27 July 2008: Pemberton Festival, Pemberton, B.C., Canada

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

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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 Pemberton. http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/1512

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Fan Reviews

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

I just got back like a few hours ago. Traffic was deadly!

Anyways, the festival was terrible. They just gotta work out the kinks for next year but overall it was definitely worth it.

Coldplay was amazing though! Chris showed a lot of energy. Guy and Will seemed out of it for some of the concert.

[Shaftell]

After waiting in a line for an hour and a bit, I managed to get third row, right in front of center stage. I'm only 5' tall, so I couldn't really see unless I contorted myself but I managed. Vampire Weekend was excellent--they were defnitely one of the highlights of the festival for me. N.E.R.D followed them--that was hard to endure. They were shit. Plus the crowd started pushing and moshing during their set, and didn't back down afterwards...I ended up being shoved back a couple rows and right to the left edge of the enclosure-whatsit. I ended up being on the rail, though, so I had a better view than when I started. Death Cab would have been great had the bass not been about 500 times too loud--I swear it rearranged my insides, and I literally could not hear a thing the singer was doing. Oh well. Then Jay-Z came on, and I'm amazed to say that I actually enjoyed it--a lot. Normally I avoid rap like the plague but he did an excellent show.

And then. Ah, Coldplay. I swear, from the very first note of Life In Technicolour to the last one of the Escapist, I forgot about the copious amounts of pain I was in from being crushed chest-first into the railing by however many thousands of people... I had a pretty excellent view, considering. I could see about two-thirds of the stage clear as day, but unfortunately Guy was on the third that I couldn't see the entire time... They were incredible. Despite the hiccups--Jonny's guitars sounded really sharp throughout the concert, but he managed to cover it up pretty well. Whoever tuned them will have got the sack. The setlist has already been posted, so I don't need to tell you how amazing it was...the crowd was great, singing through the whole of Yellow, VLV and Fix You, and I sang along to the rest. Chris replaced a couple of lyrics with lines about festival traffic, and about halfway through Lost!...he got, um, a bit carried away with his dancing and...he fell over! God, it was priceless. He jumped right back up, but he didn't quip about it once he was back at the mic, which I thought he would. Maybe he was too embarassed or something. I feel a bit bad for laughing... After Lost! they came offstage and walked through the fenced-off pathway thinger towards the middle/back of the audience. I was literally two feet away from them. I just about died...the Scientist acoustic was really lovely, and then Will sang Death Will Never Conquer, which was also lovely. After which they walked back up to the stage, meaning I died again... Politik was amazing. I loved the piano outtro (does anyone know what it is?). Lovers was a really big higlight for me--they did the butterfly confetti, and I caught some...it looked so pretty falling all over the stage as they were singing. They finished with DAAHF, and then it was over...truly, truly amazing. It definitely made that night one of the best of my life, and I've got the bruises to show for it...

[englishrose]

Starting off I slowly got aggravated waiting in line to get into Pemberton for what seemed like hours. I eventually got there. Wandered around the site for awhile. Wasnt as committed to getting front row so i stood on a barricade 45 feet back and got a good view of the stage.

"How you doing Vancouver!?...Ive just been informed we are in Pemberton! Doesnt matter Cause we are here in Canada" Good job generalising the second largest country in the world. N.E.R.D. only thing they were good for was putting the final nail in the traffic coffin; by getting caught in traffic and delaying their set 30 minutes . They proved to the organizers that traffic was BAD. the 30 minutes eventually grew to over an hour with reoccurring sound problems.

Death Cab was very good, 5 minuite bass solo was awesome. Good Energy, and like he said :The only time I will be able to say this in my life. JAY-Z is next!!!"

Hova provided an electric set with hit after hit after hit. I enjoyed his set a lot his last was the best Encore! "I love Canada you gotta tell boarder guard to be gentle on HOVA so he can come back!

