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indie-snob>+!#
Coldplay @ uic pavillion (6-9-03)
With eisley, ron sexsmith |
A very large part of me is a sucker for intelligent pop music. That's why Coldplay is so appealing to me. During that same time when I found Arab Strap and more independant bands from overseas, I also found some Britpop bands, that, although nameless here, had already been making it big in the UK. Coldplay was indeed one of them. And so, I've probably been a Coldplay fan longer than most. I was one of the first to wait up all night one summer to see MTV play "Yellow" at about 3 in the morning. I went out to buy Parachutes before anyone knew that something yellow could be so catchy. And I saw them live shortly after people began to realize the genius. The first time I saw Coldplay live, I was unimpressed. The venue (the Aragon) has a bad sound system and a bad layout, so seeing the band and hearing the band was a challenge. My views were later turned around when I saw Coldplay at the Chicago Theatre in November of 2001. The band was magically, bursting with a pop charm and the British sensibility we've all come to adore. Opening first was a Texas family band by the name of Eisley. Sounding like a continuous lullaby, I'm actually surprised that these girls (all sisters, along with their brother and a male friend) haven't made it on MTV yet. Not only did the keyboardist look like Avril Lavigne, they all sounded like a genuine pop band, which has its strong points and its negatives. Sure, the bedtime-tinged melodies and guitars got repetitive, and the vocals tended to screech sometimes, but they were cute, and after all, that's what a pop band is supposed to be. On the down side, pop music IS pop music, but I rather see a moderately talented and grateful band make it big than another carbon-copy slut. Ron Sexsmith, the only advertised opener on the bill... sucked harder than one could have ever imagined. I heard him do one Christmas song on an indie Christmas compilation I got, and it wasn't bad. His own material, however... *shudders* He had perhaps the most unoriginal songwriting I've ever heard from a live musician, going pretty standard on the template of Verse Chorus Verse Chorus Bridge/Solo Chorus Chorus 3-Chord-Ending. Not only that, but the lyrics were predictable and only occasionally mildly thought-provoking. He even tried one "disco" number the same way, and failed miserably. His only acceptable song in my opinion was the one he closed with, but it was so full of piano and strings that I was nearly guaranteed to like it. (Throw a cello into anything and it immediately becomes better in my mind.) Coldplay opened with the intense "Politik," flashing strobe lights and featuring Chris at the piano bobbing his head like he was an official Thom Yorke clone. And that's what Coldplay seems to do best--lure in old Radiohead fans looking for a way to escape the strange-ness of the new albums. (And I write this listening to Hail to the Thief, Radiohead's brilliant new album.) Nonetheless, Coldplay puts on a beautiful show each time, with the most intense light show you've ever seen in your life. Playing songs largely off Rush of Blood to the Head, it surprised me not to hear such a heavy set off Parachutes as its been in times past. There are just so many classic songs on there, like "Spies." It was an excellent show they put on though, as Christ Martin froliched around stage. The highlights of this show included "Everything's Not Lost" (a highlight of any Coldplay show), "Clocks" (with the most amazing green laser show you've ever seen... besides on the video), and of course: "Yellow." Coldplay is truly a remarkable band, and one that will go down in our generation's history. We must remember though, that they are not the most original band... but they do put on a damn good live show. |