Show Snow Patrol Eyes' Eyes Salt Air T Ti u. u 1 Y Open Op I A n J at josepn osep t w w. Bateman B teman Music Reporter Video killed the radio star but with MTV abandoning their namesake for reality programming what options remain for bands to get their big break The answer comes in the placement of relatively unknown artists in television shows A fresh take on what producers tried during the at atThe atThe The in Beverly Hills Hills a m merging of television networks and m music conglomerates not for product placement but rather artist development Glasgow rockers Snow Patrol are arc one band that owes their breakthrough to airing their songs on shows like Greys Anatomy ER and One Tree Hill Their meteoric rise from unknowns to international superstars was on display during their headlining show at The Great Salt Air Airon Airon Airon on Monday Opening up the show promptly at pm p.m. despite the line of people stretching into the parking lot waiting patiently to get in were Los Angles piece four-piece The Pick Pickups Ups Standing at the theother theother theother other end of The Great Salt SaltAir Air it was hard to see the members I guess this would have been a perfect time to splurge the extra to stand in the V IP section Unwilling to throw down downa a weeks week's pay on a single night I stood shoulder to shoulder with the not so very important people The vocals that filled the venue were reminiscent of a Washing Machine or Goo version of Sonic Youths Youth's bassist and vocalist Kim Gordon The m music sic recalled the same era of Sonic Youth but with a more restrained approach but not indulging in minute 12 opuses of guitar feedback For the thc next several songs I stood staring and squinting trying to to determine if the lead singer was a female Even listening now to their com si com the distinction is still hard to make Launching into their final two songs The Thc Pickups laid the question to rest with their shift to more aggressive songs featuring guitarist JIlL vocalist Brian Brian Aubert breaking into a frustrated scream over the fuzzed snarl of his guitar Forming just two years ago The Pickups showed the growing crowd their brand of rock Still new this band could show some serious potential in the Coming years Up next was OK Go a band that owed their success including their recent Grammy not for placement on a television show but for their infectious must watch videos Interestingly enough MTV rejected the idea for their choreographed dance on eight treadmills but the group found success through the viral video of with over 12 million views As Assinger Assinger Assinger singer Damian Kulash said during their energetic set We make the best f ing f ing videos The OK Go crew started setting up the crowd stood transfixed to see if treadmills ills were being set up Much to everyone's dismay their set didn't include a rendition of their popular treadmill dance Here It Goes Again Instead the crowd was treated to their power pop performance conjuring up Joan Jett and T. T Rex styled riffs that got the crowd moving Things turned serious and solemn as the band requested electronic gizmos to be held in the air during the second chorus of their ballad The energy was returned when they launched into Here HereIt It Goes Again complete with crowd sing and deafening cheers Wearing their geek rock outfits of sweaters s suits its and ties OK Go provided an energetic performance that countered their stiff professional appearance and set the stage for headliners Snow Patrol The crowd roared before Snow Patrol took the stage sure signs of their immense success Music played as the red backdrop of the stage blinded like a Griswold Christmas light display Taking the stage and launching into Spitting Games from Final Straw the nearly sold-out sold crowd reached a deafening roar showing their approval Turning to their new album Eyes Open for their fourth song Its Beginning To Get To Me Snow Patrols Patrol's vocalist announced that the surrounding scenery was wasso wasso wasso so dramatic with the Great Salt Lake and Mountains and announced that this was the b best show in America so far Despite all the talk of Snow Patrol sounding like it was until the beginning of Its Beginning that I understood the comparison if only for a brief moment Sounding like isn't a knock up until their latest wrote impressive pop songs that draw on the emotions of love and hope Its It's as if represents High School and Snow Patrol takes higher status and meaning as a university Regard Regardless ess the c comparison seems cheap as Snow Patrol writes mature and morose songs that seem more fitting for a funeral then a wedding As front frontman frontman frontman man Gary Lightbody told the crowd after a chorus of girls professed their love to him Are you even listening to the lyrics Pointing to the evidence Lightbody crowned himself the worlds world's worst boyfriend despite keep professing that tonight was a love thing The highlight of the night came when Lightbody picked a girl from the audience to fill the role of Martha Wainwright on the track of Set The fire To The Third Bar Despite telling stories of the like performance from the San Diego show t the e lucky fan filled the role perfectly and gathered confidence as the song progressed Sharing the stage must have been beena a dream for her but it was equally impressive to bein bein be bein in the audience Whoever that girl was her voice complemented Lightbody's for Tor one of the most stirring songs of the evening In their song 15 set list and three song encore Snow Patrol covered their hit Chasing Cars with the rest of the songs drawing from albums albums' Final Straw and Eyes Open Throughout the night Snow Patrol showed Salt Lake that they owe their big break to television but their mature brand of alternative rock is what keeps feeding their popularity into superstardom |