Coldplay...from the first note of Life In Technicolor(the second time) to the last note of The Escapist. They were brilliant. Playing hit after hit that pleased the crowd of 30,000 strong.

"You all stayed?" Of course we did Chris, you guys are amazing. The first Sunday Singalong was Viva La Vida which was amazing. immediately followed by Fix You. "Lights will guide you hoooome and ignite your bones....and i will try to fix you" the crowd sang for chris as usual! "I want to thank you for taking a chance on a new festival that you didnt know if it was gona be shit or great. Its turned out great."

Then the last part of lost! "Just because Im losing doesnt mean im..." Lost the crowd sang rather dismally. "Oh come on one more time and we'll come all the way to the back. To which the back roared LOST!

The b-stage performance was cool. I got 10 feet from the Jesus Of Cool. And after that the best moment of the concert came. In the form of....POLITIK.

After Politik I could have gone home happy. We got Lovers with major confetti which was pretty cool...was hoping for fireworks as it being out doors.

"This is our last song tonight. Thank you for coming sticking through traffic! See You soon" Death and All His Friends, was brilliant.

The show blew me away. I sit here now praying for a 2009 N.A. tour with Vancouver stops to see them again in a more intimate setting and seats...those are a must for a good week.

[Malcolm-Edge]

Great show - i tried to get near the front but got squashed, drenched with water when someone threw it, and crowd surfed over, so I gave up. I'll post some videos (from the safety of the VIP compound of to the side) in awhile!

3000 km drive in the past 6 days - 13 km long traffic jams - took us 4 hours to get into the festival site on Sunday - they REALLY need to make some major changes! It's a small town of 1000, with 40,000 people arriving on one 2 lane road!!!!

It was VERY dusty too, and long lineups for everything - toilets, food, drinks, etc, etc, etc.

But Coldplay made it all worth while!!

[kaycee]

I first almost saw them live at the Orpheum in Vancouver but accidentally moved one month before the show I never knew about and I just yesterday stopped flogging myself for that error. I could have walked to the concert!

I did catch the XYZ show at GM place so was kinda of spoiled (I'm a musician so I notice sound quality) as the acoustics there are just about perfect. The Pemberton show was beyond everything...

For me, some music is a very deep experience as I am sure it is for a number of people. To be able to touch someones heart through music is a gift from God and these guys have it in spades, they are so talented, concentrated and accomplished. What a gift to the world this group is.

If aliens ever land on earth, the very first thing they "must do" is catch "the show".

Anyway, Coldplay live? For me some concerts border on the divine edge of experience, at least that's what my neurochemical body consciousness awareness is telling me. And it usually happens pretty strong at their shows. The emotional kick this music has I'm sure has jolted this world ahead at least a millivolt on the scale of human consciousness.

The clarity of perception, and depth of beauty of this music is simply beyond description, to use an old cliche. If ever it were true, Coldplay are that truth. If emotion created this world and all worlds , then that plasmonic energy contained in all of us and screaming for expression has found itself the jackpot of creativity in Coldplay.

Their understanding and expression of what it feels like to be human rings true in every heart. The feeling they put into this work is truly amazing.

The show? oh I'm sorry. Chris Martin is truly a man possessed, at least that's how he looked on the big screen and live when you looked at his face. I consider myself lucky to have seen what will undoubtedly be written down by history as one of the most exceptional group of artists ever to make music so profoundly sensitive, moving and true.

They came on late around 9.3 and played until 11 or so with no encore. That's OK, they can do that. I remember looking back over my shoulder at dusk as they came on, up the mountain valley and all the shattering beauty therein and it was all magic then. I was in Eden, and Coldplay had come to play. It was just fairytale heart-pounding reality, and most of the sound was CD quality, which really blew me away.

This band just keeps getting better and better. I hope they stay together and keep on experimenting with the music. Experimenting is important because you never know what you might find under any stone. This universe has many doors, music is one of them. Walk through that door, give it your heart and in return you might find God.

