03-Aug-08: Washington - Tickets, Preview, Meetups, Review/Photos [originally 02-Jul]

[Denise]

ADVICE FROM SOMEONE WHO WAS IN HARTFORD ON 8/2:

9. If you're in a lower section to the right of the band, get ready cause they might come running at you

Stupid question but, when they play this acustic set...looking at the stage, where do they usually play it? right or left side of the stands (in Barcelona they were on the right side, just curious to know whether they're always there or change each show)

 

btw glad you all had a great time, it's a pity they don't play THP on its whole tough

[dotty biscotti]

^^yeah, death and all his friends was awesome. So was Fix You, by the way! Hearing the songs live make them sound a million times better

[dotty biscotti]

Death and All His Friends:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBhloaEVmaM

[DreamOutLoud]

great show last nite.. sold out show from what I could see. Not a seat empty even in the nose bleed rafter seats at the top of the venue all around even. It was so hot in there last nite oy! Show went pretty fast. Setlist was nice.. Just wish there were more oldies in there.. And I wish they would mix up the setlists more. They have the back catalogue to do this.. Just wish they would be more adventurous in that regard. Took pics but i am sure most are too shitty to post. If I can scape up a few I will post them but I was the middle section off the floor about 5 rows up. Wish I was closer for better pics but oh well.

 

 

highlight song for me was: Lost! I just love that song so much and it was so great live too. Will can bang the hell out of those drums! Loved the confetti that was cool. Took some pics of it. I loved 42 too. And so glad to see politik in there. Would of loved to hear the whole song, of hardest part tho. And Will isn't a bad singer either..:D

[jasmynebirch]

A few other highlights.....

 

Chris said that he wasn't sure when he was singing if he was trying to be Johnny Cash or Barry Gibb.

 

After the accoustic set in the rafters and the band was leaving, Chris grabbed a girls hand and kissed it. I would have died if I were her.

 

While "Lovers In Japan" was on Chris grabbed a handful of butterflies and dumped them on Jonny's head!

 

 

I thought the crowd was way more excited then the Philly show. I am not sure if it was because I was on the floor at the Philly show and the sound is different. I was really surprised that there wasn't a 2nd encore as the crowd was going crazy! I was really glad to hear Square One instead of Speed of Sound. I think that Square One is one of their better live songs.

[ItsRobin]

Did Chris wave at you in the end? If he did, thats awesome. Upload more vids please :)

[dotty biscotti]

These aren't my videos by the way, but they're great aren't they?:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLlJU6-Yqaw

[manayer]

Stupid question but, when they play this acustic set...looking at the stage, where do they usually play it? right or left side of the stands (in Barcelona they were on the right side, just curious to know whether they're always there or change each show)

 

 

from the audience looking at the stage its on the right side. i was on the left side which i thought they were going to play but they didnt. chris and johnny came down a couple times though.

[Jotas]

The show was awesome, loved the fan interaction and the up close personal appearance when they visited the middle tier seats. Awesome to have been back there. Loved the lasers for Clocks. I had seen them in videos people posted but of course live is all the difference.

 

Danced, stood the whole time, hella of time even on a Sunday, too bad Gordon Biersch was closed.

[Denise]

from the audience looking at the stage its on the right side. i was on the left side which i thought they were going to play but they didnt. chris and johnny came down a couple times though.

Aww thanks for the reply..then my seats in dublin even if far from the stage could be good for the acustic set, yay :D

 

*crosses fingers*

[Jotas]

There was a bomb threat? No wonder there were so many policemen...

 

I don't feel like the show was too short. I was happy with the setlist, although I did stick around for another encore which didn't happen.

 

But how about God Put a Smile Upon Your Face? It was so weird, in a good way

 

Luckily, I had some really cool, energetic fans seated next to me

 

 

The bomb threat was at a restaurant around the corner about half a block down. They got everyone out of the restaurant but didn't force anyone in the restaurant across the street to evacuate. Police around the venue is standard procedure from past concerts as they close down some of the streets for crowd control.

[kschaffer]

had to figure no special encore- this was the 2nd of 3 nights in a row... hartford, DC, boston back to back to back... I think that's part of the problem why the setlists are on the short side and no variation.... they don't have time to be creative.... the show reschedules have hurt us in that respect...

[Merwithani]

Death and All His Friends:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBhloaEVmaM

 

Thanks for sharing! It was funny watching this video after reading the recent interview with Jonny where he talks about how he has a real hard time singing the backing vocals in DAAHF and playing guitar at the same time because of the two different time signatures. You can clearly see that Jonny sticks to playing the guitar and leaves the vocals to Will, Guy and Chris.

