, but he just waved instead Oh well I was happy for the wave! Also, at one point on the catwalk, Chris looked right at me and pulled a funny face when I was taking a picture - of course it came out blurry because that man cannot keep still but it was great! I think he probably thought it was funny there was only a few people on that end, ha!! But at least both Will and Chris saw me, so that was really great!

They CHANGED THE SETLIST and played TROUBLE!!!! It was sooooo great. Unfortunately, the stupid security guard stopped me from recording video once they got to the B-Stage... one of the problems of being in the fairly empty side of the PIT. I did get some video of trouble though - I acted like I was taking a picture

Chris also threw a bunch of glo-sticks into the audience, I didn't get one unfortunately, but got video of it! I also wasn't able to get a set list. I ALMOST DID, but I let the girl next to me get it since she had already been there asking for it. SO CLOSE THOUGH. I tried to get another, but security ushered me away... the guy said "If he can't get it to you by the time you walk to that gate, tough luck" UGH

I got some REALLY great pics and vids that I'll mostly post tomorrow. I can probably get a few pics up here tonight, but the PIT is exhausting!! It was great I finally got to meet another Coldplayer though. I got a pic with Angie and will post it, even though it's kind of blurry!!!

Oh, I almost forgot, someone in the pit gave Chris a cowboy hat for Guy to wear, and he put it on Guy as they walked off, it was really funny. I got some pics of it

[mrman78]

What a great show!! Super energy !!

I'm uploading some Dallas videos to my YouTube page at the moment....check back periodically to see new ones:

I got to meet Angie! Very lovely....and dressed in her finest Strawberry Swing attire!!

Great show...gotta get some sleep....but only after kissing my very lovely girlfriend....

[Technicolour TX]

ha mrman78, I was right next too you tonight... I thought I recognized you from the pic from your avatar but didnt wanna say anything incase it wasnt you from here,

I was the big guy in the grey tshirt, white dallas cowboys hat with the big blue D on it and the black sunglasses hanging from my shirt.

Dead center all the way in the back of the PIT, I was sitting before the show.

Anyways, this is the first concert ive ever been too and it was mindblowing to say the least. I never thought in a million years i'd get to see my favorite band so up close like that, amazing show.

[gsmith1236]

And now the cowboy hat story...

It all started back in November for the gig at the American Airlines Center. I purchased my ticket back in June 2008 but only found out a month later that the road crew were giving away tickets to lucky people up in the third balcony for which is where my ticket was located. I got excited and was hopeful that I would be chosen, but I thought I needed to stand out. I then asked myself "What could I do to get Chris' attention if I were chosen to move down to the front rows of the floor???"

Just a few days before that show in November I finally got the idea to make a special Coldplay cowboy hat to match his uniform. I was hoping that I would have a chance to throw it to him and for him to wear at least during one song. Of course the cowboy hat is one of many symbols for the state of Texas. I thought, as a nice gesture, give him a cowboy hat to wear to make him feel like a Texan for at least a moment. But that dream never came true. I was not chosen to move down to the first rows of the floor. So the cowboy hat mission was scrapped.

Then came my second chance for the cowboy hat. Of course y'all remember me getting PIT tickets on Mother's Day. I took it as a sign. So this past Monday night the cowboy hat saw the light of day once more and hopefully never to return to my closet after the show.

On the morning of the show my friend and I got in line at 11:30am. We were the first ones in line for the PIT. I got excited, and I knew my chances were high to give Chris his hat. While in line we got to know two nice young gentlemen (Mike and Chris) who were actually #1 and #2 in line. They got there at 7am. They had lawn and I told them about the C-stage. I too raised their hopes up for getting only feet from the guys. Then I proceeded to make masks for people. I had so much material left over from my hat that I decided the night before to make masks for people who got in line early. When Strawberry Swing came up during the show, the people in the front with me put their masks on, but Mr. Martin didn't notice us at all. It was too dark and he was busy playing his guitar. Oh well. At least cutting all those masks out for people helped make the day go by faster while waiting for the gate to open.

