Would You Lie With Me And Just Forget The World?

I was in the mood to have Monday night off. I was ready to clean the house, go to the grocery store, and get a handle on laundry- you know, normal people stuff. After a quick nap, I had the urge to check my phone, and that’s when I saw that I had been approved to check out Snow Patrol at The Palace Theatre in Saint Paul. At first, I was bummed. I had been in the mindset that I had the night off, and now that was ripped away from me, but as I thought about it, the more excited I got. I was about to see Snow Patrol. I mean, come on, that’s pretty cool.

The lovely Sorcha Richardson was the sole opener for the show. Sorcha and her guitarist/backup vocalist took the stage right around 7:45. They instantly whisked the audience away into a heavy-feeling dream world. There was something familiar about Sorcha’s voice, with the way it had this depth behind it and slid from word to word easily while ensuring you felt every word she was singing. It wasn’t until one of the last songs in her set, “Ruin Your Night,” that I realized I knew exactly who this Irish singer-songwriter was. There was an almost lo-fi element to Sorcha’s sound that the audience took as a sign to just continue chattering through her set. This bummed me out as, at times, the chatter overpowered the soft and subtle power of this beautiful songstress, but I didn’t let that stop me from enjoying her. I wish I had more to say about Sorcha’s set, but, truthfully, it was just one of those beautiful sets where I was utterly lost and captivated. It was almost like an out-of-body experience. I know that sounds so dramatic, but, truly, Sorch Richardson is like a modern-day siren with a comforting aura about her that you just can never get enough of.

The band name Snow Patrol may not be a household name, but what if I tell you this is the “Grey’s Anatomy band.” Okay, I know not everyone got as into that show as I did (until they started killing everyone off- then I was out), but I have to say that whoever did the soundtracking for that show was brilliant. Although Snow Patrol is so much more than their hit song “Chasing Cars,” which soundtracked an epic moment in Grey’s Anatomy and various other shows and movies, I feel like that’s how many people know this band and that’s okay- as long as you take the time to dig into this brilliant band’s other material.

This Irish-Scottish rock band formed in 1994, and although they have somehow stayed oddly outside of the mainstream limelight in a way, they have been making waves with their eight full-length albums that they’ve put out, including their newest one, ‘The Forest Is the Path.’ Snow Patrol has a definite sound. It’s a mature indie-pop with plenty of heartbreak but also plenty of jams hidden in there as well. For me, the album that hooked me onto this band was their iconic ‘Eyes Open’ release from 2006. Sure, this is the one with their hit “Chasing Cars” on it (which is probably how I even stumbled upon this record), but it also has hits like “You’re All I Have” and “Hands Open.” Although the packed audience didn’t get treated to either of those jams, we were treated to about fifteen songs of pure Snow Patrol bliss.

The chatty audience that had made it almost difficult to hear Sorcha Richardson went absolutely silent for Snow Patrol. People were really into it, and I understood why. Although there was definitely a light show happening and a backdrop that made the show feel a bit larger than life, there wasn’t any smoke and mirrors when it came to Snow Patrol’s set, yet they easily grabbed the hearts and attention of everyone inside of the beautiful theatre with their music alone. From Gary Lightbody’s smooth and crystal clear vocals to the perfectly curated drum fills of Ash Soan and everything else the rest of this band was doing, Snow Patrol’s set came off as absolutely flawless, and it truly felt like listening to a polished record but with an undeniable sense of energy that you just wouldn’t get from a recording alone.

Was Snow Patrol’s set on Monday night my typical cup of tea? Absolutely not. The demographic of the nearly sold-out audience was much older than I’m used to, and it felt a bit more entitled when trying to push through the crowd to get in and out of the photo pit (don’t worry, people, I wasn’t trying to steal your spot, just trying to get out of there!). That being said, the sound and overall vibe that Snow Patrol was giving off made it comfortable, cozy, and warm. I know I said this when it came to Sorcha’s set, but, truly, Snow Patrol’s time on stage was time I spent in complete bliss. I didn’t care that there was no sweaty mosh-pit to speak of. I didn’t care that there was really no movement at all. All I cared about was watching stunning musicians perform in a dazzling venue, and for the first time in weeks, I felt a sense of calm all the way down to my soul.