Grammy voters are wack. Coldplay [ tickets ] is arguably today's most important rock band, currently touring in support of arguably the best mainstream rock record of last year, and the group deserves to go head-to-head with the likes of Kanye West and Mariah Carey in the major categories.

Coldplay, which is nominated for three trophies in the rock field, certainly came across like a band for the ages during its Monday night (1/30) concert at Arco Arena in Sacramento, CA.

The quartet delivered a thrilling performance during the first third of a three-night trip through Northern California. One might assume that supply would outweigh demand, given that the band was playing three dates at three venues that were all within roughly 120 miles of each other. Yet, the Sacramento date drew a full house, and the concerts in Oakland (1/31) and San Jose (2/1) were also expected to do big business.

It seems that music fans simply can't get enough of Coldplay, and the Arco Arena date showed exactly why. Most songs came across like true rock anthems, ones that could potentially outlive the band, and the musicianship was superb. The group's leader, Chris Martin, was in fine voice, came across as both witty and well-spoken, and was agile and energetic on stage. Plus, he sported a brand new hairdo, which shocked many in attendance.

"I know that it's an annoying thing when you go to see a band and you wind up at the show and the singer has a different haircut than he had on the album," Martin said of his poofy, tightly curled locks, which made him look as if he had just received a perm. "I suppose you all want your money back now. That's OK, because we are going to make all that money back when we make the sequel to 'Napoleon Dynamite.'"

Besides getting a good chuckle and roughly 20 great Coldplay tunes, fans also got the chance to see Fiona Apple [ tickets ] open the show. Most, however, could have done without her presence.

That's not a knock on Apple, who made an extraordinary comeback last year with her utterly likeable CD "Extraordinary Machine." Indeed, she sounded strong as she ran through smoky versions of "I Know" (from 1999's "When the Pawn ...") and the title track from her new album.

It's just that these fans wanted to see Coldplay and didn't really appreciate the 28-year-old New Yorker's arm-waving rants and lyrical raves--I mean, Chris Martin doesn't do those things.

When Apple finally left the stage, following a version of "Fast as You Can" (also from "Pawn"), she received a resounding ovation--but not for the reasons an artist would hope.

Coldplay, as expected, did much better as it began its show, appropriately, at "Square One." From that track, which also kicks off "X&Y," the band struck a nerve with the tumultuous "Politik," which remains the group's finest concert offering.

"Politik," the lead track off of 2002's "A Rush of Blood to the Head," takes the loud-soft-loud dynamic to new heights, going from thunderous percussion-driven music to a precious melody and near-hushed vocals in a very convincing manner. When Martin screams over crashing drums and banging piano to "open up your eyes," you truly want to see what he is seeing.

The band then delivered "Yellow," the mega-hit from 2000's "Parachutes," and the new album's single "Speed of Sound." It followed with a raucous version of "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face," and then returned to "Parachutes" for a comforting take on "Don't Panic."

After a so-so stripped-down segment--highlighted by a pretty decent cover of the Johnny Cash-staple "Ring of Fire"--the band decided it was time to wind up "Clocks." Just like on "Parachutes," the song came across like a prime example of elegant songwriting delivered with extreme passion. And that was this entire show in a nutshell.

If only the Grammy voters had been there to witness it.