COLDPLAY TWISTED LOGIC TOUR 1.30.06

Encore Performance of Coldplay

Coldplay overrated? Maybe, but until now had I just taken a look at my videos to reflect on yesterday's show did I realize how beautiful and moving it truly was.

Chris Martin broke his string and announced "it's a disaster", the balloons and confetti, repeatedly referred to himself as the "Napoleon Dynamite head rockstar", and kept saying that it was the first time for Coldplay in the city of Sacramento. It was truly the 2nd time in Sacramento and the 3rd in the area that Coldplay has played a show here in the city of trees. They may have played hundreds of shows and be one of the most world known bands today, but that is no excuse for Chris Martin (I'm only quoting from Chris because he was the only one speaking so I haven't forgotten about the other bandmembers) to make mistakes. At least Fall Out Boy asked their tour manager beforehand when and where they have played in Sacramento previously before announcing to the crowd during the last Sacramento show.

Fiona Apple I thought was exceptional. She was better than I expected. I wasn't excited for her set at all because I was never a fan of hers. People had mixed reactions to her music, although people did like the band overall. There were a few songs that I did enjoy because they weren't like her usual upbeat songs, but had a jazzy feel to it with her piano and the drumming was spectacular. Good beats. The drumming was just perfectly placed into the songs.

The lighting for Coldplay was phenomonal like it would be expected from a band at their rate. Their sound, incredible live, but it was what I expected. I have to say they weren't any different from their sound on the albums. Personally, there wasn't anything special about their live sound because it just made me realize that they just sound good live since some bands tend to sound a lot better or a lot worse live than on record. There were points during the show when I was amazed, but for most of the show I was just satisfied. It was worth my $90 though and skipping most of my 3-4 hour Macroeconomic class.

I have to say the Sunday before the show I read a cover story in my local newspaper on Coldplay and some of the public's reactions to them. They were definitely mixed reactions. There were true fans who stuck by them and expressed how much they admire Coldplay and their music, while there were others who felt they were just a boring copy of R.E.M. These reactions and thoughts I always heard about Coldplay from the public, but never read myself until now caused me to have mixed feelings and increased my curiousity about what I was to expect at their live show. Would it be exciting? Would it be boring? Personally it was in between. Maybe I have attended way too many shows to be excited about a show nowadays or maybe it was just too hyped up for me, but I think the high points definitely made me forget about the negative attitude I had about the show.

There were definitely high points during Coldplay's set. Personally I would've enjoyed the show more if I heard one of my favorite, but old songs from them, "Sparks". Their opening song was perfection. Stage presence and effects were amazing because everyone was hyped up. Their cover of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire". As well as Chris running through the frantic crowds grabbing and touching him.

Lighting up Arco Arena

I have to say the most rewarding experience and heartwarming (even though I'm not Coldplay) was during their performance of "The Scientist". Being quite possibly deprived, I've never experienced anything as beautiful since seeing Hellogoodbye's crowd. I loved the Arco crowd. As the song progressed, the crowd clearly sang along to every word perfectly from the song with Chris while waving their lighters and cellphones in the air, in which blue lights appeared beautifully around the audience in the dimly lit arena where all you can see is the stage. Sometimes people don't realize how good something is until they've lost it and that is certainly my view of Coldplay. They are definitely no U2, but Coldplay's fans are here with them all the way no matter how many mixed reviews they had on their latest X&Y or even their music in general.

Film Reviews

Some of these films have been out in theatres for awhile now, but I'd like to post my little reviews on here still.

