25 July 2009: Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI, USA
From WikiColdplay
Contents |
Setlist
- Life In Technicolor
- Violet Hill
- Clocks
- In My Place
- Yellow
- Glass Of Water
- Cemeteries Of London
- 42
- Fix You
- Strawberry Swing
- God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (Partial Techno Remix)
- Talk (Partial Techno Remix)
- The Hardest Part (Chris Solo Piano)
- Postcards From Far Away (Chris Solo Piano)
- Viva La Vida
- Lost!
- Green Eyes (acoustic)
- Death Will Never Conquer (Acoustic, sung by Will)
- Billie Jean (Michael Jackson cover - Acoustic)
- Viva La Vida (Remix Interlude)
- Politik
- Lovers In Japan
- Death And All His Friends
Encore - The Scientist
- Life In Technicolor ii
- The Escapist (Outro)
Photos
Photos from this show can be found at Coldplaying.com in the Gallery thread for East Troy. http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/1706
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=54392
Discussion
All post-show discussion for this show at the forum thread: http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54392
Fan Reviews
All fan reviews have been submitted to us by the members of Coldplaying.com[1], unless stated otherwise.
Just home from the show. Fourth time seeing them on this tour and gotta say it was by far the best. Chris really said it a few times that Alpine was the best crowd of the entire tour so far. All of the coldplayers who had pit got into front row I believe. I know for sure Ang, Kell and my self. Pics and stuff tomorrow I am falling asleep at the keyboard!
out of the three other times I saw them on VLV tour this was by far the best crowd and the best the boys had played to the crowd even though there were some mistakes here and there made by them (only coldplayers would notice anyways).. From the moment of the 'ohhhh ohhhhh ohhh oh oh" in LIT Chris gave the look that he knew the crowd was going to be fantastic. This was my last Coldplay show for the tour and it is so hard realizing I wont see them for a couple years. (honestly its soo hard) When they do come back, I will be ready
[Ebs757]
Just got back from the show! Got from row with my friend Steve and Angie. Got amazing pictures.
By far the best Coldplay show I've been to. The loudest crowd too. The boys were having so much fun on stage. Jonny AND guy were really dancey.
[the.hardest.part]
So I will have to say that this was the loudest, most enthusiastic crowd I have ever seen at any concert, not just Coldplay. I was in the pit far left right where the catwalk comes out. It seemed like everyone was singing and cheering to EVERY song. You could hear the roars behind you all night long. The boys were having a blast too. Kind of surprised this far into it that they are still able to enjoy it so much. A few mistakes were made, but that made it even more fun as Chris joked about it. During "The Hardest Part" it started to downpour and the people on the lawn started roaring, you could tell Chris wasn't quite sure what to do!
I also got a high five from Jonny right before the encore :-D.
[bearcat1229]
omg the show was excellent! It started to rain as Chris sang "I can feel it come down" in the Hardest Part. I thought that was ironic. You could see the beams of lights in the rain which made it look trippy. about halfway through the show the band left the stage and walked onto the lawn about 10 feet from where i was standing! Then they sang green eyes! Strawberry swing, Lovers in Japan, The scientist, and viva la vida were my favorite performances of the night. Overall a great show!!!! Oh and also does anyone else get really sad when the show ends? I mean i had the time of my life its just that I didn't want it to end so fast (it was the fastest 2 hours ever!)
[blackhawk08]
I was in the lawn, but jumping up and down when they played Viva La Vida. It was great! Sounded awesome and the crowd was really into that one. I am so glad that I got to go to the show! I need my yearly Coldplay fix. I wasn't going to go, but in the end we got discounted tickets for lawn seats. I totally forgot that they play 3 songs out in the crowd...now I get what 3 songs front row meant. Oh well! We got there later around 6:30. When we got in a lot of the lawn in front was already taken over. I think they have gotten even more popular, because the last time we were at Alpine, I think we arrived later and somehow were able to get 2nd row in the pit area. Looks like people were probably waiting to get in. It was a great concert. I am glad I got to go again! I loved when Chris played Hardest Part...it sounded really good. Despite the rain...his voice sounded really good and that is one of my favorite songs off of X & Y. Sounded great acoustic. Green Eyes is always great...and Billy Jean sounded even better live yesterday than in a video that I saw online recently. Chris seemed exhausted/tired at times...probably because of all the concerts they have performed. But he still put out a great show, didn't give up...and put all his heart & soul into it. It was an awesome show. I loved all the songs! I wish the concert didn't end, but it always has to.
