Coldplay / Snow Patrol / Howling Bells Finally Give Des Moines Something to Cheer About

Coldplay live in Iowa 6/12/09 from Brody McCoy on Vimeo.

Coldplay - (In My Place) in Iowa 6/12/09 from Brody McCoy on Vimeo.

Three bands that had never played in Des Moines took the stage Friday night at Wells Fargo Arena, but you wouldn't have known that they were unfamiliar with our fair city. Coldplay singer Chris Martin thanked the crowd for skipping out on Winefest. Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody managed to pronounce "Des Moines" correctly (Howling Bells singer Juanita Stein wasn't as lucky, adding an "S" sound.) "If we knew how good the audience is, we'd have come a long time ago," Martin told the crowd. He even worked a line about "finally making it to Iowa" into the opening tune, "Violet Hill." 

The British band put on a show filled with spectacle. Giant balloons floated into the 11,000-strong crowd during the band's early hit, "Yellow," exploding into a mess of confetti when band members would strike them. Martin made full use of the stage, which included two walkways extending into the audience. He sprinted around the stage during "In My Place," collapsing to his knees before finishing the song.

For the full review check out the Des Moines Register

The Openers weren't to bad either!

Snow Patrol

Howling Bells