All they did was work at their talent and look what happened? Utterly f...ing amazing I have to say. As E = mc2, so are Coldplay a spititual-musical-dynamo-voice for a higher vision of reality and a storybook of all that was is and could be. I 'll see you at the next concert... forever amen.

[Epiphany]

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Media Reviews

Coldplay Closes Down Pemberton Music Festival

The difference between Jay-Z's steez and Coldplay's is night and day. Where the rap star showed up with his band in natty suits and baggies, the Englishmen went for that ever-popular military officer's style favoured by bands dating back to before the Beatles.

It was all colourful and happy. Chris Martin even looked like he'd been out in the Sun. Not so other members, but that's what you hope for in pasty pop stars. Always the most interesting element in the band, Martin has come a very long way from those early days when the band was filming videos at the Commodore Ballroom when Parachutes was breaking.

They are a huge group. One that has developed quite a potent live presentation too.

From the shifts in the arrangements to highlight the dynamics of the vocal harmonies and soaring crescendos in the bridges to the way that alll four members played off of one another, it was a spirited performance. While I still find the group's songs skew towards women who would like to be Gwyneth Paltrow, there is no denying that the anthemic nature of its arena rock is the sort of thing that — as reporter Claire Ogilvie noted — you can close your eyes to and re-live the moment.

That, Jay-Z did not create with his far more funk it up and get busy with it show. That he nailed his show was pointed out by Chris Martin too with a good deal of humility.

The well-oiled Coldplay machine moved from strength to strength. When tthe whole unit moved stage forward to sing in a line, it created a dramatic tension that could really be enhanced by the lasers and images of the band put up on the two screens on either side of the stage. And drummer Will Champion doubtless enjoyed a chance to be seen from the waist up as he ratatat'ed out a beat on one of those electropad kits. “Speed Of Sound” followed and ws one of the evening's highlights as guitarist Jonny Buckland chimed out the tune's hook and Martin finally got behind the keys.

Guess which song was played when the whole stage and audience was bathed in yellow light? Yup, you got it; the first big hit “Yellow.”

Around this time, a woman nearby commented that ‘is it just me, or have they gotten prettier as time goes by?’ Yes, they have.

It's amazing what image consultants and crazy wads of cash can do for your looks. I'm still waiting to give it a try; anyone else?

The big production moment came when the entire band suddenly dropped off the main stage, travelled down the long corridor to a small platform stage near the soundboard and hauled out acoustic instruments for a very intimate take on “The Scientist“ that was pretty classic.

“We were thinking, what could we do in Canada that we'd never done before,” said Martin, noting that the event had been an overwhelming success. Very true.

A success that wasn't over yet either as the Crystal Method was just preparing to start spinning the the Bacardi B-Live tent in a matter of minutes.

All in all, a really fantastic three days.

Thanks are in order for all the concert-goers who kept it on the up and up, not turning any of the minor inconveniences into cause for misbehaviour and to all the hard-working volunteers on site. And, most of all, to Pemberton for letting us all come up and, admittedly, make a real mess all over someone's farm and have a ball. We know that the bug population is going to miss all the extra food, but the fun's gotta end at some point.

See you next year?

http://communities.canada.com/thepro...-festival.aspx

Pemberton Festival: Coldplay

You all know that I think Chris Martin is one of the ultimate best British frontmen around. He's at once sexy, coy, charismatic and captivating. Coldplay, along with Live Nation were the brainchild behind the Pemberton Festival, and Chris Martin helped hand-pick the location along with some of the lineup.

Because of N*E*R*D's tardiness, the rest of the main stage's set times were bumped up by almost an hour. Instead of going on at 9:30pm, Coldplay took the stage at 10:20 and played till 11:40, well past the venue's 11pm outdoor curfew.