Ziyi Zhang and Ken Watanabe in Memoirs of a Geisha

I admit, I never read the book, but I've heard of it before and I will. From the moment I heard they were making the novel by Arthur Golden into a movie I knew I had to see it. It features some of my favorite asian actors and actresses like Ziyi Zhang, Michelle Yeoh, and Ken Watanabe. The film made me a new fan of Gong Li's. The sceneries and the cinematography took my breath away. I wasn't only in love with the film itself, but with the story and the characters as well no matter how off-key the film and the novel may be on Japanese Geishas. All the mistakes didn't matter to me anymore when watching the film like how Chinese actresses played Japanese characters or how the novel interpreted a Geisha uncorrectly because the story was really beautiful. I have no complaints anymore about the film because it's become my favorite film of 2005. They chose the perfect actors and actresses to play the roles despite their ethnicities. Gong Li was perfect to play the ruthless and jealous Hatsumomo. Michelle Yeoh's demanding voice and presence makes a perfect Mameha. Ziyi Zhang was a strong actress to play Sayuri as she has a very innocent and soft look to her that completes the character of Sayuri. And Ken Watanabe rounded out some of the main characters as The Chairman who is desired by Sayuri. I admit damn it, Ken is 40 something years old, but he is handsome and talented since he was nominated for an Oscar for his role in The Last Samurai and asians are rarely ever nominated. Now Ziyi Zhang is nominated for a Golden Globe in the Best Actress Drama category so congrats to her. The film and story was beautiful, but what made it incredible was the soundtrack...

John Williams made the right choice in turning down Harry Potter 4 to compose music for Memoirs of a Geisha because first of all, it could be challenging, but probably not for John Williams and second of all, he's already composed music for the other Harry Potter films. I listened to the entire soundtrack and I was moved by it all over again. I think the best track on the soundtrack is "The Chairman's Waltz" especially with the violin solos. Sayuri is sad, obsessed with The Chairman, and desperate and all of that rolls into that single beautiful track.

Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley, Anna Popplewell, and William Moseley in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe

I don't have to say much about this film, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, as it is magnificent and adorable, not Curious George adorable, but it made me want a pet lion. It's enchanting and what? It's a Disney film? I don't believe it. It's much different from the typical Disney film and that's good. The book and film makes religious references and I am not religious so I didn't understand it at first until someone told me more about the significance of the story, but I loved the film instantly after watching it. It was slow in the beginning so I didn't understand it at first especially since I didn't read any sypnosis before watching the film, but it became interesting. If I had to choose between this film or Harry Potter 4, I would have to choose... The Chronicles of Narnia because the story is different from the Harry Potter series. It was just as magical. I still think the Harry Potter 4 film was the best out of the other HP films though.

!SPOILERS AHEAD!


Jim Carrey in Fun With Dick and Jane

This film, Fun With Dick and Jane, was decent for me. It was hilarious some of the time and other times it wasn't. I have never seen the original film, but I bet it wasn't as funny as this one. I think some of the best moments in the film was when Dick and his family is too poor to use water in their home so they use their neighbor's sprinklers (I believe it was their neighbors) to shower. And then another moment was when they had their new lawn repossessed and so Dick goes crazy and steals other people's lawns like a patch from his neighbor's lawn and some patches from a golf course and from the cemetary (I think, I don't remember). And then he goes home and places it on his own front yard. His wife Jane wakes up and says how beautiful the lawn is. And it is beautiful to her too while they look out into the front yard to patches of grass here and there.

Tuesday, January 3rd Release

The Strokes' First Impressions of Earth

My first impression of their new album was wow, this album is much better than the previous ones especially with the first two tracks "You Only Live Once" and "Juicebox". "Juicebox" outdoes all the other singles as I feel is more unique and uptempo. I love the drumming and the guitars in "You Only Live Once". I think it's the best overall song written by The Strokes on this album as the melody is perfect, the lyrics are fitting, and the beat is perfect. It is just perfect. The rest of the album definitely has a Strokes feel to it. Well, of course it does, because it's by The Strokes, but what I mean is that their sound is basically the same as their other albums, but in a good way. It is a great way to kick off the year 2006 with the release of this album, so pick it up in stores this Tuesday!

It's Officially The End Of The World For Me

The song that I hate the most of 2005 was "My Humps" by no other than the rarely talented group Black Eyed Peas. I respect the Black Eyed Peas as they are unique and they have good beats, sound, and usually decent lyrics I suppose, but "My Humps"? WTF? Those are one of the worst lyrics ever! It's just like that one song by some one-hit wonder. "I like big butts and I cannot lie, you other brothers can't deny..." Way to take advantage of your major record label contract. The words used is what makes the song hilarious rather than another song about sex. Good music is hard to come by and when you're on a major label please take advantage of it and write good music for the public to hear especially if you've written good music before or at least decent music that isn't stupid and ridiculous.

Happy New Years!