Snow Patrol Live at Tabernacle Atlanta

Snow Patrol lit up the Tabernacle in the heart of Atlanta on Monday April 2nd. They stormed on stage to the stomping beat of Hands Open where they kept the crowd in their grasp the entire night. The Irish-Scottish guitar band are no strangers to Atlanta, having played here more than a half dozen times. In fact, this is the city I first saw the band live, back in 2004. The clubs have gotten bigger, the crowds have gotten massive, and everything about the show has become more grand, except the humble, down-to-earth way Gary Lightbody embraces the crowd and chatters as if it is he who is in awe of what he is witnessing instead of the crowds in awe of him.

 

The band pounded through their well known hit songs including Run, Chasing Cars, and Chocolate, but included new material from their recent album, Fallen Empires. The first three song certainly whipped the eager audience into excitement. Lead vocalist Gary Lightbody does what he does best, connecting with the crowd in a manner that makes you feel as if he’s conversing with only you. After a few thumping songs, the band caught their breath with a slower beat and started showcasing some of their newer material. Seeing a sign by one of the fans requesting an older song, Gary Lightbody decided to swerve slightly from their setlist. He called for an acoustic guitar, tuned up, telling the fan with the sign “I’m singing this song just for you” and launched into an acoustic version of An Olive Grove Facing The Sea. This, off their second album When Its All Over We Still Have To Clear Up, happens to be one of my favorite songs, so I always welcome a chance to hear it live. They don’t usually play this song here in the USA as its a lesser known tune and not many fans are familiar with it.

The new material was sprinkled in among the usual favorites they sing on most tours, and accompanied by the witty chatter of Gary Lightbody. At one point, he took it upon himself to get a smile out of a young teen who hadn’t smiled the whole show. He sang directly for him. I happen to know this was the first concert experience for this guy, and being 13 or 14 years old, Im not sure he was ready to be the center of attention for 3500 fans. They did a great job of keeping the energy level up tin the venue through the whole concert, even during the slower, calmer songs. Stand out songs were New York from the latest Fallen Empires album, Open Your Eyes with its explosion of guitars, and the sweet simple notes of  An Olive Grove facing The Sea.

 

Setlist:

Hands Open
Take Back The City
Crack the Shutters
This Isn’t Everything You Are
Run
In The End
New York
Set The Fire To The Third Bar
Olive Grove
Make This Go On Forever
Shut Your Eyes
Chasing Cars
Chocolate
Called Out In The Dark
Fallen Empires
You’re All I Have
(encore)
Lifening
Open Your Eyes
Just Say Yes

 

 

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