Chris was sweating like a beast by the third song (Clocks) - as usual he was really working hard on stage. I loved the accompanying black and white visuals during Viva La Vida that showed footage of Chris, Guy, Jonny and Will as a string quartet performing those sections of the song. A very nice touch.

And during Yellow, incidentally the only song the band performed off their debut album Parachutes, Chris got lots of help from the crowd, who were eager to join in. It's a very hard song to sing along to...the lyrics are simple, yet everyone seems to forget the proper order. And sometimes he mixes it up. I would have loved to have heard Sparks or Everything's Not Lost...or even Don't Panic or Trouble, but alas, there was no time.

At one point the band stormed down the security-only catwalk to the soundboard and performed an acoustic version of Lost and then The Scientist. Jonny, Will and Guy all surrounded Chris with their acoustic guitars. It was like a band of brothers - this new kinship that the band really feels like sharing with the rest of the world. Then, just as suddenly as they'd appeared at the soundboard, they were back on stage, blasting into an explosive version of Politik.

I can only assume that the band wasn't able to supply the crowd with an encore due to the late start time - they ended with Death And All His Friends. It'll be interesting to see what other setlists look like when the band continue their tour in support of the album for the rest of the summer.

Can anyone fill in those two blanks? I feel strongly that they must have been from X&Y, an album that I've admittedly neglected, which would explain why I was unable to identify the tracks. Let us know in the comments!

http://blog.muchmusic.com/archives/2...n_festi_20.php

Pemberton Festival ends on a bang with Coldplay, Jay-Z

PEMBERTON, B.C. — Explosive back-to-back sets by Jay-Z and Coldplay capped the closing day of the inaugural Pemberton Festival, an ambitious three days of music set in a dusty B.C. mountain valley that, minus a few snags, was a resounding success.

The sun had just set behind the mountains on Sunday evening as Jay-Z took the stage to a roar of cheers - and quickly stole the show.

Backed by a brass band, the legendary producer and rapper worked the 30,000-person strong crowd into a frenzy. The ground shook as the audience thrust their fists in the air to hit after hit, including "99 Problems" and his breakthrough "A Hard Knock Life."

"To come up and here and get this much love, don't think I don't appreciate it," Jay-Z shouted to the thundering crowd.

"I appreciate each and every one of y'all out there."

And while songs from Coldplay's latest album, the critically lauded 'Viva la "Vida or Death and All His Friends," were interspersed throughout the band's closing set, it was crowd favourites that took centre stage.

The band rushed to an impromptu stage in the middle of the audience for an acoustic, singalong rendition of "The Scientist," and the crowd swayed and sang in unison to hits including "Clocks" and "Yellow."

Singer Chris Martin even referenced the traffic problems that had plagued the festival, singing "When the festival traffic moves at a snail's pace," in "Fix You."

A rainy Sunday morning threatened to turn the trampled sheep field into a giant mud pit before the clouds began to lift and music fans, many of whom had spent the previous three nights camped in fields surrounding the stages, gathered for the highly anticipated final day.

The promise of seeing such diverse acts as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Crystal Method and Nine Inch Nails in a beautiful mountain valley drew about 40,000 people to the remote community of Pemberton, B.C., 150 kilometres north of Vancouver.

For Seattle-based Death Cab for Cutie, the lineup was the deal breaker in deciding to play the festival during a break between European and Australian tours.

"I can't imagine another time in our life where we're going to get to say, 'Stick around for Jay-Z,' " laughed drummer Jason McGerr.

The promise of a massive party appealed to others. About half of the festival-goers camped on site, in a sprawling campground that formed a horseshoe around the concert grounds. At times it looked like a refugee camp, with dusty tents and bright spotlights, save for the booming of a late-night DJ tent that echoed well past 2 a.m.

While talk of long waits on the narrow highway between Vancouver to Pemberton, chaotic parking and an impractical shuttle system dominated talk on the festival grounds on Saturday, a calm settled over the site on Sunday.

Rob Hepburn, 24, of Vancouver, said he's able to look past a few organizational missteps.

