Once again, I've seen one of the greatest bands play one of the greatest shows I've ever seen. Seeing Coldplay is always a treat no matter where you are, even at the horrid Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine. It always helps to know how to get there, get out, and get home with the minimum amount of pain possible. Good thing, growing up in Orange County kind of helps with all of that. How many shout outs did Chris Martin give to The OC? Can't quite remember, but hey, he's sincere enough that the cheap applause doesn't seem at all that cheap.
Music-wise, everything was special. They played a majority of music from their new record X&Y, but also played a few of their older, maybe more obscure songs including Don't Panic and Warning Sign. It also wouldn't be a Coldplay concert without the required random cover song. No sooner did they finish 'Til Kingdom Come and they launched into another Johnny Cash tune, Ring of Fire. Puzzling? not at all since the crowd ate up every second of it. Favorite performances of mine for the night included the intense rendition of Low, the enthusiastic romp through Clocks, and the finale Fix You. I've never seen a crowd so into a performance as they were with this concert. Correct that, I've never seen a crowd so large, so enthusiastic. It wasn't the usual lackadaisical Los Angeles crowd last night, could Coldplay be solely responsible?
Undoubtedly, the songs, records, and tours are just part of the package. The performance itself is where a band goes from "Hey, they're kind of good" to "Wow, I'd love to see and hear more of them again in the future." From the first time I ever saw them at the Hollywood Bowl, I've had that reaction and most likely that's why they're as immensely popular as they are. There's been many times in the past few weeks when mentioning the band that I hear, "I hear they're really good live." Some friends of mine contend that they're more appropriate for an intimate setting. While I agree on some level, I'm impressed that with each passing year, the band appears more and more comfortable in front of large crowds. Chris Martin is affable enough to maintain a humble stage manner no matter how many people are screaming and the band's performance is tight enough that no one could leave unsatisfied. I do really wish that I had been able to see them perform at the Troubadour, the El Rey, and any other small theater in Los Angeles. Unfortunately for myself, the band is so large and so popular that any thought of obtaining these tickets is merely a dream.
As long as the band is enjoying what they do (which they obviously do if anyone's ever seen them at all on stage) and as long as the music keeps coming, they will have performances a plenty. Hopefully I'll be able to see them whenever I can. Backlash be damned, I still love Coldplay.
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