Tapes ‘N tapes played a great set, real high energy, they never disappoint. My concert partner spotted Eddie Argos from Art Brut jamming out to tapes ‘n tapes in the middle of the concert crowd, and I think that’s a good indicator of the laid back and friendly demeanor at Green Music Fest. When the lead singer from the headliner can just rock out like the rest of us, that’s a fun time! Art Brut has a great sound, they’re like the Alternative Rock Pop version of The Streets. And I love The Streets, so that’s intended as a compliment. Witty lyrics, enthusiastic performances, it feels like Eddie is singing/talking to individuals in the audience, not just there to play his music. It feels like they care about the audience, like they want you to hear their music, to think about the lyrics and the messages being delivered. All in all, I really hope that Green Music Fest happens again next year. It was tough timing for the festival, being the weekend after Lolla, and I think that hurt the attendance numbers. Hopefully enough people came that the fest can happen in 2010, because I think it’ll just get bigger and better. Maybe in the spring? Or mid September? The intentions of the festival were to educate and entertain, and I feel that both were accomplished with gusto. I’m going to wrap up all my posts with a simple yes or no as a recommendation for anyone taking the time to read this. Green Music Fest 2009 – YES.

Now if you can promise to keep a secret, I will tell you something rather embarrassing. Several times throughout the show, this being one of those times, I closed my eyes and pretended he was singing only to me. What’s amazing though, is that Chris Martin’s lofty voice, laced by his British accent, was intimately comforting, even if there were 40,000 people in attendance. Now this may seem like a big number, but if you have ever been to a Coldplay concert, it is understandable. They sell out venues all over the world, night after night, and now that I’ve seen them, I understand that these rock stars have learned how to take their viewers on a ride. “Violet Hill” was over, and “Clocks” exploded from the stage. They played “In My Place” next, which evolved “Yellow,” marking one of my two personal highlights from the show. Although “Yellow” is now almost ten years old, they played it with the passion of a song they wrote yesterday; one they still needed to impress the audience with.  They released hundreds of huge yellow balloons into the audience and as they bounced over my head I was as excited as I would be if I were listening to it for the first time, only better, because I could sing every word.

“Yellow” became “Glass of Water,” which led into “Cemeteries of London,” and of course “42.” “Fix You” after that and then” Strawberry Swing.” You sing along to almost every song, every lyric for that matter, but it wasn’t conscious at all; Coldplay made you feel like you were sitting onstage with them making the song come to life. Coldplay performed to the caliber of what I would expect a U2 concert to be like. The immensity and insanity of the entire experience far surpassed any expectations (which were pretty high) I had for it.

They continued with a techno segment including “God Put a Smile Upon Your Face” and “Talk.” May I note the incredible light show that accompanied this portion of the show, because it was nothing short of outstanding. The rest of the band left the stage as Chris Martin followed up with a rendition of “The Hardest Part” in which he only played the piano (this, of course, was another time I imagined him singing to me, in a dark booth somewhere in middle London if you want the specifics). He continued playing with a piano acoustic of “Postcards From Far Away,” which transformed into an explosive version of “Viva La Vida,” and then, “Lost.”

This marks the other highlight of the concert. The band left the stage, proceeding up the aisle on stage right (right by me may I add) and set up shop at the back of the pavilion on stage left. The guitars began harmonizing, and Chris began singing: honey you are the rock. I don’t mean to get dramatic here, but this really was one of the top five moments in my concert going career. They were playing an acoustic version of “Green Eyes” literally feet from the audience. The energy of the audience could have fueled a rocket. It was beautiful. They finished the song and Will began singing “Death Will Never Conquer.” It was then followed by a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” that was expected, but also excellent. The band returned to the stage to a remix of “Viva La Vida” and their set was over. Don’t worry because two encores followed the set. The first consisted of a riveting “Politik,” complete with seizure-inducing strobe lights, “Lovers in Japan,” and, finally, “Death and All His Friends. “The second encore began with a beautiful song known as the “Scientist,” to which I reminisced about the show as a whole and high school, a little. It was followed by “Life in Technicolor ii” and finally an outro of “The Escapist.”

Coldplay is one of the greatest live bands I have seen to date. I went on an emotional rollercoaster as they played every song I wanted, save “Sparks,” I fell in love with Chris Martin (even if it was all in my mind), and had an overall great time. A true rock band, a beautiful light show, and an excellent repertoire of songs produced an A+ show so next time they come to town, or Alpine Valley, do not be turned off by the distance or size of the venue. I promise you this: it will be well worth it.

