24 September 2011: Music Midtown festival, Atlanta, USA
From WikiColdplay
Contents |
Setlist
- Mylo Xyloto
- Hurts Like Heaven
- Yellow
- In My Place
- Major Minus
- Paradise
- Lost!
- The Scientist
- Violet Hill
- God Put A Smile Upon Your Face
- Everybody Hurts (REM Cover) (Acoustic/piano)
- Politik
- Viva La Vida
- Charlie Brown
- Life Is For Living
encore - Clocks
- Fix You (Georgia On My Mind intro)
- Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall
Photos
Photos from this show can be found at Coldplaying.com in the Gallery thread for Music Midtown Festival. http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/
Videos
Videos from this show can be found in the first post of the Coldplaying forum live thread for this show at http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?t=77869
Discussion
All post-show discussion for this show at the forum thread http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?t=77869
Fan Reviews
All fan reviews have been submitted to us by the members of Coldplaying.com[1], unless stated otherwise.
Just got home very tired and it hurts like heaven.
I only had my son record Fix You. It's so hard to enjoy yourself and record at the same time. I sang my little heart out every single song. We showed up at 3:30ish while Joy the Formidable were still performing, and we kept moving up until we got very close to the stage, not front row but I had a very good view.
After the band took a bow 3x at the end of the concert, Chris actually got on his knees and bowed 1x again. He has said that Atlanta is a special place for the band.
I don't know if my old mind can recall the set list. Paradise was played early in the set, no US Against the World. I know they started with MX/Hurts Like Heaven, Yellow, In My Place. After that I can recall the order, but they went on to sing Major Minus, Lost, The Scientist, Violet Hill, God Put A Smile...., Life is for Living, Politik, Tribute to R.E.M., Viva La Vida, Charlie Brown,
For the encore, Clocks, GA On My Mind intro to Fix you, ETIAW.
[coldplaymom]
So, after all this time, I finally got to experience Coldplay live tonight at the festival. One of my best birthday presents yet! Got as close to the front as we could (had a friend with me). The bass was blowing me away at times, but it was a totally awesome, unforgettable experience. "Mylo Xyloto", "Hurts Like Heaven", "Major Minus", "Paradise", "Charlie Brown". . . all the new ones they played sounded great. Yes, even "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall". It was a shame that they didn't play "Us Against the World", but the tribute was nice anyway. I can't wait for them to come back around this way (Alabama/Georgia) again so I can see them for a second time. And, I've got to say, even if you don't like some of the new songs from what you've heard, hearing them live is a totally different experience that changes everything about the song. In the end, you haven't truly heard the song until you've heard it live and in person. Great job to the boys and I can't wait to see what they do next! If anyone wants to know anything about the concert/festival, feel free to ask! Cheers.
[Rainy Day]
First off I have to thank AFeather for the ticket. I got to Atlanta around 11am and headed to the park. I had to pick up tickets from will call, which took forever as Coldplay was the last band to go on, so they were printing their guest list last. While waiting in line I met a guy who I later found out was the bass player for The Constellations. Turns out everyone had to wait a long time to get credentials, even the artists. The will call was next to the box office by the way. The whole event seemed unorganized, but I got my ticket and heeded for the gate. Once there I was told I couldn't take my backpack in (a backpack I had already received approval for the day before). However the 'nice' lady working the event told me about a secret side business nearby at the bicycle check in. They were also checking in bags for off-the-books 2 dollar donations. The hush-hush way they went about it made the event even more odd and unprofessional, but I didn't have a choice, so I did it. Once inside I spotted people with larger backpacks and dslr's with no press pass. Still wondering how one girl snuck in a 70-200mm lens.
The only thing that made this event worthwhile was Coldplay. I was lucky enough to be among the first few rows near Jonny's side. The guys seemed to be very comfortable this time around. Guy was all smiles and I even caught him laughing at something he spotted in the crowd a few times. Chris also looked to be a little more loose than normal. He was making funny faces the entire night and looked to be interacting with individual people in the audience. They made a few mentions about how important Atlanta is to them. The switch outs from the regular setlist were definitely crowd pleasers. Overall I got the feeling that their confidence was really high. I haven't had any real sleep in a few days so I know there is a lot I'm missing, but once I go through pics and videos, I'm sure I'll be reminded of some more great moments. One thing I won't miss is how muddy I got there. It was like a mini Glastonbury as you got closet to the stage.
[JimmyD]
We ended up on the road 10 hours later than planned due to a chain of crappy events. We got to the show much later than we wanted to, and ended up in the back of the crowd for Coldplay's performance. Even though I wasn't close to the stage, the show was still amazing. Chris is really good at making everyone feel like they're part of the show even if they're watching from a mile away.
I was pretty surprised when they covered REM... it was really good! I was a little sad they didn't play Us Against the World, but the REM tribute was pretty great.