[gvargas]
We were on the lawn, right up against the rails on the left side in front of this fenced-off area that one of the Live Nation "crowd control" people told us would be the stage (C) that the band would come out and play on. I was counting down to Viva La Vida, I see Will running down the pathway, but they keep going the other way. Well, the Live Nation girl was obviously wrong, because the C stage ended up being in the middle of the lawn. The whole crowd on the lawn moved toward them as soon as they started to play Green Eyes. It was the closest I got to Chris, Jonny, Will and Guy - still cool.
A lot of my pictures are shots taken of the screen, but there are a few good ones. I have a few shots which show the entire stage, as well.
As you've read on earlier posts, the crowd was totally into it - everyone was singing along, dancing ... it really gave the boys the energy they needed. It was SO MUCH better than the United Center concert I attended last July. I can't wait to Paris!
It was nice to meet Angie and Lori earlier in the day, too.
[Merwithani]
Okay peeps....just back from very midwesterny, milky, cheesy,(in a food way),waterparky, Coldplay weekend. This isn't so much a review as a little personal tour diary for myself so plan accordingly. (I'm pretty sure this was my final show of the tour sniff,sniff, so it's indulgent and probably boring but I don't care.)
And firstly I have a big thank you to Lori & Mike, for making sure we got right up front....and Angie & Gianna for getting me the Elbow setlist!!! (I'll post that seperately in a sec) I kept saying to Lori...what the hell, they are so far away from us, can't they come down to our end of the rail! I missed you 2 alot dammit! Anyway, show wise, firstly I have to yell....
"ELBOW are MAGNIFICENT!!!
Okay, had to get that out of my system...on to our boys..
I thought the crowd was amazing- it was SO loud in there. Even songs like 42 and Cemeteries , which usually don't generate as much excitement from the audience, had a big sing-along. 2 songs into it, at the end of Violet Hill, Mike and I looked at each other and almost simultaneously pulled a 'holy shit' look.... I think we both thought that song was just exploded from the stage. Chris sounding amazing and Jonny giving it something extra in a..... I don't know guitars well enough to explain it technically..... but WOW.
The funny flip side of that song was the last pre-encore song, DAAHF. Right before the chorus, where Jonny chimes in on the guitar part at about 2:20, he completely came in too soon and it was REALLY loud and obvious. It took about 4 or 5 notes in before he snapped. Nobody even flinched but as soon as the song was over and they were crossing each others paths to clap for the audience they were all atwitter.
I was reading lips all over the stage and it was really funny....basically Chris crossed with Jonny and was motioning like 'Oh man, sorry.' Then he has a tugs on Guy who laughs and waves towards Jonny. Then Chris grabs Will and Will whispers in his ear and points at Jonny -at which point I can see Chris laugh and say really clearly "I thought it was me". Lots of back slapping and Chris & Jonny giggling at each other during the bow. I guess after 138 shows that kind of thing really tickles you, but it was cute to watch.
I commited a Coldplay show sin by leaving the front of the pit before the encore was over- my kids, whom were left out on the lawn, ( hey, they don't give out mother -of-the-year AND Coldplay's biggest fangirl awards to the same person now do they)....anyway, as I was saying , they were out there getting totally drenched so I had some pity on the little buzz killers and retrieved them from the downpour. To be honest, my 14 yr old was a little miserable but my 8 year old was like" no mom! I'm not cold, this show rocks!!!"
All in all, a fine day for The Spillers Coldplay loving family. And Oh yeah, I might have a little suprise coming on the site in a few days...we'll see.
Finally Angie. for the love of god, that is an unbelievable slew of incredible pics. I love the Elbow ones SO much and I still don't understand how the ones of Chris with the clipboard look like you were standing ON the piano. They are so crisp and clear, that is one bad-ass camera.
I'm gonna miss meeting up with my coldplaying friends so much. I wish I was joining Lori & Angie & Michie & Mel in London ... and Anna & Carol too.... and our fearless leaders Jen & Ian...and all these other coldplay crazy people like Josh on here. Sniff sniff again.
Okay, unpacking, and washing stinky wet swimsuits, and feeding that gorgeous cat in my avatar is the next order of business....right after I check out all the vids posted here and look on my camera for any decent ones, I do have my priorities you know....
[kspillers2]
hey I am new here as you can see, but after seeing Coldplay live at Alpine Valley I was compelled to buy the rest of their records and find a site to talk about the band. I have been to about 9 concerts in my life and I have to say that this one was hands down the best! I had the time of my life at Alpine Valley and Coldplay was absolutely great live! I also enjoyed Elbow lol
I took over 250 pics and took 3 videos (Billie Jean, The Scientist, and Life in Technicolor ii) which I will post sooner or later...well maybe not all of those pictures...
hope you had fun at that concert because it was AMAZING!
