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When a band can tour the country 250 dates a year and sell over 100,000 CD's without a record deal, they must be doing something right. That's the case for the Pat McGee Band, who recently signed a deal to Giant Records for their latest album Shine. Signing their names on the dotted line may have been considered "selling out" by some of their grassroots following, but, they've still not received much mainstream attention, including airplay, music videos, and daily write-ups in major media outlets. The result is still a sold out show on most nights of the year, including the venerable House of Blues in Chicago.

The band's persona could be interpreted by fans as a talented quintet who can carry out a whole host of vibrant jams to please the ear and lift the soul. Skeptics may look at them as a mere Dave Matthews Band rip-off hoping to conjure up a moving atmosphere with long, impromptu solos, and unnecessary extended versions of songs that would have been just fine at five minutes in length.

In Chicago, the Pat McGee Band fell in between the two planes, mesmerizing the audience on several occasions with their brilliance, while also spending a significant amount of time basking in the spotlight and dragging out their sounds. Several tracks were featured from Shine during the show, while most of the remaining came from 1998's General Admission, which was a live recording of the band's best-loved songs.

One track was featured on both albums, neither of which did the Pat McGee Band justice. Their catchy anthem "Rebecca" can only be experienced in the live setting, where the energy level surpasses any recording, no matter what stereo it's played on. The only problem was it lasted well past its welcome, approaching the ten minute mark.

The group's take on "Runaway" showcased McGee's vocal strengths while "Hero" sported harder rock influences. Other tracks, like "Haven't Seen for Awhile" and "Anybody" didn't fair as well, lacking exuberance that was replaced with filler. Although their cover of Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" added some much needed diversity to the set, the quiet tune was drowned out by audience chatter.

Regardless, the Pat McGee Band touched on themes throughout the evening that sent concert goers home fulfilled. Whether talking about taking each day at a time, or rising up above the grief after losing a loved one, this group seems to enjoy lifting up its fans to add a positive flavor in a world that sometimes seems very dark.