Then out of the wild blue at about 4:50pm, this guy comes out and announces that the bar is open for business and you can stand in line inside the bar area. Well of course chaos ensued. I thought right then and there that I would lose my precious place in line to be in the front to give Chris his hat. The position that I had sat in all day for, I thought was gone. So I told my friend to go ahead and go but save me a place in line while I ran to the car to put our chairs and stuff away. Now I was worried I lost my place as first in line to the PIT, but I got it back with no problem. Everyone around me was nice enough to let me walk to the front of the line. I was relieved! Then after a long wait of baking in the hot sun, the gate was finally open. We ran through the first checkpoint and then ran to the second checkpoint. Then we were stopped by the Superpages.com security. We had to get banded before proceeding, and it was a process that seemed to take forever. I then ran to the front of the stage. I was now standing dead center in front of Chris' microphone stand. I couldn't believe it!!! I was going to see Coldplay front row and center!!!!! At this moment my hands were shaking and I could barely breathe. It was almost overwhelming. Thank goodness there were two very good opening acts that helped me calm down and have a little fun.

Right after the second opener was finished this very tall bouncer stopped and stood right in front of us. He was a very sweet guy. I asked him nicely could you please move over some time during the gig so that I have a clear view of Chris. He was about 6'2" while I am about 5'4". Needless to say my friend and I weren't very happy that he stopped right in front of us, and he stood there the entire show and never moved his position. I guess he didn't have a choice since he was the biggest and tallest bouncer. He might have been chosen to stand in front of Chris. Basically I was having a hard time seeing around his head especially when Chris sat down at the piano. That was the only thing that I hated during the show. I had a semi-blocked view.

Anyway, back to the show, they played Magnificent by U2 as part of the intro. I was like YES!!! It's my favorite song off of the new U2 album No Line On The Horizon. My friend and I were the only people singing the words to the song. I guess we were the only two huge U2 fans around the PIT. Then a little bit later we did our dance to Coldplay's opening song, and right after that in walked our other favorite band with sparklers in hand! ON WITH THE SHOW!

With me being a huge Chris fan, of course at this point and for the rest of the show I felt like I was in heaven. So instead of boring you with the set list again and how good each song was, let me just say that I was blown away! Being in the PIT was a hundred times better than that third balcony seat. This time I was able to catch a handful of butterflies with the help of the cowboy hat. I even received a huge piece of yellow balloon that slapped me in my face after one of the security guys popped the balloons. YES! FINALLY!! SOUVENIRS!!!

Then what seemed like the show was about to end soon, I had to think fast on how in the world I was going to give Chris his hat. I thought he would grab the cowboy hat right after he autographed somebody's poster/book, but he didn't. It seemed as though I wasn't able at getting Chris' attention even after waving this hat right in front of his face. Well, after he backed away, I then really had to think on my feet as to when I was going to have to throw the hat on stage. Then all of the sudden it came to me. I thought to myself, "I KNOW! I'LL THROW IT TO HIM WHEN THEY FINALLY STAND STILL LONG ENOUGH TO TAKE THEIR BOW!" I didn't even tell my friend when I was going to do it. I told nobody. The thing I was most afraid of was a block from the tall bouncer in front of me. I just hoped and prayed that he didn't!

Finally the time had come to throw the hat to Chris. I saw everyone put their guitars down, they walked to the front to start their bow, and I got ready. With the count of 2, I had thrown the hat onto the stage. After a few seconds Chris looked down, picked it up, and plopped it right on top of Guy's head. THE CROWD ROARED!!!!! And then off they went along with the hat.

I DID IT!!!!! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!!!

Operation Cowboy Hat - Completed.

[Allegra]

Hey everyone!! Awesome show Tuesday night!! I'm just now home from Houston (and the show last night) and am just starting to upload pics and videos. We were in the pit, about 4 people back from the front, between Chris and Guy. Had a fantastic view of Guy and Will, Chris was a bit obscured by a tall guy in front of me, and the band's video camera. My husband and I were working with two cameras- mine cheap and crappy, his not so much. I'll be able to post my crappy pics and vids tonight or tomorrow, the others, probably not til this weekend.

It was a great show... Got to meet Super Angie, and I saw Allegra and MrMan (though I didn't know it was them at the time!)

