....Martin tries to continue with the interview, but he's obviously distracted. "I can't go on with this until I do something," he says, and jumps up to summon his tour manager, Dave Holmes.

 

"Let's do a free show!" Martin suggests. "A free show at sound check. We'll do seven songs for anybody who wants to drop in. Announce it on the radio this afternoon and just invite everybody."

 

Holmes gets on it. After agitated phone calls are placed to a local promoter, the idea is shelved because there's a Cubs game at Wrigley Field down the street from Metro that afternoon, and an open invitation from a band as big as Coldplay could turn Clark Street into a riot zone. Martin shifts to Plan B. He authorizes that every available ticket in the band's possession be handed out to ticketless fans milling around in front of Metro before the show, instead of returning them to the box office for sale. At the last minute, about 50 additional fans are ushered into the concert as Coldplay's guests. Some find Martin in the basement Smart Bar after the show to personally thank him.

 

"There were a few people who got in who were almost crying because they got handed these free tickets," said Cirzan, a vice president of Jam Productions who promoted the concert. "A lot of bands would've wanted a press release -- `Look what we did!' These guys just wanted to make a gesture in a difficult situation. When you play in a much smaller place like this, there are bound to be some disappointed people who aren't going to get in."

 

(read the full article here)

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/jobs/news/chi-0505150360may15,1,6506452.story :D

that's my boys!

these guys are so down to earth...it's almost scary. I love how unaffected and real they are...

"There were a few people who got in who were almost crying because they got handed these free tickets' date='" [/quote']

Whoy. I woulda been bawling like my dog died, or something. :D Thanks for that!

I tried to get tickets to that show, although i wasn't lined up at the metro... i was just clicking online. I can't imagine being the 20th person in line and being told it was sold out... I would've freaked

I tried getting tix online and on the phone...I even tried to call ticketmast in a few different cities. However, by the time I got through it was already over. I was really bummed...would have loved to see them play a small venue.