Snow Patrol have been around for nearly 30 years, as frontman Gary Lightbody would go on to talk about later on in their set that night, and they showed no signs of slowing down this past weekend at Boston’s MGM Music Hall. Lansdowne Street was bustling as Snow Patrol fans mixed with droves of Red Sox fans after a lengthy rain delay cancelled that night’s game at Fenway Park. Nonetheless, the 5000-person music hall was the perfect shelter from the dreary weather outside, and it looked like the Irish-Scottish band came close to selling it out.
The night began with a lovely set by fellow Irish musician Sorcha Richardson. Richardson just recently performed in Boston as part of Dermot Kennedy’s Misneach Festival, celebrating Irish music and culture, and she was back tonight to share more of her songwriting. With just herself and a guitar, Richardson still was able to command the room, her music making you want to just close your eyes and take in the relaxing melodies.
Snow Patrol is currently on tour promoting their latest release The Forest Is The Path, the extended version of which was just released last month. Lightbody let us know early on that they would be playing both old and new songs, “whether you like it or not,” which got some laughs from the audience. They kicked off their set with “Take Back the City,” putting lots of emphasis on the song’s closing lines: “I love this city tonight / I love this city always.” This was followed up by “Chocolate” and “Called Out in the Dark,” the latter of which included a lengthy call and response with the audience, with Lightbody telling them to keep going “thirty more times.”
Though best known for their hits like “Chasing Cars” and “Open Your Eyes,” Snow Patrol has a huge discography spanning over 20 years and 8 full-length albums. Some lesser-known highlights from the night included performances of “Crack the Shutters,” a gorgeous rendition of “Run” (ft. the audience’s flashlights), and “Heal Me.” For “Shut Your Eyes,” Lightbody had the audience build up from singing in a whisper to start the song, showing off even more of his ability to connect with the audience.
The main set closed with “You’re All I Have,” and, of course, “Chasing Cars.” The band returned for a two-song encore, starting slow with the powerful message of love found in “What If This Is All the Love You Ever Get?” and finishing off with a full-band, all-out performance of “Just Say Yes.” Snow Patrol wrap up the United States leg of their tour this week before heading over to Europe and the UK later this summer in June and July.
GALLERY: Snow Patrol with Sorcha Richardson at MGM Music Hall in Boston (April 5, 2025)
