23 July 2008: United Center, Chicago, IL, USA

From WikiColdplay

1 Setlist
2 Photos
3 Fan Reviews
4 Media Reviews
5 Videos

Setlist

Photos

Photos from this show can be found at Coldplaying.com in the Gallery thread for Chicago. http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/1510

Fan Reviews

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

Once again the show was just amazing! Coldplay sounded great

Chris' voice was just perfect and he seemed happy!

Ok as to the setlist, it was exactly the same as yesterday with one exception. In between the Escapist and Green Eyes. They played a NEW SONG! It was short (about one minute and a half) and I think that Chris said that the song was not finished yet. I couldn't really hear what Chris was saying about this song because the crowd in my section was going absolutely wild. Perhaps someone who was there and could hear better could explain. This new song sounded amazing, it reminded me of Death Will Never Conquer. I hope someone got it on video.

Then something very strange happened. After this new song the boys started playing Green Eyes. All of a sudden Guy left the stage!!!! I don't know what happened. About a minute into the song, Chris kept saying "Guy please come back and finish the song with us"--- but Guy never came back. Chris, Johnny and Will finished the song without Guy. At the end of the song Chris said "we dedicate this song to our bassist Guy-- wherever he is" Then the show ended. So again not sure what happened there.

Finally the crowd was definitely better than yesterday. They were dancing and singing even to new songs like Yes, 42, and Strawberry Swing. Also they performed Lost! twice and Chris explained that it was for there next video.

[Ultravioletlight25]

just wanted to say that tonights show was pretty awesome.

Also, everyone cool it about Guy leaving the stage!

I was sitting side stage lower level (sec. 120), about 20 feet from where Guy was standing most of the night. Before Green Eyes, he walked around to the side of the stage (right in front of me) where a roadie greeted him with a flashlight directing him down and around the back of the stage. It looked like it was very planned and expected.... while i was a bit confused that Chris was asking for him, he only waited maybe 15-20 seconds before continuing on with the song. I was looking for Guy to come back (I could see the band come and go from stage all night), there was no movement behind the stage. The dedication seemed like more of a joke, though I did think it strange that only 3 of the 4 guys were on stage at the end of the show

Anyways, I'm sure everything is all good.... the show was great though! Kinda glad I only went one night, since it was basically the same show! Oh and the new song, while short, was pretty sweet!!!

[coldplayer8116]

The band really put on a great show last night. Although I have only seen one show on this tour, they genuinely seemed to give Chicago a special treat with their DVD or Video shoot and what appeared to be an imprompt extended special oncore finishing with Green Eyes.

I dont recall the songs they did in the back of the audience but Scientists comes to mind and some other song by the Will. But that was way cool to do that.

They nearly played for 2 hours! Which to me was a suprise in itself as the last 2 concerts (saw them 2 times for the Twisted Logic tour) they barely made 90 minutes.

All in all, this was one hell of show. I really enjoyed that they played nearly every song on the new album and managed to get in some older favs...My only wish was that they would have played one or two more songs from Parachutes.

As for Guy...as I reflect, I recall Chris acknolwedging Johnny and Will at separate times during the concert...however, I dont recall Chris acknowledging Guy at all....did this piss him off?

Also, what did Guy do the night before on the final oncore?

[kezug]

The evidence!

OK you all know about the sign that Mel and Lori made and held up on the first night. Well we took said sign out stalking today and when the band's SUV pulled up Mr Buckland and Mr Berryman saw said sign. They said they could see Jonny smiling through the black tinted glass. When they got to the loading area, they didn't drive into the building like yesterday. They got out and walked all the way up the ramp just to talk to us!!!!!

