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When I woke up on December 21, I had no plans. That all changed in an instant with the late-afternoon announcement out of the blue that Coldplay’s Chris Martin would play a last minute special performance at Mercury Lounge. The show served as a benefit to the homeless shelter, Bowery Mission and was put together in the matter of hours, after a visit from Martin at the Mission turned spiraled into a last minute show in order to raise some Christmas funds for the charity.

For just $25, Martin delivered a loose but delightful performance that was a mix of Coldplay favorites, Christmas classics, and a variety of covers that Martin performed with two members of the Bowery Mission. Martin jokingly asked for all of our names, noting that it was so rare that he was able to perform so close to his fans. The intimacy of this evening wasn’t lost on me, in what was truly one of the most enjoyable show experiences that I had throughout the year. Where else could you witness Martin cover Drake’s “Hotline Bling” after he mistakingly heard a fans offer for a “drink” as a request for “Drake?”

How could one complain? Ignore the nasty “review” from the Gothamist, whose writer wasn’t even at the show. I can tell you firsthand that a friend who isn’t even that big on Coldplay enjoyed the show tremendously, and was even a bit surprised at how much fun he had. It was a unforgettable night of music, that was for good cause and featured a rare solo performance from Martin that took place in a ridiculously intimate setting considering Coldplay routinely play at football stadiums.

Find some photos from the performance posted below, along with the setlist.

Chris Martin Setlist:

1. White Christmas (Bing Crosby Cover)
2. Life on Mars? (David Bowie Cover)
3. Fix You
4. Green Eyes
5. Yellow
6. A Sky Full Of Stars
7. Hotline Bling (Drake Cover)
[With friends from Bowery Mission]:
8. Amazing Grace
9. Ain’t No Sunshine (Bill Withers Cover)
10. Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just as Bad) (T‐Bone Walker Cover)
11. (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay (Otis Redding Cover)
12. Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen Cover)
13. Yesterday (The Beatles Cover)
14. Members Only (Bobby “Blue” Bland Cover)
15. Feliz Navidad (José Feliciano Cover)
16. Purple Rain (Prince Cover)

Encore:

17. Christmas Lights


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