09.30.05
Posted in Rants at 6:23 pm by Adriene
So, it became clear to me that someone used a link from my blog today to hurt someone else. And I am NOT cool with that. AT ALL.
I’ve removed the link to the blog where all the drama happened, and I’ve apologized to the writer for what happened. Because I feel it’s my fault. Luckily, the person who this involves is a very loving and kind person and has forgiven me for it.
But that still doesn’t change the fact that I am pissed off for essentially having a link from my blog being used as a tool in someone else’s rather twisted mind game. Especially someone who’s old enough to know better.
So, babe, I’m sorry for all the strife I’ve caused over the last six hours or so. And since I know dude will probably read my blog and post something snarky, just be assured that when he does, I’ll either delete it or be REALLY not-so-nice back. Hopefully the former, because I really don’t want to sink to this guy’s level.
[Editor's note: I have removed commenting abilities for this post.]
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09.29.05
Posted in My Immaculate Taste in Music at 12:57 pm by Adriene
Dear Bono:
You’ve got company.
Love,
Your Fans
Occasionally a band comes along that has a frontman capable of taking a 20,000-seat arena and making it feel like an intimate 100-person club. I can personally vouch for Bono’s ability to do so, having seen it in person three times now (with a fourth coming up in November). His charisma and ability to connect with an audience makes it feel like you’re actually part of the show, even if you’re sitting in row ZZZZ of section 547.
However, after having seen Coldplay live last night at Philips Arena, I can safely say that Bono isn’t alone in his ability to perform that feat. Chris Martin obviously eats audience participation up, and does anything and everything he can to get the crowd singing along with him and on their feet (including running through the audience all the way to the back of the arena!). He was a one-man whirling dervish last night, leaping up on the cabinets on the side of the stage, yelling “I can see all of you way in the back” during numbers, and letting the audience take lead on the songs on occasion.
Apparently Atlanta holds a special place in Coldplay’s heart. Chris kept commenting on how much they love playing in Atlanta, all the while doing all he could to assure us that he wasn’t simply saying that to all the cities they played in on this tour. 
I’m not sure how much I buy that, but I do know that they spend a lot of time here, and have a close relationship with several Atlanta-area artists (REM, Sir Elton John, OutKast, etc.). So, the fact that they love Atlanta is believeable, even if Chris’ assertion that they weren’t gushing over all the other cities on the tour wasn’t. 
The show started a little later than planned last night, with openers Rilo Kiley taking the stage around 7:45pm. On the Jeff Holland Scale for Rating Opening Bands (where a 10 means “OHMYGOSH, I HAVE TO BUY THEIR CD RIGHT NOW!,” a 1 means “I think I’d rather pluck every hair off of my body than listen to this band again,” and a 5 means “Well, they didn’t piss me off.”), I’d rate them around a 6 or a 7. They were good, but I wasn’t blown away. But, I’ll admit that I’m probably overly-hard on chick-fronted bands. I guess I think you have to be spectacular to get beyond the gimmick of “Hey, we have a girl singing lead! We’re different!” But I digress.
After about a 20-minute intermission to change the stage setup, Coldplay took the stage at around 9:05pm:
1. “Square One” - Way cool opening number. The screens behind the stage came alive in color while Chris took the unusual position of starting to sing BEHIND the band instead of front and center like most vocalists. But, he didn’t stay there for long, leaping around the stage and in general getting the crowd warmed up.
2. “Politik” - Chris worked in a few references to OutKast and Sir Elton John in this version. 
Will Champion pounded the drums like a madman and made this song everything I’d hoped it would be live.
3. “Yellow” - Anyone who knows me will tell you that this is not my favorite Coldplay song at all. But, it was actually quite enjoyable live. I called Kari so she and Mike could listen to it while it was playing. About halfway during the song, a bunch of confetti-filled yellow baloons dropped from the ceiling and the crowd had fun bouncing them around during the rest of the song. Chris decided to spear about five of them with his guitar at the end.
