Yeah, Coldplay at the Verizon Wireless Music Center in Pelham on Monday night.  I was skeptical.  I mean, because of a joke in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, this band has become a punchline.  I remember the first time I heard Parachutes.  I thought it was pretty terrific.  A Rush of Blood to the Head?  Also good.  I always liked the band, but I was...I suppose...a sidewalk fan. 



But this show - it was an all-timer.  I have seen a lot of concerts.  A LOT of concerts.  I have seen almost any band you can imagine.  But this concert was among the best performances I have ever seen from a modern rock band.  I've seen R.E.M. twice.  I've seen Pearl Jam twice.  I've seen U2 twice.  I've seen the Foo Fighters three times.  I've seen Weezer, the Smashing Pumpkins, Rage Against the Machine.  And somewhere among those acts was the show I saw tonight.  You know how I know I'm gay?  This show was amazing.



It was funny - they came out and rolled through a bevy of hits.  "In My Place," "Yellow..."  they were all in the first five songs or so.  But they continued to pull them out.  They continued to entertain.  For almost two hours.  And as I looked at my friend and said, "You know, they only have...what...like four records?"  they still managed to churn out hits.  It was remarkable.  Even more remarkable?  These guys are one of the biggest bands in the world, at the height of their popularity, and they were playing Pelham tonight.

At one point, they fashioned a mini-stage ten yards from us and played a few tunes.  I remembered that my camera has a video function and gave it a shot.  Since it panned out, it may be trouble for the blogosphere for years to come...



Okay, a leftover picture or two from the TV on the Radio show from last Wednesday.  Spin magazine names "Dear Science" the best record of 2008, and "Viva La Vida" the ninth.  I saw the bands responsible for both in a week.