Live Review: Coldplay heats up the Key Arena

Photo: AdamB

Coldplay at The Crocodile 4/25/2012

Everyone says that Coldplay is trying to out-U2 U2, but those confetti cannons and big balloons?  That’s straight out of The Flaming Lips’ playbook.  Coldplay also know their way around anthemic songs full of “whoah-oh-oh” sing-along hooks, and the crowd at Key Arena happily complied throughout their Wednesday night show.

Drawing heavily from their most recent release, Mylo Xyloto, the setlist was a little too short for a band with five albums and those kinds of ticket prices.  For a band of their status, 90 minutes is disappointing.

That was my only major complaint with the jubilant show.  That, and the sound, as is often the case in Key Arena, was a bit muddied here and there, particularly during Clocks, which sounded like a murky mess from where I was sitting.

The stage and light show were impressive, with pianos covered in neon graffiti, a giant drum-shaped screen hovering over the band, and audience participation in the form of colored wristbands that lit up and flashed at various parts of the show.

Leading off the festivities with Hurts Like Heaven and a sea of blinking wrist bands, the confetti cannons then kicked in for In My Place and Lovers In Japan, Chris Martin lost in a blizzard of color as he ran, skipped and spun around the stage.

The band moved to the mid-floor extended stage for three songs, including the gorgeous Warning Sign and the Rihanna-assisted “Princess of China,” with the guest appearing in pre-recorded form on the screens.

The main set closed with maximum enthusiasm, the crowd jumping on command to Charlie Brown and singing the “whoah-oh-oh” bits with gusto for Viva La Vida and Paradise.

After a surprise appearance in the cheap(er) seats to play Us Against the World, they made their way through the crowd to close out the show, ending on one last bit of exuberance with Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall.

Setlist

Back to the Future Theme 

1. Mylo Xyloto
2. Hurts Like Heaven
3. In My Place
4. Major Minus
5. Lovers In Japan
6. The Scientist
7. Yellow
8. Violet Hill
9. God Put A Smile Upon Your Face
10. Princess of China
11. Up in Flames
12. Warning Sign
13. Don’t Let It Break Your Heart
14. Viva La Vida
15. Charlie Brown
16. Paradise
17. Us Against the World

Encore:

1. Clocks
2. Fix You

M.M.I.X. 

1. Every Teardrop is a Waterfall