[LifeInFrozii]
On Saturday I left very early for my trip to Alpine. My flight to Chicago had a 7am departure time. I tried to sleep the night before but it just wasn't happening. Firstly because I had slept until 8pm Friday and secondly because I was too excited. I get to the airport and there is a security line a mile long. I didn't have time to grab a bite to eat before boarding. Then we sit at the gate for 30 minutes while they diddle with the plane and flight plans. Great, I could have been eating. We finally get airborne and I am off to Chicago.
Lori was meeting me at O'Hare and we were driving to Alpine. I had originally planned on renting a car, but this was much better. She picked me up outside Terminal 3 and we started out for Wisconsin. Mike and his friends had left out a short time before us so we were texting location and travel status to each other during the ride. I asked Lori if we could stop and eat something because I hadn't eaten. So we stopped off and had some Taco Bell, then straight back out on the road.
We were almost to the venue when Mike phoned to say that was there and we couldn't get into the parking lot until 3pm. What a crock! So Lori and I get to the gate and ask can we park along road side? No! Can one of us walk up and get in line? No! What assholes! So now we have two options. Drive around for 2 1/2 hours or find some place to park until the lot opens. First we drove all around, looking to see if we could find a cleaver way into the parking area. Fail! Then we looked at cows and stuff and some barns that we could hide our car in. hehe We drove and found a near by farmer's market about 10 minutes away and parked there. Finally Mike called and said the lot was opening early, to get over there, so we rushed back, parked and got in line.
So we are sitting and waiting. It is nice because it is cool outside. After two shows in Texas that week, mid 70's is a blessing. Sunny, really sunny. I didn't bring sunscreen and I know I'm gonna be burnt by the end of the day. Then off in the distance we see it. Dark clouds and a line of rain. Cool breeze starts to kick up...hmmm we might be getting wet here in a second. Gets closer...yep we are definitely going to get wet. It starts off with a few sprinkles then quickly progresses to a down pour! All we had was a plastic bag that contained Lori's ho shoes so we dump the shoes and we stick both our head inside the bag and huddle close. ahahaaa The wind would gust so hard it almost ripped our bag away and the rain was freezing cold. Poor Lori was shivering, and not in a Coldplay way. We were trying to protect cameras and tickets and still it kept coming down. Then someone shoves a couple of those cheap clear rain ponchos under our bag. I don't know who you are but thanks! The wind is so strong we had a hard time getting them open. The storm blew through pretty fast but man it did it's job. We were soaked.
Gates opened and the rush down the hill was madness. The rain had made everything slippery. I saw some kids that were running, then they would slide a ways, then run some more. Most of the mad dashers were there for the lawn but the PIT was filling up pretty quick as well. Lori, Mike and Kelly were all down front on the Jonny side between Jonny and Chris. There was a crowd around them already. I hear my name and see Gianna on the Guy side between Guy and Chris and she has a place saved for me so I join her. Her friend Steve is with her. This is his first Coldplay show. Just like Indy, we have them surrounded.
Kitty, Daisy and Lewis came out at 7pm to start the show. I am not a huge Rock-a-billy fan but I can tolerate it in short amounts. This however is my third time this week to hear this set and it is growing old.
Elbow came out around 7:50. We saw Jonny come out on the side of the stage to watch them. They were awesome! Guy was so nice. He said some really cool things about Coldplay. Steve taps me and says your friend down there is going insane! We see Kelly singing and dancing like a mad woman. Man their set just flew by. I wish they would just can KD&L and just let Elbow play a longer set for Florida. After their set finished, I told Gianna we need to get a set list for Kelly so she yelled at the roadies and we got one.
The set up for Coldplay went super fast. I've never seen them set the stage that quick. Dancing Roadie did his thing, then Marta came out to lead the Danube clap along. She stopped and talked with Lori and Kelly then we yelled and she came and gave me a hug and led the clap along by us. Soon as the lights went out the crowd went insane and they never let up! You could tell this was going to be a great show. The band could feel it.
Set list stayed the same. When the band left for the B Stage we could see the rain falling. Chris altered the lyrics of The Hardest Part and it looked like the band had somehow managed to produce a rain storm as a special effect. Viva La Vida was crazy loud! Chris almost impaled himself with a flying drum stick during Lost but managed to dodge it. Then they left, in the rain, for the C Stage. The lawn went nuts. We couldn't see them because the sound booth blocked our view but we saw everyone go running to get up close. The wind was blowing the butterflies all over during Lovers. Jonny totally flubbed it on DAAHF but made a quick recovery but they all got the giggle from it and during the bowing there was much laughing and pointing.
