March 31st, 2025 - St. Paul, MN

After 5 years in between albums, Snow Patrol is now on tour for their latest album, The Forest Is The Path. Now 30 years as a band, they have more than enough music to put a setlist together that all fans can enjoy. On March 31, Snow Patrol brought their tour to the Palace Theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Opener Sorcha Richardson came out with an intimate set and immediately connected with the crowd. Richardson's albums and songs pull on the classic young adulthood experiences. Richardson has opened for other well-known names like Mitski and Villagers, and she continues to draw the audience in with her dreamlike, nostalgic songs.

The Irish native finished up writing her next album and treated the crowd to an unreleased song that she claimed she keeps messing up. It sounded like it went off without a hitch in St. Paul. Her love for Ireland was explored throughout her songs, and she mentioned the Palace Theatre reminded her of being home. The songs “First Prize Bravery,” “Smiling Like an Idiot,” and “Map of Manhattan” all explored themes of friendships and relationships. These life experiences allowed Richardson to pull all these emotions out into her songwriting.

With little warning, the lights went out, and eyes darted to the screen behind the stage. The city name flashed on the screen, followed by a giant heart. As the band entered, "Snow Patrol" was displayed. Fittingly, the first song they played was “Take Back the City,” and take over St. Paul they did. The visuals on the screen flashed with skyscrapers and lights through city windows. Lead guitarist Nathan Connolly lit up the stage as he rocked out during a guitar solo during the song.

Gary Lightbody, the last remaining original member of Snow Patrol, felt every ounce of emotion on that stage. Moving through the songs, “Chocolate,” “Called Out in the Dark,” and “All,” fans were dancing their hearts out. Lightbody leaned over the stage to read a sign from a fan who was leaning over the barricade. These connections Lightbody has built over the years with his fans have kept them listening and coming back after all these years.

The graphics behind Snow Patrol were stunning throughout the night. From forests to hearts and leaf tornados, they matched every song played. It was an additional way to connect with the lyrics and keep their music relevant.

At the start of “The Lightning Strike (What If the Storm Ends?),” guitarist and keyboardist Johnny McDaid began with a slow, captivating piano solo followed by another guitar solo by Connolly. McDaid and Connolly brought these songs to life with their energy and commitment to producing these songs and playing live.

Transitioning into the latter half of the show, Snow Patrol played “Close Your Eyes,” which was one of the most thrilling performances of the night. As the song began to wind down, Lightbody’s voice became a whisper before vocally exploding into the night and ending on his knees.

This show couldn’t happen without the inclusion of their most well-known song, “Chasing Cars.” It’s practically synonymous with Snow Patrol themselves. That song was released around the same time I started really listening to the radio and developing my own music taste, so hearing it live all these years later and singing the last chorus a cappella with the rest of the fans was incredibly cathartic.

Snow Patrol ended their show with a two-song encore before leaving the stage. Theirs was a must-see show filled with the throwbacks, the new songs, and everything in between.