Coldplay Concert

[Deepwater6]

I took my family to a concert the other night and wanted to note some of the drastic changes to concerts today as opposed to 25-30 yrs ago. I had not been back to see a rock concert from my late teen yrs. I observed the following differences.

 

To start with the music itself was amazing, so crisp and clear for an arena setting. Banks and banks of synthesizers connected to make the concert attendies feel truely surrounded by the sound. As opposed to the concerts I saw in late 70's early 80's. In those shows the music just seemed loud and large amps helped it to slam into you. It was a louder/bigger is better philosophy. The music in this show was as if the music was moving through you. The Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphja is a relatively new venue which probably helped with that. The shows I attended back then were in the now demolished Spectrum.

 

Next was the visual differences. There have always been light shows with most rock concerts, but they have come a long way. A multitude of lasers in sync with the music, confetti being fanned out and suspended in the arena, alot of huge plastic balls the size of washing machines released onto the crowd, and different color wrist bands that were handed out and lit by a signal that lit up the entire crowd with blinking colors when the show began. It was an audio and visual kaleidoscope.

 

As I said I took my 17 yr old daughter and 15 yr old son who have never been to a concert. at that age I was a seasoned veteran of concerts. Having seen many shows by then without any parental escort. I also saw many other smaller children there 10, 12, yrs old etc. with their parents. There were groups of fans my age late forties early fifties with no kids as well. I found it odd so many different generations together for a concert. when I used to go it was strictly teens, maybe some people in their early twenties but that's it. My father a blue collar worker to the core, had a terrible job in the basement of a paper factory. he had alot of pride that he was able to get his family out of the city and earn enough to move his family to the suburbs of Philadelphia albeit barely. He had big scarred hands and intimidating piercing eyes and although proud generally pissed off at world. I can only imagine me asking him to take me to the Jethro Tull concert. After he got done looking at me like I had six heads his first question would be "who the hell is Jethro Tull?" followed quickly by " how much is this going to cost?". I would have to leave Ian Anderson out of this it will only piss him off more. Even If I were to convince him to take me he would never make it past the parking lot full of beer drinking, pot smoking teens.

 

This show had none of that. no one offered me or my family a hit of anything in the parking lot. In fact no one was hanging out in the parking lot pre concert to party at all. There were no teens who drank too much and were passed out in the mens room. There were no stumbling vomiting over partied teens anywhere. On top of that the band started on time, no one had to wake up the band from their road trip drunken oblivion. The times they are a changing. it was a complete culture change in my view.

 

A great show though and if your a fan and they come near a city close to you I suggest you get tickets.

 

DW