After a 3-year delay, Matchbox Twenty finally made it to Phoenix

Matchbox Twenty’s concert at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre on Wednesday was a long time coming. Originally scheduled for Sept. 22, 2020, at Ak-Chin Pavilion, the show was rescheduled three times before the band finally took the stage.

But it wasn’t exactly the concert fans who purchased tickets in 2020 thought it would be.

The last tour was touted as the 20th anniversary of their RIAA Diamond-certified debut, “Yourself or Someone Like You.” The 50-date tour was to be the band’s first time on the road since 2017. Like everything else during the dumpster fire that was 2020, the tour was canceled.

Still, diehard Arizona fans held on to their tickets in hopes that the band would eventually make their way to Phoenix. Suffice it to say, there was an intensity in the air when lead singer Rob Thomas sauntered on stage to kick off the long-awaited concert. Fans jumped to their feet with frenzied anticipation, and then something unexpected happened.

When the band’s enigmatic frontman began the set with “All My Friends,” the first track of the band’s new album, fans looked perplexed. While Thomas belted out the decidedly pop-influenced song, the crowd stood stationary. It wasn’t the late-'90s hit many were expecting. And to be fair, the band’s newest album — “Where The Light Goes” — had only dropped five days earlier, so there wasn’t a whole lot of time for fans to learn the new songs.

Luckily, the nearly sold-out crowd didn’t have to wait long to hear the hits that first brought the band to international fame in 1996. The third song, “Real World,” was met with deafening screams and group singing.



From there, the concert transitioned into a fast-paced journey through the band’s most-dancey tracks with renditions of “Disease,” “You’re So Mean” and “That’s All I Need.” Interspersed were songs from the new album, but they were largely met with a lukewarm reception.

Then, things got quieter and far more introspective. With only a single guitar and a microphone, singer Rob Thomas and guitarist Kyle Cook dove into an acoustic version of “If You’re Gone.” The song, written about Thomas’ wife, details the beginning stages of their courtship and her reluctance to date a musician. Fittingly, Thomas’ treatment of the song was tender and moving.

But this was a pop-rock concert, so it wasn’t long before the flashy stage lights and fog returned. Nine songs later, the band wrapped up with “Rebels” before taking a bow. Naturally, Matchbox Twenty wasn’t done, and fans cheered until the band came back out for a four-song encore.

Arguably, the band saved their biggest hits for the bitter end, but as the crowd sang in unison, it was clear that it was worth the wait.

“I look out here and see people that are singing our first single, and we know you’ve been here for the full 27 years [of our career]. We can’t tell you what that feels like,” Thomas gushed.

After two hours, two decades’ worth of music had been played, and the night came to an end — well, sort of. In the parking lot, fans blasted songs from “Yourself or Someone Like You” and danced in the street lights. The party continued until the last car left the parking lot around midnight.






Critic’s Notebook

The Show: Matchbox Twenty at Talking Stick Amphitheatre, with opener Matt Nathanson, on May 31.

The Crowd: As expected, the crowd was predominantly Gen X and Millennials arguing about what generation the band belongs to. OG fans wore shirts from the band’s first tour in 1996, while others rocked one of three shirts available at the merch booth for $50.

Notebook Dump: Guitarist Kyle Cook gave off serious Ted Danson vibes in a head-to-toe white suit and black-rimmed glasses.

Setlist:
“Friends”
“How Far We’ve Come”
“Real World”
“Disease”
“Wild Dogs”
“You’re So Mean”
“That’s All I Need”
“Queen of New York City”
“Hand Me Down”
“If You’re Gone”
“Mad Season”
“Don’t Get Me Wrong”
“These Hard Times”
“The Way”
“Parade”
“Bent”
“Back 2 Good”
“Long Day”
“Rebels”
“3AM”
“Unwell”
“Push”
“Bright Lights”