Official Coldplay Tour 6.13.03 NY Madison Square Garden
Sat Jun 14, 2003 5:47 am
Official Coldplay Tour New York City, NY, Madison Square Garden
It's 11:00am here in a hotel in Secaucus, New Jersy. We returned back here from the festivities at 4:00am, but most of us were up till 4:30. The "B" sides are here with us again; it's been amazing.
Certainly you guys know I don't have any images from this show yet. I know there are other shows that I've posted nothing on (yet) that surely deserve equal attention; It's just...everything is just churning around in my head about last night right now; a swirling vortex of emotions about the finale, the end of the tour, reflecting on our goodbyes...ok, a few tears. I just had to post something. (In text books, it's called post expressionism)
I have to make this short. We're supposed to catch a bus back into the city for some regular sightseeing, shopping and...I need to drink some more coffee from one of those downtown deli's again.
Gosh. I don't know where to start. We arrived here in NY Thursday arround 3:00pm after our long drive from some small town near Syracuse. Soon after we arrived, Blender Magazine arrived in a large RV with make up artists, wardrobe, photostylists and photographers. After a few hours of make up, there was a shoot and an interview. I didn't go because...well, I felt that getting something from Red Rocks was paramount. Thus, I missed covering the Blender shot in an old school bus. Anyway, press opportunities are occurring more often...and I can't be everywhere at one time and get any work done.
Yesterday, we popped up at 7:00am after hanging out with Eric Nicholson of Midlake till 3:00am....to be ready to go at 8:30am - for a photoshoot at 9:30am with Teen Vogue. That was fun and lasted right up until we had to be at the veune at 4:00 to yank all our gear out and sound check at 5:00. Everything got pushed back so Eisley didn't even get a line check. (no pressure, right?) I'll give more details about the photoshoot later....maybe.
So, last night's show closed the book on the Official Coldplay Tour with Ron Sexsmith and Eisley. How do I describe the experience? (oh, I have been....on this forum; good) I don't want to get hypy, but just so you guys know, I usually pull back in what I really want to say about these experiences. I purposely omit interesting conversations we have with the Coldplay guys and crew because i don't want it to come off the wrong way or exploit this forum for cheezy, opportunistic promotion.
Having made that public...the Madison Square Garden show proved to be the epic finale Eisley needed to brand themselves into the hearts of not only the Coldplay Team...but curious New Yorkers. Chris and Guy watched the entire show side stage with enthusiasm, the band performed with a kind of confidence I don't think I've seen...and I dunno, it was just a great show....honestly, one of many great shows. The crowd was super enthusiastic during the whole set. 5 songs and the close; The sustain on the last chord of Tree Tops hung on forever as I searched for a response from the crowd. Soon I realized that the clapping had been in the mix for a while as the cresendo finally topped the song ending and the 1/4 full MSG audience unleashed a robust, lingering stream of applause that I believe to was cathartic. Wiping away tears, I pressed to the back stage area to help strike gear.
The show was one of the best, if not "the" best. In energy and presence and sheer volume, it ranked #1. I suppose that's fitting since NY is on of the 2 music mecca's of the world and...in a way, it really felt like there was an expectation on the band to be able to prove themselves here. People we met all day were saying things like, "wow...are you guys scared? Playing the MSG...oh man...I think I'd poop in my pants". We had to wake Weston up from a deep sleep only 10 minutes before the set. He said the first 2 songs were like a dream...he was trying to figure out where he was. Guy thought it was amusing and expressed how he thought he'd be way more nervous playing this show.
Maybe it isn't so strange that nobody was nervous for this gig; that seems normal right? Opening for Coldplay in Madison Square Garden before a seasoned, musical crowd of New Yorkers after much hype and press in magazines like Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly and many others just a few weeks after the release of your first ep into a market place of critics, industry and radio peeps?
Well, if you ever get to hear the live recording of the show, you'll sence how naturally peaceful and vulnerable they are. That's unique to the band... they just don't have a sence of self preservation when it comes to behaving like rock stars...that's cool with me.
