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Neil Diamond
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Toby Keith
It's A Shame About Ray (Collector's Edition)
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Coldplay
At the moment, Coldplay are generating a buzz that only happens when a band is on the cusp of mega-stardom. They are at the top of Rolling Stone’s ‘Hot’ list, and fans seem to be popping up from all quarters. There’s very good reason for all of this. The band’s two CD’s are both excellent, and with this show, they have proven to me that they are perfectly capable of translating their music to a crowded amphitheater. Admittedly, I had doubts whether they would be able to pull it off. I saw the band a year earlier in a New York City nightclub (Irving Plaza) and I was impressed, but I remember thinking that the show hinged almost entirely on the pathos conveyed by lead singer Chris Martin. In the atmosphere of a beer-soaked nightclub with hundreds of people scrunched together and standing on their feet, it seemed as though Martin was already doing all that he could to captivate the audience. How in the world would he be able to convey the power of his music to a larger audience?
No Problem. The band has only gotten better, but the real reason that Coldplay holds a crowd is Martin’s magnificent voice. At Jones Beach, he sat behind his keyboard front and center, looking almost tiny on that massive stage. The band set up closer to the front than most other bands, but Martin still looked as though he were miles away from them. Opening with "Politik", it was obvious that Coldplay had learned a thing or two about spectacle since I last saw them. I’ve seen a number of shows at this venue, and I can honestly say that Coldplay’s use of lights and stage gear was the most effective I have seen at Jones Beach. The lights never overwhelmed the music, adding the perfect visual touch to Martin’s powerful, personal imagery. The band itself is a wonder of perfection and self-restraint. The rhythm section never played an unnecessary note, while the guitarist also remained economical, utilizing tonal perfection in place of flash. Focus almost always remained front and center, allowing the audience to really listen to the band’s incredibly well constructed songs.
Jones Beach is capable of extraordinary sound, provided the soundman is up to the task, and the crew for Coldplay deserves extra credit. Instead of trying to listen through the indecipherable mush that most bands consider acceptable, I could actually hear every syllable. There were times during the show when you could hear a pin drop, not due to indifference but because the entire crowd appeared enraptured by Martin and his bandmates. That is effective. I plan on seeing this band again whenever the opportunity arises. My advice to you is that you catch Coldplay while they’re ‘hot’.
-- Thomas Ryan
 
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