jenflor

^Thanks! yeah, I decided I wanted to be a little surprised this time around. I had checked earlier in the tour, and happened to see a show where they didn't play LIJ, so I wasn't expecting it, so I was actually pleasantly surprised to hear it in Dallas.

And here's part of Warning Sign. Wish I had gotten the whole thing... [ame]www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tIQazs9BIs[/ame]

Thanks, Tash, and Thanks, Lauren! Not the great view you had, but I still loved every second!

My shaky video of the whole BTF/MX/HLH awesomeness. Sorry for the shakiness... it's hard to stay still during all of that! Edit: Sorry, I've forgotten how to embed the video... if someone can remind me, I'll fix it. thx.

Hi Everyone! I haven't been on here in a while, but I've loved reading everyone's reviews and all the pics and videos. I'm finally getting a chance to spend some time on here, and it's been a week since this show, and I figured I better sit down and write something out before much more time passes. I bought the tickets to this show when they went on sale way back in February. We had originally planned on taking our kids to the show, so we settled for less expensive seats in section 324, thinking the kids would do better with a little distance from the stage. But as the show drew closer, I got worried that they would not be able to see, and that my youngest one just wouldn't be able to last for the whole thing. As a result, we ended up selling their two tickets to my friend, and I ended up disappointed that we were going to be so far back for no good reason. My husband and I drove up to Dallas Friday afternoon and met up with my friend and her sister-in-law before the show. While I was waiting outside the venue, I began to realize that I was nervous. I was overflowing with nervous energy and just felt like I needed to be moving around doing something. We walked in and got our Xylobands, and that's when the excitement really hit me. I saw Coldplay back in September for Austin City Limits, when they had already begun incorporating a lot of the elements of the MX tour into the show. Of course, since it was a festival, they didn't do the Xylobands, so I was very eager to experience that for the first time. Before we made it to our seats, I got to meet up with fellow Coldplayers, Lauren and Jimmy. Lauren was in from California, so it was great to chat with her and catch up a bit and talk about our excitement for the show. I love that I've met so many wonderful people from all over through Coldplay, and that we occasionally get to meet up at shows! We missed the first opener, Wolf Gang, but were present for the entirety of Robyn's set. Suffice it to say, we weren't big fans. After Robyn, quiet, atmospheric music began playing over the loud speakers while the roadies rushed about the stage getting things set up. It seemed to be taking longer than usual, and just as I was wondering whether the boys were still using 99 Problems as their lead-in, it started playing. That was when I lost what shreds of composure I had left. I started bouncing in my seat, a huge grin on my face, and my heart just racing. I told my husband I had finally realized that I ONLY get that feeling before a Coldplay show. I distinctly remember feeling that mix of excitement and anticipation before the Viva shows I went to, too. And though I always get excited for concerts I attend, it's never quite like that. The lights dropped after 99 Problems and the Back to the Future theme began. The crowd was loud and the atmosphere was electric. We could see the guys make their way to the stage and even louder cheers went up. But when the first trills of MX started and the Xylobands began twinkling, there was a collective gasp from the audience (I swear you could hear it!) and everyone went wild. I'd seen videos of the Back to the Future/MX/Hurts Like Heaven Xyloband extravaganza, but even then, I was not fully prepared for experiencing it live and in person myself. It was just so amazingly perfect. The colors, the music, the energy from the guys and from the audience... it was truly magical. By the end of the song I may have gotten a little teary-eyed. Before the show, I had really tried to steer clear from setlist postings and detailed reviews, because I wanted to retain an element of surprise for myself. I did know basically which songs they'd be playing, but not in what order, and I'm glad I'd kind of kept myself from memorizing the setlist, like I'd done for the Viva shows. I loved the confetti and balloons for In My Place and Lovers and Japan, the latter of which remains one of my favorite songs to hear live. I loved how they re-arranged Yellow, with Chris starting out alone on the piano; it was beautiful. I also love the new arrangement of GPASUYF with the building lead-in and Will just going crazy on the drums. But the highlights of the night for me were probably the absolutely gorgeous Warning Sign, which I'd never heard live before, and the acoustic version of Speed of Sound. I was so happy to hear them play it, since it was completely left out of the VLV tour, and that version was really lovely. Though our seats were far from perfect, we still had a really great view, and did really get to enjoy the light and stage show in all its glory. The lasers during Don't Let it Break Your Heart, and of course, Clocks were very cool. I also noticed big inflatable (I think) MX symbols positioned at different stairwells during DLIBYH. They were huge, and all lit-up, but the only one I could really make out from where I was was the Paradise butterfly. The others just looked like non-descript blobs from the angle I had. It was pretty cool, but it seemed kind of odd that they were only out for that one song, and that they weren't more scattered throughout the arena. From what I could tell, they were only in the 300 level... which now that I think about it is kind of cool... the guys' way of saying "hi" to us way up in the "cheap seats". ;) As with everything you don't want to end, the show passed so quickly, and before I knew it, we were dancing around to Every Teardrop is a Waterfall. At the end of the night, the crowd was euphoric, the guys had sounded absolutely amazing- including Chris' voice, which was pretty much perfect- and I had a huge smile on my face. Though I wish I could have been there for the second Dallas show the following night, and the 2 shows in Houston, I am so thrilled I was there at all, and am so, so impressed with the show Coldplay put on. I think it'll be hard for them to top it going forward, but I can't wait to see them try! I have a few not-so-good pictures and some shaky (couldn't stop dancing!) videos, that I'll try to post soon. :)

