25-Jul-08: Philadelphia - Wachovia Center - Tickets, Preview, Meetups, Review/Photos

[ccg]

I would bet money they all went back to NYC right after the show. Chris' family is there so why wouldnt' he go back to spend the night with them and then fly out from nyc the next day. but, that's just a guess.

Has anyone but me noticed that Chris is acting a bit different in these shows. He looks exhausted and like he might pass out right then and there. And his "dancing" around the stage is so much more erratic.? A couple of vids I've watched and also from last night, he looked like he could just pass out from exhaustion. He also seems less focused, more in a tizzy. Just my humble opinion.

[ccsg]

Seems I have two long in names. I was posting last night after the show as ccg, but the name I always use here is ccsg. Oops.

[ericsjones]

he said something like "you guys are in great form tonight"..people went nuts

[joeymonza]

Very noticeable CCG. He had me a little scared in the beginning . Looked like he was gonna fly off the stage . But he settled down to make it another great show. Jonny , Will and Guy played effortlessly and Flawlessly . What a Party, The Philly and Northeast USA crowd always know how to Rock and Roll . The review by Dave was fantastic and I agree the beginning of Lost was awkward , Luckily it fell into place . I looked around and behind a couple of times and loved seeing everyone singing , I sang to every song ,except the Dubliner , did'nt know it . Thanks for the signs, They worked well as did the awesome Butterflies confetti and lights , Very nice to meet and party with Coldplayer friends and Coldplay lovers.. COLDPLAY , You've done it again !!! Thanks , Joey.

[Merwithani]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by musicman1990;2462639
Ok...my review:

So I got there shortly after the doors opened cos I wanted to see if they sign crew needed help handing out signs. I didn't initially sign up to help (mainly cos I didn't want to have to print signs myself...I'm pinching pennies haha). But luckily I ran into Professa95 (Sean) and got right in there helping. FIRST OF ALL...I have alot of respect for the Flyers and Sixers. I was SOOO worn out after covering that floor! As we were handing out signs and people started filing in, everyone was really curious as to the purpose of them. The biggest question people had (at least to me) was "Why do they say 'USA STILL Loves Coldplay?'" So I had to explain (like 15-20 times) why. Did alot of promo for the site, though.

The lights came down for the first opening act, and the sign handing out kinda seemed like it would come to a halt (we couldn't see!), but we kept plowing forward! The band was...eh. Good for them for winning the contest, and I've certainly heard worse music in my life, but they just didn't seem...polished. I don't know. Luckily they didn't play for too too long, and the lights came back up. And the crew was out in full speed. It was amazing. By the time the lights came down for the second opening act, it seemed like we were pretty much done (at least on the floor). She/They were better than the first one, in my opinion. The music was a little obscure for the Coldplay audience, but they seemed a little more together and finished, etc.

The wait in between the 2nd opening act and Coldplay seemed like for-ev-er. And that ticking, intense music they were playing before hand DIDN'T HELP! It seemed like the crew was on the stage testing the instruments, etc for so long. I just wanted them to get off and bring Coldplay on! Finally the lights went down and the crowd got on their feet. It was one of the most exciting moments in my life! The music to "Life In Technicolor" started and they were off. The song sounded exactly like it did on the CD (not a bad thing) and was the perfect opener to the show. They immediately went into "Violet Hill" which sent the crowd into a frenzy. Now, I was pretty much dead center in the arena. I was on the floor, a little less than half way back, in the middle section, and in the middle of my row. So I pretty much had the entire crowd surrounding me on all angles. When Chris started singing, I could barely even hear him the audience was singing so loud. I have NEVER heard anything like that before! The song rocks live, too (as I knew it would). It was PERFECT...litterally sent chills down my spine.

So the lights came down and there was a bit of a delay. It was probably only 5 seconds, but it felt like much longer. The crowd was just waiting in anticipation for something familar to start playing. An opening chord or drum beat or piano part. You could just feel it. Luckily, they got it. "Clocks" started playing and the place ERUPTED. I've heard the song a million times before, and every time I've seen the band live, but it STILL gets me excited to hear it! As soon as the signature lazer lights come on, you're just taken to another place. It was just brilliant. The song was a shorter version than they've played in the past (especially in comparison to the Twisted Logic tour version! EPIC!)...it was about the same as the radio edit. Then that familar drum beat started. You could tell who the REAL fans were because they immediately recognized it, but everyone caught on when the rest of the band came in on "In My Place." No matter what, the song always brings the house down. It's a classic. The audience was litterally SCREAMING the "yeah"s at the top of their lungs! But it was a run-of-the-mill "In My Place" performance. Not to say that it wasn't special...because it was. It always is.

