Image via People Magazine

By Josh McCann

Coldplay performed at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn to some lucky fans on Monday night. I listened at home on Sirius XM, the comfort of my backyard providing the background. It was so much fun that I’m thinking I should review more live shows this way.

I’ve been a fan of Coldplay since X&Y, with my favorite album of theirs being Viva La Vida. Crazy to think that I’ve still never seen them live!

Aside from the lucky fans attending, Sirius XM subscribers could listen live. I took advantage of this, bringing my Bluetooth speaker outside on a chilly Fall evening.

Coldplay started the show with the title track off of their new LP, Moon Music. The packed club started to cheer. I turned up my speaker. In my backyard, the sun began to set over the fields. I thought of someone very special to me, and how it was her birthday. Maybe I was meant to listen to the show.

This led to “feelslikeimfallinginlove.” It’s a strong single, and it sounded good live. I listened to this song a lot during the summer, because I fell in love, which is the special someone that I was referring to. It’s hard to listen to it now, but part of me still loves the song.

“Welcome everybody, we’re so happy to see you,” Chris Martin told the excited crowd. “It’s a Monday afternoon, but let’s pretend it’s Saturday at 11pm.”

“God Put a Smile Upon Your Face” was awesome. The guitar solo blasted through the club. So cool. “We Pray” featured singers Elyanna & TINI, which are featured on the album.

They went back to the hits with “Viva la Vida.” Chris Martin stopped playing moments in the intro. “Wait was that the right chords?” he said, before starting over. I love it when impromptu moments like that happen during a show. It’s makes it all the more real. The outro had a huge sing along. Usually this would be with a stadium of fans. The packed club made it even more powerful. Coldplay’s music is intimate and personal. Maybe they should do more of these club shows.

The cool air had me walking around my yard to get warm–the sky was red on the horizon. I couldn’t go inside now. The crescent moon had a couple stars around it. Coldplay was the right vibe for something just like this.

“Can we have some lights on?” Martin told the venue. “It’s nice to see everyone. Usually people have options on a Saturday night. Since it’s Monday afternoon I don’t have to thank you. You’re welcome,” he laughed. “Getting Coldplay to perform before 9pm is one of the hardest things to do. We’re playing GMA at 3:15 am. This is a sound check.”

It was a surprise to hear a brand new song. He said that “The Karate Kid” was finished two weeks ago. “This is the first time outside my house it has been played.” The song was a soaring ballad with piano that echoed Elton John. Really good. Wish it was on the new record!

The party picked up with “Something Just Like This.” Confetti shot out into the crowd. This was the cannon that Alt Regan was referring to during the pre-show.

“Sky full of stars” was next. It turned into a dance party and showed the range Coldplay has sonically. I sat down and remembered playing this song in the summer, when I was falling in love. I put this song on the playlist I made for her. I wanted to stay in that moment, but the concert kept moving on.

“We only have 4/12 hours to go. We’re gonna play every b side from 2001,” Martin said. “If you need to go to the bathroom, it won’t offend us.”

They played “Coloratura,” a deep cut which was about ten minutes long. I didn’t go to the bathroom. I noticed the half moon through the trees. Decorations of ghosts blew in the neighbors yard. The song had a sweeping piano intro–the guitar solo hit while I walked in the chilly air. The sky still had a red streak near the horizon. This was such a different experience, alone in my yard, nothing but open fields and sky, rather than being in a tightly packed club.

“Yellow” had me turning up my speaker, the guitars cutting through the October chill. Yes, the lyrics were fitting. It was bittersweet. Like the cold wind reminding me that summer was over. The slashing guitar chords fit the vibe. Because it’s good to get lost in a rock song.

Before “Yellow,” some fan yelled “Fix It.”

“That’s another song from another band,” Martin said. After “Yellow,” Martin made up a song referring to that title. Because it’s “Fix You,” not “Fix it.” I was surprised at how funny he was in-between songs.

For the encore, they played “Good Feelings,” which is a fantastic song off the new album. The live version was really fun. It reminded me of “Adventure of a Lifetime.”

“Thank you so much for all of us being here,” Martin said. “Standing in a sweaty crowded club on a Monday, we’re so grateful. This is an old song, it only came out three days ago. Goodnight and good luck.”

“All my love” closed the show. It’s another highlight from the new album. The live version proved just as powerful. I was thinking of this past summer again. So many beautiful out-of-this world memories. I’ll always cherish those. Im not sure what will happen next. But I did know that this concert was over.

“Thank you everyone. See you soon I hope.”

By the end of the song, it was dark outside. A few stars shined by the moon. I thought of her and how she was probably looking at those stars too. It was a school night and we’re both teachers. Always learning. A part of me longed for it to be summer, when we had no worries, staying up into the night, listening to music, the sky full of stars, our entire lives ahead of us. But I had to teach in the morning. Which I’m grateful for. And I’m grateful for her and the times we had together, hoping there will be more memories for us. I went back inside to get warm and had some snacks.