That's exactly what I was thinking! ;)

ha! Tyler Sieswerda is a news anchor for the Austin NBC station!

I was at the show last night. The c-stage was in section 109. Wish I could be there again tonight!

Oh, good! I'm so glad you got it in time. I sent it last Monday, so I was hoping it wouldn't be late. Glad you like it. I'm sure you've got most of the songs on the cd, I just thought it'd be a fun little thing to send along. :) Hope you have a very, very Merry Christmas!! :nice:

this one's on my birthday... Just need to decide if I can do both Dallas and Houston...

Sent mine off today! :)

^I like it very much, thank you! It's already displayed on my card holder. And, btw, it's nice to meet you! :nice:

Got home from a week long Thanksgiving break yesterday, and was greeted by my first Christmas card of the season! Thank you to the lovely Louise (Phoebeo) for the pretty card and extra added bonus pictures of Chris! :heart: :) Thank you, Louise, and a very Merry Christmas to you! :nice:

Thanks, Marcus. I probably won't even go myself. Just heard about it today and thought it might be cool. Didn't think there were too many of us around Austin, but thought someone might be interested in hearing about it. :)

Dianne, those pics are fantastic! So happy you had such an incredible experience!

For anyone in the area of Austin, TX, Waterloo records will be having a Mylo Xyloto listening party on Monday at 1pm. They'll be playing the whole album and giving away free pizza. I'm still looking for verification on the store's website, but they did announce it on the news this morning. Anyone around interested in checking it out?

^ ...'til Kingdom Come? :P Good luck waiting everyone! I completely agree with what a few people have said about opening the CD and looking through the liner notes as I listen. I only buy actual physical CDs for a very few special bands, so it's like a special occasion. :)

Lauren and Dianne... so happy for you guys!!! Sounds like an absolutely amazing experience and I'm glad some true Coldplayers got to enjoy it! x

I'm waiting until I've got the CD, too. I have a whole plan for when I'm getting it and how I'll first listen! :P

Awesome news all around! Congratulations!!

thanks for the scans!! Just wondering, to those who actually own a copy... are there similar length articles for each of the 25 bands, or is the longer article specific to the cover band for that particular magazine? I'd like to buy it, and would love if the other bands I love (Snow Patrol, Arcade Fire, Mumford) are written about in such detail as well!

I love the live version of MM. It was one of the highlights from ACL for me. I wasn't too fond of all the effects in the studio version, but now that I know there's a story being told, I think they make sense. They lend to the eerie, "Big Brother" like feel of the song.

