Coldplay singer Chris Martin sure knows how to win over a crowd. Friday night (May 4) during his band’s performance at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, Calif., Martin took a few minutes out of the band’s normal set to turn in an unexpected cover — the Beastie Boy‘s ‘(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!),’ in honor of Adam Yauch, who passed away earlier in the day after a long battle with cancer.

Sitting behind his neon-streaked upright piano, Martin turned the party anthem into a touching, piano-led ballad that was virtually unrecognizable at the outset — you can hear the waves of recognition in the crowd as people figure out what he’s playing, just a few with the first line “When you wake up late for school and you don’t wanna go” and building gradually through each line of the first verse until he hits the “You gotta fight for your right to party” and the place goes crazy.

With the first chorus over, the whole thing becomes a virtual Coldplay tune, as the rest of the band joins in, turning the solo performance into a full-fledged epic jam. By the second verse, people are singing along, and when Martin comes to the line “Mom you’re just jealous it’s the Beastie Boys,” half the house joins in.

Coldplay showed once again that they certainly have their finger on the pulse, and turned in one of the most poignant tributes so far for the late, great Yauch. A touching moment, indeed.

Watch Coldplay Cover the Beastie Boys’ ‘(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)’

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