[jenflor]

There are few things in life I hate more than the drive from Houston to Dallas. It is long and boring. But to see Coldplay I would drive just about anywhere. If you live on the south side of Houston and need to get to the north side of Houston, as in going to Dallas, you have 2 choices: before rush hour or after rush hour. I didn't really want to leave so early, but I-45 is always under some kind of construction and the fear of not making it into town on time freaked me out, so early Tuesday morning I let out for the Big D.

I was happy to discover that since my last voyage to Dallas a Buc-ees was built about midway between the two cities. For those that don't know what a Buc-ees is, it is a famous roadside store that has more stuff than you can shake a stick at and super fancy, well for a road side stop, bathrooms. They have billboards every couple of miles with crazy sayings and a pic of their mascot, Buc-ee the Beaver. "Eat Here, Get Gas" " OMG! LOL! It's a beaver" ahahaha I do love the Beaver alerts.

Once I got past Buc-ees I had to find something else to amuse myself with. I had mentioned on the Coldplaying message board that we should all wear a superhero costumes with a red capes since it was the band's first show after the release of the new Strawberry Swing video. Well in my bordom, I started thinking about how I could make one in my hotel. The more I thought about it, the more I smiled. OMG how crazy would I have to be to wear this to the show. What the hell, I'll stop off at a store and see if I can find the stuff to throw it together. I'll have time to kill and it will give me something to do besides sit at the hotel and freak out. So I stopped off at the Wal-Mart near my hotel and bought a blue t shirt, some red, yellow and purple material, no sew fusable interfacing stuff and a travel sewing kit. Checked into my hotel and started working on my costume. First I drew the moon from the video on the front of the shirt, then used the interfacing to "glue" colored stripes on the sleeves. I then used thread to attach my cape at the shoulders. I was giggling so much while I was making it. After it was done I had to decide if I would actually wear it to the show. I don't know any one in Dallas, so who's going to see me dressed like a spaz. What the hell, I'll wear it to the show.

My hotel was only 10 minutes from the venue, so I left around 5pm to go down there. Got some interesting stares at the hotel. I guess Dallas has never seen a superhero before. Got to the venue and not too many people where there yet. Mostly people in line for the lawn and the Pit. I sat in my car until gates where open because it was hot as hell out there. Got more stares on my walk in. Once inside stopped off at the Oxfam booth and Soha just loved my outfit. She took my picture. Passed Jackie on my way to my seat and she just shook her head at me.

I found my seat and was excited to see that the band would be exiting the stage just in front of me for the C Stage but kinda dissapointed to find that my seat was so far over to the side because I couldn't see the backdrop on the stage. Oh well, row J turned out to be the second row, so that was cool. I sat and waited.

I guess the red cape thing was a good idea because it made it easy for fellow Coldplayers to find me. First I met jenflor and her hubby on their way into the Pit area. My seat was right next to the Pit entrance. Then Technicolour TX and his girlfriend came by to say hi. They were sitting at the back but saw my cape and came to say hello. MrMan78 came over and found me and hung out for a while before the band came on. It was great meeting people I talk to all the time on the board. The secuirty guys working the Pit entrance asked me if I was someone famous because all these people kept coming over to meet me. Yes I am a super hero damnit! LOL

While waiting Marta came by and I yelled her name and she came over to talk with me. Marta is part of the touring crew and she is a sweetheart. She said she got picked up for the European leg and so she will be at Wembley with us. Woot! Then she showed me the Super Secret Official Coldplay Roadie Handshake!

This was my first show seeing the current opening acts. Kitty, Daisy & Lewis are a rock- a- billy sounding band and the crowd seemed really liked them. Good music for a Texas crowd. Mariam and Amadou are from West Africia and play africian/rock/funk music. I loved to hear Amadou announce the songs and talk. I am Amadouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu. Welcomeeeeeeeeeee.

