I’m taking a break from teaching and gigs this week to visit my sister and various friends in L.A. However, I did manage to catch an excellent Snow Patrol concert with my dad on Sunday night! It was at the Greek Theater, which was rather extraordinary, especially from our position in the pit approximately 6 feet away from the band. It was pretty much the perfect setup: standing room only (room to sway); a clear view of the band as well as the elegant, high-definition black-and-white screens to either side of the stage; excellent acoustics (as well as a position directly under the subwoofers); the orange LEDs illuminating the stairs behind us; and a tolerable volume level. That last element was critical, since when you’re that close to the stage you don’t want an all-out sonic assault. Except during one particular song, the bass drum came through the loudest, and really I felt it more clearly than I heard it. On the one song, “The Finish Line,” in which the sound felt overpowering, I could feel the keyboards vibrating throughout my entire body, which made the whole number pretty intense.

My favorite songs of the night were:

• Make This Go On Forever - I know all the lyrics to this one, and love the ending–it starts from a pared down texture, just piano and vocals, and builds into a thunderous anthem over the course of three verses and three choruses. Then most of the group drops out, and they reintroduce the style of the introduction, but with a new harmonic backdrop, and a pleading vocal coda. The ending is very powerful in its minimalism.
• Chasing Cars - This song is the obvious crowd favorite, and the only other song of theirs with which I can sing along. Seemed like the whole audience joined me. I have an emotional attachment to “Chasing Cars” because it was on the video montage at the memorial service for my high school classmate Chris.
• Open Your Eyes - I like the uplifting character of this song, and like “Chasing Cars” and “Make This Go On Forever,” “Open Your Eyes” builds until it can no longer contain its own energy. Unlike in the other two, the drummer in “Open Your Eyes” noticeably adds layers to his beat (bass drum, floor tom, floor and high tom, cymbals) in each verse, rather than simply increasing the intensity.
• Run - The verses of “Run” are so sad, yet the choruses are so hopeful. I love it.
• The Finish Line - Despite the decibel level, I really enjoyed this tune. Feeling the sound of the keyboard course through me added to the song’s sublime, peaceful ambiance. Plus, it was cool to see a keyboard duet as one of the guitarists came over to add a slowly pulsating beat in the low register.

- Jake