After the show we had to wait inside the venue for a few hours so we could get all our mech and close out the night. Around 2:00am, we all climbed into 3 taxi's and literally rocketed over to the "after show party" at a club called Joe's Pub somewhere deep in the city...I dunno. Once inside, we saw it was packed like vienna sausage. (sardines is cliche')
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hey. people are waking up. I have to get going. try to pick back up on this later. We leave tomorrow on the long trek back toward Texas. I'll have time to work in the van. Meanwhile, I'll post some more tonight. Havent't had time to proof this...or spell check. sorry. bdout
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SINCERE APOLOGIES FOR GETTING SUCKED INTO ALL MANER OF BAND BUSINESS UPON OUR RETURN. I AM WORKING ON MSG RIGHT NOW... WILL TRY TO POST SOME IMAGES SOON. and there's still Toronto to do....ahhHHHHHHhhhh......bd
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UPDATE
I've been combing through the footage as opportunities allowed this afternoon and night. I had heavy demands place on me...a webzine needed images but none that were already on our site. That presented some (good) trouble.... and, I had to go out to eat with my wife...and drop off the band at rehearsal space. btw. Stacy's voice is almost completely gone and we have a show tomorrow night. That's so sad.
Back to NY. Wow. I didn't really realize until after seeing the tapes quite how few people were actually in attendance for their show. It really sounded like maybe 5,000; (I've been getting good at reading things and guessing numbers) But there were huge pockets of chairs where nobody was in...up close and out along the walls. Super sporatic. I'll bet there weren't more than 3,000...not sure. So I was sorta discouraged...but when i realized how few people were making noise, I thought...wow. That's freaking amazing. It's not about how big the crowd anyway...
I'd guess that the band is WAY more nervous about the two local shows here in Texas than they were at MSG. Why? Because at a new venue, who knows you? Nobody....it's just so ominous...almost fake. And what's more, you don't have as much to prove. Nobody expects to be impressed with an opening band....most people don't even show or come expecting to hate opening acts. (well, not me....but) Contrast that with the local scene....all your friends and new fans are there....so naturally, there's all this hype about the band in all the news papers, webzines, yaddah, yahdahh.....
I'm brain dead. have to get to sleep. I'll post a few pics...completely out of order and later fix it all. I have niagra falls shots that should be before these..so....gunite. bd
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You pay a small toll...bunches of lanes feed into 2...you drive
under the water that separates NY from NJ. It's crazy... well,
because...we had to build this man made phenominon ourselves
like we did in Colorado and other places during this tour.
More on this subject at a later date. (Ok. It's later) Look, I know this seems
(to the untrained eye) like a fancy, NY tunnel. But, we created this tunnel
just to get into the city ourselves. Yes. We had to drill through rocks and
steel shanks left over from the old New York (before Octune Metro fell).
Absurd, yes. You laugh, no. But it's all true. Funny? NO. Weston was out
there holding the robotron when the hydrolic to our ZimZim 6500 series
Robo-drill busted; we almost shimmed off one of the robotic arms in the
process. Worse, Weston was thrown into the concentric tooth multcher. I'm
sitting there holding the auto-pole when I see his legs go flying up...and
zoom...in he went. No worry, I saw him quick enough and cut the power.
He was sorta greasy and had some scrapes, but...he was fine. In the end,
we bored completely through, under the water in 18 minutes...and we
celebrated by commemorating our accomplishment with a bit of TILE
graphics that I was able to create from the old Nautilus Empire (600
leagues under; that city block was fried, dude...but it provided some good
ebony chunks for our tile). I'll never forget the look on that security
guard's face when we poked through up on 6th avenue and Cherry Street.
I don't even know what this is... a building to celebrate the people who live
in the city? A business? A hotel? Art deco-ish. I like.
We're from East Texas. We don't have this kind of architechture.
It's going to bore the dawg out of a New Yorker to see this. But,
the rain dancing on top of the blorby facade...now that's art.
