Snow Patrol – Fox Theater Pomona – 5/10/12

Snow Patrol
May 10, 2012
Fox Theater in Pomona

Snow Patrol blew into the Fox Theater in Pomona last night touring in support of their latest album Fallen Empires. With high production values, including lasers, lights and a movie screen backdrop, Snow Patrol came to entertain and give their fans their all. “Hands Open” started things off on a high note as lead vocalist Gary Lightbody actively paced the stage.

It has been awhile since I've seen Snow Patrol live and was surprised to see seven members on stage creating a thick blanket of sound. The light and laser show really started to kick in during “Take Back The City” as Lightbody playfully interacted with guitarist Nathan Connolly for assistance on vocal duties.

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Making sure all the band was involved, Lightbody spent some time messing around with bassist Paul Wilson during “Crack The Shutters” before grabbing his guitar and strumming along with the band. Lightbody did a good job of interacting with the crowd between songs, even joking that he would strip for some girls in the front row to entertain them.

Lightbody scored some more points with the crowd by dedicating “Run” to Pomona and incorporating the city name into the lyrics. “In The End” found Lightbody jumping down onto the rail much to the delight of the female fans in the front row. The opening act, talented musician Ed Sheeran, joined Snow Patrol for a duet during “New York,” which was received with rapturous applause.

More mischief occurred during “Set The Fire To The Third Bar.” Lightbody took a handwritten note from a fan, which mischievously congratulated Lightbody and Wilson on their marriage. Lightbody was laughing so hard, he had to start the song again. The crowd was later encouraged to sing along during “Shut Your Eyes,” creating a nice memorable moment.

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The pace picked up for a entertaining double dose of hits with “Chocolate” and “Chasing Cars.” Fans in the front row started jumping up and down with a flag from Ireland during “Fallen Empires,” the song that closed out their main set. Snow Patrol returned with the acoustic sheen of “Lifening.”

I haven't seen a crowd go crazier for an opening act than Ed Sheeran. The front row of female fans all had cameras and phones recording every move of the UK sensation. Utilizing a looping pedal, Sheeran was a one-man band working through some songs due to be released in June. The line of people to get his autograph after the show was in excess of two hundred fans. Most impressive.

Critic's Notebook: I have a soft spot for bands across the pond.

The Crowd: Lots of females.

Overheard In The Crowd: “Take off your pants!” directed to Gary Lightbody.

Random Notebook Dump: Ed Sheeran has two million twitter followers compared to Snow Patrol's one hundred thousand.

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