"I think everyone understands that this is the first year the festival's going on, and we're all just excited to be here. The setting's so great that everyone's just willing to forgive it," he said.

His brother, Jeff, flew in from London, Ont., for the show.

"At times it didn't seem like they had complete control, but it's to be expected. It's their first time through, a lot of kinks to figure out and a lot of people to police."

Still, the traffic chaos continued into Sunday. It took up to eight hours for some people to make the usual 20-minute trip between Pemberton and the nearby resort town of Whistler.

While it was clear that security was disintegrating Sunday, as concert goers openly flaunted smuggled-in alcohol and others boasted of walking in without tickets, a co-operative spirit of good cheer seemed to maintain order.

At a news conference on Sunday afternoon, organizer Shane Bourbonnais of Live Nation said his crew has "learned a lot of lessons."

"Every great festival has its hiccups at the beginning," he said.

"Obviously there are always kinks. We've identified all those issues, we're taking notes and figuring out how we'll improve on those issues."

Bourbonnais said he's already heard from seven bands interested in headlining the stages for the next festival.

The weekend also featured rising Canadian acts such as Buck 65, Wintersleep and Kathleen Edwards alongside the international heavy-hitters.

Canadian band Metric was one of the first to take the stage Friday, and singer Emily Haines says the mammoth festival marks a change in Canada's music scene.

"The days of Canada being sort of insular and disconnected from the rest of the world culturally is over, and festivals like this are the first sign of that," she said.

http://canadianpress.google.com/arti...eaDLJ0LgrJFA2A

Mega-stars Coldplay wrap Pemberton Festival with a bang

PEMBERTON -- Dazed and exhausted festival-goers had to wait until 10:15 p.m. Sunday night to witness the biggest act of them all, British mega-stars Coldplay.

The eager masses threatened to knock over fences and storm restricted areas to get closer to what many consider the biggest band in the world.

But the soothing -- in comparison to Jay-Z-- sounds of front man Chris Martin and his merry band of men seemed to bring joy and harmony rather than hostility. Thankfully.

Considering Coldplay has always trumpeted causes having to do with peace and humanity, it was a fitting mood to close this epic event.

The band appeased the crowd early on in the set by playing older favourites like Clocks and A Rush of Blood to the Head, but relied heavily on material from the new album, Viva la Vida or (Death and all His Friends) throughout the rest of the show.

Heavy doses of piano -- such as on Speed of Sound -- and bits of orchestral string arrangements -- particularly on the new album's title track -- help with Coldplay's appeal to the easy-listening masses, while their grand guitar ambitions give them ample rock cred.

The most stunning moment of the night's set was when Martin stayed quiet and allowed the tens of thousands of people to sing the opening verse of the band's breakout hit, Yellow.

The repeated refrain, "Look at the stars, look how they shine for you," was marvelously fitting considering the dark and open skies above (even if clouds blocked the stars).

The band's big, symphonic sound and their messages of hope and peace were a fantastic ending to a festival that certainly had its issues, but seemed to make the majority happy.

As Martin himself said: "The overwhelmingly positive consensus is that it's been a great success."

