Coldplay: A Review

I have seen quite a few bands live in my time.  Just off the top of my head:  DMB, Pearl Jam, U2, Smashing Pumpkins, Dashboard Confessional, Radiohead, The Steve Miller Band, Foreigner, Tenacious D, Amos Lee, Ben Harper, etc.  I have always told people that the best concert I have ever seen, bar none, was U2.  In fact, it’s not even close.  They blow EVERYONE away, including Pearl Jam in Seattle, where the crowd (and I) was super pumped.  Now, that is still true, no question about it.  In fact, if I had to rank my top 5 concerts, it would look like this:

1.U2

2.Pearl Jam

3.Coldplay

4.Radiohead

5.The Dave Matthews Band

Yep, you read right, Coldplay has now taken over the #3 spot.  Last night, Lacey and I were able to sneak away with no kids (thanks to my parents) and see Coldplay in concert for our fifth anniversary.  They were AMAZING.  They put on an incredible show, really engaging the crowd and playing for a long time, including a lot of their hits and even some obscure stuff.  We had a blast.  But let me run down a proper review for you.

Upon coming out, they had a cool “Viva La Vida” set up, where they were hidden by screens a bit, and we could see their shadows.  They entered to “Life in Technicolor” and followed that with a rousing rendition of Violet Hill.  My first “complaint” was that Chris Martin didn’t play the piano part at the end, opting instead for acoustic guitar.  I LOVE that beautiful piano part, so I was a little bummed. 

Early songs included “In My Place”, “Yellow” (with tons of huge yellow balloons), “Clocks”, and “Fix You”, which is the greatest Coldplay song, and for me was the high point of the entire concert.  I LOVED IT.  Then they had a brief interlude, where they moved to a small stage in the middle of the pavilion.  It was pretty cool, they did techno versions of “God Put a Smile On Your Face” and “Talk”, and Martin did a couple of solo piano numbers.  Once they got back to the stage, they rocked “Politik” and “Viva La Vida”, which was AWESOME.  Their second interlude was the best for us.  I had heard rumors of a “lawn stage” that they walk to near the end of the show and play to the people in the back.  We had gotten to the concert early, and stood in line, so as to get good seats.  I found what I thought to be the lawn stage, and got pretty stinking close.  Probably about 20 feet away.  Actually, our seats were excellent for the entire show.  Anyway, they did end up coming out to the lawn stage for three unplugged songs, including “Green Eyes” (a personal favorite) and “I’m a Believer” (Monkees cover).  They also let the drummer sing a tune, and did a cellphone wave, which was very cool as well.  The crowd swarmed to the lawn stage, but we held our ground, and it was freaking incredible being that close.  What I really appreciated was that the band seemed to be laughing and having a great time, along with all of us.  They seemed totally into doing that for us, and we appreciated it.

Once they returned to the stage, they did a few more, incluing “Lost!”, and ended with “Death and All His Friends”.  For the encore, they played “The Scientist”, which is probably my 2nd favorite Coldplay song, for sentimental reasons, as well as how it builds and releases tension.  The concert ended with “Life in Technicolor ii”, a great finisher.

Overall, they really rocked the joint.  From the first second to the last, they put on a fabulous show.  It wasn’t perfect, as I would have liked to hear some more from Parachutes, and some of my favorites like “A Message” and “Swallowed in the Sea”, but I highly recommend if you can get there, check it out.

The Reader

We have been looking forward to watching this for a while now, but never got around to it until last night.  I was excited to see Kate Winslet’s performance, as I had heard nothing but amazing reviews.  She was absolutely terrific, no question about it.  She definitely earned the hype and all of the recognition she got.  I remember a buddy of mine saying that it was the greatest female performance he’d ever seen, and I think that overshoots the mark, but she definitely buoyed the movie by her presence alone.  Overall, it was a very sad flick, as most WWII movies are bound to be, especially when the Holocaust is involved.  I was engrossed in the film almost immediately, though, despite no mention of the war being made until the film’s final act.  I thought the moments between Winslet and the boy were touching, yet strange.  I was a little perplexed by some elements of the story at first, but I think they worked themselves out very well.  I’m still trying to digest what the movie was actually about, though.  There was a lot there, I’m just working through it all.  It was obviously well-made, had a beautiful soundtrack, but the story certainly is serviced by the performances.  I’m not sure it would have been all that great without Winslet, in particular.  But I’m rambling.  I’m definitely glad I watched it, but there was a LOT of meaningless nudity, so be VERY careful, if you have hang-ups about that sort of thing.