First we talked with them. Mel asked Guy if that was him she saw walking that morning and it frickin was! Then we asked them to sign some stuff. They signed the sign. And jonny wrote them a note on it. Then Guy asked "where's the Reign of Guy sign?" I told them how I went to Phoenix and had to suffer in the heat and they weren't there, and Jonny kept saying the tour wasn't ready yet. Jonny wrote on my AROBTTH CD booklet "Sorry you had to go to Arizona" I asked if I could request a song and Jonny laughed and said you can ask but it probably won't happen. Lori asked for COL and I told them that that is a kinda Halloween song so they should start rehearsing it and play it when they get to Houston and Jonny said they would work on that. Then Guy suggest that Jonny pose with Mel and Lori for pics and he gets out his camera and takes a pic then another one and then says he needs some more. Then he takes Lori's camera and takes pics with her camera. So that's the Lori-Jonny-Mel sandwich then I took pics with Jonny and Guy so that's the Guy-Angie-Jonny sandwich...... We talked some more then they left. Lori was shaking....Mel thought of a million things she should have said, but didn't...... We hung around for a while longer to see if Will and Chris would show but I think they were already inside.

So after we left they were talking about holding up the Jonny signa nd the second sign they had which said "Phil is Hot" And I said they should a make a Reign of Guy sign and since they were sitting on his side he would see it.

So in the parking lot before the show with our sharpies, we made the guy sign on the back of the Phil sign. And when they came down the cat walk for the CSC and GPASUYF set, Guy saw it and smiled.

When they were taking their bow at the end of the show, they held up the Phil sign and Chris saw it and made aOMG face then turned around to tell the other guys. I managed to get it on video.

[Texasluvsjonny]

Throughout my years of going to concerts I’ve sat through some less than stellar opening acts (Vanilla Ice; Mandy Moore; Julio Iglesias, Jr.; a life-size Pop Tart that DJ’d). Last night at the Coldplay show in Chicago I endured two of the worst acts I’ve seen in a long time. The first was a guy named Jon Hopkins who I guess is some sort of musical prodigy from London. It basically consisted of him standing up there pushing a few buttons on his MacBook and making this crappy techno music. As an added bonus there was also a screen that showcased some anime that went along with the music. I mean at one point in the cartoon (c’mon, that’s all it is) a girl was crying and then her tears were sweeping people away into a forest of bunnies. In full disclosure, I’ll admit that techno and anime are on my list of things that I just don’t get, along with Raisin Bran, Dancing with the Stars, and nipple rings.

The second act was a woman named Santogold, which I think translates into “hooker with a cheap gold cape.” She brought with her what initially looked to be two female background vocalists. They stood behind microphones but never actually sang. They were more like spastic dancers that at times I thought were having seizures simultaneously. For some songs they would box with what must have been an imaginary friend. On other tracks they were adept at rapidly pushing their boobs in and out towards the crowd. Yes Hasselhoff, America’s definitely got talent.

Finally Coldplay took the stage and even exceeded my expectations. It was an amazing show from beginning to end. Normally when a band plays their new stuff that’s my excuse for a break to buy my t-shirt without a line. But I’ve gotta say that I’ve grown to love the songs from the new CD and in fact I think it’s actually their best overall album. I mean this comes from the guy who’s now on his third copy of A Rush of Blood after wearing out the first two from overplaying. My only slight gripe was the length of the show being only 90 minutes. When I pay almost $100 to be there I expect a concert that lasts longer than the season finale of “The Bachelorette.” That being said Chris Martin and company are the biggest band in the world right now and last night they proved why they deserve the title.

http://mritchason.blogspot.com/search/label/Coldplay

Media Reviews

Viva la Vida con Coldplay

With their fourth studio album firmly entrenched on the charts, Coldplay easily filled the United Center with fans for their two-night concert stand this week, a far cry from their last relatively intimate appearance at The Metro. The enthusiasm we saw from the Chicago stop on their worldwide Viva la Vida tour is arguably a testament to Coldplay’s longevity: ponder all you want about the quality of the music, but a whole lot of people still like the band.

The 90-minute set mainly drew music from their newest album, but Chris Martin and co. still managed to fit in all of the band’s former singles, like “Fix You,” “The Scientist,” “Speed of Sound,” and of course, “Clocks” and “Yellow.” Although we think their recent material is drifting away from their music’s main draw – the catchy hooks and the guilty pleasure of singing along to Martin’s nonsensical lyrics – Coldplay has reached the point as a band where they have built a solid musical catalog, combining old music with new to deliver an enjoyable, feel-good performance.

The Tuesday and Wednesday night shows were also used to record bits for Coldplay’s upcoming “Lost!” video -- and maybe a concert film? -- with Martin claiming that the Chicago shows had been specifically chosen for filming, making everyone in the audience feel very spay-shal. It was certainly a pleasurable concert, so Coldplay seems to be sticking with what works: write and perform music for the fans, and they will be happy.

