sitting on the strawberry swing:: coldplay in pictures

from start to finish the concert was amazing. i wasn't sure being on the grass outside the pavilion was going to be the greatest- but it turned out to be perfection. we were blessed with a crystal clear night and a gentle breeze. to adequately describe for you the experience is nearly impossible. just random words come to mind::

energy. color. light. feeling.

the band worked tirelessly to create a personal and entertaining environment. the set changed constantly. a new background or prop was being introduced with every song. your eyes were desperately trying to take in, and memorize, every moment. they performed off of three separate stages- each located on a different part of the grounds. it was pretty cool because, no matter where your seats were, at one point- you had a birds eye view. there was even one point in the concert where chris martin started covering hip-hop songs....totally off the cuff. you felt like you were hanging out in the studio with these guys- rather than feel like what you really were- a crazed fan in a sea of the same.

after nearly 2 hours of non-stop entertaining: the band left the stage to thunderous applause. the crowd kept chanting- and i knew the group would be back for an encore. i was right. the four creative marvels quietly walked back out, assumed their instruments, and performed a passionate rendition of 'the scientist'. the crowd was still- except for the harmonious choir of 15,000 voices all singing along::

nobody said it was easy. it's such a shame for us to part...

it was enough to give you chills. especially as stray butterflies continued to fall over the crowd. as you left the show, each attendee received a hard copy of their live album 'leftrightleftrightleft' (which had been made available on their website for download). it was the perfect end to the evening. everyone got a little piece of the show.

but enough of my ramblings. here's a peek at my awesome night:::

VIVA balloon

josh & liz



liz & i


the grand entrance

the butterfly drop

encore

the drive home::: & still so happy

and i-i-i will fix you:::

while the emotions are still high. and i am still in awe of the AMAZING concert i just returned from- i must get a post out!

pretty much all i can formulate at this point is simply that::: coldplay is amazing.

i mean- this is no new information. but it's been cemented. buried alive inside me.

just as fabulous live as they are on their albums- coldplay managed to produce laughter, cheers and actual tears from their audience this evening. in the moments when chris martin addressed the NHL and stanley cup finals (we're BIG hockey people here in detroit!)- we all laughed. when the first climactic bars of 'viva la vida' starting ripping through the night- we all cheered. when the band solemnly played songs like 'the scientist' and 'fix you'- we couldn't help but be moved with emotion.

the most amazing part of the evening though, came during the song 'lovers in japan'. about a 1/3 of the way into the song- approximately 1 million paper butterflies were released into the air. the gentle summer evening breeze made the thin figures dance and fall across the entire grounds. in the spotlights, you could see each butterfly was a different color. some of them hung in the air- drifting. other ones fell, or were caught by one of 15,000 clawing fists. i myself captured two for my album.

surrounded by awesome friends, enthusiastic fans, a passionate band, and phenomenal music- i had one a-m-a-z-i-n-g night. (more pictures to follow)




happy birthday, justin!