“If I lay here. If I just lay here. Would you lie with me and just forget the world?” As the mostly mid-twenties females helped sing the lyrics to “Chasing Cars” one could see a smile emanating from singer Gary Lightbody and in turn the crowd gave audible proof that Chicago loves Snow Patrol.
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Snow Patrol, OK Go & Silversun Pickups
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 Entertainment
 Art
The Aragon
Chicago, Ill.
April 2, 2007
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Snow Patrol’s reiterated at the second sold-out show in Chicago in the last six months with Lightbody’s acknowledgment that along with New York, Seattle and Austin - Chicago is their favorite city to come out and play. Looking around and hearing the audience singing along as folks waved their Irish flags, it’s easy to see why.
With four albums under their belt, Snow Patrol have not only conquered Chicago but also America since they were introduced in the U.S. with their last two albums -"Final Straw" and "Open Eyes". No one in the audience seemed to mind that their set list did not stray from their previous show at the Riviera. “Spitting Games” was still a great opener, as “Chocolate” set the tone for the night, “Shut Your Eyes” still rocked live and “Run” simply has that great chorus everyone can sing along to, and they did.
Although with that said, even though Snow Patrol does not really rock in the traditional sense, the band excels in delivering poignant ballads that are so catchy and easy coupled with Lightbody’s affected accent and overwhelming charisma that it more than makes up for any less head banging. With obvious musical influence from their compatriots U2 (you will be surprised how well U2’s “Bad” can fit into the guitar solo of “Open Your Eyes”) and similar mannerisms to another not less famous band from the neighborhood (the similarity to Coldplay’s clothing, mannerisms, even X&Y stage props is beyond subtle), Snow Patrol still seems to have mastered a formula that works well for them and their fans.
The highlight of the night was when a girl from the audience was asked to join the band to sing the female part of “Set The Fire To The Third Bar.”. She did such a fantastic job you could even see Lightbody and bassist Paul Wilson smile in approval.
For the encore, “Open Your Eyes” and “Hands Open” delivered the last drop of heaven along with a promise that suggested Chicago may get one more visit before the year is out.
The opening acts by Californian’s Silversun Pickup and OK Go added to the evening’s flare and gave more bang for your buck. Silversun, a band just formed in L.A. two years ago and who just recently debuted last year with "Carnavas", kicked the night off promptly at 7 p.m. to a short half an hour set. With a large sound and great stage presence, they shared the stage on their hit “Lazy Eye” with drummer Dan Konopka (from OK Go) and bassist Paul Wilson (from Snow Patrol), in turn leaving us wanting more.
Local Chicago band OK Go and famous for their YouTube videos jumped on stage next with their preppy suits opening with “Television, Television.” Lead singer Damian Kulash, much like Lighbody, had a way with the crowd and had fun cracking jokes in between songs. At one point Kulash confessed that the band had never been to the Aragon and then proceeded to lead the audience in a “wave.” “As hard as I have tried, I never could start a wave at the Empty Bottle,” cracked Kulash.
OK Go’s show was full of energy and included all of their pop hits like “Get Over It,” “Invincible,” and “Here It Goes Again” (also known as the “Treadmill Song”). As a special, treat they even covered “Don’t Bring Me Down,” an Electric Light Orchestra cover from an era that half of their audience (and the band) were not even a thought or a fetus .
Overall, Snow Patrol, Silversun Picksup, and OK Go delivered a great show just by using the formula of charismatic singers and catchy tunes. It was rumored that the fellows from OK Go were going to be tour guides for Snow Patrol after the concert. Let’s hope they had a good time so they will knock out those other cities and just brag about Chicago as the “THE” city in America.
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