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/n...9-42035bd56452

Pemberton Festival ends on a bang with Coldplay, Jay-Z

Explosive back-to-back sets by Jay-Z and Coldplay capped the closing day of the inaugural Pemberton Festival, an ambitious three days of music set in a dusty B.C. mountain valley that, minus a few snags, was a resounding success. The sun had just set behind the mountains on Sunday evening as Jay-Z took the stage to a roar of cheers -- and quickly stole the show. Backed by a brass band, the legendary producer and rapper worked the 30,000-person strong crowd into a frenzy. The ground shook as the audience thrust their fists in the air to hit after hit, including “99 Problems” and his breakthrough “A Hard Knock Life.” “To come up and here and get this much love, don’t think I don’t appreciate it,” Jay-Z shouted to the thundering crowd. “I appreciate each and every one of y’all out there.” And while songs from Coldplay’s latest album, the critically lauded ’Viva la “Vida or Death and All His Friends,” were interspersed throughout the band’s closing set, it was crowd favourites that took centre stage. The band rushed to an impromptu stage in the middle of the audience for an acoustic, singalong rendition of “The Scientist,” and the crowd swayed and sang in unison to hits including “Clocks” and “Yellow.” Singer Chris Martin even referenced the traffic problems that had plagued the festival, singing “When the festival traffic moves at a snail’s pace,” in “Fix You.”A rainy Sunday morning threatened to turn the trampled sheep field into a giant mud pit before the clouds began to lift and music fans, many of whom had spent the previous three nights camped in fields surrounding the stages, gathered for the highly anticipated final day. The promise of seeing such diverse acts as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Crystal Method and Nine Inch Nails in a beautiful mountain valley drew about 40,000 people to the remote community of Pemberton, B.C., 150 kilometres north of Vancouver. For Seattle-based Death Cab for Cutie, the lineup was the deal breaker in deciding to play the festival during a break between European and Australian tours. “I can’t imagine another time in our life where we’re going to get to say, ‘Stick around for Jay-Z,’ ” laughed drummer Jason McGerr. The promise of a massive party appealed to others. About half of the festival-goers camped on site, in a sprawling campground that formed a horseshoe around the concert grounds. At times it looked like a refugee camp, with dusty tents and bright spotlights, save for the booming of a late-night DJ tent that echoed well past 2 a.m. While talk of long waits on the narrow highway between Vancouver to Pemberton, chaotic parking and an impractical shuttle system dominated talk on the festival grounds on Saturday, a calm settled over the site on Sunday. Rob Hepburn, 24, of Vancouver, said he’s able to look past a few organizational missteps. “I think everyone understands that this is the first year the festival’s going on, and we’re all just excited to be here. The setting’s so great that everyone’s just willing to forgive it,” he said. Still, the traffic chaos continued into Sunday. It took up to eight hours for some people to make the usual 20-minute trip between Pemberton and the nearby resort town of Whistler. While it was clear that security was disintegrating Sunday, as concert goers openly flaunted smuggled-in alcohol and others boasted of walking in without tickets, a co-operative spirit of good cheer seemed to maintain order. At a news conference on Sunday afternoon, organizer Shane Bourbonnais of Live Nation said his crew has “learned a lot of lessons.” “Every great festival has its hiccups at the beginning,” he said. “Obviously there are always kinks. We’ve identified all those issues, we’re taking notes and figuring out how we’ll improve on those issues.” Bourbonnais said he’s already heard from seven bands interested in headlining the stages for the next festival.The weekend also featured rising Canadian acts such as Buck 65, Wintersleep and Kathleen Edwards alongside the international heavy-hitters.

http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=156857&sc=84

Musical thrills were worth the wait

As they hit the stage 50 minutes late at the mega-musical festival they helped to create, the members of Coldplay seemed genuinely grateful that people had stuck around to hear them, late on a Sunday night and after a weekend of logistical problems that might have sent less devoted fans running. "Thanks for waiting around for us," front man Chris Martin said after the opening song, Violet Hill.

Then they put on a show that was the worth the wait.

Martin exhibited more than his typical enthusiasm as he rocked out on the guitar and behind the piano, complete with dance moves that made you wonder if he's been getting tips from Gord Downie. Their light show dazzled, with laser beams, a lit-up peanut-shaped balloon bouncing through the audience, and of course the trademark yellow floodlights to accompany the hit Yellow.

Martin is every bit the rock star. At the same time, he seemed almost humbled and certainly delighted as he looked out at the packed field in the remote Pemberton Valley and saw first-hand the result of his band's dream to help to produce - and headline - a European-style music festival in North America: thousands of fans, on-site camping, a killer lineup.

