Robbed! Surely that was the cry of many Canadian Coldplay fans when the band cut several previously announced dates from its North American tour. Instead of a two-night stand in October, Coldplay’s local constituency will have to make do with this single-night appearance in July. Chances are the Brits will make up for this grave affront if newly released album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008) shapes up to be the global smash that all quarters are expecting. The new music largely makes good on singer Chris Martin’s claim that “this album was fuelled by a desire to move from black and white into colour.” With the help of producer Brian Eno, the band has been able to tweak its formula and push into new terrain without sacrificing the swoony, atmospheric quality of its most memorable hits. Demand for Coldplay will likely be as high as ever, which, of course, is great news for scalpers.—Jason Anderson