After the main set finished we saw Miller out with his camera taking pics of the crowd. When Chris came out for the encore, he had a clipboard (he's such a drama king) and proceeded to tell everyone that the survey results were in and Alpine was the best audience on their whole tour. The crowd went even more insane.
After the show ended, Roadie Rick gave me and Gianna set lists. Then came the dreaded climb out of the venue. It is steep, very steep and wet. My legs are already dead tired from standing jumping all night and now a climb to the top of mount Alpine. I was surprised but they still had lots of LRLRL cds on our way out, so we got one.
This is my second trip to Alpine and for all it's beauty and greatness the parking there down right sucks ass! Last time it took for ever to get out and this time was no better. We didn't even manage to start to move out of our spot for over an hour! Then it was a crawl to make it to the road. Once out on the highway, there were tons of people going toward Chicago like us so traffic and road construction meant slow moving out there as well.
Lori dropped me off at O'Hare and I caught my flight back to Texas at 5:47. I didn't sleep on the plane due to crying children so by the time I made it home I had been awake for 37 hours! Needless to say I was pretty exhausted, but man what a great show. Worth every second of loss sleep.
Next month Tampa......and the tour rolls on.
http://angie-footieandconcerts.blogspot.com/2009/07/oh-rainy-day-come-round.html
See The World Goes To Coldplay
Hope life is well where you're at. Just wanted to fill you in on our latest undertaking. Sam and I went to see our first Coldplay concert on Saturday. Driving from Minneapolis to East Troy, Wisconsin was about 350 miles, and the tickets cost an arm and a leg, but it was totally worth it. I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more, just to be the man that sits 100 rows up at a Coldplay show (insert witty quote from 40 Year Old Virgin here).
Coldplay offers something that almost no other band today can offer: a chance to hear the biggest band in the world (34,000 fans + Chris, Johnny, Will, and Guy) sing in unison. The crowds a capella performance at the end of Fix You gave me shivers (reminded me of The Chordials and some of my other favorites). In addition to the spot-on performance by the band, the big-screen video production was exceptional. Though it was displayed in real-time, the footage looked like a professional music video. I can't imagine the cost of lights and visual effects-- I wonder if the band even gets paid at the end of all that goes into it? Kidding.
http://seetheworldblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/see-world-goes-to-coldplay.html
Words cannot explain the feeling of complete and utter happiness that I feel when I’m at a Coldplay concert. If you ever attend a Coldplay show with me, you will not be able to wipe the smile off of my face no matter how hard you try. A sense of euphoria rushes through me, almost as if the sensation I’m experiencing is a drug being pumped through my veins and spreading all throughout my body giving me a high like no other. Basically, I was feeling ecstatic without actually using the drug Ecstasy. Simply put, I LOVE Coldplay and their songs! After Green Day, Chris Martin and Co. are my favorite band without a doubt. Each member can play each other’s instruments and as a bonus, each member can sing! I love that during the band’s live shows, all four guys harmonize with lead singer and frontman Chris Martin. Singing backing vocals is just another part of playing in Coldplay for guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, and drummer Will Champion. For the song “Death Will Never Conquer,” Champion takes over lead vocal duties, giving Martin a brief break, and proves that some drummers really can carry a tune.
Opening with “Life In Technicolor,” fans couldn’t quite glimpse the band as the lights were still off, leaving the stage dark and the audience’s anticipation growing. “Life In Technicolor” is the instrumental track off of Coldplay’s latest studio album Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends, which was released in June of 2008. It is the first song on the record and also happens to be the first song that kicks off Coldplay’s live set on their Viva La Vida Tour. During the band’s performance of their hit single “Yellow,” which brought the English foursome mainstream success, gigantic yellow balloons were dispersed from each side of the stage by tour crew members who chucked them out into the crowd to be thrown about like beach balls, much to every fan’s delight. Coldplay performed a medley of songs from a B stage positioned halfway between the lawn and the stage on the far right edge of the pavilion seats. Those four songs can be found below in the set list with (B) following their titles. Coldplay then returned to the main stage to perform their massive hit “Viva La Vida” and past single “Lost.” Once more, the guys were seen running up the far left side of pavilion seats to a C stage positioned in the center of the lawn directly behind the mix. The three songs performed in the lawn can be found below with a (C) following their names. The C stage set concluded with what was probably the best cover of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” that I have ever heard.
