Last night we went to see Coldplay live at the HP Pavilion. It was amazing, such a treat to finally see them do their thing. I still think they’re a ways off from perfecting their arena presence (no need for U2 to get worried yet…), as I felt that the show lost a little bit of steam in the middle. But when they come out and do their anthems and hits, they are simply on fire. What a treat. Below are some photos and video. More pictures at http://rianvdm.smugmug.com/gallery/5473984_tKYX4
First Song – Violet Hill:
Viva La Vida:
Some "Speed of Sound":
Any guesses which songs this was? Hint – it’s a color…
At one point Chris Martin said, hey, we don’t like playing at this side of the building any more… They then ran up and did a couple of songs right next to us!
With all the negativity that exists among many South Africans right now, and the mostly negative news we get here overseas, it’s interesting and refreshing to see the variety of sites springing up that highlights the positive news. For example:
It’s the face of a "positive backlash" I see coming out of South Africa. I get a sense from a lot of people that they just want the complainers to get out of the country as soon as possible, so that those who really want to stay and make a difference can go about their business of building this great nation without distraction. I say, more power to them!
This is just a quick, no-pressure post to let you know that Jess and I will be running the San Jose Rock & Roll half-marathon on October 5th to raise money for Team World Vision.World Vision is a humanitarian organization that tackles the root causes of poverty by working with children, families, and their communities to reach their full potential. They do this by providing basics like clean water, health care, nutritious food, education, and economic opportunities to those who need it most, all over the world.