Finally openers finsihed and the crew started setting up for Coldplay. Black curtain down......U2 "Magnificent".....JayZ.....Wayne out with Cowboy hat and broom stick "horse" to dance.....Blue Danube clap along....lights out!.........the opening notes of LIT and the crowd goes starkers! The band come out with the sparklers twirling and I feel someone tap me on the shoulder. I thought it was someone wanting me to move so they could get to their seat, but it was Marta there to dance with me. :)

During LIT was the first time I saw Phil. He was on the side extension of the stage where the band would have to walk when they exit later for the C Stage and he ran right past me. I tried to get a pic but he was too fast and it was too dark. I saw him again during Yellow and got a few pics of him. He was out watching just like everyone else.

During the B Stage set, after GPASUYF and Talk, Chris made a speech about how horrid his hair looked on the big screens. Well no shit Mr Martin! They have these things called barber shops and they cut people's hair at those. You should look in to that right away. He then announced that he was changing the set list and then they would go into the regular set and launched into TROUBLE! OMG, it was lovely and the whole audience was so quiet while he sang it. He then messed up the lyrics and cut it short saying "that's enough of that". It was beautiful while it lasted.

After Lost, I got ready because I knew they were coming my way. Franksie was right by me walking around making sure everything was ready. He gave my cape a thumbs up. Security had already blocked off the row and Kelly was waiting for the band at the edge of the stage. Jonny was first off the stage and I called his name and he walked out of his way to come over and give me a Hi 5! SCORE!!!!!! I was so excited.

When Chris came out for the encore to make the announcement about the LRLRL CD, he said it would be a long time before they came back to Texas and everyone boo'd. He then said he wanted everyone to give a big boooooooooo all together, so we did, then he did this crazy man mad laugh. It was so funny.

It was great show and a fun time.

http://angie-footieandconcerts.blogspot.com/2009/07/superhero-supershow.html

The very first time I listened to Coldplay was in December 2005 and coincidentally enough, it was at a simulcast of their taping of Austin City Limits. At the time, my husband became privy to the knowledge that Michael Stipe was going to be making a guest appearance during Coldplay’s set and worked quickly to secure us two tickets to the spare seating that had been set up in a nearby auditorium on the UT campus (the demand for tickets was so high, they filled up the ACL studio and the entire auditorium). It’s funny to think about now, but I couldn’t have cared in the least that Coldplay was going to perform; I literally only wanted to see Michael Stipe. I owned no Coldplay albums and was really only familiar with “Clocks” from the radio and “Speed of Sound” from its video. I vividly remembered reading an interview with Chris Martin from years earlier before the release of A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002), where he claimed that he was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to write anything as good as “Yellow” ever again. That being during my grunge rock phase, I thought it was one of the most ridiculous things I’d ever heard. How much things can change…

My husband and I got set up with the free beers they use to lubricate the audience for ACL and waited for the show to begin. Coldplay started their set and pretty much immediately, we were both won over. What they show on television now is only a fraction of what they played that night; they played a full concert, nearly two hours of music, hitting a variety of songs from their three albums that had been released up to that point. I remember Chris being very charming; he was talkative, funny, and smart, and engaging with the small studio audience, wandering off the stage to high-five mayor Will Wynn much to the chagrin of the cameramen attempting to follow him. Of course, the highlight for me was when Michael Stipe came out and they played “In The Sun” and “Nightswimming”, but I specifically remember Coldplay’s performances of “Clocks” and “Talk” as well. After the final encore, Chris came back out and played “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” solo on the piano and that sealed the deal. I was thoroughly impressed.

I had seen Coldplay twice since then, once during the X&Y tour in early 2006, and once last year in November at the onset of the Viva tour. While both of those concerts were great, I was in no way prepared for how far they have come as a band in concert in the past eight months, and was blown away by the sheer spectacle of the show in both Dallas and Houston last week. It was a rare treat to see a huge band in a relatively small outdoor arena, and Coldplay goes to extremes to make sure all of the audience feels included. The main stage itself is impressive with the “magic balls” that project light and distorted images, their amazing laser light shows, and intricate backdrops, but the band also makes two trips off stage. First they play some techno-d up and highly danceable versions of “God Put A Smile Upon Your Face” and “Talk”, followed by Chris on piano playing “Trouble” in Dallas during an impromptu setlist change, and then “The Hardest Part” in Houston. During their second trip into the audience, even closer to the lawn this time, they play a fun and jaunty acoustic set that includes drummer Will Champion singing on “Death Will Never Conquer” while Chris and guitarist Jonny Buckland dance merrily, and a crack version of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” where Chris hits some killer falsetto notes and Jonny and Will provide excellent guitar riffs.

