Coldplay didn’t just play a few selections, they gave us a concert!
Less than a week ago I entered a random contest to win two free tickets to hear the burgeoning group play at the Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway, compliments of CBS and David Letterman's Late Show. A few days passed, and at nearly the last moment, the night before the performance, the tickets were mine. I scrambled to rearrange my schedule in under 24 hours, and had my heart stuck in my throat when the time came to get there! I had to make my way through gridlock traffic on a night when President Obama was visiting the Big Apple and the 66th session of the General Assembly was preparing to convene at the United Nations headquarters.
Everyone is talking about Coldplay and anticipating their new album release, and for good reason. They deserve the attention and the applause. The theater was packed when we arrived, yet somehow we were ushered to two vacant seats, front and center. Within minutes, the Late Show emcee announced, "Let’s welcome Coldplay!" The group of four, lead vocalist Chris Martin, lead guitarist Johnny Buckland, Guy Berryman on bass, and drummer Will Champion entered from the back of the 1200-seat theater that seats only 400 for TV audiences. The packed crowd went wild, but the band kept it together.
Opening with title song Mylo Xyloto from new release, the oldie "Yellow" was second. That would have been enough for two free admissions, not expecting to hear more than what would typically be aired on the Late Show. The surprises kept coming though. Several new releases from Mylo Xyloto including "Paradise"," Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" and "Major Minus "all had the familiar Coldplay sound. And while the band was tight as always, their style has grown. They were comfortably spread out on stage. Drummer, Will Champion showed his versatility strumming some strings, harmonizing with Martin and transitioning back to his kit. The audience sang their hearts out to "Viva La Vida", "Fix You", and my favorite, "Clocks". Coldplay’s performance was ecstatic but natural.
Dancing and spinning his jacket , singing without a mic, lead singer Chris Martin was superb. The highlight? During the encore Chris Martin couldn’t get the amp hitched up to his electric guitar quickly and gave us the treat of a raw, unadulterated performance of a brand new love song coming out next week, "Us Against the World".
The guys looked hot yet sober. They gave me a good feeling like they love their audience and won’t mess up. The songs kept coming and they just kept giving and giving. What a pleasant surprise especially in these times.