Life In Technicolor
Violet Hill
Clocks
In My Place
Yellow
Glass Of Water
Cemeteries Of London
42
Fix You
Strawberry Swing
God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (techno version)
Talk (techno version)
The Hardest Part (Chris piano)
Postcards From Far Away (piano instrumental)
Viva La Vida
Lost!
Green Eyes (acoustic)
Death Will Never Conquer (Acoustic, sung by Will)
Billie Jean
Viva La Vida (remix interlude)
——
Politik
Lovers In Japan
Death And All His Friends
——-
The Scientist
Life in Technicolor ii
The Escapist (outro)

It was a surprise to learn that when Shemekia’s new tour brought her back around to her current hometown she wasn’t booked in a nightclub but in a music theater, but that turned out to be a brilliant decision.  Musicians used to playing in a bar setting with people dealing with the distractions of those venues can sometimes be intimidated by a crowd that is up close and paying attention to every note, but not Shemekia.  Her vocal performance was awe-inspiring; her interaction with the crowd easy and natural and came between every song.  The band was excellent, especially longtime Shemekia guitarist Arthur Neilson.  The pacing of the show was perfect, with a wide range of songs that might surprise fans who haven’t seen Shemekia for awhile and would expect a lot of up-tempo, rocking blues songs.  She performed at least half of the songs that are on her fine new album,” Never Going Back,” which provided that range from standard blues arrangements to songs by Joni Mitchell and Buddy and Julie Miller.  On a couple of the songs, including Never Going Back to Memphis I actually got goose bumps on my arms and the back of my head when the songs reached their climax and Shemekia really poured her heart and soul into it.

I go to a lot of concerts and club shows, and this is the reason why, just hoping I’ll see one like this once in awhile.

Their performances in Chicago began with a Live From Studio X appearance, which was recorded at The Hideout. I went upstairs to talk to Mark and Gary before they hit the stage. Mark Olson has a charming homespun affability combined with a sharp eye for irony.
Gary Louris may be the easiest going recording artist I’ve ever met.
Cool and ready for anything.

They played a six song set for a delighted group of XRT VIP’s that began with “The Rose Society,” the first track from their new CD, Ready for the Flood.

We talked between some of the songs. Mark told a great story about the influence of the anthrax scare on the composition of one of their songs. Gary indicated that there was a good chance they would continue to record as a duo.

From The Hideout, we followed them to Park West. No road manager. No guitar tech. Just two veterans of the road climbing on stage with a couple of well-loved old acoustic guitars to accompany their singing.

Now I have enjoyed Olson’s projects after he left the Jayhawks in the mid-90’s, especially his solo release, Salvation Blues. And I have always made a point of catching the Jayhawks every time they came through Chicago without Mark Olson. But when you listen to those two voices fold into each other on stage, you remember that these two men were meant to sing together.

Much of the material centered on their newest collaboration, Ready for the Flood, which harkens back to a time before alt-country had a name. Highlights from the new album included “Bicycles,” “Chamberlain, S.D,” “Doves and Stones,” and a gorgeous number that is listed on the album as a bonus track called “Precious Time.”

We were treated to the Jayhawks classic “Waiting for the Sun” about midway through the concert. A four song encore ended with “Blue.” As Gary Louris’ voice soared to the heavens, I could only hope that this pairing is a new beginning that endures.

It got us to thinking, what are the coolest random things that can happen at a concert to make it more memorable? Sorry Coldplay, the video thing was cool, but it doesn’t make the cut.

#5. A Surprise Special Guest – We’re not talking about the avalanche of guests that Dave Matthews often features. This is for the more off-the-cuff partnerships like John Mayer joining Buddy Guy on stage at legends. Or even Jay-Z performing “Big Pimpin” with Phish in Brooklyn. Those are the kind of moments that create one-of-a-kind musical creations.

#4. Equipment Malfunction – If Janet Jackson accidentally exposes herself to millions of people at the Super Bowl that’s one thing, but anytime something goes wrong onstage you get the chance to see whether you’re favorite band is cool under pressure. Wouldn’t it be hilarious to see something like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CukuwxkMk5A at a real show?

#3. Someone Gets Arrested Onstage – Nothing says Rock ‘n Roll like trouble with the law, and sometimes a rock star can be so hard to get that onstage is the only place the cops can get him. It would be pretty cool to see a guy get taken off the stage in handcuffs, and you know the band would play an extra-long set to hold off the cops Blues Brothers-style. Bonus points if the arrest doesn’t involve Jim Morrison exposing himself onstage.

#2. The Show Becomes A Live Album – Whether you’re seeing the Who in Leeds, Cheap Trick in Japan, or Johnny Cash in prison, if your show gets recorded and sold to millions of people, you know it was a special performance.

#1. It’s The Last Performance Ever – Sometimes a band will announce ahead of time that a show will be their last, but its more exciting to see a band self-destruct and storm offstage like the Sex Pistols did at their last show. Or the end could be more tragic like Stevie Ray Vaughan’s death in a helicopter crash as he left Alpine Valley immediately after a concert. Either way, a band’s unexpected last show is guaranteed to attain legendary status.

Coldplay announced their return to Chicago this week on July 23rd at the United Center. With the mad marketing rush for the new album Viva La Vida, with the appearance on TV shows and award shows and the very big score of the iTunes commercial, this band is setting itself up and being positioned as the next U2. Remember, the last time iTunes got behind a new album like this it was for U2’s previous release. While some may still consider Coldplay a baby in they eyes of the work U2 has released, a case could certainly said that this band is on its way to super stardom, if not already right outside the city limits of it. Let us know what you think, if you will be seeing the return, and if Chris Martin and company can fill the shoes of U2 and Bono for generations to come…