[the_escapist]

those videos are more than amazing! thanks!!!

[antareus]

Anyone know what Chris was playing on the piano after Politik?

 

Or what music was playing while bands were setting up? It was awesome, sounded very post-rock.

 

Also, it is slightly off-topic, but Juniper Lane was pretty awesome, I think they have a show in Silver Spring on the 15th. That second band...there are no words. I truly have seen it all.

[busybeeburns]

CONCERT REVIEW: Coldplay

 

Coldplay stopped at the Verizon Center for the "Viva La Vida" tour

 

WASHINGTON – For music fans concerned about who will continue the arena rock tradition once the veterans have walked away from the stage for good, now would be a good time to turn your attention to Coldplay.

 

Is their music and cultural impact as timeless as The Rolling Stones or Bruce Springsteen? No. At least not yet. And can Chris Martin command a stage with the bravado and swagger of Bono or Jon Bon Jovi? Not quite.

 

What Coldplay offers live are well-designed Big Rock Band trappings – video screen the width of the stage, a rainbow of lasers, neon butterfly confetti – but instead of coating them with the cool self-assurance of a thousand other rock stars, the band projects an endearing warmth.

 

Much of that credit belongs to Martin, a gangly Gumby whose nonstop fidgeting is unexpectedly riveting, but who also approaches a live display with the self-deprecation it deserves. Except, maybe, for those ragtag, straight out of “Master and Commander” military jackets that the band has adopted as its “look” for the album/tour cycle of “Viva La Vida.”

 

A few times during Sunday’s too-brief 90-minute set, Martin acknowledged a gaffe, smiled sheepishly and then fixed it. It happened on the final verse of the opening “Violet Hill,” when he stretched his face into a look of horror, then repeated the lyric, and, most humorously, on the last refrain of “Yellow,” when he went in low instead of high.

 

“Some days I don’t know if I’m trying to be Johnny Cash or Barry Gibb,” he quipped. “Hopefully, in 10 years time, I’ll have the voice of Johnny Cash and the hair of Barry Gibb.”

 

While Martin, 31, is the undeniable focal point with his ungraceful hopping on one foot, singing on his back, rocking violently on his piano stool and flailing his arms as if he’s about to lasso a pony, Coldplay is very much an equal opportunity band.

 

Guitarist Jonny Buckland owes more than a polite acknowledgement to U2’s The Edge for his chiming fretwork that impressively built into its own little wall of sound, a habit especially evident on the gorgeously soaring “Fix You,” while bassist Guy Berryman quietly anchored the whisper-to-a-scream dynamics of the band’s songs.

 

Meanwhile, drummer Will Champion (how could he not be destined for stardom with that name?) received more face time than most sticksmen, joining Martin at the front of the stage to hammer a floor drum and vintage bell for the title track to “Viva La Vida,” which sounded nearly as lush as it does on record and incited a U2-ish singalong with its “whoa-oh-oh” chorus.

 

Released only about six weeks ago, “Viva,” the album, has quickly swelled into the turning point of Coldplay’s eight-year recording career. It’s the biggest-selling non-rap release of 2008 so far with sales of about 1.4 million, and at Sunday’s Verizon Center show, the sold-out audience of close to 20,000 sang along with every album cut as if the songs had been part of their lives for years.

 

The songs that fit that definition – “Clocks,” “In My Place” – appeared early in the set and were given the polished accompaniment of flashing red lights and pulsing lasers to enhance fans’ already-frenzied state.

 

But the chumminess of this band – much like with U2 – cannot be underestimated in their newfound footing, both musically and performance-wise. When they huddled at the foot of a stage ramp for an echo-y “Chinese Sleep Chant” and a radical techno-infused version of “God Put a Smile Upon Your Face,” there was a palpable cohesiveness to their performance.

 

But, it was when the foursome scampered into the crowd to perform in a tiny section at the back of the venue that Coldplay’s desire to keep a grip on their escalating popularity blazed through.

 

“This is what we look like up close. Impressive, isn’t it?” Martin said with a sideways grin, before the band dove into a lovely acoustic version of “The Scientist,” with Berryman strumming a mandolin.

 

Martin turned the spotlight to Champion once again, as the drummer sang the folksy pub rumination, “Death Will Never Conquer,” a song offered as a free download on the band’s Web site.