Atlanta was a major pain to drive to, being 6 hours away from where I live, but I'll definitely see them in ATL next time they play. Chris said how much they love playing Atlanta, and it definitely showed, which made it a great experience.
On a side note... I wonder what the people flying into ATL thought when they saw all the laser lights out their airplane window.
[dayna]
I mostly just lurk to myself here, and don't come out to say much. But seeing Coldplay Saturday at Music Midtown was absolutely amazing. I know a lot of people have seen them before, and this was my sixth time: I can easily say that this was the best I have ever seen them. Maybe it had to do with the fact that after seeing them five times before, I was finally at the front. Coldplay's stage set-up is huge; like it's meant to have an effect on people who are all the way in the back of the crowd just as much as it's giving those in the front a reaction...but up close it's insane. Because everything is so magnified at that close distance, you almost feel like you're on the stage itself for a moment.. That just took my breath away.
Then again, maybe it had to do with the crowd. It was also the first time I went to a Coldplay show and everyone around me was a giant, huge Coldplay fan-nerd like me. To my left, to my right, in front of me, behind me....Everyone was talking about Coldplay's music, Coldplay shows, the new album. I saw tons of homemade shirts... I couldn't believe it! There were a group of guys to my left who were dying to hear Charlie Brown in person. These guys sang all the words, didn't fuss at all the jumping and were just friggin' happy. It made the experience a bazillion times more beautiful.
I left the park that night thinking "well damn, it is great to be a Coldplay fan." The band could feel the love and they let it show in their set. I can't wait for this thing to officially kick off, 'cos after getting back from Coldplay, everyone and everything is no fun, lol.
[JustSpies84]
We started our journey to Atlanta, GA from Fayetteville, NC at about 7AM. 6 hours of excitement and boredom - passing by endless miles of cornfields and dense woods. The GPS ended up being programmed wrong and it took us straight to the hotel - The Hilton. Despite my wishes, we decided to check-in to the hotel and bring our light load to our room. Within 15 minutes, we were out of the hotel and on our way to Piedmont Park. It took us a while to walk from the entrance to the park to the actual Meadow.
Once found, we literally ran straight to the Electric Ballroom Stage to claim a spot up by the front of the stage. It being 3 o' clock, the Joy Formidable were now coming on-stage. Not going to say much. But, they were pretty awesome.
Next, Manchester Orchestra came on stage. Again, not going to say much.
Then, The Black Keys came on at 7:15. Now, I will say much. Being a fan of The Black Keys as well, I was equally excited to see them perform. Once they had blown up a massive inflatable tiki and tire, hysteria went through the crowd. Finally, they walked out on stage and the concert was in full swing. About 30 minutes to an hour later, the sunlight was dimming and the concert vibe was kicking in.
The Black Keys ended and exited the stage. Within seconds, it seemed as if with a few people leaving, a mass rushed in. Almost an hour before the actual Coldplay show was to start, we were smushed against the front railing. With people bumping elbows and stepping on feet, of course, everybody was getting a little antsy. We all talked in excitement about what was about to occur. Somebody asked a staff member, "How many people are behind us?" She answered with, "20,000 or so. You guys are really lucky to be up front."
When the guys finally came out on stage, all was smoothed out - people backed up a bit, in order to give themselves a bit of room to jump and dance to the beat of the music. The resonant sound of MX filled the open air. Then erupted Hurts Like Heaven and the connection between the band and the audience was built immediately.
Now, I'm not going to tell you about every single song, but one song did seem to stick out in presence more than any other for me - God Put a Smile Upon Your Face. It seems to me that this song is delivered best - especially with the new intro. It also gives a nice, roaring beat to jump to.
One thing I was disappointed about was the fact that they didn't play Us Against the World as an encore. In previous shows that week, they had played it both times as an encore and I was sure that they would play it again. But, sadly, it didn't happen. But, all is well. They did end up delivering a fantastic cover of REM's "Everybody Hurts".
With Every Teardrop is a Waterfall sting ringing in our ears, we walked back to where we entered. But, I couldn't help but think, "Geez, I feel sorry for whoever has to clean this mess up!"
[flickahidalgo]
Amazing show. They were the best I've ever seen them. Perhaps it's because one of their idols from REM was in the front row, Peter Buck. It was awesome seeing him there. Their cover of Everybody Hurts at the show was beyond amazing.
Also, Chris I've never seen Chris this energetic before and he was looking at the audience very weirdly, but in a playful manner and it was funny. JONNY was going CRAZY, I have NEVER seen him like this before and I've watched all of the recent festival steams. Also, they changed what plays on the screen a little and it's pretty cool. I've seen the boys before, but THIS performance, was the best thing I have EVER seen.
I sense that the MX tour is going to be off the charts.