While the band ran back to the main stage from the lawn to launch into “Politik,” a remix of “Viva La Vida” kept the crowd singing along and desperately wanting more songs to be played. Confetti in the shape of multi-hued butterflies covered every single fan (me and my friend Vilmarie!) in the GA pit, as well as the majority of fans in the pavilion seats, during the second half of Coldplay’s newest single “Lovers In Japan.” Although “The Escapist” is not listed as an actual track included on Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends, Coldplay ends their Viva La Vida Tour with this outro. If you have the album, you’ll recognize “The Escapist” from the last 2 minutes and 46 seconds of the closing track “Death And All His Friends.” I have seen Coldplay live in concert five times and this was by far the best show yet. You must make it a point to see the band play a show at least once during your lifetime. You will NOT be disappointed. And make sure to catch Coldplay on tour NOW to pick up your free physical copy of the band’s brand new live album LeftRightLeftRightLeft. I got mine, now go get yours!
http://thedeadhub.com/coldplay-continues-to-viva-la-vida/
By the time Coldplay got on stage, the band was nothing if energetic. Chris Martin was leaping and somersaulting across the stage. Even though it was the Viva la Vida tour, the band nicely complemented the album with older songs. The crowd's chant of the evening was the infamous bridge from the song "Viva la Vida". One of my favorite Coldplay songs, "Yellow", was played beautifully as yellow balloons were bounced throughout the 30,000 concert-goers. When the band played "Lovers in Japan", confetti shot out of all corners of the venue as images of cherry blossoms and other Japanese-based pictures raced across the screen. One impressive aspect of the concert was the filming on the big screens. At the same time the concert was occurring, the screen was spitting out almost an edited, music video-like version of the concert instantaneously.
My favorite part of the concert was when the band came to the lawn and played "Green Eyes", one of my all time favorites. At this point I was about 30 feet away from Coldplay. Then the drummer, Will Champion, sang a folky tune while the rest of the band strummed on acoustic guitars. The band also did an acoustic rendition of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean". Then the band played one of their best songs from the album X&Y, called "Fix You". While Coldplay played "Strawberry Swing", it started to rain at Alpine Valley. The entire crowd looked to the sky, danced in the rain, and sang with Martin the lyrics, "It's such a perfect day." And it truly was. The band left, but with the crowd's perfected "oh oh OOOOOH oh ohhh" chant, the band came back for an encore. They played "The Scientist" and "Life in Technicolor". It was such an amazing concert that I had no intention of leaving. Alas, I was forced to. A pleasant surprise was a free CD of Coldplay's live concert, entitled LeftRightLeftRightLeft. There was one element of the show that I was extremely impressed by, and that was the age range of people that attended the concert. I saw 12 year olds, I saw 65 year olds and every age in between. Ultimately, Coldplay's lyrics and melodies can jump the generation gap, make us all forget age itself, and dive into the music.
http://areyourockin.blogspot.com
As promised, here is my post about the Coldplay concert. This is the 5th time I have seen their show and I must say that it get's better everytime. This is hands down the best, most entertaining concert I have ever seen in my life. If you even slightly enjoy their music or even just a few songs and have a chance to see them, do not pass it by. I apologize for the bad pictures but we were pretty far away in grass seats, although by the end of the show we moved up in the grass all the way to where the seats end. The show was at Alpine Valley in East Troy, WI which is only about 15 min from my house. It's by far my favorite venue so to have my favorite band play there too, what a combination. As corny as it sounds, this band has inspired me in music, thoughts on life, and just so many things for about 8 years now and it is crazy to see how large they've become. And as most people expect large bands like this to lose personality or appreciation for fans and are there to just put on an entertaining show, they are exactly the opposite and the amount of modesty they show is incredible. The crowd is pretty diverse. It's mainly "kids" my age but there's also many children and older couples.
Angie and I went with 2 of my buddies that I've know for quite some time. One of my friends is an artist who stayed up late the night before painting the band a canvas and mounting different sculptures on it. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of it, but it turned out really nice. Then somehow online he got ahold of their tour manager's email. This is the same friend that knows Howie Day and got me in to meet him and hang out with him (posted that around March I believe). So he emailed the manager explaining that he made the band an art piece and would like to get it to them somehow and gave her his phone number. On the way to the show she called him, English accent and all, and said that she wants to arrange a way for us to drop it off and to call when we get there and she'll tell us where to go. So now I'm freaking out thinking we're going to get to meet Coldplay! But not trying to give my hopes up at the same time because I figured that it would be highly unlikely. When we called back she said she was "in a meeting w/ the band let me call you back." So eventually she did and told us that the band would not be able to meet up with us, but that she would and take it off our hands and that the band will definitely be seeing it. Long story short we waited for about an hour at a back gate and talked to the manager for a few minutes. Still pretty exciting.
