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.
In preparation for their 2006 full length debut Box on Columbia/Red Ink, LA's one-man vision (songwriter Jonathan Bates) turned three-piece band Mellowdrone will be running up and down the west coast playing with Marjorie Fair this December.
