Warm reception for ‘cold’ tunes

With rumors already circulating that the Brit-pop darlings of the U.S. charts will be making a play for top headlining spots on this summer’s European festival circuit, it’s no surprise Coldplay wowed the crowd Friday night with a display as much about bravado as it was about refined showmanship.

Showcasing that British sensibility of “pinkies up” with your afternoon tea, the quartet seamlessly wove in and out of tracks from both Parachutes and its latest offering, A Rush of Blood to the Head in a set list that seemed polished to a high shine. Of course any set list that has been played more or less the same way since October gets a bit predictable.

Nevertheless, the audience swooned every time lead vocalist Chris Martin took to the piano, and panties could be heard dropping as “Green Eyes” made an effortless transition into “God Put a Smile Upon Your Face.” No doubt it was a good night to be a guy at Next Stage in Grand Prairie.

Politely playing into the hands of the audience, bassist Guy Berryman, lead guitarist Johnny Buckland, drummer Will Champion and Martin ended the set with a somewhat predictable encore of “Clocks” and “In My Place.” And at an hour and a half, a gig deemed substantial by European standards seemed a bit short for an audience more used to three-hour marathon sets a la the Dave Matthews Band.

But the highlight of the show was opening act MossEisley, a quintet of three sisters, their brother and the boy next door from Tyler, Texas. Their layering of ethereal vocals over growling guitars made veteran musician Ron Sexsmith’s set that followed seem like a waste of good stage time. MossEisley delivered a sound more mature than their 20 years – and that’s just the age of the oldest one. After the three Texas gigs with Coldplay, it’s no wonder these kids are tapped to tour alongside the British boys this summer.

Despite a presentation that seemed a bit uninspired, the quality of the music far outweighed the inevitable nitpicking any reviewer can impose on a gig.

For once, it seemed an audience got exactly what it paid for: a flawless show that focused more on the music than on the view.