The first picture was taken during the song Yellow which some of you may know. It was their first big hit in the US back in 2000 I believe. There were well over a hundred yellow balloons floating around everywhere that when popped, flew out yellow confetti everywhere. The second picture is the second time the band ended up on a mini stage right in the middle of the crowd in the grass section. They played a few acoustic songs, one of which included a tribute to Michael Jackson... a fast acoustic version of Billy Jean. It was really cool. The third picture is really blurry but they made the whole crowd do "the wave" with their cellphones Pictures 4, 5, and 6 were during a song off their new album called Lovers in Japan. At 2 points during the song they shoot out thousands of thin paper butterflies into the crowd. The second time they are fluorescent colors and lit up by black light.
Picture 7 is one of the many backdrops that were on the stage. Picture 8 is when Chris Martin came back for the encore. He explained that the chart he was holding showed the numbers for guest attendance for all their shows and that so far in this tour, we became #1. It was somewhere around 34,000 people if I remember correctly. To me that's good news because hopefully they will want to keep coming back there for shows
Almost forgot to mention that they gave away a free live cd at the end of the show. It's called Left Right Left Right Left. We made sure to grab a couple. I guess that about wraps everything up. Thanks for letting me share, sorry for talking your ear off! I just get excited talking about this band and their shows Don't miss out if you get a chance to see them!
http://familywoodworking.org/forums/showthread.php?t=15532
Media Reviews
Before the encore to Coldplay's two-hour show at Alpine Valley on Saturday night, lead singer Chris Martin came out onstage with a clipboard and announced officiously that he was holding the results from the band's audience ranking. Of the 138 shows so far in Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" tour, the Alpine crowd ranked "in the top one."
Even if he tells that to all the other girls, Saturday night's show did buzz with an electricity that probably only comes a few times on a good tour. It spanned more than 20 songs, including an acoustic tribute to Michael Jackson with "Billie Jean." The band's presence onstage was loose and energetic. Martin skipped, rolled and bolted across the stage like a dancer, ending "In My Place" flat on the floor in a backbend (those yoga classes with Gwyneth are paying off).
He nailed Coldplay's trademark soaring melodies, but played with the lyrics as if he was goofing off in rehearsal and ad-libbed references to Alpine. He self-effacingly excused any mistakes he made during the show: "If you had a 50-ft. screen of your head behind you, you'd be distracted, too. You'd feel like a bad Justin Timberlake impersonator."
Martin's colorful, futuristic Civil War hobo/soldier suit fit well with Coldplay's overall stage theme, which included spinning orbs above the stage, shots of confetti and several screens of gorgeous live footage edited with all the quick-fingers flashiness and creativity of a DJ mixing beats. During "Yellow," dozens of large yellow balloons appeared like magic above the audience and bounced lanquidly -- less like beach balls and more like bubbles in a lava lamp. Just as quickly as they appeared, the crew made them disappear. (Somewhere in Coldplay's rider, there must be a stagehand position entitled "balloon wrangler.")
As the last chorus of "Yellow" lifted up over the crowd, Martin asked "the 34,000 of you" to join the four-member band for the song's last line, joking that only together would they equal the Dave Matthew's Band in number. The sky had been moody all evening and finally burst into showers during the tour's namesake song, "Viva La Vida." A rustle spread across the hill of hoodies flipping up and blankets getting wrapped around shoulders. Far from being an annoyance, the rain brought the crowd together and matched the song's expansive melody and jagged, pumping beat. As well as Coldplay's music is suited to big arenas like Alpine Valley, some of the best parts of the show came when the band ditched the electric instruments and played two acoustic sets in the lawn seats, one on each side of the hill. It was here that they performed "Billie Jean" in the style of a pub jug band, and led the entire crowd in a cell phone wave.
If anyone remembers Coldplay back when they were actually playing in pubs, it's the opening band, Elbow. Ten years ago in their native England, Elbow and Coldplay competed against each other in a music competition in Manchester. "They went on to conquer the world," Elbow lead singer Guy Garvey told the crowd.
Musically Elbow and Coldplay share a love for swelling, dramatic anthems. But its their overall approach that explains why Elbow stayed in relative obscurity while Coldplay became a household name. Coldplay reaches out and invites in the listener. Elbow by comparison is demanding of the listener, ebbing in a meditative flow that looks inward instead of out. That makes their performance no less enjoyable, just less appropriate for a big arena.
British three-piece Kitty, Daisy and Lewis opened the show before Elbow, copping the front porch rockabilly and bluegrass of the 1950s pretty damn well. They even bled into a bit ska/reggae when a Jamaican trumpeter joined them with a funky solo. The trio inspired some dancing on the hill, as well as a rash of bad Huey Lewis jokes as people asked their friends, "What's the name again? Lewis what?"
