The dream is a familiar one for anyone who has ever picked up a guitar, switched on a keyboard, or plugged in a microphone: the chance to open for one of the biggest bands on the planet, in front of ten thousand screaming fans, at a sold-out arena. Boston-based OurStage band The Luxury got that chance when they they were chosen by fans on a local radio station to open for mega-stars Coldplay at a sold-out TD Banknorth Garden. The Luxury, with their thick layers of driving piano, swirling guitars, and anthem hooks, sound like they’ve been ready for a show like this for quite a while. Frontman Jason Dunn talked with OurStage about The Luxury’s gig of a lifetime.

OurStage: How did it feel to find out you guys were going to be opening for Coldplay?

Jason Dunn: When I actually got the call that we’d won, I was at work hauling around AV equipment in hotels I can’t even afford to stay in, so the whole situation was pure comedy – I had to get permission to go hide in a storage closet so I could call them back and accept a gig at Boston Garden. Crazy. Made it hard to concentrate on setting up projectors, for sure.

OS: What was the experience like for an up and coming band to play such a huge show?

JD: The show was great. The sound crew were absolute professionals and everyone had their own tailored monitor mix with exactly what they needed, and from audience reports we sounded unbelievable, and obviously that’s what matters. The crowd was about half-full for the local opener, so, you know, only about 10,000 people or so? The response we got was fantastic. It was huge. But it was really comfortable, I mean, these are my boys and this is what we do, it was just projecting to a big arena instead of a mid-sized club. We didn’t feel out of place. In fact, I think we should just play arenas from now on.

OS: Any interesting moments from the night?

JD: A couple – Coldplay left us four bottles of champagne with a hand-written note, and that was really classy and nice of them. Good champagne, too. We ran into Coldplay in the hall behind the stage and chatted for a bit – I’d actually met them a few years previous at a bar in Allston, I was a bit drunk and was going on about wishing them all the luck in the world with their music. I think “Clocks” came out two weeks later. I told Chris Martin about this at the Garden and he said, “Oh! It seems you wished us very well, then.”

Another great moment was when Steve (our drummer) gave Chris a copy of his “Christmas Chickens” record for his kids – it’s an album he made of Christmas songs rewritten about chickens. Chris was reading the song titles and was like, “I might have to run back to the dressing room and learn a cover real quick…”

OS: What’s next for The Luxury?

JD: Well, right now I’m focusing on pushing this AFAM (Advocates For Autism of Massachusetts) we’re playing on Saturday, August 9th. We just had a massive amount of good will and good karma come our way, and I want to bring as many people into this show as possible and give some of that back as fast as I can. Then in September, we’re going to California for a week to tour around the LA and San Francisco areas. I’ve never been there before so I’m thrilled. After that I think it’ll be time to focus on finishing the next album – we’re a good 8 or 9 songs deep into it right now, with another 7 or 8 in pieces or awaiting lyrics. We did the first record ourselves and it did very well for us, and I’d like to have a label involved on the second one if they’re a decent label and know what they’re doing, and they plan to really work with us.
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-Matt Watson