"You braved hours of traffic and rain - all to take a chance on a new festival," Martin said, adding that the consensus was that the event has been "a great success."

Their late arrival onstage was the result of a backlog caused earlier in the day when the American funk/hip-hop/alt-rock band N.E.R.D. got stuck in the notorious traffic that overwhelmed the highway between Whistler and Pemberton all weekend. A drive that normally takes 25 minutes took up to 4½ hours on Sunday.

The scary prospect of the drive back saw the crowd thinning out a few songs into Coldplay's fine set. "Down your beer and let's go," someone behind me said to her friend during Viva La Vida. Behind the stage, the crawling traffic was visible - along with the flashing lights of emergency vehicles. Distracting, to be sure.

On distractions, what should have been a highlight of the night was marred by a sound issue that plagued the festival all weekend. As Coldplay performed a short set on a tiny stage set in the middle of the crowd - which included an acoustic version of The Scientist - the ever-present bass line coming out of the B-Live tent across the field was clearly audible. It made the experience less intimate for the audience and more challenging for Martin.

Still, it was a powerful show over all, with the crowd singing along word for word to hits including Clocks, In My Place and especially Yellow.

The inaugural Pemberton Festival ended with a double-barrelled bang: Before Coldplay, hip-hop superstar Jay-Z put on an extraordinary performance that had fans in a tizzy for more than an hour: waving their arms in tribute, bouncing like crazy and, in the case of a few free-wheeling female fans, flashing the crowd on the giant video screens. Things never let up. It was electric.

One wonders about any controversy in having Jay-Z headline a music festival (a debate raged after he was announced as this year's Glastonbury Festival headliner). Even Martin joked during Coldplay's set: "We're honoured to be closing for Jay-Z."

The juxtaposition of Jay-Z's urban lyrics against the silhouette of the darkening mountains was something to experience. As he made his way through hit after hit - 99 Problems; Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem); Jigga What, Jigga Who; even a bit of Crazy in Love (minus new bride Beyoncé) - fans who should have been pretty spent after a long, dusty weekend were beyond enthusiastic.

As the show wrapped up, like a teacher handing out gold stars at the end of class, Jay-Z sent some shout-outs to audience members whose enthusiasm he had noticed. "You in the yellow T-shirt," he pointed to a fan. "And you, baby girl."

An unlikely highlight from earlier in the day was a stunning two-song collaboration between Toronto's Dj Dopey and part of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. As Dj Dopey (a.k.a. Jon Ryan Santiago) stood centre-stage behind his turntable set-up in his Notes To Self T-shirt, a black curtain slowly rose behind him, revealing 16 members of the VSO in formal wear (we're talking white tuxedos and black ball gowns).

The classical musicians played the opening strains of The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony, Dj Dopey was spinning and scenes from The Shining flashed on the screens behind the stage. The young, mojito-infused crowd in the B-Live tent ate it up. Future VSO subscription holders? Perhaps.

For the most part, Sunday's lineup provided a bang-up end to a festival that had its share of logistical problems (including long lineups for shuttles, showers and porta-potties), but delivered big time on musical thrills.

Martin wound up Coldplay's show by wishing for "many more years of success" for the festival and thanking everyone once again for sticking around. "Sorry about the traffic, but I hope it's been worthwhile."

A chance to see Coldplay, Jay-Z, The Tragically Hip, Nine Inch Nails, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Buck 65, Wintersleep (I could go on) all in one weekend? Worthwhile doesn't begin to cover it.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...ainment/Music/

Coldplay was worth the wait

The highly-anticipated performance by Coldplay at the inaugural Pemberton Festival north of Whistler, B.C., had to be anticipated for just a little longer on Sunday, as extreme traffic delays on the highway finally had an impact on the performances. American funk/hip hop/alt-rock band N.E.R.D. arrived late for their show – minus three of their five musicians – and took the stage 35 minutes late, putting the rest of the mainstage schedule off-balance for the remainder of the day.

