SPECTACLE. That's the only word for what Coldplay pulled off at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Thursday night. A near sellout crowd of 18,402 packed the Forum and were treated to a dynamic display of lights, lasers and oh, so much emotion.

Sean Daly was in the house, and while he was mixed on the music (The Scientist and God Put A Smile Upon Your Face, awesome; Paradise and Fix You, meh), he couldn't resist the confetti, the lasers, and the Xylobands -- LED wristbands handed out to every patron, which turned the Forum into a galaxy of blinking blues, pinks, golds and whites:

With all the lights and lasers and neon kapow, the joint looked like the most mellow rave in history — or maybe Christmas in June — sparkly-eyed women swaying in unison with their loyal, trying-to-stay-macho dates (who might not admit to their fellow dudes that they dig Coldplay. (It's okay fellas, I really like 'em, too). ... 

From the opening number, the instrumental title cut from new album Mylo Xyloto (a concept LP about star-crossed lovers), the band aimed to crowd-please. "We're going to try and play the best (bleepin') show of our lives," Chris Martin said. "We're already having a great time."

Of course they were.

For Sean's full review of Coldplay in Tampa, click here. And get more of Octavio Jones' photos of the lights, the confetti and of course Coldplay after the jump.

*****

The view from the cheap seats (holdin' it down for section 305, yo), was pretty spectacular, too. Photos can't do the view justice, but here's a bit of what it looked like from up top.