Last Chance Harvey

Lacey and I took this one in about a week ago, and it was quite good.  Hoffman has always amazed me with his chops, and this was no different.  I have also always liked Emma Thompson, and she was excellent as well.  I thought the movie was well-made, very sweet, with some pretty salient points about parents and their children.  It seemed to be heading in the direction of quite sad, but ended well.  A little cliched maybe, but I laughed and sympathized with the characters.  It was also clean, which I appreciate more and more these days.  Well worth your time.

Taken

Whoa!  That was my reaction to much of the movie, Taken.  Lacey and I had really wanted to see this in the theater, but kids, blah blah blah.  Anyway, we finally got around to seeing it last week, and weren’t disappointed.  I have always really liked Liam Neeson, and it was fun seeing him in this role.  The movie was absolutely non-stop.  It was tense, exciting, scary, sad, and even a little thoughtful.  I thought Neeson’s performance, even when he wasn’t kicking ass, was fantastic.  The action was well done, and I can’t really complain about anything in this movie.  It’s not one I’ll soon forget.  I highly recommend it, but beware if you rent it that there is a non-PG-13-rated version on the disc.  Seriously, though, see it.  Better than most out there, and definitely more fun.

Terminator Salvation

Growing up in the Melton household was probably more strict than many households, but certainly less strict than a lot of others.  It grew more lenient as we grew older, and by the time Joel was a teenager, he was allowed to do a lot more than I had been allowed at that age.  I’m sure this is the same with most groups of siblings, the parents realize they were probably a bit too strict and therefore loosen their grip.  I remember with absolute clarity not being allowed to go with my father to see Terminator 2:  Judgement Day.  I was absolutely crushed.  I had seen the first on TV, and the second looked absolutely out of this world.  I was 14 at the time, and thought I was ready for my first rated-R flick.  I will never forgive my parents for not letting me go   All kidding aside, I also remember the day my Dad first brought T2 back from the video store.  He was all set to rewatch it, having considered it worth of a second viewing from the theater.  I begged him to let me stay up late and watch it with him, and upon hearing the desperation in my voice, he relented.  That he also allowed my 11-year-old brother to view it was of no consequence to me at this point.  I watched in absolute awe the skill with which James Cameron brought his vision to the screen.  I have since watched that movie probably 50 or more times.  I love them all, they form seminal moments in my life.  Which brings me to yesterday.

Joel and I were able to catch the latest installment in the franchise, Terminator Salvation, yesterday.  After T2, I figured it was all over.  T3 was fun, but unnecessary, and acted as merely a launching point for the next wave of Terminator movies.  I wasn’t very happy to hear that McG was on board to direct, as I don’t think much of him.  But when they announced that Christian Bale would  be playing John Connor, most of my fears were allayed.  I was pretty excited to see the machine-mankind war of T4, and it was quite good.  I definitely enjoyed it, but left the theater wondering if my enjoyment was because of the first 3, or because of the actual merits of this individual film.  I’m not sure yet.  To be sure, there was a lot of action, some cool special f/x, nice moments/homages, and even a nice plot twist.  I just didn’t get the same sense of awe, like any new ground was being broken, like I did with the 2nd.  I suppose that’s the price you pay not having Cameron at the helm.  Anyway, the film was a lot of fun, and definitely worth the admission price.  However, I found myself yearning for the days when Terminator movies actually meant something.  At least to me.

Doubt and Frost/Nixon

I finally got to two movies over the weekend.  I’ll review them one by one.

