COLDPLAY @ MSG 6/23/08

Well, I just got back from seeing Coldplay at Madison Square Garden last night, and I am bushed. The concert was absolutely amazing. Here's the low down:

Coldplay opened up a contest on their website for people to win free tickets to a show at MSG. I didn't win, but a friend of mine did, and being awesome, he gave me the tixx. So, my family and I took the train into Penn Station, and went to the arena. I also got a stylish t-shirt beforehand.

The concert was... AMAZING. Extremely energetic - 10,000 screaming Coldplay fans make for some powerful singalongs. They played some old hits, including Clocks (complete with lasers), God Put a Smile Upon Your Face (very powerful), and Fix You (hugely powerful). They had some really sweet new songs, including Viva la Vida (huge singalong), Lost! (with lots of handclaps), and Lovers in Japan, the closer.

There were some cool things included, too. The band moved to the middle of the arena and played two songs there, which was way cool. Then, later, they moved up into the seats and played a two-song acoustic set: A heartbreakingly beautiful version of Yellow, and a new song where the drummer sang. Also, lots of tech: Laser lights, confetti butterflies, and six giant magic balls that were huge spherical video screens.

What impressed me the most was how with the crowd Coldplay was. They actually messed up certain parts (beginning of Chinese Sleep Chant, end of Lost!, and some lyrics on Fix You), and handled themselves well, joking with the crowd and ad-libbing lyrics. At one point, with some technical difficulty, the lead singer said "Fuck it, we're cancelling the show. No refunds!" which got a huge laugh. He even made new lyrics on Fix You when he forgot a part.

Either way, it was a magical night. They were amazing. You can read my full review here, or if you don't trust me, search Google.

Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends

Remember when I blogged about Coldplay's new album a week ago? At the time, the album had illegitimately been leaked into the interwebz, and I wasn't too willing to share.

As of today, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends has been released to the entire world. As of today, it is also the major frontrunner for my favorite album of the year. That having been said, I know feel that you are all worthy of a free download:

Coldplay - Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends

Standout tracks: 42, Lovers in Japan, Viva la Vida, Strawberry Swing, Death and All His Friends (Though, really, I love them all.) Also look for hidden tracks: Chinese Sleep Chant comes after Yes, and The Escapist closes out the album after DaAHF. Happy listening!

Seriously, though: I encourage you all to go out and buy this if you like it. I did. Stylish art insert if you do, good stuff.

Oh, and I'll also take this time to shout out to a freshman who requested to be codenamed 'M'. Instead, we'll call him/her Mycroft Oxley the Third. Jolly good!