GeoffK

I had the fortune to catch the kickoff of the Silversun Pickups, OK Go, Snow Patrol tour.

I'd been listening a lot to Silversun Pickups on Urge (which is what I usually have running all day while I am working on DVD Talk....) I've really been getting into them, there's something about them that reminds me of Smashing Pumpkins (minus Bill Corigan)... So they opened and got a very good reception from the crowd. It was one of the first concerts where I was just as excited about the opener as I was about the headliner. (Their album is super cheap right now at Target... $7!)

OK Go followed and did a really strong set. They're absolutely a band I will make an effort to see again if they play a smaller club date. They did well in the arena setting (it was in the Portland Memorial Colosseum) but I can see how they'd be insanely great in a club. Of course the crowd went crazy for 'Here We Go' but there weren't any treadmills on stage (could you imagine do that every night on a tour). They closed with their latest single "Do What You Want" (good video for it up on youtube.) I think I've heard the song in a commercial.. not sure.

Headliner Snow Patrol was great. I saw them in a small club a while back here in Portland and they've comfortably made the leap to the arena. Highly polished sound they seemed at ease on stage. Good but not amazing light show (OK GO had video behind them that I think was a lot stronger). The highlight of the concert was when lead singer Gary Lightbody asked if there was anyone in the audience who could 'really sing' and then had a woman come up and duet with him on 'Set The Fire To The Third Bar'. This is the kind of stuff that makes an ok concert into a good one.

All in all a good line up and a concert to catch. I plan to catch both Silversun and OK Go if/when they return for smaller club dates.

TripWire

I saw Silversun when they only had their Pikul EP out in a small club in the nyc. I always liked the band since I heard the EP and of course the full length is great. First heard them on Woxy.Com which is a great online indie ratio station. They had a nice energy in the club and I enjoyed the show a lot, I have a thing for chick bassists On another note anton the guy from brian jonestown was opening for them and was being a dick the whole show as expected.
I'd like to see them in a mid size venue playing the album songs, maybe next time I will catch em when on tour. Thanks for the review, that is kinda an odd lineup for them to be in though.

Superman07

I was thinking about trying to catch this when it came through town in a few months, but based on your review and the inflated ticket prices (originally $40/ea., cheapest I can find now is $80/ea.).

Hopefully this will be followed by another concert DVD.

bralph

That is exactly how I have described Silversun Pickups to a couple of friends. I like them a lot, and everyone I've turned onto them has been impressed too.