So the lights go down again, and they do a quick change in set. As soon as I saw them grab the bell I knew what was coming. When the strings to "Viva La Viva" stated, I swear it was like the second coming. Everyone in the Wachovia center knew that song, loved that song, and was dying to hear that song. Everyone sang every single word at the top of their lungs. Again, I could barely even hear Chris. And when the "whoa-oh-oh-oh" part came in, it was an UNBELIEVABLE feeling to hear the crowd scream-singing along. Unbelievable. At this point in time it was a very hits-heavy set, so when "Yes" started, it was very welcomed. Alot of people have cut up this track live, but I L.O.V.E.D. it. Replacing the strings with guitar worked perfectly and it really made the song rock more than I ever imagined it out. And the extended outro...Oh my God. It was incredible! There was very little downtime in between "Yes" and "42" which worked great. Instead of the audience screaming and going nuts when the song started, they just all immediately came in singing. The whole first 1/3 or 1/4 (depends on how you look at it) on piano was again accompanied by the audience singing their frickin' heads off. The song rocks live, let's be honest. I think they could've extended it a little bit, to be honest, to keep the momentum going, but it was still great. The crowd loved it.

So then Chris took the keyboard again and played a chord with the organ sound. I immediately knew what it was, but when he actually started playing the crowd went bizerk. "Fix You" was without a doubt tied for the biggest sing alot of the night (I'll get to that later). Chris didn't even have to sing a note. In fact, he didn't during the chorus. It was a shock to see it in the middle of the set, but almost a welcomed surprise. The song has become a Coldplay staple and classic. There's no doubt about it. It was...I couldn't believe it. So then "Strawberry Swing" started almost right away. It was good. I love the song, but it was a very generic perfomance of it. Good, just not alot to comment on it.

Then they moved to right catwalk extension and immediately broke into "Chinese Sleep Chant" which I LOVED. One of my favorites on the album, and it rocked live. The effects on Chris' voice were great! And they brought out the lazers again. Perfect. A dancy song started playing and the crowd had NO idea what it was until Chris started sining "God Put A Smile Upon Your Face." To be honest, I thought the song was half-assed. It had so much potential, but they just stopped after the first chorus. Oh well.

The band then went back to the stage and immediately broke into "Speed Of Sound." It was so welcomed. It's almost like everyone forgot about the song, and remembered it when they started playing. Excellent use of balls, too. Chris grabbed his guitar and had a little chat with the audience while it seemed like they fixed something and talked about how they were doing the song that "brought them to Philadelphia." When they started the place, once again, went nuts. "Yellow" was tied for the biggest sing-along of the night. In fact, Chris immediately turned the mic to the crowd at the beginning. It was nothing more than "Yellow" but it was still an amazing performance. At the end Chris held out the note on "yoouuuuuuuu" and it immediately went into "Lost!" The transition did not work for me. The songs were just too different and it was awkward for a little while. But "Lost!" is a Coldplay classic and everyone loved it. The song had a great crowd reaction.

So then they moved to the back, much to everyone's surprise/pleasure. They talked alot at this point and seemed so in tune with the crowd. When they played the acoustic version of "The Scientist" I, honestly, almost cried. It was so special. You could hear the whole crowd singing their heads off. It was simple, yet completely effective. Chris then introduced Will (making reference to Genesis) and they played "Death Will Never Conquer." To my surprise, people knew it. A couple people in my section were singing along, and it was nice to see. They said their fake goodbyes and left.

The "Talk" video was hilarious, and a PERFECT introduction for "Politik" which was a surprise to everyone. The song is AMAZING live (probably their best) and the crowd went nuts. It was the full version of the song and just...I can't even describe it. It was one of the best feelings ever. Coldplay then broke out in "Lovers In Japan" which was the best "performance" of the night. The projections and confetti were just perfect additions to the song and everyone loved it. I still can't get over it. The crowed loved it, too. It should be a single. The band ended the show was "Death and All His Friends" which was another big sing along. I wish they had extended it a bit, but again it had a warm reception. After the song the signs went up while the band took their bows and left.

About a minute later they came back out and Chris said "All of the sudden we've got the best fans in the world." They grabed their instruments, nodded to eachother, and broke out "Green Eyes." The crowd went NUTS. He stumbled through the lyrics a bit, but it was great none-the-less. They finished up with "The Dubliner" which confused everybody. Haha. No-one knew what it was, but they all still loved it. They left, the lights went up and that was it!

Overall, it was a much different show than "Twisted Logic" but a much more effective one. It was just a band playing their music. No real frills or whatever. They are a live band, and always will be. I loved every second of the show (except for the transition into "Lost!" haha)

PS - It was nice to meet everyone!

Dave

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Great review, Dave! I wish I was there ~ I'm suffering from serious Coldplay concert withdrawal symptoms.