4. “God Put A Smile Upon Your Face” - I was actually pleasantly surprised how many people in the audience knew this one from beginning to end.
5. “Speed of Sound” - It felt like being in the video for this song. The backdrop was the same as the backdrop behind them in the video. Excellent live!!
6. “Everything’s Not Lost” - The crowd was really beginning to get into the show at this point! This version was probably about twice as long as the CD version due to the call and answer sing-along that Chris led.
7. “White Shadows” - This was one I was very eager to hear done live. It’s probably tied with “Talk” as my favorite off of X&Y. I guess that’s because it combines the strengths of all four members together in a very nice package. I wasn’t disappointed. Guy Berryman’s thumping bass melted with Johnny Buckland’s guitar into a perfect gooey mess.
8. “The Scientist” - Chris started this one a little off-key, tried to recover and then stopped abruptly with a “S*%@! Let’s start over! Be glad we weren’t on live radio, because we’d never be asked to come back!” But, once they recovered, it was most excellent. The only thing that was a bit confusing was the mix that they used at the very end to fill the time it took to get them all to the front of the stage for the next portion of the show - it almost sounded like one of their monitors was getting a lot of feedback. But, considering, it wasn’t that big of a deal.
9. “Til Kingdom Come” - This was the first song in a three-part mini-set where all four band members were at the front of the stage. It presented a bit of a change-up, instrument-wise. Will walked from behind the drum kit and sat at a keyboard for this set. Guy swapped his bass for an acoustic guitar and harmonica. Johnny stayed on electric guitar, and Chris kept his acoustic. Chris explained that this was their “Johnny Cash tribute” portion of the show.
But, back to the song. I love this song. You can easily tell that X&Y’s lyrics were heavily influenced by his marriage since AROBTTH. Jeff and I had a grand time singing this to each other…. For you I’d wait/ til Kingdom Come…
10. “Ring of Fire” - And speaking of Johnny Cash tributes, they did a rousing rendition of Cash’s classic. The entire crowd was singing right along with them.
11. “Don’t Panic” - “Jesus, man! That was like the best intro ever and you screwed it up!” Between “Ring of Fire” and “Don’t Panic,” Chris called attention to a sign a fan was holding at about the fifth row that proclaimed in hot pink letters “GUY BERRYMAN IS A SEX GOD!” Chris, of course, took the opportunity to embarrass his bassist good and thoroughly. After a few good ribbings he then cued Guy (on acoustic) to start the beginning strains of “Don’t Panic.” Guy, still flustered, couldn’t get it right for the first two tries. Third time was a charm, though! A great stripped-back version of this song that has definitely grown on me the more I listen to it.
12. “Trouble” - A nice, pleasant surprise. I hadn’t seen this one on any set lists from this tour yet. But, as Chris promised earlier in the set, “We’ve got a few nice treats for you, Atlanta! You’re one of our favorites!” I love, love, LOVE this song - it’s probably in my top 5 of Coldplay’s catalog. The live version was absolutely wonderful to hear.
13. “Clocks” - Jeff really got into this one - I think this is his favorite Coldplay song. Of course you already know this song rocked live - Chris’s ethereal piano-playing was excellent, as usual. Carla had requested that I call her and let her hear “Shiver” or “Green Eyes” if they played them, with “Clocks” as a backup if they didn’t play either one. So, I called her during this one.
14. “Talk” - Ah, the one I’d been looking forward to all night. There’s no other way to describe this song other than to say it will melt your face off. I, of course, was singing as loudly as I possibly could during this one. During the quiet instrumental break, Chris made it a point to say “Alright, everyone get out your cameras - when the lights come back up it will make for a great shot!” Tee hee. Funny thing to say at a show where the tickets exclaim in bright bold letters “NO CAMERAS OR RECORDING.” Guess that means they don’t mind.
After the song was over, Chris asked us to hold tight and say that the band would be back in about two minutes.
