Way back in 2000, the London foursome burst onto the music front with a song called “Yellow.” They have been determined to conquer the world if not the whole universe ever since. Who knew that five years and three studio albums later the band who once called themselves Starfish of all things would be the new U2? On a beautiful August night surrounded by cornfields, Chris Martin and the boys arrived at Wisconsin’s Alpine Valley. With the eerie opening sounds of their new track “Square One,” they had cheeseheads eating out of the palm of their hands.
And of course we all know how much Midwesterners like to eat. Martin’s voice is flawless live whether he is dancing around doing his best Bono 101 moves or adding to the soundscape by accompanying the band on guitar or piano.
Martin is no question the MVP of the band and handles the responsibility with boyish confidence. It’s a role he presents with charm and with everyman-like quality. This isn’t an easy feat considering he is married to movie star Gwyneth Paltrow. His nervous energy is contagious and all around you can hear a sea of voices singing along to every word. And I mean a sea…have you ever seen the lawn at Alpine Valley? It’s a mini Lake Michigan!
“Some bands are talented. Some bands are handsome. We’re neither of these”, Martin declared humbly before going into the hidden track off of the band’s new album, “X&Y,” “Till Kingdom Come.” A song he dedicated to the late Johnny Cash. The band followed that with a cover of the Cash classic “Ring of Fire.”
Through the course of the evening, the band delivered a healthy offering of songs from all three albums. Playing early favorites like “Yellow,” “Politik” and “God Put a Smile upon Your Face.”
The band often criticized for being incapable of rocking out seemed to have no problem keeping the sold-out crowd on its feet, bouncing to every note.
Martin recently was quoted in Rolling Stone magazine saying his two biggest challenges in life have been, “trying to follow Radiohead and trying to follow Brad Pitt.” But with “X&Y” debuting at No. 1, being one of the biggest albums of the year, and with a highly successful tour, maybe Martin and the band can take a deep breath, step back and enjoy the payoff of all their hard work.
Of course, “X&Y” was an album that almost wasn’t. The band made a mistake going right back into the studio after being on the road for 16 months. After knocking around ideas for 8 months, the band scrapped their efforts and decided to start a new - a decision their label claimed was responsible for their poor profits early in the year.
Now, more than two months later and still in the top 10, Coldplay have proven themselves once again. There are very few bands that can live up to their hype and not choke. On this Saturday night they delivered the hits and managed to put a smile upon everyone’s face. Well, except for this police officer who accosted me on the way out with open-ended threats and obscenities. But hey...that’s a whole ’nother story!
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