Such a Perfect day

I remember
We were walking up to strawberry swing
I can't wait until the morning
Wouldn't wanna change a thing

People moving all the time
Inside a perfectly straight line
Don't you wanna curve away?
When it's such…
It's such a perfect day
It's such a perfect day

- Coldplay, “Strawberry Swing”

Story #3

Last Friday started with us on top of the Empire State Building. We were on the 86^th floor, it was windy, and New York was lit up all around us. Beautiful views in every direction. I took pictures, but they do no justice to the actual site. That was a great way to start to the day, but it was just the start, wait till you hear what happened next. We got back to U-Hall around 1 a.m., I went to sleep at 2 and then woke up at 4:30 a.m. to go see Coldplay! They were playing for NBC’s Today Show at the Rockefeller Plaza! We got there at about 5:45 a.m. and although the actual show didn’t start till 7:00 a.m., we got a crappy spot behind the main stage. Then again, that wasn’t very surprising. Some of those people had been waiting there for over 17 hours. All that mattered was that I was about a 100 feet from the band and could hear them play. I had to stare at their backs for the most part, and that’s when I could actually see them, but Chris Martin did turn and jump and run around for the crowd behind the stage. I may be in love with him again...sorry Jens.

So yeah, I saw Coldplay!!! I still can’t believe it. Coldplay is one of two bands that I absolutely wanted to see live. Radiohead being the other. I have now checked off one of them. It was incredible. Its weird to think I was there, starring at Chris Martin as he hopped and sprinted about and still managed to sing incredibly well.

Coldplay has been dear to my heart since I first moved to the U.S. They were my transition band, my introduction to all the non-Indian great music that I love. I was absolutely in love with them in high school and would’ve probably died if I got to see them then. Parachutes and Rush of Blood were both amazing albums, I have probably listened to them hundreds of times. But then the band got quiet for a while and I lost some of my passion for them. A few years later, when they finally come back, they came back with X & Y, a dull album, I think, except for about 4 songs. So my passion tapered a little more. Then, just a couple of months ago, I saw the Viva la Vida I-Pod commercial and, as much as I loved that song, I didn’t want to get my hopes up because Speed of Sound, after all, was also a great single. Luckily though, Viva la Vida more than lived up to the hype that was created by the single. Oh my god! What a great album. Its experimental, but not too much so. It’s like getting chocolate fudge brownie ice cream instead of chocolate ice cream. You still get the great chocolate taste, but its better because there’s more to it. Viva la Vida is quintessential Coldplay with a little of something else. I love the album and have listened to little else since I got it.

What more can I say, it was absolutely mind blowing. Chris Martin is extremely energetic and charming on stage. He clicks with the audience really really well, and has a sweet English accent. What more can you want from a guy? They played Clocks, In My Place, Yellow, Lost!, 42, Viva la Vida, and I feel like I’m missing one. Not all the songs were aired on the show and they did some of them multiple times for sound check. I did not want to leave that place and did not know what to do with myself after the concert was over. We took a subway and a bus to get to work and were there at 10 a.m. It was only the beginning of the day, but having already done so much and seen so much, I was ready to sleep. Luckily it was lab meeting day and there’s always coffee and bagels at those.

I still can’t believe I saw Coldplay!