 

But first, Martin shared one more self-aware gem: “This will be the last song of our main set, and then we’ll do the encore thing, so play along with us, because otherwise, you’ll leave, and we don’t want you to do that.”

 

It doesn’t appear that fleeing fans are anything that Coldplay needs to fret about for awhile.

 

http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/entertainment.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-08-04-0192.html

[melrosefan]

Wash DC concert

 

Well, a late night but here to give my two cents review on the Coldplay Viva la Vida concert last night. The

 

The best songs played in my opinion were Yes, Viva la.., 42, In My Place, and Fix You. Clocks was cool but I liked rather the longer version they played on the X&Y Tour.

 

The opening act was terrible.. almost made me want to consider why Coldplay had the act on their tour.

 

The crowd was very well behaved and were just in awe of the band's talent. Chris Martin - you're the complete musician!!

 

Tour shirts for $40 - people did not mind that price. Selling like hotcakes.

 

I left still wanting Talk, Speed of Sound, and Cemetaries of London played.

 

Still an aweome night!! Enjoy all yet to come from Coldplay.

[busybeeburns]

[thanks meg lineham]

 

 

 

 

 

[busybeeburns]

New pics:

 

[Guest pg0624]

DC Show

 

Loved the concert last night, but have to agree with some other posts, 1) the crowd was not as into it as it should've been...at least up in the cheap seats...naturally, it got better for Yellow and Viva La Vida, and 2) the set was too short, at least it felt like that. I guess thats what happens when you're having a good time. Still, after going to the Twisted Logic tour, I expected Chris to talk to the audience more or have more transitional melodies, but the band just jumped from one song to the next, almost as if they were in a bit of a hurry to move on. Whatever, it'd be great if they swing by D.C. again like they did in 05-06...maybe a bit more relaxed.

[SBrooks1]

Wow, what a night! Me and my fiance were sitting in Section 112 Row K which gave us a really good 45 degree angle view of the entire stage. I've got some great video which I'll be uploading to YouTube today and tomorrow. I'll make sure I post them here when they are done.

[strawberry_swing]

Oh, wow. Last night's concert was amazing! So, here's what happened during my first Coldplay concert experience. Let's just say it was great...

 

My mother and I took in the Metro from Vienna/Fairfax and saw a bunch of people on their way to the concert. We arrived at the Chinatown stop right where the venue was and went to go find something to eat (Potbelly's Sandwich Works-Yum!) After dinner, we headed into the Verizon Center, and got in really quick. We went to go buy concert swag (t-shirt and poster) and then found our seats. We were just a few rows down from peanut heaven and were feeling a bit sad that we were so high up. My camera wasn't going to take good pictures...

 

So, the first supporting act comes out and while they were performing, this guy comes up to us. He has a backstage all-access pass and he asks us if the seats were okay. Obviously, they weren't and we told him that. He asked us if we were big fans of Coldplay. We said "Hugely insane fans!". He then asked us what our favorite song was from the album. I said it was "Yes" and he then told me to sing some of the lyrics. While I sang, my mom was trying to remember the lyrics to "42" if he asked her. She was in so much shock, she couldn't remember and even I butchered "Yes" a bit because I was in shock. What was the guy going to do? He then said that Coldplay saves the first five rows in the floor seating for their fans. He asked us to give him our stubs and in return, he gave us FRONT ROW CENTER FLOOR SEATS!! All we had to promise was to stand up the whole time.

 

We go find our new seats and watch Santo Gold perform (she was amazing!) and all these kids come to our row and say they got free tickets too! There was a couple next to my mom who had actually bought floor tickets and the lady seemed genuinely happy that we'd gotten the tickets. She had even liked the makeshift jacket and Jonny hat (with a red V) I'd had on. Coldplay finally opens up with a great "Life in Technicolor" and then goes into "Violet Hill." Jonny's riff was spectacular. There was not a song I didn't enjoy hearing and we were glad that they'd gone to the other side to make the people in the back rows feel happy. I personally enjoyed hearing "Yellow" and "Square One." The laser during "Clocks" was awesome and the Barry Gibb/Johnny Cash reference was hilarious.

 

I took tons of great pictures and Chris looked so handsome. They all did, but since he was always in front of us, we could see him better. He even said the F word and shit a few times, but he was so adorable when he cursed! The butterflies during "Lovers in Japan" were so beautiful and so was the montage. I booed O'Reilly when he mocked Chris and called him a pinhead and cheered loudly when Will sang "Death Will Never Conquer." At the end, I was able to get a set list from the camera man (!) and we headed with the Coldplay fans to the metro. Thank you, Coldplay for the best concert experience of a lifetime. It was even better than Bruce Springsteen. I never would've thought I'd been that lucky to have gotten front row center tickets. I don't think I'll be that lucky again. :)

 

And I'll be sure to post my pictures later.