Coldplay, it must be said, was worth the wait. The headliners – and the driving force behind the festival – put on a powerful show. Frontman Chris Martin exhibited more than his typical enthusiasm and what seemed like genuine appreciation that people came to the remote festival and stuck around long enough to hear his band, which took to the stage at 10:20 pm on Sunday night.

“You braved hours of traffic and rain – all to take a chance on a new festival,” he said, adding that the consensus was that the event has been “a great success.”

Too bad for distractions during Coldplay's set: people departing in an attempt to avoid another long journey home, the slow-moving traffic visible behind the stage, the ever-present bass coming out of the B-Live tent across the field (particularly annoying during what should have been a Coldplay highlight: a short set on a tiny stage that included an acoustic version of The Scientist).

But overall, it was a strong show, with highlights that included Clocks, In My Place, and everybody singing along to Yellow.

Coldplay was preceded by an extraordinary performance by Jay-Z. For just over an hour, the New York hip hop star had the place in a tizzy – fans waving their arms in tribute and bouncing like crazy (the temporary wooden floor I was standing on felt positively trampolinesque). Some female fans showed their appreciation by flashing the crowd on the giant video screens – to great approval.

Jay-Z's urban lyrics set against the silhouette of the darkening mountains as he sampled everyone from Amy Winehouse to the cast of the musical Annie, was something to experience. Even he seemed impressed.

As the show wrapped up, like a teacher handing out gold stars at the end of class, Jay-Z sent some shout-outs to audience members whose enthusiasm he had noticed. “You in the yellow t-shirt,” he pointed to a fan. “And you, baby girl.”

An unlikely highlight from earlier in the day was a stunning two-song collaboration between Dj Dopey and 16 members of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. As the VSO played The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony, Dj Dopey ruled the turntable, and scenes from The Shining flashed on the screens behind the stage. The crowd in the B-Live tent ate it up. Future VSO subscription holders? Perhaps.

On unlikely combinations, the American Hasidic reggae almost-star Matisyahu closed out the smaller Lillooet stage with a spiritually-inspired performance that went with the gorgeous setting (at least the part of the show I managed to catch; there were scheduling conflicts with Dj Dopey and Death Cab for Cutie). In beard, yarmulke and side-curls, Matisyahu didn't exactly look the Pemberton Festival part, but with musical talent like his, he fit right in.

N.E.R.D. – late though they were – got the crowd going with a high-energy, infectious performance. Okay, so they thought they were in Vancouver at first, and Pharrell Williams uttered the f-word more times than one could count, but their energy was almost unparalleled on Sunday (and then Jay-Z came along).

Wish I could say the same for Seattle's Death Cab for Cutie. Perhaps it was festival fatigue setting in, but they just didn't do it for me – or the crowd. After N.E.R.D. – and Dj Dopey – the performance simply felt lacklustre. Too bad, because they've got a lot to offer.

Highlight of the final day: a crowd crazy in love with Jay-Z.

Low point: the backlog caused by earlier traffic delays meant Coldplay didn't wrap up their set until 11:40. And then, festival fans set out for what would no doubt be another long journey home.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...rtainment/home

Coldplay shows solidarity in Pemberton's dust

While the rap fanatics retreated, everyone else rushed forward for Coldplay, whose brand of triumphant pop is tailor-made to the scale of an outdoor mega-festival at night. Lead singer Chris Martin was in fine form, nailing all his soaring parts and bounding giddily across the stage, ever the endearing, self-deprecating fool. When the Englishmen launched into “Viva La Vida”, he seemed to want to leap out of his skin, basking in the peculiar satisfaction that must come when 40,000 strangers are singing your own words back to you.

If you looked closely, you could see he was wearing bandannas, too, wrapped as arm-bands on his jacket, as if in solidarity with every dust-caked survivor below.

Full article here: http://www.straight.com/article-1555...embertons-dust

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