[Ebs757]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Merwithani;2463102


Great review, Dave! I wish I was there ~ I'm suffering from serious Coldplay concert withdrawal symptoms.

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I never knew there was such thing until the next morning after the second show in Chicago, I felt so sad it was all over

[majgirl]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ccg;2462947
I would bet money they all went back to NYC right after the show. Chris' family is there so why wouldnt' he go back to spend the night with them and then fly out from nyc the next day. but, that's just a guess.

Has anyone but me noticed that Chris is acting a bit different in these shows. He looks exhausted and like he might pass out right then and there. And his "dancing" around the stage is so much more erratic.? A couple of vids I've watched and also from last night, he looked like he could just pass out from exhaustion. He also seems less focused, more in a tizzy. Just my humble opinion.

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I noticed, but I'm just hoping for the best. It does me no good to worry about it, though I probably will anyway.

[KissesBirds]

Glad everyone had a good time! Question for you. From what I have gathered from going throught this thread, they did everything like usual with the catwalks. What I need you to tell me is which catwalk Jonny walked down during In My Place. I know he went down the one on his side (left) where Chris and him share a moment during each show. Did Jonny go to the other catwalk by himself during that song? Or at any other time during this show? Thanks.

[busybeeburns]

Source: http://www.oxfamblogs.org/coldplay/?p=31
Take action: http://www.oxfamblogs.org/coldplay/?page_id=2

Canada and the Rocky Mountains.. the latest destination of the Coldplay Tour. It’s the day of their headline slot at the Pemberton Festival, which will also see Jay-Z perform before the London boys take to the main stage. Quite an impressive pair of headliners. Surely rumours of a collaboration will circulate the site. We shall wait and see.

Philadelphia Wachovia Center was the last to play host to Coldplay’s sold out show. A night to remember for thousands more fans before the tour headed for it’s 4 dates in Canada. A few of those fans being dedicated enough to show their appreciation by handing out ‘Viva La Coldplay’ and ‘USA Still Loves Coldplay’ signs to the audience. This was the idea of www.coldplaying.com to follow in the footsteps of a previous stunt at the end of the Twisted Logic tour. These dedicated fans also kindly gave their time to hand out Oxfam postcards to raise awareness. The message being a joint one, of appreciation for a great band, and that together, we can change the world.

Oxfam America will for now hand over the reigns to Oxfam groups in Canada and Quebec. Volunteers will be there at the Pemberton festival and again in Montreal and Toronto. The crew travelled tirelessly, merging two days into one to get here.. Today I found myself in Vancouver and then winding our way through the stunning Rocky Mountains to Whistler. What a tour. What a trip. Apparently one of the guys spotted a bear.. I was too busy looking at the snow tipped mountains and waterfalls on my side of the van. It’s time I went to bed, before my day merges into three.

[busybeeburns]

PHILADELPHIA -- Bill O'Reilly's ears must have been burning Friday night.

After an evening of super-sized anthems and even bigger sing-a-longs, Coldplay left the stage and completed their main set in the back of Wachovia Center Friday night, surrounded by a sold out crowd of 20,000 fans as they performed a pair of acoustic songs in section 105.

After finishing an acoustic, guitar-based "The Scientist," singer Chris Martin received celebratory fist bumps from fans.

"There are terrorist fist jabs all over the place," Martin said, joking about a Fox News anchor who used the phrase in June to describe Barack Obama's fist bump with his wife, Michelle. "Don't tell Fox News!"

Soon after, the foursome left the cheap seats and began their journey through the bowels of the arena for the show's encore back on the main stage. While the crowd waited, they were treated to a clip of O'Reilly calling the band "pinheads" for bashing Fox News at their concerts, eliciting an avalanche of boos.

Then, a techno song played as sped-up clips of President Bush, Vice President Cheney and Karl Rove dancing interspersed with images of explosions in Iraq and former President Nixon.

For a band that has seemingly taken great pains to be everything to everybody in an attempt to become The Biggest Band in the World, the pointed detour into American politics by the British band was somewhat jarring.

But when the band reappeared, they emerged with the night's best moment: a forceful "Politik" off their Grammy-winning "A Rush of Blood to the Head" from 2002.
"Open up your eyes, open up your eyes," Martin sang. "Wounds that heal and cracks that fix, tell me your own politik."

As was the case for much of the night, Coldplay's songs from their first two albums had more great moments, whether they be more delicate like "In My Place" or a bit more muscular, as was the night's version of "Yellow." (Martin said "Yellow" was the song that first brought them to Philadelphia, joking that the year was 1971. The crowd, oblivious to his attempted humor, roared. "I don't think many of you were alive in 1971," he responded.)

