You’ve always got to be a little skeptical of a band when its major piece of concert merchandise is a glow stick with the group’s name on it and the opening band is Sugar Ray.
But when Rob Thomas and Matchbox Twenty took the stage at the UNO Lakefront arena on April 25, it became obvious that there was no need to worry.
Matchbox Twenty has kicked off its past few tours at UNO, so it seemed fitting to start their gargantuan 51-date run there again.
“It’s great to be back playing music again,” Thomas said.
Many times, when a lead singer doesn’t play an instrument, he can look awkward roaming around the stage – unless he’s Mick Jagger.
But Thomas pulled off the frontman job with relative grace, and incorporated the audience into his energetic stage presence.
Matchbox Twenty used this concert as an opportunity to showcase songs from its latest release, “More Than You Think You Are,” which hit stores last November.
The songs ranged from the soulful “Laughing Out Loud,” on which Thomas played piano, to the edgier “Feel.”
The most raw and unabashed moment of the evening came from a performance by only Thomas and lead guitarist Kyle Cook.
The rest of the band left the stage and let the two perform a bluesy rendition of Matchbox Twenty’s hit song “If You’re Gone.”
This created an intimate atmosphere between the band and the audience, as if everyone was in a smaller venue.
When the rest of the band got back to the stage, it revealed its security as a pop-rock staple during a cover of the David Bowie hit, “Changes.”
Matchbox Twenty played the entire repertoire of songs that fans would expect, including hit songs like “3 am,” “Real World,” “Bent,” “Back To Good” and the current single, “Unwell.”
The only glaring omission was “Last Beautiful Girl” from the album “Mad Season.”
The concert proved that Matchbox Twenty has reached its stride not only with fans, but also in the quality of its music and live performances.
The audience could see a progression in the maturity of the band’s songs, and its relaxed way of playing in front of big crowds.
It is going to be one hot summer for Matchbox Twenty.
