East Troy review 2: Coldplay brings a personal touch to a crowded arena

East Troy — A rock show in an arena setting can be a depersonalizing experience only a few levels below that of taking off one's shoes before passing through an airport security checkpoint. The beer costs too much in both cases. Saturday night at Alpine Valley Music Theatre, Coldplay tried to re-personalize the experience, writes JS Online.

The quartet drew more than 30,000 people, and its music had the grandeur-embracing sincerity of early U2. Lead singer and pianist Chris Martin exhibited the characteristics of an intelligent frontman: a voice to make the heart swoon, energy to burn and self-deprecating charisma. Guitarist Jon Buckland owed some of his serrated clarity to The Edge (U2's axman, natch), but he took it toward English countrysides ("Strawberry Swing") and funereal bleakness ("Cemeteries of London").

Drummer Will Champion provided a strong backing voice plus some extra charisma. With bassist Guy Berryman - who was, typically for that position, a nearly silent type - he nailed rhythms ranging from the modern syncopation of "Lost!" to the orchestral majesty of "Viva La Vida."

Those two songs, from the 2008 album also called "Viva La Vida," demonstrated Coldplay's expansion of its musical ambitions. If an earlier song like "Clocks" was accessible for sheer drive and tunefulness, then a more recent number like "42" spread its accessibility across a massive shift from ruminative, fragile ballad to a rocker that brandished riffs like buzz-saws sparking off silver. The show had plenty of big visual sparks to match the electricity of the music: Screens displayed kinetic, stylized transmissions of the performance, while during "Lovers in Japan," confetti actually shot out from the sides of the stage as if KISS had been consulted.

But even there, Coldplay paid attention to the fine details: Those pieces of confetti were shaped like leaves, and for a brisk version of the sweet hit "Yellow," assistants floated large yellow balloons into the crowd until the reserved section was a happy chaos of "follow the bouncing ball(s)."

Best of all, though, were those moments when Coldplay hiked to a pair of mini-stages - and they really were tiny - closer to the middle of the crowd. Huddled together on those platforms like an indie-rock band in a dive bar, the members of Coldplay personalized not just the arena experience but also themselves.

Source: JS Online

New photos of Coldplay at Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI (25th July 2009)