That’s a Cold Play
On July 19, the band Coldplay performed a sold-out show at Madison’s Camp Randall Stadium as part of their “Music of The Spheres World Tour.” While making headlines in Wisconsin for being one of the first concerts in Camp Randall in almost 30 years, it certainly wasn’t the band’s most memorable tour stop.
On July16, Coldplay performed at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts. At each show, the band plays “The Jumbotron Song” while cameras pan the crowd and capture interesting concertgoers that appear on the stadium’s huge screen. A man wearing a birthday sash was featured, along with a couple wearing banana costumes.
Finally, a romantic couple enjoying an embrace while swaying to the music was shown. When they saw themselves on the screen, however, the two quickly separated and the woman covered her face in her hands and turned around while the man hit the deck.
“Whoa, look at these two,” Coldplay frontman Chris Martin quipped. “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”
Fellow attendee Grace Springer caught the awkward moment on her phone and posted it on TikTok after the show. By morning, the video had over 7 million views and has since been watched over 50 million times.
Internet sleuths quickly ascertained that the man was Andy Byron, CEO of Astronomer, a privately held New York-based software firm that uses artificial intelligence to help clients streamline and organize their data. In May, Byron announced that the company had “secured $93 million” in venture capitalist funding. This type of financial backing is usually pursued by companies that are preparing to go public, to be acquired, or need additional capital for further expansion or to address unforeseen challenges.
Those unforeseen challenges could include the fact that Byron was canoodling with Kristin Cabot, the company’s chief people officer, who oversees the organization’s human resources. The couple is believed to be married, only to other people.
“Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding,” the company said in a statement. “Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability,” it continued, adding that the company’s board of directors “has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly.”
On July 19, Byron tendered his resignation “and the Board of Directors has accepted,” Astronomer announced. “The Board will begin a search for our next Chief Executive as Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy continues to serve as interim CEO.”
Astronomer also debunked a statement purportedly posted on X by Byron the day after the concert. While apologizing to his family and company, Byron’s fake post also said, “I also want to express how troubling it is that what should have been a private moment became public without my consent. I respect artists and entertainers, but I hope we can all think more deeply about the impact of turning someone else’s life into a spectacle.”
Though fabricated, many in the online community agreed that Byron’s right to privacy was invaded. However, people appearing in public have no expectation of privacy. In fact, Gillette Stadium posts their privacy policy online which states: “When you visit our location or attend or participate in an event at our location, we may capture your image, voice and/or likeness, including through the use of CCTV cameras and/or when we film or photograph you in a public location.”
So, while in public, be warned. As Granger said after she posted the video, “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”
Reg P. Wydeven
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