FALL 2015
PAGE 11
Pentatonix Delivers Exciting Performance
With help from openers Abi and Us the Duo
Jessica Barry , ‘ 18 Contributor
Pentatonix performed at TD Garden in Boston on November 9 . Country and pop singer Abi , and pop and folk band Us the Duo opened the four hour concert . Abi , also known as Abi Ann on her Facebook page , performed first , playing seven pop-sounding songs with a country spin , including “ Future Ex-Boyfriend .” The songs sounded good , and the singer ’ s voice was great , but the crowd did not have a large reaction because she is not that popular yet , and we were still excitedly waiting to hear Pentatonix . Abi exclaimed how much she enjoyed playing in Boston , which made the crowd a little more excited , but overall they were fairly quiet . The next band was Us the Duo ; they played eight pop-like songs with haunting undertones , which made them sound unique . The duo is a married couple , and they had amazing voices . Both were very talented at playing various instruments . Later on , Us the Duo was invited back to the stage to perform with Pentatonix , singing Dolly Parton ' s “ Jolene .” Their performance was fantastic , earning a great response from the audience . Finally , after about two hours from the openers , Pentatonix performed 18 songs ( including " Na Na Na ," " Misbeavin " and " Daft Punk ") plus two encores (“ Light in the Hallway ” and “ Sing ”). They performed many of their original songs from their multiple albums , but also sang covers of popular songs including “ Cheerleader ” by OMI , “ No ” by Meaghan Trainor and “ Gold ” by Kiiara , which got the crowd excited and even more involved . The audience was extremely active in singing and dancing along while they performed and gave multiple standing ovations . They even encouraged an encore at the end by cheering until Pentatonix came back out on stage . The concert was very well done because of the amazing performances from the opening bands leading up to Pentatonix coming out on stage . It was both exciting and interactive , with Pentatonix inviting a few people onstage to sing with them . They also said how they love performing in Boston while sharing a bit of their personal lives in between songs . Pentatonix sounded very similar to their recordings , and it was extremely enjoyable to listen to as a fan of the group . The audience was also enthusiastic with the performance and showed that by singing along and cheering loudly . Attending the concert was an amazing experience because of how the bands sounded , and the overall cheerful atmosphere in the venue . They made the concert superb . Pentatonix has a new Christmas album out called " A Pentatonix Christmas " featuring the group ’ s arrangement of the recently departed Leonard Cohen classic “ Hallelujah ,” And , their Christmas special , featuring Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson will air on NBC on December 14 .
“ PENTATONIX
SOUNDED VERY SIMILAR TO THEIR RECORDINGS , AND THEY WERE EXTREMELY ENJOYABLE TO LISTEN TO .”
JESSICA BARRY ‘ 18
Pentatonix ( Promotional RCA Records )
Coldplay Lights Up Gillette
A show filled with color and incredible performances
Emily Dankese ‘ 20 Contributor
On July 30 Coldplay visited Gillette Stadium to play for a sold-out crowd . Their recent album and tour is called “ A Head Full of Dreams ." Not only did the band play almost every song on their new album , they also played many old hits dating back to 2000 . Front man and vocalist Chris Martin , guitarist Jonny Buckland , bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion entertained the energized crowd with over two hours of music . Every fan who entered was given a “ Xyloband ,” which is an LED wristband equipped with a radio receiver that can be programmed to light up at specific times or in sync with the music , to create a sea of colors . After two upbeat opening performances by Alessia Cara and Foxes , the pitch black stadium lit up red as the band appeared on stage . The show kicked off with confetti and fireworks as the band opened with “ A Head Full of Dreams .” Fans would not have a chance to sit down for the next six songs , including “ Yellow ,” their 2000 breakthrough hit . For that one , the stadium turned yellow with lights and Xylobands as the song was introduced .
After that , the audience settled in to listen , and cry , to a moving performance of “ The Scientist .” Later , the band sang an energetic “ Paradise ,” while the Xylobands changed from purple to blue to green . Martin danced with the audience running up and down the stage ’ s runway . After performing for 45 minutes , Martin talked to the audience for a while . Shortly after , the band played the beautiful song " Everglow ," with a world peace video in the background . Red Xylobands and lasers flashed across the stadium during the performance of the band ' s 2002 hit “ Clocks .” While dancing to “ Charlie Brown ,” it seemed as though everyone forgot their worries and just enjoyed the moment . The new hit song , " Hymn for the Weekend " followed . Then , Coldplay belted out the stunning song “ Fix You ,” which was full of passion and enthusiasm . It brought everyone together , singing the lyrics while Martin caught his breath . The band surprised the audience with a cover of David Bowie ’ s “ Heroes ” as a tribute to the late artist . After that the audience was back on their feet screaming every lyric of “ Viva La Vida .” As soon as the audience heard
Buckland play the “ Adventure of a Lifetime ” guitar riff , everyone was dancing . Confetti shot into the air and giant balloons were thrown out into the crowd . The band played four songs on the tiny C- stage , located towards the back of the stadium . Later on , Martin told the crowd that the C-stage was about the size of the room of one of their first gigs . All four Coldplay members were extremely modest and kind , sincerely thanking everyone for coming out to see them . Although light rain started to come down , it didn ’ t kill the band ' s or the audience ’ s energy as the encore started . The audience slowly swayed back and forth listening to the melodious “ Amazing Day .” The audience was brought back to 2014 when the hit “ A Sky Full of Stars ” began to play . The Xylobands turned dark and turquoise blue , sparkling , and making Gillette really look like a sky full of stars . " Up and Up ," the new song that was played at the Superbowl , brought everyone together for one last time as fireworks exploded . The concert was surely not one to miss . For people who missed it , or want to see Coldplay again , they will be back at Gillette on August 4 , 2017 .
Coldplay at Gillette Stadium ( Photo by Emily Dankese ‘ 20 )
“ Fans would not have a chance to sit down for the next six songs .”
Emily Dankese ‘ 20