In Dallas, we were lucky enough to be at the front of the pit, so we really got to see some of the inner workings of the show and it’s clear that Coldplay works very hard at their jobs. From the very second the concert starts, with the dancing roadie and “Blue Danube” intro, the show is dramatic, finding the band coming out in silhoutte behind a screen waving sparklers before starting the first number, the instrumental version of “Life in Technicolor”. The set is two hours long, and it’s nearly non-stop, with only two short breaks, and the setlist itself is full of their most interesting tracks, enormous crowd-pleasers and rock numbers alike. Every member of the band is a key to the puzzle; we got to witness the knowing eye contacts and silent cues they’d give each other and it’s totally gratifying to see that they’re in synch like clockwork. Will drums like a machine, literally carrying the beat and turning out unbelievable performances during “Viva la Vida” and “Politik”, bassist Guy Berryman is steady and self-assured on his instrument, and Jonny completely rocks out during songs like “42″ and makes guitar lines like the one in “Strawberry Swing” look effortless and easy.

As a frontman, Chris is confident and affable; he comes across as down-to-earth and genuinely absorbed in entertaining the audience. His voice for both shows was in top form, transitioning between high and low notes smoothly. His musical skills are also highly admirable, especially his piano playing, which has become more classically influenced over the years with lovely numbers like “Postcards From Far Away”. He switches back and forth between piano, guitar, and manning the mic throughout the show, and does it all with boundless energy; running, jumping, and dancing, and whether it’s goofy or inspired, it’s always captivating.

My long anecdote at the intro is the beginning of the story of how Coldplay became one of my all-time favorite bands. But that night was also sort of an important turning point for me musically. I was stuck in this weird in-between stage of musical taste; I’d been all Bob Marley’d out during college, and yet, I hadn’t discovered any new music for years because I hated the radio. I rarely ever listened to music at all. Seeing Coldplay live the first time reinvigorated my interest and passion for music; they’re are a huge part of the reason why I’ve gone so far as to have a music blog. Seeing them in Dallas and Houston during this tour was just icing on the cake

http://austingirlmusicguide.wordpress.com/2009/07/25/concert-review-coldplay-dallashouston-721-722/

What a show these guys put up. I am not a particularly fond bloke of their music, but they do have some good tunes and I do like the way they arrange lyrics and prose. But now, I have to admit and kindda admire them. These four Brits do know how to interact with their audience.

Their showed kicked off around 8:45PM when the Sun was already saying goodbye to the Superpages Center (formerly known as the Smirnoff and Coca-Cola respectively) located somewhere in the south-east Dallas area. Coldplay treated us to the full array of their “classics” such as Yellow, Shiver, Clocks, and Politik -my personal favorite: I can’t help the shivers down my spine on the verse “give me strength, reserve control, give me heart and give me soul“; of course they flamboyantly played songs from their latest album, of which I have to admit…don’t like all too much. Perhaps I just gotta give them another year until I start to like them. Who knows.

Of the memorable moments: they did run up to two mini-stages setup right in the middle of the audience. One of them on the right side of the numbered seats area -for fancy people- and another one to the left by the lawn. Of which I was able to take a couple of decent photos and some OK video footage -some of which you can watch right here. Another conspicuos moment arrived when they rendered they own tribute to Michael Jackson by playing their own, brit-pop version of Billy Jean -Chris just missed grabbing his crotch and doing the moon-walk.

They vowed good-bye to the audience after almost two hours of music to the return for a little speech and two more songs. That marked the closing of a very interesting concert @ the Big-D. On our way out, we were treated with a free CD with a handful of their songs.

http://www.myrotarycar.com/blog/inde...rpages-center/

A few issues back, I used my column in The Philosopher's Magazine to lament the fact that I'd missed the Coldplay concert in the fall (and to confess that I am a Coldplay-lover), but now all is well. They were back in Dallas last night.

