Coldplay Sets Fire in the Philips Arena

On a dismal, dreadfully windy November evening in Atlanta. The Philips Arena was anything but chilly. After a mediocre opening act and the arena being filled to capacity, Coldplay kicked off their second show at the arena within a week. With the first leg of their Viva La Vida tour drawing close to the end, they showed fans that they finish their tours just as solid as they start.

As the lights grew brighter, Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, ran on stage as Will Champion took his seat behind the skins. Opening up with the instrumental ditty, “Life in Technicolor,” the band was met with an uproar from awaiting fans. As this song ended, it was clear that some work needed to be done to loosen up a crowd which seemed to be sleeping on their feet. Arms needed to be uncrossed, lifted into the air and become part of a dancing frenzy. Without hestation, one of the most animated bands to step foot onto this highly acclaimed venue stepped up to the plate.

Slinging down his guitar, and taking a seat across stage at one of the four keyboards he would work with, Martin’s fingers filled the air with a riff belonging to their Grammy-winning andone of their most popular songs, “Clocks.” This recieved the praise the band deserved. With the crowd fully behind them, more past favorites were stacked on one another to keep the energy as bright as the laser lighting slicing through the crowd. “In My Place” and “Speed of Sound” were perfect songs to set the fate of their show. Although still very early, their were no signs of letting up and fans knew they were in for quite an extrodinary display.

The liveliness and pizzazz Martin possessed throughout the next few songs was remarkable. Capable of being compared to some of the most extreme frontmen in music, such as Ozzy Osbourne in an obviously less flagitious manner, he reaches out and touches each member of the audience making sure no one is out of place. He truly is a master of his craft.

Just as the show seemed to be on cue to reach its apex, all four men ran down the right leg of the stage, landing on a floor comparable to Studio 54, to lay down some softer tunes. With Chamberlain, dishing his rhythm out on an electric drum pad, they played “Talk” into “Green Eyes” followed by Martin being abandoned by his bandmates to play a solo piece on the piano.

“Postcards from Far Away” was soothing and full of emotion, as it was the first time being played on this tour. Instantly after being applauded, the lights were shut off, bringing about awkward cheers which turned into the loudest screams and cries of the evening as the signature drum beat laced with the tricked out guitar riff of “Viva La Vida” echoed throughout the arena.
Martin slid his hand-made jacket back on, ran in the middle of radiating lights, and began to sing the title track off their latest album. Having reached the zenith of the night, the band closed their set fittingly with “Lost.” Without a moments hesitation, all four members sprinted in single file towards the back of the arena, up the stairs to a stage set-up which included two acoustic guitars, a mandolin and one harmonica. “The Scientist,” a Coldplay classic, was played in a rare bluegrass type suit, surprising all, especially fans within grabbing distance of them. They had out done themselves but still had an ace up their sleeve.

Once Champion finished up a quick bluedrass rendition of “Death Will Never Conquer,” they ran back up to the stage to give fans one last spectacle. The ceiling rained down butterfly confetti in synch with a backdrop showing scenes from Japan as “Lovers in Japan” breathed life back into fans. The scene was majestic. As the night, finally reached its final song of the evening, the audience sang word for word, as “Yellow” would be their exit music.

With such vivacity and marvelous ambiance, Coldplay gave everyone attending a dazzling peformance and left Philips Arena with quite a dent in it.