 

-Strawberry Swing

[SBrooks1]

Loved the concert last night, but have to agree with some other posts, 1) the crowd was not as into it as it should've been...at least up in the cheap seats...naturally, it got better for Yellow and Viva La Vida, and 2) the set was too short, at least it felt like that. I guess thats what happens when you're having a good time. Still, after going to the Twisted Logic tour, I expected Chris to talk to the audience more or have more transitional melodies, but the band just jumped from one song to the next, almost as if they were in a bit of a hurry to move on. Whatever, it'd be great if they swing by D.C. again like they did in 05-06...maybe a bit more relaxed.

 

I thought Juniper Lane was pretty good as an opener and was happy they won the competition (I had voted for them). Santogold was a whole other thing though. I don't get how they fit into the scheme of the show, but some of the stuff they played, one "song" in particular, wasn't even coherent, just a stream of awkward beats. It felt like they were on stage for as long as Coldplay.

 

Yeah I agree with everything you said. I had worse seats in 2006 for the X&Y tour in D.C. and I think I enjoyed that show more than last night. I love Viva la Vida but there's just so many songs on X&Y that hit me certain ways. It definitely felt rushed last night and Santogold didn't impress me at all. Fiona Apple opening for Coldplay in 2006 was much better.

[busybeeburns]

brilliant review, thanks! :D

Oh, wow. Last night's concert was amazing! So, here's what happened during my first Coldplay concert experience. Let's just say it was great...

 

My mother and I took in the Metro from Vienna/Fairfax and saw a bunch of people on their way to the concert. We arrived at the Chinatown stop right where the venue was and went to go find something to eat (Potbelly's Sandwich Works-Yum!) After dinner, we headed into the Verizon Center, and got in really quick. We went to go buy concert swag (t-shirt and poster) and then found our seats. We were just a few rows down from peanut heaven and were feeling a bit sad that we were so high up. My camera wasn't going to take good pictures...

 

So, the first supporting act comes out and while they were performing, this guy comes up to us. He has a backstage all-access pass and he asks us if the seats were okay. Obviously, they weren't and we told him that. He asked us if we were big fans of Coldplay. We said "Hugely insane fans!". He then asked us what our favorite song was from the album. I said it was "Yes" and he then told me to sing some of the lyrics. While I sang, my mom was trying to remember the lyrics to "42" if he asked her. She was in so much shock, she couldn't remember and even I butchered "Yes" a bit because I was in shock. What was the guy going to do? He then said that Coldplay saves the first five rows in the floor seating for their fans. He asked us to give him our stubs and in return, he gave us FRONT ROW CENTER FLOOR SEATS!! All we had to promise was to stand up the whole time.

 

We go find our new seats and watch Santo Gold perform (she was amazing!) and all these kids come to our row and say they got free tickets too! There was a couple next to my mom who had actually bought floor tickets and the lady seemed genuinely happy that we'd gotten the tickets. She had even liked the makeshift jacket and Jonny hat (with a red V) I'd had on. Coldplay finally opens up with a great "Life in Technicolor" and then goes into "Violet Hill." Jonny's riff was spectacular. There was not a song I didn't enjoy hearing and we were glad that they'd gone to the other side to make the people in the back rows feel happy. I personally enjoyed hearing "Yellow" and "Square One." The laser during "Clocks" was awesome and the Barry Gibb/Johnny Cash reference was hilarious.

 

I took tons of great pictures and Chris looked so handsome. They all did, but since he was always in front of us, we could see him better. He even said the F word and shit a few times, but he was so adorable when he cursed! The butterflies during "Lovers in Japan" were so beautiful and so was the montage. I booed O'Reilly when he mocked Chris and called him a pinhead and cheered loudly when Will sang "Death Will Never Conquer." At the end, I was able to get a set list from the camera man (!) and we headed with the Coldplay fans to the metro. Thank you, Coldplay for the best concert experience of a lifetime. It was even better than Bruce Springsteen. I never would've thought I'd been that lucky to have gotten front row center tickets. I don't think I'll be that lucky again. :)

 

And I'll be sure to post my pictures later.

 

-Strawberry Swing

[dotty biscotti]

^^Perhaps that man who gave away the front row tickets was Miller! He did that at a previous show according to his blog