26 February 2006: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
From WikiColdplay
Setlist
- Square One
- Politik
- Yellow
- Speed Of Sound
- God Put A Smile Upon Your Face
- X&Y
- How You See The World
- Don't Panic
- White Shadows
- The Scientist
- Til Kingdom Come
- Ring Of Fire
- Trouble
- Clocks
- Talk
Encore - Swallowed In The Sea
- In My Place
- Fix You
Reviews
Coldplay wants to salve your pain; Fiona Apple wants you to feel hers. They were a contrast in styles Sunday night at American Airlines Center, a big arena band that filled AAC with balladic rock and a feisty singer who channeled her anger into song without taking it out on her audience. Playing Dallas for the second time on its X&Y tour, Coldplay balanced showmanship and earnestness with an efficiency that travels well from its UK base to the States, where the band's albums fly off the shelf like iPods the week of Christmas. Lead singer Chris Martin, whose recent comments have led to speculation on the band's breakup, has the rock star's gift of making every member of a massive arena crowd feel spoken to.
He also has a band that's sold enough albums to pay for some dynamite stagecraft, although some of the nicer touches actually fell on the low-tech side. For the megahit "Yellow," for instance, sparkling confetti fell from the ceiling in front of the stage ("look how they shine for you"), accompanied by a few yellow hankies (self-explanatory) and, finally, some massive yellow balloons that yielded still more sparklies when popped.
Mr. Martin, dressed in black like his bandmates, playfully spiked a balloon on the stage floor as he launched into "Speed of Sound," which has one of the most addictive melodies on the planet. "Speed" showcased the wide, Cinemascope-style screen at the rear of the stage with celestial images. A bit obvious, but effective nonetheless.
All told, the band did a fine job of blowing even its most intimate cuts up to arena-size proportions. Dropping to his knees, slowly writhing on the ground, Mr. Martin managed to emote like he meant it, even while making small talk ("Is everybody all right at this point?") and shouting out to the Dallas Mavericks.
The quintessential Coldplay song, which was performed Sunday, might be "Don't Panic." It's title and chorus – "We live in a beautiful world" – exude optimism, whereas Ms. Apple performed with the controlled rage of a woman who might just say "Go ahead, panic."
She pounded out melodies on her piano, breathing fire into cuts from her latest album, the cabaret-flavored Extraordinary Machine. She stood and shifted feverishly before her audience, shouting away from the mic, flailing at the air, and clutching at her turquoise dress.
She belted out songs in a throaty but rock-solid voice. Above all, she came off as unmistakably real and urgent, a tough task in front of an arena crowd slowly filing in to see the headliner. (The joint was mostly full by the time Coldplay took the stage at 9:30).
Her set was the work of a wounded but resilient torch singer done wrong but happy to tell you about it. At one point, she acknowledged the small but vocal crowd and thanked it for "saying nice things." Then she offered a bit of an apology, explaining that she had to "get to the angry place to sing the songs."
No apology necessary. Ms. Apple's blend of strong vocals, crack musical arrangements and rawness, even nervousness, proved a winning act. I'd love to see what she could do in a smaller venue, in a space cozy enough to harness her musical fury.
Source: http://www.wfaa.com
Not ashamed to ride the wave and then ride it again, English rock band Coldplay stopped in Dallas on Sunday at American Airlines Center for the second time in less than a year. And more power to 'em; they drew a full house.
It's the same tour that brought the band to Smirnoff Music Centre last summer, and the only major change in the tour was the opening act: goodbye, Rilo Kiley; hello, Fiona Apple, who's celebrating a return to the limelight with her 2005 CD Extraordinary Machine (nominated for a Grammy for best pop vocal album) and this tour.
In her earlier days, Apple could be a moody and unpredictable performer; her most notorious episode included a show in New York where she cried and walked off stage.
But whatever erratic impulses she may have had in the past are now being "used for good."
Her performance Sunday was absorbing, not in the least because of her eccentric style, including lots of fist-shaking and dramatic gestures.
One of the most impressive aspects was her seeming refusal to give anything less than 100 percent.
Criminal is one of her most identifiable, most often-played songs, but she tackled it with fiery veracity: slapping her thigh for emphasis, crunching knots in her long, flowing dress with her fist, flapping her hand in the air, even jumping impatiently.
Between lyrics, she gesticulated angrily, as if having a conversation with a foe who wasn't there. This all created some compelling showmanship, but her powerful voice made her more than just a nutty chick. Backed by a four-piece band, she sat at the piano and sang with a range of expression that was astounding in its breadth: alternating from fluid to gritty, vulnerable to weary, one minute ambling along languidly and the next, a burst of staccato precision.
The crowd down in front showered her with applause and praise, which sent Apple into spasms of goofy pleasure. "You guys are just great!" she exclaimed, beaming. Later, as she said her goodbyes before the final song, Fast As You Can, she apologized for not being more responsive to their good vibrations.
"I had to get into the anger place to get into the songs," she said, before kicking up another one of her trademark jigs.
Source: dfw.com
