Reviews: Coldplay, Radiohead, Duran Duran, Stevie Nicks And The Pretenders, Vanessa Carlton

Today we’ve compiled critiques of live performances from Coldplay in the Philippines; Radiohead in Kansas City, Mo.; Duran Duran in Hollywood, Fla.; Stevie Nicks and The Pretenders in Pittsburgh; and Vanessa Carlton in Denver.

Keystone / Gian Ehrenzeller – Radiohead
at OpenAir St.Gallen in Switzerland, July 2. 

Coldplay @ Mall of Asia in Pasay City, Philippines, April 4  – “Given a versatile space — there is a 30-meter long runway that extends from the main stage — Martin shows off his endless energy, like a man letting loose on a dancefloor after a heartbreak, as he orchestrates the willing crowd that’s more than happy to jump and belt out hit after hit at his request. He is a seasoned frontman who knows how to play the audience, quipping that their past concerts are all just “rehearsals” for their tour de force here in the country.” – Vincent Garcia / ABS-CBN News

Radiohead @ Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., April 5 – “The band not only looked great but sounded tight, with a clear, bass-heavy mix, causing jams on songs like ‘Idioteque’ to hit with an intense boom. Compared to its last appearance at the Sprint Center in 2012, a more somber, restrained show, the band appeared re-energized as it mixed songs from 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool with hits like ‘Karma Police’ and ‘Fake Plastic Trees’ and deep cuts like ‘Where I End and You Begin,’ a debut for the tour and its first time being performed since 2008, and ‘Nude’ from 2007’s In Rainbows.” – Andrew Gaug / St. Joseph News-Press

Duran Duran @ Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Fla., April 5 – “Rock ‘n’ roll does one of two things for most bands: It can kill them outright or grant them immortality that defies the lifestyle. Duran Duran is a beneficiary of the latter. The bandmates hardly paused between songs, exhibiting energy of men half their age. After ‘Pressure Off,’  like children playing in the snow, fans tossed heaps of confetti into the air. Later, during the band’s signature cover of Grandmaster Mellie Mel’s ‘White Lines (Don’t Don’t Do It),’ ordinarily conservative people empathically sang, ‘Get higher, baby!’ and “Freebase!” in unison. It was incomparable.” – Angel Melendez / Miami New Times

Stevie Nicks and The Pretenders @ PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa., March 31 – “Clearly, the two Rock and Roll Hall of Famers love each other now, and [Chrissie] Hynde even said ‘I love you, Stevie’ after dedicating a beautiful version of the feminist ballad ‘Hymn to Her’ to the headliner, along with all the rest of the songs in the set. The musical bond would jell even more later. … The 24 Karat format, and her occasional exits from the stage, surely interrupted the flow of the music (and there are bound to be complaints), but Stevie Nicks is still the gold standard, and her faithful fans got to know her a little better on Friday night.” – Scott Mervis  / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Vanessa Carlton @ Soiled Dove Underground in Denver, Colo., April 4 – “What makes Carlton such a pleasure to experience live is that there are no question marks surrounding her music and motives. The journey that has been her career has had joy and melancholy mixed with success and a lack thereof. But through her experiences, Carlton has evolved to a point to where she knows who she is as an artist and thus makes music for the right reasons.” – Justin Guerriero / CU Independent