First, Doubt.  I didn’t really like this movie.  For one, it was boring.  I thought the dialogue wasn’t interesting enough to keep me glued.  The acting was great, as you would expect, and it was obviously well-made, but I just didn’t care about anyone in the film.  My Dad asked me the next day what the movie was about, and I couldn’t really give him a good answer.  I mean, I guess it was about your life having certainty (as opposed to, well, doubt) and meaning, but I don’t think the movie did a great job of exploring this theme.  And I’m not sure it’s a good enough theme to warrant an entire movie.  Perhaps my more eloquent friends (James, Remy, Gibbs) can speak to this better.  Also, while the acting was great and all, sometimes it seemed a little too over-the-top.  It was based on a play, and it seemed like Hoffman and co. felt like they were in a play at times.  I can’t say anything bad about the three leads, but they’ve been better.  Viola Davis though, was another matter.  This is an actress who was in the movie for LITERALLY one scene.  And she got all of this attention, and even an Oscar nom!  Are you kidding me?  For one scene?  And it was the scene that made me start scoffing at the movie, and one of the reasons I didn’t really like it!  “God made my boy that way, he can’t help it!”  That’s when the movie went from boring to crap.  Anyway, I can think of a ton of other movies you’d be better spent watching, though it wasn’t all bad.  I just kept thinking about something I heard Remy say a while back.  “If they’re going to give Philip Seymour-Hoffman an Oscar nomination for this, they have to give him one for every movie he’s in.”

Ok, Frost/Nixon.  Much better.  Again, a very well-made film.  Some great acting.  And it really helped me understand the events surrounding all of this a lot better.  How much of it was fictionalized, I don’ know, but I was riveted.  They built tension well, I felt that the filmmakers were pretty fair to both sides, and I learned a lot.  For instance, did you know that Dianne Sawyer (!!) was a close insider to Nixon after he left office?  Crazy!  Now, they definitely villified Nixon a bit too much, and tried drawing comparisons to Bush that weren’t there, but overall, a pretty even-handed approach considering it’s Hollywood.  I greatly enjoyed this movie.  My only real complaint was Sam Rockwell’s character.  He was a tool, and totally unnecessary.  Necessary?

YES!!!

http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00024327.html

Chuck was renewed for next season!  The only problem is, they only ordered 13 episodes, or just over half a season.  And they cut the production budget which means, they have to get rid of a bit of the supporting cast and one of the main actors.  That’s a real bummer.  Hopefully, though, if the show does well, they will order more episodes and we can get a full season.  The key is for the show to do well right out of the gate, impress sponsors, and get a full season pick up.  So watch Chuck!  And if you want to catch up, rent/buy the first two seasons on DVD!!

More TV

1.Word on the street is, they are going to renew Scrubs for a 9th season.  This comes because Zach Braff and Sarah Chalke just signed 6-episode deals to return and transition the show into its new format, whatever that might be.  The actors who play Turk, Dr. Cox and the Janitor are signed for all of next season, and it’s speculated that Judy Reyes (Carla) will also come back once it’s officially renewed.  I’m not so sure about this.  From the opening frame of season 1, this show has been all abou J.D.  Without he and Elliot, it’s not Scrubs.  If they want to do a full-scale spin-off, fine, but bring in new actors, only let the Scrubs stars do cameos, and give it a different name.  This whole hybrid thing reminds me of Chinese food.  Satisfying at the time, but goes through you really quick.  I would love to see another season of Scrubs, but not in this format.  But am I just whining about nothing?  I mean, we get 6 episodes of J.D. and the gang, shouldn’t I be grateful?  Sure, the season (series?) finale was a great ending, but it was all his fantasy.  That’s not exactly closure.  Wouldn’t it be fun to see if J.D. and Elliot actually make it?  I’m not so sure.