Chris dropped us off at the corner of someplace and somewhere in
something East village for this Teen Vogue photoshoot. There was nice
food, and really cool people. That's our rig driving off. I will build a
section right under this shoot soon. (no really)
ok. Here's one just for fun. But there will be more. I don't want to blow
their cover...or story. Better wait. Close ups only. It's always the same;
make up, hair, wardrobe, shoot. The set and the photographer's eye is
what makes the image happen. I have tons of video from this. I was
bored. Talked to Rick - Flaming Lip's publicist (WB) all morning/aft. off
and on. He came to be with Eisley since he was in NY and could help out.
Nice guy. Somewhere I have an image of him.
This little joint where the shoot took place was called "The Country
Club"...but looked more like an oriental lair. Inside, very ornate, eclectic,
lots of old junk and weird, vintage lighting...antique sofas with gold painted
scrolly trim.
These photos will truely rock. The set was great...like the backdrop was
the outside wall of what I described earlier - which was even cooler than
the inside ....And the band picked this white garb out. It's an astounding
unity...if a few of them like something, they all just go for it and decide it
IS cool.
We spent too long in the Sketcher shoe store across the street. I was
bored. So I called my 2 brothers and other friends from outside the place.
The girls and guys did get some really cool shoes. NO wait, that was
Saturday. We're still looking at Friday - the day of the show. I must have
just passed by this and I was filming.
I might not want to stay there...not sure. But the buildings just look cool.
We took a mini-van cab and crammed ourselves into it to get back to the
venue on time. This is just a shot along the way.
Harder to film Eisley watching Coldplay. Here's a stab at it.
She wore this greyish/metalish looking smock. Is that what you call it?
Like a dress...sorta.
Fooling with in-ear monitors. always.
always.
How can you play at Madison Square Garden and not get a line check?
Even baby bands at the smallest venues in the country get that. But,
it really didn't matter. Everything worked out just fine.
Sherri bathed in purple light...
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I promise; we're not even 1/8th of the way through. I'm getting tired...
loosing time....pale english faces...making layaway plans....thumpin' bass...Zac and Sara....(corrected. I spelled Sarah with an "H". Have you heard any of Ben's live work? How did that crowd harmonize so well on the ahhh's after "..he was not the same after that"....(?) Could he have trained them beforehand? Sounds like a massive choir. oh well... what an amazing artist....ok, going to sleep. it's only 2:39am but...can't hold a thought for over a millisecond at a time... bdout.
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It's Sunday night. I know what it looks like...'ole Boyd gets home, enjoys the good life...and ends up dumping the "NY posting" for a good lawn mowing on a hot June eve while drinking tempid Coca-Cola from an aluminum cup and slapping mosquitoes with his bear hands. (well, I'm a mammal, but I don't have claws); But it's not true. I didn't mow the yard.
I worked up until it was time to leave for Ft. Worth yesterday. We didn't leave the venue until 1:30am and only drug our carcass's home by 3:30am and were in bed by 4:00am. Sidbar: My mom and dad popped themselves in the van with us in favor of attending a rock show rather than a family reunion. (family reunion members banned from this board.) My mom and dad are cool...especially since, in the early 70's, they allowed me and my brothers to jam upstairs in our bedrooms...like,at such loud decibals that it rattled our windows and gave us brain damage. They, of course, love Eisley....and the Beatles, so we played Magical Mystery Tour on the way to Ft. Worth.
But, wull...today, ok...we were busy all day - (we are the music at the Vineyard - our "counter cultural"-strip center, genx church. I'm laughing at the reference to counter culture...that's in my head because a reporter from the Tyler Paper came today with pen and paper - asking about everything...and wanted to know if it was a "counter culture" church) and then went to eat and then we had to go to a funeral. Very sad... So, we came home and slept, since we only had 3 hours of sleep and plus, we needed to get rid of some sadness. Seeing children cry made us cry.
