Coldplay is often dismissed as being square, and doesn't pass the muster of the hipster tastemakers who decide what is cool and what is uncool, report detnews.com.
If that's the case, then Monday night at the Palace of Auburn Hills the British foursome made the case that coolness is overrated. The sold-out crowd of 13,330 - a rarity in these times of economic woe - seemed to agree. During a joyous, grand and sometimes magical 95-minute set, Coldplay proved that arena rock spectacle doesn't have to involve pyrotechnics or fire, just a whole lot of heart.
Led by frontman Chris Martin, wearing a colorful revolutionary war-style costume that appeared to have been lifted from the wardrobe closet of a local high school's theatre class, the band launched into "Life in Technicolor" and "Violet Hill," both from this year's "Viva la Vida," one of the year's sturdiest rock albums.
The band, mounting its most extensive and lavish production to date, was innovative in its presentation throughout. Images and live video were projected onto a handful of "puffer spheres," globe-shaped bulbs that hung above the stage and the crowd. Elsewhere, laser beams shot over the crowd during "Clocks," while an old-timey television showed video of the group on-stage.
Monday's concert was a make-up date from a planned July show that was scrapped, along with a handful of other early tour dates, due to production concerns. But while that term is often used as a scapegoat for other internal tour problems, this time it seemed legitimate, as the show utilized crisp, tightly executed production elements throughout its set.
The band walked out to an auxiliary stage at the foot of the crowd to perform an electronified, slightly sci-fi version of "God Put a Smile on Your Face," and later jogged through the audience to a satellite stage at the back of the house, where they performed an acoustic version of "The Scientist" amid a sea of fans.
Drummer Will Champion proved himself to be an essential and underrated force in the band, his pounding drums driving "Clocks," "Lost!" and a hammering "Politik."
For his part, Martin was candid and loose, slipping a lyric about Kid Rock and Eminem into "Politik" and apologizing to fans for the inconvenience of cancelling the July concert date. Acknowledging the Presidential election, he announced "we're happy to be with you on what we're calling the last night of the Bush administration," and he dedicated "The Hardest Part" to Jennifer Hudson.
The show's peak came during "Lovers in Japan," as confetti butterflies rained down from the ceiling onto the audience. Any band can make it rain confetti, but it takes a special group of lads to shower butterflies onto an audience. The always dependable "Yellow," the band's very first hit, closed the show, as Martin and his bandmates bowed to the audience at its close.
The obvious comparison to Coldplay is U2, who also use their earnestness as their chief weapon in their rock and roll arsenal. But while Coldplay doesn't have the grandeur or the scope of their heroes, Monday proved they're well their way to one day being able to wear their crown. Just give them time.
More on this article here onwards [thanks mimixxx]
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