Coldplay concert

Entry Dated: 2009-06-09 06:43:54
Entry:

On May 30th, the famous British rock / alt quad played the Post-Gazette Pavilion.  Coldplay hasn't been in town for 4 years (the first time I'd seen them), and the crowds were significantly larger due to their most recent success with "Viva La Vida".  The venue was big, but Pittsburgh's love for the band was definitely bigger; unlike Kenny Chesney, no fights broke out, and the cops never had to intervene!  

Of course, I should probably mention the warm-up bands, as they were part of the music as well!  First was the Australian group The Howling Bells.  Featuring only a drummer, keyboardist, bassist, and female lead vocalist (who occasionally played rhythm guitar), they delivered a rich sound.  Her vocals were almost haunting during the song "Cities Burning Down", which features lots of layered synth effects as well.  This was probably the best song, however, of their set - while I liked the ambience of the music, I wasn't too keen on the repeatedly dark nature of their music (something I later learned was described by iTunes as "goth rock"...go figure).

The second opening act was Pete Yorn, a more familiar name.  He too is rock / alt, and a talented singer-songwriter.  His band was a little more extensive, featuring a drummer, keyboardist, bassist, lead guitarist, rhythm guitarist, and himself on vocals (he plays rhythm guitar as well).  Again, their music was pleasing to listen to, but lacked a certain je ne sais quoi that would've made them more fascinating to listen to and watch.  Their music was rock / alt (mostly songs about love and loss, of course), but it was just that.  They were good...but that was all.

Finally, Coldplay began their set by marching onto the darkened stage, waving sparklers.  Lighting up their respective spots onstage, they started with the slow, but driving "Violet Hill", which features every part of the band in a unique way: Chris Martin's vocals go through a huge range during this song, beginning low and soaring to audience-sing-along high ("if you love me, won't you let me know"...), all while dancing his signature "jumping around the entire stage wildly" dance.; Will Champion made use of every cymbal and drum in his kit, filling up the space in between the slow, pounding bass beat with every knick-knack he had; Guy Berryman also played some creative riffs on his bass, making the monotony of the chord progression beautiful; and lastly, Johnny Buckland, brought great energy to the song with the simple, yet effective guitar solo in the middle of the song, sharp with the distortion pedal he was using.  The concert went along, and the musicality was amazing - a true leap from 4 years ago.  Hitting every note (and then some) that we know by heart from their most recent album, to improvising lyrics to the ever-loved Pittsburgh tune ("If you're telling me you're a friend of Ben's, the whole town's singin' Let's Go Pens"...), Coldplay truly delivered an exciting, gorgeous soundscape that embraced the whole audience as well.  There was never a dull moment in Coldplay's concert (which was also true 4 years ago, but now they've raised the bar!), and anyone who went to see them would tell you the same.  Fantastic show - come back soon, guys!

Period: Period 08/09
Activity: AP Music - Concert Refeection