2.Smallville’s season finale was disappointing.  They really peaked in season 4 with Chloe’s death, and that whole story arc.  THAT was an amazing finale.  This one barely showed any Doomsday-Clark action, fizzled with Clark’s melodrama at the end, and left barely a cliffhanger to be found.  Zod?  Puh-lease.  They really under-utilized Erica Durance (Lois) this season, especially late in the season, after having some GREAT Clark/Lois moments early on.  The whole Lana subplot was tired.  After a great start to the season, and some promising moments, it was very underwhelming later on.  The Doomsday build-up was all bark and no bite.  Boo.

3.How about those Office and 30 Rock finales??!!  I thought they were both very funny, with some excellent moments.  Pam’s volleyball skills were totally fake (coming from a once-wannabe player), but looks like her pregnancy isn’t!  And could they have gotten MORE stars on 30 Rock?  From the Beastie Boys to Wyclef Jean, that was incredible!  I thought both shows ended with a bang, after fairly decent seasons.  They both have a ways to go to capture their pre-strike glory, but they’re on their way.

4.Our shows are coming to an end!  After Sunday’s Survivor finale, and Monday’s 24 finale, we will be done for the season.  While that is very sad, it also signals the beginning of summer, which is freaking awesome!  More movies, and less TV makes Josh a happy boy.  Oh, it also helps that I’ll be out of school.  Not only that, but I have Entourage to look forward to!  I definitely look forward to next season, but I don’t want it to get here too quickly, because it means I’ll be back to my real job.

Lost: Season Finale

Anyone who knows me at ALL knows that I consider Seinfeld to be the greatest television show of all time.  That includes sitcoms and hour-long shows.  I think that the way they were able to tie each character’s situations together almost every episode was masterful and brilliant, and no show has ever been as smart.  However, if you want to separate sitcoms from dramas, which you probably should, then I think 24 is the best show to ever grace the airwaves.  Now, I’ll confess that my TV knowledge doesn’t start until the mid-90’s so anything before that I can’t speak intelligently on.  However, I know what I’ve heard, and I’ve never heard people who watched TV in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s talk this way about one particular show.  That being said, the best hour of television I’ve ever witnessed up until last night was the final episode of 24’s first season.  There were several moments in season 2 that rivaled it, but that last hour of season one was unbeatable…perhaps until now.  I’m still digesting everything that happened last night in Lost’s finale, so it could take a few days until the final judgement is in, but HO-LY CRAP.  I really don’t remember being on the edge of my seat, catching my breath like that EVER in a TV show, unless it was 24.  It was awesome story-telling, no question about it.  They melded stories, had great character interaction, built tension like nobody’s business, and released just enough to make your head spin.  I dreamt all night about the events that took place in last night’s finale.  All season long I’ve been very skeptical about the time travel angle that they’ve taken, and I still remain staunch about the fact that the writers have painted themselves into a corner with it, but there are now so many ways to paint themselves out, it is mind-blowing.  Up until now, probably my favorite Lost moment was the first flash-forward episode, but last night blew everything, including the brilliant pilot episode, out of the water.  It’s going to be a long eight months until the final (sob) season of the greatest show on television.

Random Music Musings

Some random stuff that went through my head this weekend while washing windows:

1.While my favorite Pearl Jam song is Alive, and I think their most commercially brilliant song is Better Man, their finest song might just be Off He Goes.

2.The most underrated guitarists on the planet are Mike McCready (PJ) and The Edge (U2).  I read recently from Bono that the only thing keeping The Edge from being recognized more as a great guitarist is his own humility.  I think that’s mostly true.

3.It is monumentally stupid that even though all new music comes out on Tuesdays, Green Day’s new one doesn’t drop until Friday.  What are they, too good for everyone?  Punks are the new snobs?  Lame.

4.IheartRadio and Pandora for the Iphone are my two favorite things in the world right now (besides the obvious, like, my sons and wife).

5.I put Justin Timberlake on my playlist and liked it.  What have I become?

6.I can never remember all of the crazy stuff that goes through my head when I’m listenting to music and washing windows.  It’s all great stuff for the blog, but ends up getting lost in neurons and dendrites.