^haha... what a *ringing* endorsement. :lol: I love how writers can never just come out and say they like Coldplay. They have to attach all sorts of caveats. Anyway, glad he enjoyed the show!

btw, Lauren, your pics are fantastic, too!! And Angie, loved yours from the taping, and Mike's pics are all really good, too!

ACL Day 1, Friday, was the day I’ve been looking forward to for months now, ever since we found out that Coldplay would be a Friday night headliner. I didn’t know how I was gonna do it, but I knew I wanted to be as up close as I could, to really experience what it’s like to see your favorite band at a festival with tens of thousands of other people. Lauren and Dianne made it to the park early enough to be the first people in line to get in, and they were kind enough to hold a spot for me. By the time I made it down to the park by around 10:50, there was a sizable crowd waiting for the gates to open. For the first time in my limited ACL experience, I got to hear the epic Star Wars theme blast over the speakers as they opened the gates. About 10 minutes later, I was walking through a nearly empty field toward the AMD stage, where Coldplay would play later that night. I walked right up to Dianne and Lauren, who had already secured our spots, and took my place against the barrier, dead center. Though it meant I would miss out on some bands I was interested in seeing, especially Theophilis London, Foster the People and Cults, I was determined to keep that spot until Coldplay left the stage. We watched performances by Asleep at the Wheel, Brandi Carlile, Ray LaMontagne (love!), and Bright Eyes while waiting for our boys. Amanda made it up to us in time for Brandi Carlile, and we also got to say hi to Rene (Coldplayer11) and Susan (Coldplayloveintx) during the course of the day, so that was cool, too! After Bright Eyes began the longest hour of my life. The heat from the crowd was getting to me, I was tired from standing, and I was beginning to wonder if I was going to have to pee again. All of that flew out the window when Jay-Z’s 99 Problems came on. The crowd started dancing and shouting and we knew Coldplay was just minutes away. We saw some familiar roadies up on stage, and waved and screamed when Miller came to take a picture of the crowd from Chris’ mic stand. Finally, the stage went dark and the strains of the Back to the Future theme began. We saw the boys walk out and take their spots (all the while screaming like banshees, of course), and when Chris began the MX trills on the piano, I nearly burst with excitement. From that moment on, it was pure adrenaline and joy. Hurts Like Heaven is an absolutely fantastic opener. Even though no one but the die hards know it yet, the crowd were swept up in it and the guys sounded great. It was beyond amazing to be able to look up at them and be close enough to see their facial expressions. A couple of times, Chris stuck his tongue out at the photographers who were amassed below. The show progressed quickly for me, and I tried to limit my picture and video-taking so I could really enjoy it and take it in. I'll post the pics and videos I did take soon. When Chris jumped off the stage during Fix You I was tempted to jump the barrier. :wink: The cameras didn't follow him, so we had no idea what he was doing back there, but it was nice watching Jonny, Guy and Will sing and play their hearts out. When he finally made it back to the stage, he sat at the piano and realized he didn't have a mic, so he gestured to a roadie who ran one out to him. I completely forgot that as he was playing the ending chords of the song he let himself fall off his stool and just lie there a minute. It took him a bit even into ETIAW to catch his breath from that run! It was, without a doubt, my best concert experience ever. There is absolutely nothing like being front row center for a band you love, surrounded by people who are just as crazy for them as you are. We screamed, sang and jumped, jumped, jumped the whole time. So, so much fun, and from where I stood, it seemed like the guys were having a great time and that the crowd was loving it. Highlights of their set for me (in a set full of awesomeness) were God Put a Smile Upon Your Face, which just flat out ROCKS live, Politik, and Charlie Brown. I also really, really love Paradise live. I don’t see how you can hear that song live and not be moved to sing and dance along. And Every Tear Drop is a Waterfall is the most perfect closer ever. EVERYONE was dancing and singing for that one. All of it was just so fantastic. My only complaint about the set was that I didn't get to hear Shiver live and I've been waiting for it all summer, hoping it would remain in the setlist. :( Also, I realized I have a very crappy camera. But, all in all, it was the absolute best way to end an incredible day 1 at ACL Fest.