THE GORGE AMPHITHEATER, GEORGE, WA :: I love the fact that one of the most spectacular concert venues in the world is right in our backyard, just a few hours drive from Seattle. The last show we saw at the Gorge was a festival featuring Moby, David Bowie, Busta Rhymes and DJ Tiesto in 2002. That was over seven years ago! When I heard Coldplay's Viva La Vida Tour was making a stop there, I scored a couple tickets and we were set to return.

Coldplay is not a band I had really followed too much. In fact, for a long time I tried to despise them, because the lead singer openly admits to emulating U2's anthemic sound with hopes of overtaking their status as the biggest rock band in the world. Well, U2's been a long time favorite of mine, and sorry Chris Martin, you're no Bono... But every time I hear a Coldplay song played on the radio, I can't resist turning it up and humming along. I guess you can't really dislike a band that sounds the same as your favorite. They even played U2's "Magnificent" a few minutes before coming onto the stage.

The show was pretty amazing. We weren't expecting to stand through the entire concert, especially in the triple-digit heat, but we did. Martin made several comments on the gorgeous venue and even sang a short song about the Pacific Northwest. He was jumping and dancing around the stage nonstop, and it was difficult to capture him as anything other than a blur in my photos. Twice during the show, the band left the main stage and walked through the crowd, performing a few accoustic songs each time on a pair of tiny platforms in different areas of the floor. During one of these accoustic sets, Martin covered Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean."

The band's high energy, great music and banter made the concert fun, as did the props and effects. During the song, "Yellow," a few dozen giant, yellow, inflatable balls were released and bounced around. During "Lovers in Japan," several large cannons blasted butterfly-shaped confetti above the crowd throughout the song. That was Kristie's favorite moment.

It was another great night at the Gorge! Hopefully we'll be back again for another fun show sooner rather than later.

Coldplay's Setlist: (Amadou & Mariam opened) Life In Technicolor, Violet Hill, Clocks, In My Place, Yellow, Glass Of Water, Cemeteries Of London, 42, Fix You, Strawberry Swing, God Put A Smile Upon Your Face, Talk, The Hardest Part, Postcards From Far Away, Viva La Vida, Lost, Green Eyes, Death Will Never Conquer, Billie Jean (MJ tribute), Viva La Vida (remix interlude), Politik, Lovers In Japan, Death And All His Friends, The Scientist, Life in Technicolor II, The Escapist (outro)

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