Streetalk September 21 2005

John Mayer and Coldplay are playing on the same night. Who do you go see?

John: They’re both good but the screaming girl factor at the John Mayer show will push me toward Coldplay. Coldplay’s songs are about things we can identify with. Falling in love, losing it, falling in love again and then growing from it into something bigger. [Chris Martin] seems to be able to connect to that emotion. John Mayer is singing about things like “you got to run through the halls of your high school.”

Shanna: John Mayer is still innovative. He’s captivating. His words make you think. You listen to Coldplay, and like everything else, they’re playing it a hundred times an hour on [WZGC] 92.9 [FM]. I feel like [John Mayer]’s a true artist, and Coldplay, I really think they have found out who their corporate audience is: young Americans who have no taste. They’re stifling their own creativity, but if you’re making millions and millions of dollars a year, why not?

Jay: I come out of the era of punk rock. I’ve listened to both. It’s not punk rock. It’s not even rock ‘n’ roll. It’s garbage. Coldplay is the new U2 and John Mayer should stay in small clubs, play for the wine and cheese set and people who wear all black and are depressed. Coldplay should stay in England. But if you put a gun to my head, I’d go for Coldplay.