[Forty Two]
I was blown away by this show. I had only ever been to one other Coldplay show and ended up being stuck in the back. While that one was great, it can't even compare to this one. We got there at around 12 and waiting to secure our spot at the front, so we had fantastic places. The show was unreal and say what you want about their "new direction songs" they are UNBELIEVABLE and so much fun live. I'm not a huge fan of Paradise, but their live arrangement was great. I can't wait to see them again!
[Spence42]
Media Reviews
Coldplay honors R.E.M. at Music Midtown (http://blogs.ajc.com):
With so many variables going into the return of Music Midtown – How many days should it be? Which artists would attract crowds while not bankrupting promoters? Will people still care about a festival that hasn’t existed for six years? Would the weather cooperate this time? – it’s a bit amazing that Saturday’s event fired flawlessly. That pesky Mother Nature, who received a chunk of the blame for the fizzling of the well-regarded music festival in 2005, seemed to be apologizing to Peter Conlon and the Live Nation crew, as the sun seared brightly and temperatures hovered at 80 during the day and dipped pleasantly into the 60s by the time Coldplay took the stage. Though this was a mini version of the Music Midtowns of yore –10 bands instead of dozens, one day instead of three – and the lineup was heavy on alternative rock acts popular among twentysomethings and the musically curious, it was enough to attract tens of thousands of people. Throughout the day, bands performed on two stages set about 200 yards apart – The Postelles, Walk the Moon, Band of Skulls, Young the Giant and Cage the Elephant on the slightly smaller Great Southeastern Music Hall Stage and The Constellations, The Joy Formidable, Manchester Orchestra, The Black Keys and Coldplay on the massive Electric Ballroom Stage.
While the younger indie bands drew impressive crowds, by the time Chris Martin and Co. arrived at 9:15 p.m. – Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” played over the speakers moments before they took the stage – it was obvious that Coldplay’s star power was the significant draw of the event. In many ways, Coldplay was the perfect headlining choice. They’re a tremendously popular band, but not U2 or Paul McCartney mega-size. They’re stocked with an arsenal of hits, but not super-poppy and, thus, not polarizing. And, as evidenced from what appeared to be about 40,000 people lining the Meadow at Piedmont Park, their crossover appeal among generations is admirable. (Organizers didn’t release official crowd numbers as of midnight. We’ll update when we have that info.) During the opening trio of the new “Hurts Like Heaven” and classics “Yellow” and “In My Place,” the newly buff Martin skittered around the stage, racing from his graffiti-sprayed upright piano to the mic stand, acoustic guitar strapped high on his chest. “Thank you for everything you had to do to be here,” he said. “We publicly love playing Atlanta.”
The quartet sounded crisp and beautifully layered throughout their 80-minute set. Their stage setup was surprisingly elaborate considering they’ve only done a handful of dates this summer to promote the Oct. 24 release of Mylo Xyloto – including Friday night at the I Heart Radio musical buffet in Las Vegas. Lasers, spastic lights and a massive video screen in addition to the two that flanked the stage for all of the acts highlighted many songs, and during the clip-clopping “Lost!” a cascade of colorful inflatable balls was unleashed into the audience (and these are a loyal bunch – one fan near the front had staked out her spot at 11:45 a.m. and another had been stationed since 1 p.m.). Though the band played a handful of tunes from “Mylo” – and they all sound like instant hits – Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion didn’t neglect their catalog, even revamping “God Put A Smile Upon Your Face” into a locomotive-powered rocker. Perhaps the rougher edge was a response to those who poke fun at Coldplay’s soft underbelly. But the band’s introspective side has produced some of its best material – “The Scientist,” “Yellow” and “Fix You,” their majestic anthem of hope poking through despair played during Saturday’s encore. Coldplay also veered from their usual set list to say thanks to a musical influence – R.E.M. Calling the band one of his favorites of all time who “for some crazy reason have finished,’ Martin said, humbly, that he and Coldplay wanted to play a song, “with the most respect in the world, to show how much they meant to us.”
With that came a lullaby-like rendition of “Everybody Hurts,” which didn’t sound overly rehearsed – as it shouldn’t. Martin spent plenty of time hunched over his piano keyboard like the Peanuts’ Schroeder, but his most important playing came with the opening melody of “Viva La Vida.” Still the band’s most lush song – and that’s saying something for these guys – it sounded slightly over modulated during Saturday’s show, odd considering the sound was so clean otherwise. But that didn’t deter the audience from singing along with the beloved “whoa-oh-oh-oh-ohhhh-a” refrain. Coldplay closed its main set with the pensive piano ballad “Life is for Living” before returning with the melodically rich “Clocks,” the aforementioned “Fix You” and the crazy-catchy “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall,” its new reigning anthem that was capped with a flurry of fireworks. [2]
