I Finally Saw My Favourite Band!
It's been 5 YEARS: since I first got introduced to Coldplay, since they last came to Toronto... and how long I've been waiting for them to come back. So when they announced their North American tour dates and locations, I immediately told myself I would go to their Toronto show no matter what. Earlier on in the year, I sat at my laptop for what seemed like hours, waiting for the pre-sale tickets release, and then got super hyped after I had secured my ticket to see my favourite band in concert.
"Coldplay saved my life." I saw a sign with these words at Monday night's concert. There's something about the music and the lyrics that the band writes that just speaks to people's soul. I know of several people who have been inspired by their artistry, one of them being myself. I can't say that they saved my life, per se, but their music (i.e. Fix You) definitely helped me through some tough times, and because of that, holds a special place in my heart.
Monday August 21, 2017
Coldplay day.
(Also solar eclipse day.)
5:00
Merchandise is purchased (I'm wearing the concert tee right now as I write), and doors are opened. We enter at 5:30, are handed a Xyloband and a Love Button upon entry, and walk around the arena, looking for some noshes and drinks before the show.
6:45
23-year-old English singer-songwriter Izzy Bizu makes her way to the stage (check out her song 'White Tiger' here). Unfortunately, the crowd is small, the stadium still quite empty.
7:30
English electronic duo AlunaGeorge (you might know them for 'You Know You Like It') starts to hype up the slowly growing audience.
8:45
Coldplay is supposed to come on at this time... but fans are still trickling in.
9:00
The concert of a lifetime officially BEGINS! So. Much. Hype.
Haven't been to Toronto in a long time | ebbony&lune
Izzy Bizu and AlunaGeorge (pictured) open the show | ebbony&lune
A Head Full of Dreams Tour Book (HOLO!) | ebbony&lune
Chillin' pre-show with an Oakheart Spiced Rum and Ginger | ebbony&lune
Stadium staff handed out a Xyloband to each concertgoer | ebbony&lune
I think I was too mesmerized by the presence of Coldplay right in front of my eyes to even scream... I caught myself just staring, completely 'Hypnotised' by their music and their spectacle of a show. They were so fantastic live - honestly sounded even better than the recordings. And they completely owned their show, restarting songs to get fans to put down their phones and get up on their feet, and giving lighting cues for a more intimate 'breaking-down-the-fourth-wall' atmosphere. Chris Martin even hit rewind on the transition to Fix You because he accidentally swallowed some confetti. Even though they are a world-famous band, they still managed to make us feel like we are a big group of friends. And that the show is not for themselves, but ultimately, for us.
And then there's the Xylobands, making its first appearance at the band's Mylo Xyloto tour in 2012. Basically, they are programmed to light up in sync to the music that is being played. It was pretty neat!
Fans sing along to a heartfelt favourite, Fix You | ebbony&lune
Pyrotechnics added to the evening's entertainment | ebbony&lune
Might I also mention that the show on the 21st was their 100th show of the tour. As if that wasn't already special enough, Chris Martin improvised 'The Toronto Song', with the "CNN Tower" (as he mistakenly, yet innocently called it) as a backdrop in the open-air stage. The lyrics were as follows:
Oh take me to the place by Ontario Lake
Take me to the place that's the home of Drake
Take me to the place where I can say
That we sang in the place where the Blue Jays play
Oh where'd you wanna go for your 100th show?
Toronto, Toronto, Toronto
Oh take me to the place with the Maple Leaf
Take me to the place where I get no grief
Oh take me to the place where the crowds are beyond belief
Oh now where'd you wanna play your 100th show?
Toronto, Toronto, Toronto
Yeah take me to the home of Arcade Fire
Take the volume up a little bit higher
I never heard anyone quite as loud
As a Monday night Toronto crowd
Gigantic balloons fill the stadium during Adventure Of A Lifetime | ebbony&lune
The men of Coldplay are all smiles as they end the show | ebbony&lune
It was such a magical experience, and they played all of my favourites (except for 'O') - I almost cried when I heard them perform Fix You because of all the sentimental memories it's associated with. Rest assured, I am waiting for the next time they come back... and hopefully it will be before 2022.
After 5 years of waiting, I finally got to see my favourite band perform live for the first time. Thank you Coldplay for your wonderful show, for your outstanding musicianship, and for your beautiful music that has healed many hearts. You are proof that music can TOUCH and CHANGE LIVES, and that's really something to aspire for.
