Braininess doesn’t always translate well on record for rockers and Coldplay, who celebrated the release of their “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends” album with a free concert for fans at Madison Square Garden Monday night, is no exception.
For great performers, however, brain power and star power can be powerful allies and Coldplay, especially singer Chris Martin, is no exception to this either, as the band’s crafty 70-minute show not only erased some of the album’s more problematic issues, but highlighted some of the album’s subtler charms.
Though Coldplay rolled through eight new songs, usually the kiss of death for arena shows, they handled it effortlessly through smart moves in pacing and staging, including playing on a mini-stage in the middle of the Garden floor and heading up to the balcony to deliver a moving, stripped-down version of “Yellow” surrounded by its fans.
“Viva La Vida,” the band’s first No. 1 single and the song that will propel the album to No. 1 as well, was transformed from delicate pop number to an arena anthem by Martin’s bouncing performance and the crowd participation that unexpectedly built the little bridge of “oh ooh-woh-oh”s into something of Springsteenesque proportions.
“Great singing, there,” said Martin, who seemed a bit shaken by the moment’s power.
However, Coldplay pulled off some surprises of its own. By separating the “Chinese Sleep Chant” from its boring medley partner “Yes” in the album version, the song was able to soar to its mid-‘80s U2-like glory. By cutting off the “Reign of Love” ending from the gorgeous “Lovers in Japan,” Coldplay found a worthy, upbeat show-stopper, complete with butterfly-shaped confetti to flutter in the light show.
And Martin was, of course, quick-thinking enough to turn his flubbing of the lyrics to “Fix You” into the night’s most-memorable moment, turning the next verse into “When you embarrass yourself at MSG, but it doesn’t matter ‘cause you got in for free.”
SETLIST: Life in Technicolor / Violet Hill / Clocks / In My Place / Viva La Vida / Chinese Sleep Chant / God Put a Smile Upon Your Face / 42 / Square One / Trouble / Lost / Strawberry Swing / Yellow / Death Will Never Conquer / Fix You / Lovers in Japan
PHOTO: Chris Martin and Will Champion during "Viva La Vida" by Ari Mintz for Newsday