You are reading

Coldplay Lights up LIC Waterfront With Live Performance Backed By Fireworks Display

Coldplay performing on the Long Island City waterfront Thursday (Photo by Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)

June 18, 2021 By Michael Dorgan

Coldplay played live in front of thousands of adoring fans on the Long Island City waterfront Thursday evening in a performance that culminated in a colorful fireworks display.

The internationally-acclaimed rock band took to the stage at Hunters Point South Park – in front of the Oval and to the backdrop of the sun-setting Manhattan skyline – as part of a pre-recording for the Macy’s July 4th celebration.

“I think it’s probably our first time playing in Queens,” lead singer Chris Martin said to the cheering fans.

“Please, we are not doing you a favor, you are doing us a favor by giving us our jobs back,” Martin said, noting that the band had not been able to perform to a large outdoor audience for more than a year due to the pandemic.

The vibrant and uplifting gig was recorded by NBC and will air during the network’s July 4th fireworks celebrations show.

Around 300 spectators, many wearing Uncle Sam top hats and waving glow sticks, were ushered into a special restricted area in front of the stage before the gig kicked off. The lucky fans had scooped exclusive free tickets online earlier in the week and were required to be fully vaccinated to gain entry.

However, the lawn at the Oval and other surrounding areas were not restricted, and, by the time Coldplay took to the stage at around 8:30 p.m., thousands of revelers had descended on the park to catch a glimpse of the Grammy award-winning band.

Police did not provide an estimate as to how many people were in attendance. The lawn at the Oval appeared to be at full capacity.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Queens Post (@queenspost)

Martin introduced the band and said that they were surprised but very grateful to see such a large turnout.

Coldplay then proceeded to blast out its hit songs Rule The World, Yellow, Clocks and Sky Full of Stars.

LIC residents were also treated to the British band’s latest release Higher Power as a finale. Coldplay played the song twice and the second version included a short fireworks display. The firework shells were set off from barges on the East River while the Empire State Building was lit up in the colors red, white and blue to symbolize July 4th.

The band left the stage at around 9:20 p.m.

Coldplay had also been on stage earlier in the evening. The four-man band first took to the stage shortly after 6 p.m. to a much smaller crowd and rehearsed some songs as part of a soundcheck.

Footage of the band’s main performance Thursday will air on NBC on July 4th, starting at 8 p.m.

The July 4th fireworks show will take place on the East River, with Macy’s firing off a total of 65,000 shells from five barges in the vicinity of Midtown Manhattan.

The 25-minute extravaganza will begin at roughly 9:45 p.m. and Long Island City residents will get a front-seat view.

The performance ended with a fireworks display (Photos by Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Queens Post (@queenspost)

Coldplay’s lead singer Chris Martin getting up close with fans (Photo by Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)

Coldplay’s lead singer in full voice Chris Martin (Photo by Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)

Coldplay on stage at Long Island City Thursday (Photo by Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)

Coldplay’s lead singer Chris Martin enjoying the gig (Photo by Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)

Coldplay playing to the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline (Photo by Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)

Coldplay on stage at Long Island City Thursday (Photo by Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)

Coldplay’s lead singer Chris Martin taking in the energy of the crowd (Photo by Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)

The lawn at the Oval appeared to be at full capacity (Photo by Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)

LIC residents Mark Christie (L) and Kelly Craig (R) enjoying the performance (Photo by Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)

Coldplay first took to the stage just after 6 p.m. and rehearsed some songs as part of a soundcheck. (Photo by Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)

Coldplay on stage earlier in the evening (Photo by Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)

Residents getting ready for the Coldplay performance at Hunters Point South Park (Photo by Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)

Residents getting ready for the Coldplay performance at Hunters Point South Park (Photo by Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)

email the author: [email protected]
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

City Hall beef: Mayor Adams blasts Comptroller Lander for not traveling to DC to lobby feds for migrant crisis help

Mayor Eric Adams tore into city Comptroller Brad Lander Thursday, criticizing the city’s chief bean counter for not traveling to Washington D.C. to push the feds to provide more migrant crisis support.

During the tirade, Hizzoner said Lander, who’s frequently criticized the mayor’s handling of the migrant crisis, should have already gone to the nation’s capital to advocate for the city to get more funding for the influx — especially since Lander oversees the city’s finances.

Jamaica post office launches initiative aimed to help prevent dog bite attacks against postal workers following release of USPS rankings report

As part of the United States Postal Service (USPS) National Dog Bite Awareness Week campaign, the Jamaica Main Post Office is educating customers on the importance of dog bite prevention. Last year, the neighborhood had four incidents of postal employees being bitten by dogs. 

On Wednesday, June 7, USPS Safety Specialist Giovanni Ortiz distributed fliers with dog bite prevention tips to customers at the post office, located at 88-40 164th St. 

Crook steals backpack from straphanger on Brooklyn-bound L train in Ridgewood

Police from the 104th Precinct and the 33rd Transit District are searching for a crook who robbed a man of his backpack while on a Brooklyn bound L train Wednesday morning. 

Police say the 29-year-old victim was on the northbound L train that was approaching the Halsey Street subway station on the Queens/Brooklyn border at approximately 8:35 a.m. on June 7, when the crook approached the victim, snatched his bag and fled the station. The victim refused medical attention, police said.