East Troy — A rock show in an arena setting can be a depersonalizing experience only a few levels below that of taking off one's shoes before passing through an airport security checkpoint. The beer costs too much in both cases. Saturday night at Alpine Valley Music Theatre, Coldplay tried to re-personalize the experience. The quartet drew more than 30,000 people, and its music had the grandeur-embracing sincerity of early U2.
Lead singer and pianist Chris Martin exhibited the characteristics of an intelligent frontman: a voice to make the heart swoon, energy to burn and self-deprecating charisma. Guitarist Jon Buckland owed some of his serrated clarity to The Edge (U2's axman, natch), but he took it toward English countrysides ("Strawberry Swing") and funereal bleakness ("Cemeteries of London"). Drummer Will Champion provided a strong backing voice plus some extra charisma. With bassist Guy Berryman - who was, typically for that position, a nearly silent type - he nailed rhythms ranging from the modern syncopation of "Lost!" to the orchestral majesty of "Viva La Vida."
Those two songs, from the 2008 album also called "Viva La Vida," demonstrated Coldplay's expansion of its musical ambitions. If an earlier song like "Clocks" was accessible for sheer drive and tunefulness, then a more recent number like "42" spread its accessibility across a massive shift from ruminative, fragile ballad to a rocker that brandished riffs like buzz-saws sparking off silver. The show had plenty of big visual sparks to match the electricity of the music: Screens displayed kinetic, stylized transmissions of the performance, while during "Lovers in Japan," confetti actually shot out from the sides of the stage as if KISS had been consulted. But even there, Coldplay paid attention to the fine details: Those pieces of confetti were shaped like leaves, and for a brisk version of the sweet hit "Yellow," assistants floated large yellow balloons into the crowd until the reserved section was a happy chaos of "follow the bouncing ball(s)."
Best of all, though, were those moments when Coldplay hiked to a pair of mini-stages - and they really were tiny - closer to the middle of the crowd. Huddled together on those platforms like an indie-rock band in a dive bar, the members of Coldplay personalized not just the arena experience but also themselves.
World tours tend to have a way of draining even the most vivacious of bands. Between buses, airplanes, groupies, booze and constant ass-kissing, the energy can dissipate—leaving us with robotic, by-the-numbers performances. Entering Saturday’s show at Alpine Valley, British supergroup Coldplay, known for its anthemic arena rock and distinct falsetto tones courtesy of lead singer Chris Martin, had played 137 shows on its Viva La Vida world tour. With a show practically every other day since the tour began, it would be safe to assume the boys from London were a wee bit tired. Yet, from their animated performance before a less than sold-out crowd (the Live Nation ticket prices, $115 for a pavilion seat, may have kept some fans away) at Alpine, either Martin and co. drank a hell of a lot of Red Bull before prancing onstage, or these guys are truly enjoying every minute of their success.
With a thin veil of a curtain shielding the stage from the crowd, Coldplay tiptoed onstage with sparklers in hand. A perfect half moon cut the sky above, which only hours earlier had been enveloped with rain clouds. Having never witnessed a Coldplay show, I assumed it would be in the vein of U2— a spotty performance intermixed with a grand spectacle of lights and lasers to overcompensate the music. Surprisingly, as Martin, donning a black army-style patched jacket, with the British flag adorning his right tricep, belted into a throaty version of “Violet Hill” off 2008’s Viva La Vida, it began to become crystal clear that these boys could rock. After the tension of the opening song subsided, the melodic piano notes of “Clocks,” the band’s signature song, danced atop the amphitheater.
In the vein of Mick Jagger, Martin seems to play every show as if it’s his last. Running like a fleeing prisoner from one side of the stage to the other, the mop-top vocalist/pianist churned out a charged rendition of “In My Place,” (off 2002’s A Rush of Blood to the Head) ending the song laying on his back, mike in hand, head draped in theatrical sorrow. Moments later, Martin was trying his hand at comedy during a melancholy rendition of the band’s first smash-hit “Yellow,” demanding that the crowd “create the largest band of all time, the four of us and the 34,000 of you. That makes us have more members than the Dave Matthews Band,” Martin said while giggling. When a weak choral performance ensued by the audience, Marin chuckled and muffled into the mike, “I just asked you to join the fuckin’ band…that was shit!”
While starry-eyed teenage girls may have enjoyed when Martin and his bandmates ventured up into the lawn area for a few acoustic numbers, including a soothing cover of “Billie Jean” sounding eerily reminiscent of Chris Cornell’s take on the MJ classic, the stunt felt like a group going Hollywood in an attempt to be one with its audience. Martin claimed the Alpine audience was in his “top one” of the tour, but it’s hard to believe that the band could actually feel an intimate connection after 137 previous shows.