But I've been working on the images...for the last 2 hours. Sorry. Not trying to turn this into a diary; and I know it's not like the whole world is waiting on a few silly pictures of our trip to NY. I just want to follow through and get this finished; that's all. I'll probably stay up late tonight...really late. bd
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OK. here's the next batch. I still have to go back and scoop up some of the band at Niagra Falls...and perhaps some more live shots at MSG. THERE
ARE CUT LINES BELOW EACH OF THE PREVIOUSLY POSTED SO YOU'LL
HAVE A CLUE WHAT THE IMAGE IS ABOUT. Note: I will find some more shots of the lives show for sure...but, isn't that getting kinda boring? Are
the slice of life shots and landscapes boring you? I can cut them out. There
are no rules here.
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After the show, crew members were knocking on the dressing room
door and asking for CD's. One guy said, can I have 2? My niece is in
the right demographic. I think I forgot it later.
Rare sighting.
Little sister Christie drinks Arizona tea...
There were peeps in the hall. (no lunatics) Sherri is doing something to
little brother's arm (Collin). Also, the guy in the background...can't
remember his name, but one of these guys was there with his wife...from
Boston to see Eisley. He's playing their stuff on an "adventure club" type
format. (like the Edge here in Dallas) cool. Nice guy.
We were all just standing around. Somewhere...can't remember if it was
here, we saw Mike Myers (sp?) and David Bowie...just passing through. I
don't know why. Probably Coldplay fans. Who isn't these days?
Telling Ron goodbye. sniff, sniff...
no clue.
Matt, making sure we're connected....probably yakking with
K-Thor (Matt is Johnny's guitar tech.)
Talking to someone in the dressing room.
Where were they? Did anyone at the show find them?
Caroline...does make up and stuff...came to the show; also...that's
Jeremy B from the board on the left. Also, flew in for the show.
Remember the story from my journal? (somewhere) We grabbed 3 cabs
and shot off at 50mph far away from MSG to "Joes Pub" for some after
tour party. It was dark outside...and a bit spooky. We walked up the stairs,
flashed our badges and went inside. omg. It was so loud. See Will (CP
drummer) in the corner playing the tunes. And packed. You could only
achieve movement by pushing through with force. Anyway, we didn't want
to stay, so we just made the rounds and told everyone goodbye.
There were some great conversations - especially with Guy. (CP Bass
player) He yakked at me for 15 minutes solid about how much he loved
touring with Eisley..and, well all kinds of flowery stuff along the same lines
that he also repeated to the band...for about 30 minutes. These are just
just some of the pics of conversations happening in that madness. He had
watched their entire set from side-stage at MSG that night...and, well, was
very enthusiastic...anyway; we've said it before, and will probably say it
again....but those Coldplay guys are some of the most humble, genuine
guys on the planet. They treated us like guests and freinds...behaved like
gentlemen. Very consistent.
Outside....back in the dark. That's Darin Harmon from Nettwerk. Darin does
all kinds of stuff the the band... and was with Dave when they flew in on
that infamous, historic day - friday Nov. 21, 2002 to see Eisley for the first
time at The Door. (one week after the North Texas New Music Festival
where...well, that's an old story too)
K-Thor and Eric of Midlake. (unselfish plug... midlake.net)
We're trying to get everyone together after being wisked back to MSG
where our van is parked outside unattended. It's 3:00am and we're
shot. I like that cap she wears.
Of course, we had to gore through another passageway to get outside
of NY because we couldn't find our other entry. Not sure how this truck
managed to get in front of our powertools, hydrolics, and dual drill
sequencers. It's so noisy in these underwater chambers when the you're
drilling; grease and rocks and roots and old burnt pieces of metal are
flying everywhere before you slap the tile up. That takes the longest. It's
hot until you get the vents routed to topside. This tunnel took us only 14.7
minutes to build...
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I will perhaps document our departure and a bit of our trip home. There is still much work to be done on this NY post...entire chunks are missing. I think. Thanks for tuning in - whoever you are. bd
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I worked on gathering more NY shots today...found some great ones....but, this radio thing in the morning and all the coordination for the two shows this weekend kept me way busy today. I WILL do this.
Did you guys see this on the eisleyblog? Just in case you haven't been over there - Sinead's post from the UK:
http://www.eisley.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1425
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