My big day

September 10, 2005...will be remembered as a special day and one that was fully lived. The alarm clock awakes me at 7:00 AM and I will see the next 20 hours straight and retire at 3:00AM. Then I will wake up 2 and 1/2 hours later and begin another day. What made the 10th special? Well, it was composed of three of my favorite things: 1) Sports Hokie Football, 2) Fellowship Hanging with my brothers and old friends, and 3)Music Coldplay - the greatest band of this generation.

That day the best of three interests came alive. I'm a sports fanatic and if you ask me which team I follow the most you'd find that it's not even close: my Virginia Tech Hokies! The team, and the 15,000 crazy alumni who follow them around during away games, were on a mission. The mission was not victory alone but complete humiliation of Duke football. The goal was to make the Admins seriously consider the value and worth of the existing footbal program after being brutally beat down by the ACC champs. The result? A 45-0 woodshed beating which should have been worse and 35 measely total yards for Duke. I'd say we made the Dukies dream about basketball season. The 90 degree heat however, served as a harsh reminder that b-ball is still over 2 months away. Even though I often lack compassion for other opponents, your heart had to go out for Duke's quarterback who saw four giants dressed in maroon and white in his face more than he could see his own receivers. Regardless, this IS football season and Duke was obliterated.

Coldplay was awesome. Our energy level, as zapped by the sun, was around zero before the show. This was not good. I had been wanting to see Coldplay ever since the first time I really got into them (Summer/Fall '01). But the four boys from Britain found a way to energize us, especially Wes who was working on 2 hours of sleep (my tiring day was ahead of me.) As expected, they opened with Square One, the intro for X&Y. I knew they would. The song sounds like a concert starter. Special effects were a good additive. I would have been fine with just hearing and seeing the guys play but I must admit the visual effects added a lot to the show. The highlight of the show, for me anyway, was the decision to play Don't Panic. It was played unplugged and it sounded beautiful. Props to drummer Will Champion. I think it was his idea. You rock Will!

I'm still trying to figure out why I like these guys so much. Obviously, Im not alone (the place was packed with 20,000 fans). Yeah, they have good hit songs but I like their non released tracks just as well if not more. Maybe it's their ability to connect with their fans. They are easy to listen to and easy to love. They love their fans and care about putting on a good show. I don't know where they get the energy to do world tours. Maybe the source is the people they play for and entertain. I was surprised by the variety of songs played. I was expecting the show to be 3rd album heavy but that wasn't the case. Politik, Yellow, In My Place, The Scientist, Don't Panic, Rush of Blood To The Head, Everything's Not Lost, God Put A Smile Upon Your Face, Clocks, were some of the songs added into the mix. Fix You was the last song and probably the most powerful song. It was a fitting closing song.

The concert was almost as powerful as the memories attached to the tunes. Wes and I reminisced the days of hanging out in Clover Valley, sitting around and playing tracks from 'Parachutes.' Coldplay was the sound of fall, the sound of the cooler wind ushering into the valley of Blacksburg. The music, especially We Never Change, reminds me of college and community. My brother and I were a number of things during those years but the one thing we always were was together. And now, as our paths go in different directions, music often is the remedy, reminding us of the unintended and unscripted moments created and experienced. Yeah, you could say there was something spiritual about those moments...moments when you know you are alone but never alone. The music takes me back to simpler times, yet confusing times; hurting times, yet exciting times. The concert was good but the company to experience the concert with is what lasts. And as the dusts settled, I left that place with my brothers and the day was made complete.