The band has sold nearly 40 million albums since they first appeared with "Yellow" -- in 2000, for the record. And on this night, they marched through nearly every song from their latest album, "Viva la Vida," produced by longtime U2 collaborator Brian Eno.

Unlike their earlier work, which may not have been genetically engineered for arena and stadium shows, "Viva" was made exactly for this moment: 20,000 Philadelphia fans looking for a show.

And that's what they got.

Whether it be the massive amounts of neon confetti blown into the crowd or the live footage of the band shown on a giant screen behind them, there was as much intriguing visual art as musical meat.

But the bombast backfired at times as the show left no room for the intimacy that some of Coldplay's songs yearn for. The sweet "Fix You" was pimped out with Martin skipping across the stage doing high leg kicks reminiscent of Van Morrison during The Band's "Last Waltz" concert as fans sang the chorus.

The band also ventured onto a runway and into the audience for a pair of songs. Even though they were in a far more cozy setting once they were off the expansive main stage, they sped through a techno version of "God Put A Smile Upon Your Face" almost as if they were afraid to lose momentum by indulging a quieter, slower song.

And maybe they were right. The audience stood for the entire 2-hour, 21-song extravaganza, singing along to songs from 2000 just as loudly as they did for the newest tunes from "Viva la Vida," released in June.

Even though Coldplay took an abrupt detour to mock Fox News and the Bush Administration, they proved their investment in sweeping anthems has paid off.
The band that began as an alternative rock band is now anything but.

They really are a band that is everything to everyone. And when Martin called his own group a "young, soft rock band" at one point in the night, it was hard to tell if there was any sarcasm in his voice.

But to be fair and balanced, Coldplay proved themselves Friday night as arguably one of the few bands that could possibly claim the title as the Biggest Band in the World.

And if they fall short, they can certainly lay claim as the Biggest Young, Soft Rock Band in the World.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/p.../NEWS/80726006

[Jenjie]

wooooooo

[Mimixxx]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by busybeeburns;2463640
Source: http://www.oxfamblogs.org/coldplay/?p=31
Take action: http://www.oxfamblogs.org/coldplay/?page_id=2

Canada and the Rocky Mountains.. the latest destination of the Coldplay Tour. It’s the day of their headline slot at the Pemberton Festival, which will also see Jay-Z perform before the London boys take to the main stage. Quite an impressive pair of headliners. Surely rumours of a collaboration will circulate the site. We shall wait and see.

Philadelphia Wachovia Center was the last to play host to Coldplay’s sold out show. A night to remember for thousands more fans before the tour headed for it’s 4 dates in Canada. A few of those fans being dedicated enough to show their appreciation by handing out ‘Viva La Coldplay’ and ‘USA Still Loves Coldplay’ signs to the audience. This was the idea of www.coldplaying.com to follow in the footsteps of a previous stunt at the end of the Twisted Logic tour. These dedicated fans also kindly gave their time to hand out Oxfam postcards to raise awareness. The message being a joint one, of appreciation for a great band, and that together, we can change the world.

Oxfam America will for now hand over the reigns to Oxfam groups in Canada and Quebec. Volunteers will be there at the Pemberton festival and again in Montreal and Toronto. The crew travelled tirelessly, merging two days into one to get here.. Today I found myself in Vancouver and then winding our way through the stunning Rocky Mountains to Whistler. What a tour. What a trip. Apparently one of the guys spotted a bear.. I was too busy looking at the snow tipped mountains and waterfalls on my side of the van. It’s time I went to bed, before my day merges into three.

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That's great! Well done everyone who put that together

[Mimixxx]

Great up close vid of The Scientist, you can see Chris give his harmonica to some lucky guy near the end too

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wksVUSwkS3Y[/media]

[jasmynebirch]

Jonny stayed to the left during In My Place. At one point Chris ran right into him and tried to knowck him off of his balance. But no, Jonny never made it over to the right side.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KissesBirds;2463636
Glad everyone had a good time! Question for you. From what I have gathered from going throught this thread, they did everything like usual with the catwalks. What I need you to tell me is which catwalk Jonny walked down during In My Place. I know he went down the one on his side (left) where Chris and him share a moment during each show. Did Jonny go to the other catwalk by himself during that song? Or at any other time during this show? Thanks.

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[Ebs757]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KissesBirds;2463636
Glad everyone had a good time! Question for you. From what I have gathered from going throught this thread, they did everything like usual with the catwalks. What I need you to tell me is which catwalk Jonny walked down during In My Place. I know he went down the one on his side (left) where Chris and him share a moment during each show. Did Jonny go to the other catwalk by himself during that song? Or at any other time during this show? Thanks.

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I had a good angle when Jonny came down Guy's runway. I got a picture somewhere but u can clearly see Jonny looking over by you guys and the sign