CONCERT REVIEW: Coldplay Recycles Last Year's Show

FOXBOROUGH, MA — There is an argument to be made about not changing a good thing and Coldplay tried to musically defend that Friday night in Foxborough.

While this was the same tour as last time and repetition can be expected, the Coldplay catalog is big enough that there could be more variety than there was. Again, the show was well put together but the fact that it was so similar to last year left a going through the motions feeling, no matter how many times Martin ran down the ramp to pyrotechnics and confetti. If you went to the show and had a good time, that’s fair because no one appeared to have left disappointed. If you didn’t go and want to know what it was like, you could have clicked on Foxborough Patch’s review of last year’s show and barely have known the difference.

There wasn’t anything necessarily wrong with their performance at Gillette Stadium, the band's second in a year, but there wasn’t much that was new aside from some banter from lead singer Chris Martin. Even his outfit was nearly unchanged.

Like last year, opera singer Miriam Gauci served as the warning to get back into your seat, and like last year, Martin came sprinting out with pyro and confetti just after an excerpt of Charlie Chaplin’s famous speech from the Great Dictator. It wasn’t until after four songs that the band deviated from last year, moving “God Put A Smile On Your Face” to the fifth song.

For the Patriots' fans was banter and jokes from the band that Tom Brady called one of his favorites. Those in attendances were at one point asked to cheer like they won a Super Bowl, and Martin cracked jokes about Brady's age, saying that he saw 56 candles on his birthday cake and a gray-hair Brady walking around with a cane before putting on his makeup to look like a (expletive) demigod.

From the start to the mini-set on the north side of the floor, there was little deviating from the show, aside from a spontaneous request for no cell phones during “Charlie Brown” that wasn’t very spontaneous per a quick Google search

In the mini-set, the band played three songs as part of an effort to call back to the days where as they said, were unknown and were the lightest sounding band at WBCN’s River Rave. The stripped down “In My Place,” “Don’t Panic,” and “ Us Against The World,” was a needed break from the pyro and ballyhoo that made up most of the show.

Back on the main stage was their latest hit, a collaboration with the Chainsmokers called “Something Just Like This,” and if Martin’s vocals are the only reason you could differentiate that from the other songs by the Chainsmokers, don’t worry that’s understandable.

From there it was “A Sky Full of Stars” and a somber “Up and Up” to end the evening.

Prior to Coldplay, fellow Brits Alunageorge opened with a 45-minute set. The group’s mix of R&B sounds and electronic dance beats along with Aluna Francis’ high-pitch but sweet sounding vocals was a welcomed pre-show.

With a good chance that the duo was unknown to many in the audience, their final song, “You Know You Like It” which was done in collaboration with DJ Snake, was a reminder that the two are not strangers to the states and if you liked that, they have a few more tracks you may enjoy.

Izzy Bizu provided further opening support and gained easy support from the early arrivers, if not simply for her Saturdays Are For The Boys shirt.

Image Credit: David Silverman/Gillette Stadium