Coldplay rocks Rogers Centre

Coldplay’s Chris Martin kicks the party into gear

Confetti-filled yellow balloons descend onto fans during song of same name

“I don’t know what else is happening on a Thursday night in Toronto but thank you for coming,” said Chris Martin midway through the COLDPLAY concert at Rogers Centre.

Happening, was a swell of fan adoration beginning earlier in the morning as fans lined up outside Rogers Centre prepared to wait all day to see their favourite band.

Responding with equal parts showmanship, musicianship and sheer excitement to be on the stage, COLDPLAY did not disappoint anyone in the packed audience.

Lights, balloons, paper butterflies and hit song after hit song from the band’s Grammy-winning repertoire kept the crowd constantly cheering throughout the night. Opening with tracks from VIVA LA VIDA, Martin and the boys launched into a few of their original colossal hits including “Yellow,” "Clocks," and “In My Place.”

Switching gears midway through the concert, Martin announced that “This is the quiet part of the show. Our drummer Will has coined this the Michael Bolton special.” With just a spotlight on Martin and his piano, the band launched into a poignant rendition of “The Hardest Part.”

Quickly jumping back into a high energy mode, the crowd let out a collective cheer as the first notes of “Viva la Vida” shook the stage. Martin was in his element running from one end of the stage to the other. Fans in the standing room only front section got an extra special treat as Martin used the two catwalks on each side of the stage to get up close and personal to thank them.

Clearly showing no sign of tour fatigue, the band moved seamlessly into “Lost,” another track from their latest album. With feeling, Martin sang the chorus “just waiting ‘til the shine wears off” and given the enthusiastic crowd response, this band will sparkle for many years to come.

Without a lighter in sight, Martin invited the audience to put a twist on an old classic by inviting the audience to put out their cellphones and raise them in the air. And with a bit of coordination a cellphone wave came together that had light moving in a smooth arc from one side of the stadium to the other. The light show was a first for Rogers Centre and also for many in the crowd.

The main stage clearly not big enough to contain Martin’s kinetic energy, the band switched locations for an acoustic set that included a cover of “Billie Jean” in tribute to Michael Jackson. With a techno version of “Death and All His Friends” which melded into a crunching version of “Politik” it was back to business for the band and their fans.

Before closing out the show, the Martin surprised fellow band-mate Will Champion by publicly announcing his birthday, bringing out a cake and balloons and leading the entire crowd of over 45,000 fans in a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday.

Truly gifted magicians, COLDPLAY brought both intimacy and depth to a live show that gave back to the fans that have kept them at number one since their debut.