Atlanta review: Coldplay gives Atlantans extra-special concert

When it comes to live concerts, it doesn’t get any better than Coldplay, reports SaportaReport.

I’m still energized from Coldplay’s concert at the Lakewood Ampitheater Sunday night — my second Coldplay concert in six months — with its combination of fabulous music, wonderfully artistic touches throughout the show and, of course, the magnetism of lead singer, songwriter, performer Chris Martin.

Martin and the band exemplify the best in rock-‘n’-roll artists. Numerous times during the performance, Martin thanked the audience for spending their money in tough economic times by coming to hear them play. And he wanted to make sure we got our money’s worth. We did. Probably the most impressive twist for me was that the band set up two satellite stages within the crowd. Coldplay had done the same at Philips Arena in November, so it was not a complete surprise. Except that one of the satellite stages was on the lawn, where diehard Coldplay fans were weathering a fairly constant drizzle with colder than normal temperatures for a May in Atlanta.

Martin seemed to relish being able to give those concert-goers a special, close-up treat. But that was not all. As a way of saying thanks, Martin told the crowd they would all receive a free CD of their music on the way out. The special touches didn’t end there. Several times, Martin would be singing one of the group’s top songs, and he would insert lyrics about Atlanta, the show and the fans.

Lastly, playing solo at the piano, Martin sang a wonderful rendition of “Georgia on my Mind” for the Atlanta crowd. I’ve been to hundreds of live concerts in my life, and it is rare for a performer to make such a personal connection with the audience. When Martin tells the crowd that he loves playing in Atlanta because the band is so well received, we believe him, even if he says that in every city the band plays.

Of course, niceties aside, Coldplay is one of the most talented acts in modern times. Martin’s obvious classical training as a pianist provides a instrumental depth to almost every song. And then there’s his voice — the way he can hit the high notes — and get the entire audience to join in song.

Yes, the concert was absolutely fabulous and with great attention to detail to elicit maximum audience interaction — such as the large yellow bouncing balls being volleyed by the crowd while illuminating the ampitheater during the song “Yellow.”

The free Coldplay disc is in my car CD player with the songs giving the concert an afterlife that will last for many days to come. Yes, it was a night to remember.

Source: Saporta Report