The show aspired to be one of the biggest spectacles Utah had ever seen, as frontman Chris Martin said himself during the show. While it ultimately fell short of fulfilling Martin's prediction, it was nevertheless a performance with moments that would make even Bono envious.
The 100-minute show, with two encores, certainly showed a band trying hard to become the biggest band in the world. There was an elaborate stage production featuring six revolving globes and two video screens high in the rafters that showed images that were more like artistic concert film footage than the standard visuals of the lead singer singing. And near the end of the set, thousands of flourescent paper butterflies, reflected in the stage's lights, floated onto the crowd that created one of the most dazzling scenes of any concert this year.
But some problems popped up. For all of Martin's amiability, the band seemed to try too hard. The concert was bookended by pretentious recorded classical music accompanied by rising and falling curtains. Some of the more intimate songs, such as "Yellow" and "In My Place" were transformed into bombastic anthems that didn't suit the spirit of the simple love songs on record. Compounding the situation was the notorious sound problems of the arena which muddied the more orchestral numbers of the band like "Viva La Vida" and "Politik." Martin was talkative, but it was difficult deciphering what he was saying. And while drummer Guy Champion was an amazing, hard-hitting musician, sidemen Jonny Buckland and Guy Berryman showed neither the personality nor the stagemanship that elevated the rest of the band.
That is not to say that the show was disappointing. Martin is a frontman in the best sense of the word, when he isn't playing piano or guitar. He frequently twirled around in circles with arms flailing, stopping only to thrust his fingers into the air as if he was the conductor of both his band and the adoring audience. The huge backdrop behind the stage changed regularly between video screens, complete darkness, the album cover and the slogan "Viva." Rather than staying in place for the entirety of the show, the band regularly used two side stages that extended into the audience. In one of the most unusual but fun parts of the concert, the band went to seats near the rear of the arena and performed two acoustic songs, including the gorgeous "The Scientist," while surprised fans surrounded them.
For all of the buildup, the concert seemed to end too soon, as the classical music blared and the house lights came up. It was as if the crowd had been promised a life-changing experience, but in the end, the show was anticlimactic.
