Live Report: Coldplay - Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
Closing their North American stadium tour in Florida...
*Coldplay’s* performance turns Raymond James Stadium into a sky full of stars 50,000 stars .
Fans gather after anxiously awaiting the arrival of Chris Martin and his band to awe them in a stunning and long anticipated performance of their newest album ‘Music Of The Spheres’. The concert at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida was their final performance on their United States leg of the tour.
Before they perform, two announcers asked the audience to gaze towards the stage to watch a short video covering the band's efforts they made to cut their CO2 tour emissions in half while still providing an unparalleled show and celestial atmosphere. From the beginning, neon bright lights and creative digital design enveloped/douse the audience in elation. Upon entry, volunteers hand out 100% compostable bracelets that would be used as part of the production to simultaneously light up in unison with the songs and themes while the band perform.
Raymond James is home of the Bucs football team, but on nights such as this one, the outdoor sporting ground becomes a vibrating and sensational arena for the community of Tampa Bay and beyond. Chris Martin silences the crowd at one point to express his gratitude for Tampa; he mentions fans came from all over including countries like Puerto Rico and Cuba to experience Coldplay that night.
It’s difficult to make each and every fan feel seen and appreciated in a stadium that holds 50,000 people but Chris Martin has no trouble finding a way to do that. ‘Music Of The Spheres’ is an almost divine experience with the thematic elements of aliens, and the concert felt intimate despite the grandiose physical attributes. Towards the end of his performance, Martin overhears a fan yell that he wanted to propose; Chris delayed playing one his top acoustic pieces 'Sparks' and instead sings 'I Will Always Love You' while allowing the fan to propose on stage in front of the crowd, a moment that shows the true character of such a lead singer as Martin.
Coldplay has managed to maintain a mixed and diversified audience and gain attention from varied demographics, one recognizable hallmark of the concert. Their newest album seems unlike most things Coldplay has ever created with Chris had the whole crowd singing along with him 'Viva La Vida', a fan favourite that cut across most boundaries.
It's these unique moments that make this concert a one-of-a-kind event. Chris illustrates himself both as a performer throughout his performance, making it feel as though he really wore his heart on sleeve. After only seven seconds into his performance of ‘Sky Full Of Stars’ Chris stopped his band gathered tightly with them to discuss what the audience soon heard shortly after. He proposed and asked so kindly that for this one song every person put their technology away – “no phones, no videos, voice memos, apple watches, computer televisions… so we can all be here in this moment together.”
One of the final songs Chris performed was an impromptu appreciation song for Tampa, with a slightly comedic appreciation for having the opportunity to play in a stadium with a pirate ship.
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Words:* Rebekah Mcfadden *
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