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Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Photos / Live Reviews / News Live review: Rob Thomas
Posted By Anita Overcash on Wed, Sep 30, 2009 at 2:38 PM
Rob Thomas with Carolina Liar and OneRepublic
Uptown Amphitheatre
Sept. 29, 2009
The Deal: Rob Thomas, lead singer of Matchbox Twenty, performs at Uptown Amphitheatre in support of his sophomore solo album Cradlesong. Opening acts include Carolina Liar and OneRepublic.
The Good: The concert started with the pop rock act Carolina Liar. All but one member of the band – that being front man Chad Wolf of Charleston, S.C. – originates from Sweden. Music was tight throughout the entirety of its set, but not particularly impressive. The crowd seemed ok with the jingles, which included songs like “Coming To Terms” and “Show Me What I’m Looking For,” both featured in the TV show The Hills and on the bands 2008 debut album, Coming To Terms.
But, clearly the crowd’s excitement was taken up a notch when Rob Thomas dashed on stage during the group’s second song. Thomas bent down in front of the Wolf and snapped a quick shot on his camera.
The Colorado-based alt-pop-rock act OneRepublic took the stage next. The band delivered a powerful set of catchy rock tunes, which included its three biggest hits “Stop and Stare,” “Say (All I need),” and “Apologize,” all from 2007’s Dreaming Out Loud. The group also played some newbie’s (like “All The Right Moves,” and “Everybody Loves Me”) set to be featured on the upcoming release – Nov. 17, 2009 - of its sophomore album, Waking Up. Surprisingly, the group did a cover of Depeche Mode’s “Shout,” but maybe they shouldn’t have. Though, the song rocks … they didn’t do it better.
Finally, Rob Thomas made it to the stage, bringing an entourage of musicians behind him. Thomas mixed up his set, playing lots songs from his newest album Cradlesong and older tracks from his 2005 solo debut …Something To Be (“Streetcorner Symphony,” “Ever The Same,” “Something To Be,” “Fallin’ To Pieces,” “I Am An Illusion,” “This Is How A Heart Breaks”) too. He also played the Matchbox Twenty ditty, “3 A.M.,” which he dedicated to Paul Doucette (guitarist and former drummer of MB20) who was attending the concert. Next, Thomas played “Smooth,” the song that resulted from his collaboration with Santana. With more than one guitarist and some soulful back-up singers, as well as the rest of his band, Thomas’ show was layered with extra music elements. Even when the stage cleared for more acoustic sounds on “3 A.M.” and “Smooth,” songs were still deep with impressive string work. The show ended with a beat-pounding, guitar-thumping rock out on the poppy soul-driven “This Is How A Heart Breaks.”
The Bad: By the time Rob Thomas got on stage, the weather had gotten much chillier. I felt bad for folks wearing tank tops and short sleeves. Also, though I know this show was Thomas’ solo gig, I’d hoped to hear a few more MB20 songs, especially after he played “3 A.M.” What a tease!
The Verdict: A good show. Rob Thomas stayed on stage for two hours, and that’s a pretty long time. He was his seemingly down-to-earth self on the stage, talking and joking with the audience, between his time singing songs. During the show's entirety, songs were well done, some even better than the albums versions. Thomas’ band was made up of skilled musicians, who kept up with Thomas and his vocal art throughout the set.
Rob Thomas setlist
Fire On The Mountain
Still Ain’t Over You
Give Me The Meltdown
Lonely No More
Mockingbird
Sunday Morning, New York Blue
Streetcorner Symphony
Natural
Getting Late
Hard On You
Ever the Same
Cradlesong
Someday
Something to Be
Gasoline
Little Wonders
Fallin’ to Pieces
Her Diamonds
I Am An Illusion
3 a.m.
Smooth
This is How a Heart Breaks
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