Here's the thing about hearing live music. It kind of disrupts a certain illusion that I enjoy. You see, Chris Martin and I have kind of a special connection. I understand him, and he understands me. In fact, he wrote many of his songs specifically for me--like "Clocks" and "Viva La Vida" and "Lost". So what are all those 20,000 other idiots doing there, acting like his greatest fans? How, in fact, do they even know his songs and the lyrics, considering that they're MY songs?

Sigh. The band was good. But back to the audience. Not only did they barge in on my special thing with Chris, but they made me notice that I'm no longer the age of a typical Coldplay fan. No, I'm not 24. I'm not even 34. One of the ways the 20,000 called this to my attention was by engaging in Strange Youth Behaviors.

Um, must one listen to music while waving around cellphones? I asked my two 12-year olds about this, because they got into the cellphone thing too. In fact, they took to it like...well, like ducks take to water. After the concert I attempted to provoke them by hypothesizing that this is all about the deep and intimate connection that people have with their phones these days. To hold your phone is practically like holding your heart in your hand, so raising it is a gesture of love and exultation.

But they wouldn't be provoked. In fact, they just looked at me like I was an ignoramus. The point is that the phone lights up, they said. It's like holding a candle. Sure. Whatever. I'm sure Chris thinks it's silly too. He encouraged it a bit, getting people to do that wave thing, but I think he was just pretending. He and I think just alike.

http://kazez.blogspot.com/2009/07/coldplay.html

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Media Reviews

Last night, as part of a wonderful suite of gifts my girlfriend got me for my recent birthday, I attended my first ever Coldplay concert at the SuperPages.com Center here in Dallas. The headline of this post says that it did not disappoint, but that is a pretty major understatement.

One of the first things I said as we walked out of the concert last night was that it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen…and I have not wavered from that feeling with the perspective of a (brief) night’s sleep. Now, I do not consider myself a huge Coldplay fan (at least, I didn’t before last night). I used to be a huge fan when their music first arrived in the U.S. (more on that in a bit), and while I still like them and have thrown a decent amount of their songs on various mixed CDs throughout the past decade, I’ve never purchased a CD or bought more than one or two songs off iTunes.

I can tell you that this will change after last night, and in fact already has. Songs like “Violet Hill,” which I had heard before but not been head over heels about, I know have a new appreciation and affinity for after hearing live. Isn’t that how it always goes after you see a really good live show? It’s been my experience anyway.

I liked Coldplay a lot when they first came out in the States a decade ago (my sophomore year of college) because my roommate and I stumbled upon them well before we ever heard anyone else talking about them. We were up really late one night and had MTV on and this really unique video came on the screen with some goofy looking guy just walking along the beach singing in a high pitched voice. It mesmerized us. The song was incredible and the video was so simple and elegant. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, it’s the video for Yellow.

At the time, my roommate and I were running our own production company (with KVB!) and doing a lot of music video work, so we were into studying and analyzing different directing and visual storytelling styles. For the next month or so we told everyone we could about the song and video, and no one had heard of Coldplay. I have no way of proving this, but I honestly think that through nothing more than blind serendipity we just happened to be watching MTV the first time they ever showed Coldplay.

We certainly never imagined then that this unknown British band would become one of the biggest and baddest bands in all the world, or that the mysterious guy with the soaring voice in the video would one day marry Gwyneth Paltrow (a HUGE star back then, remember) and become a budding icon of music. But that’s what has happened.

I listened to a lot of Coldplay’s early work from the Parachutes album: Yellow, Trouble, Sparks, etc. With each successive album however, as they became more popular and ubiquitous on the radio, listening to Coldplay lost some of its luster for me. They went from being that cool, unknown band I enjoyed introducing people to, to just another band that everyone listened to regularly. The music was still good, but I didn’t feel that same connection to their music that I once did.

After last night’s show, I feel connected again.

It is fitting, I suppose, that we got there a few minutes late and found our seats as Chris Martin and the boys began their second song of the evening. You’ll never guess it what it was…Yellow. And I haven’t enjoyed listening to that song more since that first night my roommate and I watched the video in our little house apartment in Bloomington.

