[10-Aug-2012] Coldplay @ Xcel Energy Center, St Paul, MN, USA

[coldplaymom]

Mattie Roesler ‏@MattieRoesler17
Mind f*cked by coldplay. http://pic.twitter.com/hC1ojSxq

[coldplaymom]

Sophie Paige ‏@Sophers180
Coldplay A.K.A. Greatest night ever!! #inlove http://pic.twitter.com/baaJwyid

[coldplaymom]

Lexi Peterson ‏@Lexi_Peterson
Coldplay! Great end to summer!! http://instagr.am/p/OLKKoUii1V/

[coldplaymom]

Beau Petersen ‏@ownyoursmile
Coldplay http://instagr.am/p/OLLadqBLoo/

[coldplaymom]

mimi ‏@MariaElKhaz
coldplay. #confetti #sofrickingawesome http://instagr.am/p/OLMVgBjmQ7/

[coldplaymom]

Jon Kinnard ‏@jon_d_kinnard
Best show ever!! #coldplay. Best date tonight!! #PaulyEricson http://instagr.am/p/OLL8LVMmGw/

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Coldplay has a blast in St. Paul

In the last leg of its North American tour, Coldplay delivers an invigorating show from beginning to end, with bright lights and lots of confetti.

The two biggest bands of the century couldn't be more disparate.

Canada's Nickelback is proudly and dunderheadedly macho while England's Coldplay is strikingly and hopelessly feminine (the musical equivalent of chick flicks). Nickelback's frontman Chad Kroeger is all about drinking and getting laid. Coldplay's Chris Martin is all about emotions and caring about everything from relationships to world economic issues. In concert, Nickelback is all about pyro and explosions while Coldplay is about colors and confetti.

In fact, Coldplay couldn't wait to shower the confetti Friday at Xcel Energy Center. Most headliners save it for the end of the evening, but Coldplay fired the confetti cannons during the night's third selection, "In My Place." (By the way, the confetti was in the shape of butterflies, hearts, flowers, exclamation points, etc.) During the fifth number, giant multicolored balloons filled the arena. But the coolest special effect started on the very first song, "Mylo Xyloto," the title cut of Coldplay's current blockbuster album.

Every concertgoer was given a special wristband in a half-dozen different colors that blinked to the beat of the music (thanks to remote radio controls). The arena turned into a ginormous Lite Brite flickerathon as circles of day-glo colored lights flashed onstage, as well, along with various colors of laser lights.

The first 15 minutes of the concert were more like a finale. In fact, this was more visually exciting than the Olympics Opening Ceremony.

While the special effects certainly invigorated the 15,000 fans, they didn't completely overshadow the music. No major rock band is more eager to please than Coldplay. The quartet borrows majesty from U2, arty sonics from Radiohead and pure poppyness from the Beatles to create a bright, shiny, breathtakingly pretty sound. Then factor in the hyper exuberance of the athletic Martin and you've got the most over-the-top pop band in the universe.

Coldplay is the only band that turns love ballads into anthems. That happened Friday with "Yellow," the group's 2000 breakthrough hit, and "Paradise," a hit from the current album.

Coldplay is easily the most jovial band from across the pond. Martin, 35, and company simply sold happiness and positivity -- whether he was talking about a merger of the U.S. and U.K. water polo teams, promising to party like it's 1999 (without mentioning Prince) or standing in the bowl end among the crowd to play the first encore.

The 95-minute set may have seemed front-loaded with hits and bogged down by two consecutive ballads played on the end of the runway. But the bouncy "Viva La Vida," the elegantly lovely "Clocks" and the soaring, bracelet-blinking finale of "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall" with its ringing U2-like guitar were highlights from the second half.

With this tour (which concludes its North American leg Saturday in St. Paul), Coldplay hasn't shaken the albatross of comparison to U2. But they've demonstrated that they, not Nickelback, deserve to be the halftime entertainment at the next Super Bowl. Or why wait? How about Sunday's closing Olympics ceremonies?

http://www.startribune.com/entertain...6.html?refer=y

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Review: In concert, you can really warm up to Coldplay

It's easy to hate Coldplay, but it's even easier to kind of like them.

That helps to explain how these soft-rock merchants are a wuss-rock punchline, yet can still headline two nights at the Xcel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul. (Madonna and Bruce Springsteen will do the same later this year.) Coldplay specialize in perfectly pleasant, mid-tempo pop music, the perfect soundtrack for cruising Pinterest on your iPad while sipping a latte in your Restoration Hardware deck chair.

Yet Friday, Aug. 10, Coldplay proved they're more than just snoozy radio fare in front of 15,000 giddy fans. From the very start, a dozen years back when "Yellow" put them on the map, these guys have known how to put on a show. They may make semi-boring music, but they're anything but in concert.

To wit, the band created one of the most fan-friendly, upbeat and interactive arena shows in recent memory. Ushers distributed free wristbands at the door embedded with (possibly) magic technology that made them flash at key points in the concert, during crowd favorites like "In My Place," "Paradise" and "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall." If it sounds like a gimmick, well, it is. But it was also breathtakingly cool, especially when combined with lasers, confetti and songs even your mom knows blasting through every corner of the place.

A series of massive, circular screens suspended from the ceiling ensured even the cheapest seats got a gander of the hard-working foursome, who were already sweating three minutes into the evening. Just in case, lead singer Chris Martin even took the band out to the far end of the floor to play a few songs in seats right in the middle of a sea of fans.

Martin and company clearly look to U2 for inspiration, and Friday's concert boasted the same majestic sweep Bono and the Edge have long since trademarked. Martin was all smiles, sprinting up and down the catwalk, often collapsing into the bed of confetti that blanketed the stage. Jonny Buckland rarely gets much credit, but acts as the ideal foil for Martin, filling in Martin's harmonies with Edge-style guitar heroics. And Will Champion drives it all home behind the drums.

Nearly all of Coldplay's fifth album, "Mylo Xyloto," made the set list, including "Princess of China," with Rihanna joining the band via tape and the big screens. "Paradise" -- an almost disturbingly infectious song on par with Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" -- fared best of the bunch and already sounds at home with the other big hitters of the night, like "Yellow" and "Fix You."

Rumor has it that Coldplay will take a red-eye back to England after Saturday's second X show to take part in the Summer Olympics closing ceremony. Expect them to take home the gold.

http://www.twincities.com/entertainm...rm-up-coldplay

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Gallery updated, thanks Coldplaymom for updating the night shift!
http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/gal...y.php?cat=1977

[Tash]

Panorama: Xcel Energy Center, St Paul
11 August 2012 1:13 pm
Roadie #42's pre-show crowd shot from the first night at St Paul


Good afternoon. Here is Roadie #42's pre-show crowd shot from the first night at the last venue of Coldplay's North American Mylo Xyloto tour. Click the picture to see/download the hi-res version. And add your photos to our Live Archive.



Anchorman

[KristenCaNaDiAn]

The show rocked last night!!!! Had an amazing time