Coldplay pops into New York City record store for surprise performance

For a few lucky Coldplay fans, it was para-para-paradise.

The band made a surprise appearance at the New York City record store Rough Trade on Tuesday morning, stopping in to perform a song for the customers shopping inside.

Chris Martin and the seven-time Grammy winning band -- who released their newest album "Moon Music" on Friday -- performed an acoustic version of their latest single "feelslikeimfallinginlove." 

"They kind of wanted it to be something where there were customers just shopping and, all of a sudden, they walk in and start playing," said George Flanagan, the store manager at Rough Trade. "Which is kind of exactly what happened."

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Coldplay had just finished performing on the "TODAY" show in Rockefeller Plaza, a short walk down the block from the record store. But they came back out for an encore, at least for the few who happened to be searching the shelves for vinyl at the time.

With the band on the makeshift stage, other fans who were taking photos in front of the store were also invited in by an employee, giving them free admission to a one-song Coldplay concert. 

"How you doing?" Martin said as they entered. "Welcome to Rough Trade."

Added Flanagan: "The reaction was like, 'Oh my God! How did we just walk into this?!' And Chris Martin was like 'Welcome!' in the midst of the song."

One fan wearing a hat in celebration of her 70th birthday was invited on stage by Martin while the band performed. She danced alongside him, with Martin giving her a kiss on the head. 

"That was just a very sweet moment," Flanagan said. "Kind of serenaded her."

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Coldplay didn't inform Rough Trade they'd be serenading their customers until the night before when the store received a phone call.

"Their team reached out yesterday, very last minute," Flanagan said. "They were doing the 'TODAY' show appearance and thought it'd be fun to throw in a little pop-up record store show."

The store is well known for hosting signings and performances by prominent artists, but the occasions typically come with advance notice and some publicity -- although Sabrina Carpenter also unexpectedly stopped in recently.

This performance was to be a well-kept secret, even as Coldplay fans surrounded the area. 

"Because their fan base was already going to be in attendance for the 'TODAY' show, to put it out there would mean -- we're a very small store -- so, I mean, it could be like a mob scene," Flanagan said.

"At the end of the day, we want to make sure it's safe for the artist and enjoyable for the fans. In a perfect world, there's usually some planning involved, but of course you're not gonna say no when a band like Coldplay calls up and offers to do something like that."     

The four-man band quietly entered through the back door. They squeezed into the store's photo booth to take a picture -- reproductions of which will now be included with copies of the band's new album purchased in-store at Rough Trade beginning Thursday. They picked up their guitars and a band that sells out stadiums began their impromptu performance in front of a handful of fans, which Martin joked reminded him of when they first started playing shows.

"We were prepared for word to spread, and I think if they did maybe a few songs, the crowd would have magnified," Flanagan said. "But I think because it was the one song, in and out, it ended up being this amazing, intimate performance."

It was para-para-paradise.