Oh, and for the record, for anyone who has not seen Coldplay live and wonders whether Chris Martin’s voice translates well live…I offer up a resounding YES. I saw Jason Mraz live a few months back, and he has one of the most incredible live voices I have ever heard or can imagine. Mraz actually spent a half hour of the show not even singing words, just using his voice like an instrument. Martin did not do anything like this, but I got the sense that he could have. His ability to hold notes and be pitch-perfect every second of the performance is truly remarkable. His voice, which sounds so unbelievable in studio-produced material, translates seamlessly to a live setting.

In addition to Martin’s singing — easily my favorite overall aspect of the show — the production value of the show was fantastic. One example: they had five reflective, rotating spheres that would descend from the ceiling and have either silhouettes of the band members or funky designs on them. The instant editing work on the video screens was also impressive. Each song seemed to feature unique angles, color filters, and pacing of the cuts from shot to shot. In a big venue such as the one the show was held in, having compelling visuals on the big screens really adds to the overall experience. At one point, they also sent confetti-filled balloons bouncing throughout the masses. That was pretty sweet too.

But the most memorable part of the night for me came about 2/3’s of the way through the show and actually happened when the band left the main stage. (Remember at the top when I told you there would be a rich reward for reading? It’s coming.)

After listening to four or five songs from our seats, we made a quick jaunt to the restroom and to grab a beverage. When we returned, we noticed that a group of people had collected and were being told they could not proceed to their seats. Once we reached the small mass of people, we learned that a small stage had been set up in front of the fully-packed lawn section and that the band would be coming from the stage through the middle aisle to the back of the arena to play a few songs.

We quickly realized that not being able to go back to our seats would be just fine, as we basically ended up with a front row seat for this little interlude.

It took about three more songs, but finally the band came jogging back with throngs of screaming fans reaching out and trying to touch Chris Martin (that blur in the picture to the left is him) and the other band members. Cell phone cameras and the flashes from actual cameras were going off at what seemed like the speed of light. Unfortunately, I was unable to get any really great pictures from my iPhone (just the ones you see posted), but the iPhone still came up huge during the ensuing acoustic performance by the band.

As the band hopped up on the tiny stage and grabbed the guitars that had been prepared for them, I heard a guy standing next to us say that he thought they were going to start off with “Billie Jean.” As many of you know, I am a huge Michael Jackson fan, Billie Jean is my favorite song, and I never had the chance to see MJ perform it live. Sure, Coldplay cannot compare to Michael Jackson performing a Michael Jackson song, but I was still instantly excited at the prospect of hearing “Billie Jean” be performed live.

So I was disappointed when I did not recognize the first couple of songs Coldplay played from the lawn stage.

But that disappointment would soon be washed away in the flood of excitement that occurred when I heard the first few unmistakable notes of “Billie Jean.” I quickly pulled out the iPhone and opened up the Voice Memo app that comes standard with the recently updated operating system. I’d never used it before, but I figured this would be as good a time as any to try it out. I had no clue if it would work, what the sound quality would be, or even if I could listen to it outside of the program once it was recorded.

Well, it worked, the sound quality is phenomenal (all things considered), and I most certainly can listen to it outside of the program…and so can you. A snippet of the 2:30 file of Coldplay performing “Billie Jean” is linked below. I don’t know all the rules about recording something live at a show and then posting it on a website, so I won’t link the whole file, but you’ll get the idea from the snippet. Email me if you want the full file. I’ll gladly pass it along. (And considering that the band gave out free CDs after the show, I can’t imagine they’d be too upset with a sterling review of their show and a short clip of them doing a cover).

So, in quick conclusion, the Coldplay concert was fantastic and a huge highlight in what has been quite an incredible birthday between a great day with the family, a fun week with KVB in town, and a terrific girlfriend who has gone out of her way to truly make it special with gifts like KVB’s plane ticket and the concert tickets (we’re seeing The Fray on Friday).

Anyone else reading been to a Coldplay show? I got two of my best friends tickets for the Indy Coldplay show as an anniversary/birthday present back in June. She is a huge fan, but he was kind of a peripheral fan like me — but a huge music and concert connoiseur — and they both agreed that their show was amazing. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to go as a true die-hard.

http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/

Concert review: Coldplay hits all the right notes at Superpages.com Center

Another local stage was graced with the forces of British alternative rock Tuesday night, as Coldplay performed at Superpages.com Center in the band's second Dallas show in nine months.