[Ed. note: Admittedly I think Coldplay can be a tad overly earnest, but I happened to see last night's show too and have to admit the band knows how to put on a rock and/or roll spectacle that can send chills down even this grizzled old vet's spine. It's hard to deny the power of a stadium full of people singing "Yellow" with unabashed glee. Also, I certainly didn't mind hearing the interesting and powerfully propulsive "Lost!" twice while the band got a good take.]

http://chicagoist.com/2008/07/24/rev..._vida_tour.php

WHAP Concert Series: Coldplay review (23 July)

When: Wednesday, July 23 Where: The United Center, Chicago

As a concert-minded songwriter, one of Chris Martin’s best moves was to name his biggest hits after colors — or colours, as he might say. Just ask the 11,000 strong at last night’s Coldplay show, who over the course of the night heard hits of a vivid trajectory: the early highlight was “Violet Hill,” sans the thirty seconds of white noise that precedes it on new disc Viva La Vida; the ultimate peak was a singalong version of “Yellow,” the sole concert cut from debut disc Parachutes; and the show ended with an acoustic take on “Green Eyes” from the excellent Rush of Blood to the Head LP. Even if you don’t particularly care for these tunes, they sure make sense in the midst of a lights show — which sure makes sense to do in an arena. Coldplay’s entire set, in fact, could be summed up as songs that made sense.

The four-piece Londoner ensemble, of course, is making more than a few cents off their latest album: Viva has sold 5 million copies in a month, and the accompanying tour is selling so well that bigger cities — Chicago included — are being treated to two nights of performance. I caught Coldplay’s second Windy City set, which Chris Martin promised was better than the first. And after two encores, two album-length takes on new single “Lost!” and two full hours of music, I can’t call him a liar.

Essentially, Coldplay excels at being recognizable. Their concert was the first where I knew every single song, even the deep cuts from the new disc — “Death And All His Friends”; a rollicking, pitch-perfect “42″ — and the old ones cloaked in electronica and drum machine reverb — “God Put A Smile Upon Your Face,” from Rush of Blood. Outside of that, two songs tested unfamiliar waters: a traditional folk tune sung by drummer Will Champion and a two-minute take on “The Dubliners,” a new ditty that approximates an Irish drinking tune. The set was otherwise infectious, from a rousing rendition of “In My Place” (with crowd-sung “yeah”s) to a laser-assisted romp through the concert stock of “Clocks” (improvised harmonies included). And the decision to only play singles from X & Y — that’s the wide-eyed balladry of “Fix You” and the contemplative piano pop of “Speed of Sound” — was a wise one, as too much mediocrity would have chipped away the artistic armor of Coldplay’s new material.

That said, two brand new songs provided the night’s lowlights. The first was “Yes,” which was overly-reliant on synchronized stereo strings and plagued by Chris Martin’s ultimately-too-weak lower register. Then came the aforementioned double-take on “Lost!,” whose central organ riff was overwhelmed by an attempt to accurately approximate the song’s jungle-thump beat. (The band played two takes because they’re filming concert footage for the song’s upcoming promo video, but one good rendition in lieu of two formulaic attempts — both dependent on Martin’s anti-rock-god flagellantism — would have been better.)

Blunders aside, however, the show was an exercise in slightly exceeding expectations — which is more than enough from a band who tires of playing their material well after you tire of hearing it. Throughout the set, six giant orbs projected images of the band members high above the stage, and an arching video screen flashed images congruent to their simultaneous song: Bush clips during a soulful and more-relevant-by-the-day “Politik”; Eastern imagery throughout “Lovers in Japan”; even psychadelic fruit displays on “Strawberry Swing.” Then there was Chris, as self-deprecating as ever, who despite fame and fortune seems convinced he could lose it all as quickly as it came. But that’s the science of Coldplay, the science outlined in the lyrics of “Lost!”: “You might be a big fish…[but] along may come a bigger one.” The band’s just big fish for now, but that’ll do for a sea of people on a given night in Chicago.

http://wethot.wordpress.com/2008/07/...ries-coldplay/