Running back onstage for spirited versions of its recent hit singles “Viva La Vida” and “Lost!,” Coldplay ended the show as paper butterflies simultaneously drenched the audience in rainbow-like color. Album-style versions of “The Scientist” and “Life in Technicolor II” made up the band’s encore—closing out a show that clocked (no pun intended) in at just under two hours. Coldplay’s 138th this tour wasn’t just another number, it rocked.
Coldplay live!
Once in awhile, a concert comes along that is so captivating in all of its parts that after its short-lived moment, one leaves feeling brighter and more inspired than before. This past Saturday, Coldplay brought such a show — complete in flawless, live performances and luminous visuals — to Alpine Valley.
The set opened with “Life In Technicolor” as the shadows of Chris Martin, Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, and Will Champion were seen behind a dimly lit sheath suspended in front of the stage. As the audience echoed the song’s one, chanting lyric followed with wild applause, the band transitioned into “Violet Hill.” Martin sang with his iconic Coldplay voice, alternating between low and high pitches, as violet lights beamed on a giant backdrop of Eugéne Delacroix’s painting, “Liberty Guiding The People.” Keeping with the French theme, Martin and crew — dressed as shabby revolutionaries — played their way expertly through Viva La Vida’s title track, on to “Cemeteries Of London” and eventually “Clocks,” which was aided by Martin’s piano expertise and a mesmerizing red-and-blue light show. “Fix You,” didn’t come soon enough for the crowd, who sang the chorus while electrifying guitar riffs from Buckland reverberated throughout the amphitheater. “Lost!” soon followed, booming in with heart-pounding drumming from Champion.
Ever generous, Coldplay soon left the glowing stage and ventured out to their fans on the lawn. Fortune smiled on the band during “The Hardest Part,” as rain poured while Martin sang, “I could feel it go down/Bittersweet I could taste in my mouth/Silver lining in the clouds.” Through the cloudburst, Coldplay proved to be the silver lining as they soothed the crowd with the ironic song, managing to bring forth smiles amid the shivers. After honoring the late Michael Jackson with a cutesy rendition of “Billie Jean,” Coldplay returned front and center to put the unforgettable final touches on the show.
From start to finish, the band’s performance of “Lovers In Japan” was a rush of chiming melodies, flashing lights, and spinning colors all blended together into a cheerful symphony. It began with echoing plunks from Martin’s piano prompting fellow band members to fall, with perfect unison, into their allotted parts in the upbeat song. Then, when the chorus came each time, billows of paper butterflies in all colors fell from every corner of the pavilion ceiling. Fireworks flashed on the video screens and the audience became a sea of laughter and up-stretched hands, eagerly grasping at a new, welcomed rain. The butterflies seemed endless, as did Coldplay’s ability to please. Not once did they falter in their music or the loving attitude they extended to their fans. The entire set was a breathtaking spectacle — a beautiful blend of music and aesthetics intended to leave those in attendance with hearts aflutter. And, just when you thought you couldn’t love them more, they gave you a free CD at the door. It was epic. It was revolutionary. It was Coldplay.
– Stephanie Sadler
Twitter Updates
- jverburg Just got upgraded to FRONT ROW @coldplay concert
- jverburg Watching Will and Guy from @coldplay rock out to Elbow.
- educator23 Watching Coldplay at Alpine...sick show so far!
- TheGarishGopher Actually quite impressed with Coldplay; they're really engaging. I purpose they're not successful for nothing.
- tisEMGEORGE @coldplay: Aw Chris, we forgive the haircut. LOVE YOU! Despite the rain.
- kseybold Being on the rain coldplay!!!!
- Jen_Cline Pouring at an outdoor Coldplay concert. Haha i am under the pavilion.
- akaBruno likes coldplay's cover of 'billie jean' better than the original.
- souheilbadran Coldplay - one of the best concerts in a long time - especially as they just did a rendition on Michael Jackason's Billie Jean!
- kseybold Incredible how Chris Martin can play the piano with his eyes closed. Coldplay = amazing
- grass76 Ok, Coldplay are really really good, but they went on around 9 and are just about done. So the music is strong, but the length is weak...
- RayeLynnD Coldplay's new stuff sounds great in huge venues - as in I'm thinking they designed it that way.
- ben_cline Once again had my world rocked by coldplay! They get better everytime I see them!
- cedric_31 Didnt think dave at alpine could be topped. Hats off to coldplay
- michumba I never wanted that to end! Coldplay was fucking brilliant!! So amazing. I can't believe this. I'm so happy!