The amphitheater bustled with animated fans who were standing on chairs and taking pictures with their cellphones. Audience members ranged from children sitting with their parents to women in their 50s and 60s waving glow sticks.

Two giant screens showed alternating images of band members and close-ups of frontman Chris Martin's hands pounding the piano keys. Martin joked with the crowd and cursed the screens for serving as a reminder of his long-overdue haircut.

During more high-energy songs, Martin didn't waste any stage space; he spun, jumped and ran from one side to the other.

About half of the 90-minute set consisted of music from the band's fourth and most recent album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, which veers from previous albums with a more electronic influence.

But the band didn't neglect its older songs. One of the first in the set was "Clocks" from the group's second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head.

Shortly after, they played "Yellow," the single that catapulted them to national fame. With that, huge yellow balloons were released into the crowd.

The band members made their way into the sea of fans, and performed in two locations other than the main stage. From one, the band paid tribute to the late Michael Jackson with "Billie Jean."

Abstract pictures were projected onto five giant globes, and a screen behind the stage flashed countless images: black-and-white battle footage, spinning spirals and quickly moving films of bright city lights.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/stories/DN-coldplay_0723gd.State.Edition1.1e476fa.html

Review: Coldplay, winded but still winning

Coldplay returned to Dallas for their second, but less spectacular sold-out show in a year.

DALLAS -- Still coasting on the bold energy of last year's Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, Coldplay returned to the Metroplex Tuesday night, less than 12 months after it last visited.

Aside from the obvious changes (venue, season, some of the set list) and a surprisingly ragged first half, there wasn't a drastic difference between Coldplay at the end of 2008 and Coldplay in the middle of 2009.

Swapping out a few tracks (Speed of Sound and Chinese Sleep Chant disappeared, while Trouble and a sharp cover of the late Michael Jackson's Billie Jean materialized) at Superpages.com Center helped renew the band's spirits, which flagged mightily early on. Coldplay prides itself on delivering a high-intensity, multimedia blitzkrieg; the pieces were in place but the British quartet didn't truly lock into its rhythmic and melodic groove until Fix You.

Once the swelling anthem from X&Y subsided, the band never really looked back, even scampering out to two different stages -- one near the middle of the pavilion and one out on the lawn -- which thrilled the sold-out crowd (although, to be fair, they screamed loudly for just about everything that happened).

It was on those stages, away from the lasers, projection screen globes and sprawling backdrops, where Coldplay appeared most on point, in tune with one another and freed from high-tech distraction.

Yet on the whole, the 2008 tour stop felt tighter and less labored than 2009; the band has flogged its new record mercilessly for well over a year now and has to be growing tired of the grind. Not content to rest on its laurels, Coldplay also had a free nine-track live album, LeftRightLeftRightLeft, to give away as the audience filed out.

Frontman Chris Martin, who, at times, struggled to nail some of the more complex vocals and even mangled some falsetto moments, alluded to the band leaving everyone "alone for the next couple years," which would suggest they'll be heading back into the studio before terribly long.

However, a break might just be in order before turning out another record. Coldplay has weathered a decade in the ever-fickle music industry and managed to remain one of the most popular rock acts in the world. If that doesn't call for an extended vacation, what does?

The openers were a study in trendy curiosity: Kitty Daisy & Lewis, a rockabilly/Dixieland jazz-tinged trio (augmented with additional performers) hailing from London conjured a speakeasy vibe that was as unconventional as it was refreshingly weird. Bonus points to the outfit for trotting out a left-field rendition of Canned Heat's Going Up the Country.

Amadou & Mariam, a Malian duo that spiked its self-described "Afro-blues" grooves with funky washes of piano and shards of electric guitar, was a bracing delight. The crowd didn't quite know what to make of the pair, who utilized a pair of drummers and some enthusiastic back-up singers/dancers, but by the conclusion of Amadou & Mariam's eclectic, freewheeling set, the skeptical were waving their hands in the air like freshly converted fans.

http://www.dfw.com/117/story/156082.html

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