ENCORE
1. “Nightswimming” - Probably the biggest surprise of the night. Chris comes back out and sits alone at the piano and talks about how, the last time they were in Atlanta, they asked Sir Elton John to play “Trouble” with them onstage at the Gwinnett Center. So, they pondered how to have a similar experience during this show. He said that they thought about it, and who else to ask other than one of Georgia’s favorite sons? “Ladies and gentlemen, REM’s Michael Stipe!” Of course, the crowd went absolutely bonkers.
Michael comes out, and I ponder for a second if he’s one of those weird people who the TV camera actually makes look 10 pounds THINNER. He looked a bit meatier than I’m used to seeing him, but he was still thin as a rail nonetheless. He and Chris launch into an excellent rendition of REM’s “Nightswimming,” with Michael on vocals and Chris on piano. Muy excelante. (Jeff’s referred to this song as the “cherry on top” of this show. I agree.)
2. “In My Place” - Ahhhhhhhh…. my absolute favorite Coldplay song! I was singing this one so loudly with my eyes shut that, until Jeff elbowed me in the ribs to get my attention, I almost missed Chris leaping off of the stage and running through the crowd (surrounded by security, obviously) to the very back of the arena and hopping up on one of the cabinets at the sound board and singing to those in the “cheap seats.” Also another song that was probably twice as long as it usually is on CD because of the extended sing-along.
3. “Fix You” - Chris wrote this one for his wife after she lost her father. It’s a beautiful song in and of itself, and it’s absolutely that much better live. Chris was back on stage and at the piano for this one - the crowd was singing right along with him. I thought about how I wished I had a number I could reach Michaela at, as I know how she said she’d love to hear this song live, and considering she’s just been through an extremely trying time lately. But alas, I didn’t. Mic, just remember you were thought of.
Chris improvised some lyrics at the very end to say goodbye to everyone and the band took their customary bows at the end. I was walking on a cloud the rest of the night.
So, in all, a very, VERY excellent show. (What more can you say about a show where the vocalist is completely drenched down the front and has a hole in his shirt at the end?) I’d place it in my top five of all time. Heck, I’d even place it above one of the U2 shows I’ve been to. (Yes, I really said that. You can pick yourself up off the floor now.) The only thing I was a bit confused about was the fact that this was the “Twisted Logic” tour, yet the actual song “Twisted Logic” made no appearance during this set at all. But I guess if that’s the biggest problem I have with it, then we’re okay.
I’m already eagerly anticipating their next tour. Which I know will probably be at least two years from now, but hey, a girl can dream, right?
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09.27.05
Posted in IDIOT!! at 1:39 pm by Adriene
I should probably be ashamed of Cobb County for this, but it’s too darn funny.
Smyrna cop smacked with chicken wings
Associated Press
Published on: 09/27/05
A Florida woman was arrested after allegedly attacking a Smyrna police officer with a plate of chicken wings and a 2-liter bottle, police said.
Beverly Anne Campbell, 61, of St. Petersburg, Fla., was arrested for misdemeanor battery and felony assault on a police officer, according to a Smyrna police arrest warrant. She was also arrested on a misdemeanor charge of inciting a riot, the warrant said.
The incident happened Friday during a function at the Smyrna Community Center, said Capt. Keith Zgnoc, a police spokesman.
Officer W. D. Nesbit stopped a driver leaving the event who was traveling the wrong way on a one-way street.
But Campbell apparently objected to the traffic stop and attempted to turn the crowd against the officer, according to the warrant.
She allegedly threw the plate of chicken wings at Nesbit, hit him with the Coke bottle in the neck and then punched him in the face, “several times, leaving visible injuries,” according to the warrant.
Another partygoer, Darius Campbell, was arrested on felony obstruction and misdemeanor counts of battery and inciting a riot.
The car driver, Brian Cedric Campbell, was arrested for aggravated assault on an officer and obstruction and misdemeanor counts of inciting a riot, disobeying a traffic control device and refusing a DUI test.
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