Unable to Break Free

Rob Thomas, the wildly popular lead singer of alternative rock band Matchbox Twenty, is one of the most compelling musicians I have ever had the privilege to see in person. Though few people will dispute this fact, it must be stated: Rob Thomas is Matchbox Twenty. Do not worry, fans of the band - this is a good thing. I had never seen this group of performers before their recent show at Washington, DC's 9:30 Club, but I will not soon forget the energetic display they put forth that night, least of all the effort of Rob Thomas.

It certainly makes for an interesting concert when the band in question plays a venue in support of an as-yet-unreleased album. Such was the case here, as the May 20th concert occurred three days before the release of Mad Season, Matchbox Twenty's follow-up to their gargantuan debut, Yourself or Someone Like You. With only one new song - "Bent" - released to mainstream radio at the time of the concert, Matchbox Twenty fans were in for an intriguing blend of tried-and-true hits and unknown novelties. How would that play with the crowd? Would it embrace the new, or demand more of the old? It seems that this particular crowd would do a little of both.

My overriding rule when it comes to concerts: give the audience what it wants to hear. Fans pay their hard-earned money to see their favorite artists perform, and they have certain expectations. Meet them, or suffer the consequences. Of course, when you only have one album's worth of "old" hits, it is pretty easy to lay it all out there. Matchbox Twenty ripped through a twenty-song set, sampling equally from both albums, and nary a crowd favorite was left unheard. That might not seem like much, but with as many hits as Matchbox Twenty was able to deliver with Yourself or Someone Like You, that turned out to be quite a chore.

After an uneven opening set by Angie Aparo, Rob Thomas and company took the stage shortly after 11 PM, bringing the crowd to life with current chart-topper "Bent." A dose of "Argue" and "Girl Like That," one of the show's true highlights, followed, all before Thomas even had a chance to welcome the crowd. Not that anyone was complaining… Having satisfied the fans with some definitive hits, Thomas decided to introduce those in attendance to some of the best the new album has to offer. "Crutch," a rocker that would have fit comfortably on the band's debut album, and "Black & White People" drew enthusiastic cheers, even though most were hearing these tunes for the first time. The loudest cheers, however, were still to come.

For this fan, the set's true majesty came in the middle, as Matchbox Twenty tore through "Real World," "Kody," and "Rest Stop" back-to-back-to-back. "Real World" is arguably the strongest effort on the band's unconscionably good debut album, while "Kody" is a cult favorite that will hopefully continue to make the cut at all future concerts. As catchy as "Bent" is, though, "Rest Stop" might be the true standout track on Mad Season. Though the songs differs markedly from the band's previous tracks, there seems to be little doubt that it has the potential to receive major airplay. Raucous renditions of "3 AM" and "Long Day" closed the main set, the former delivering one of the clearest audience-sung choruses in recent memory. By the time the band completed their encore with "Push," the jubilant crowd poured into the streets, eager to learn when the band would next be coming to a town nearby.

Submitted 5/22/00.

If you have any questions or comments about this or any other concert, please feel free to e-mail me.