Matchbox
fans fill Staples
By Jamie Ouye
Summer On-line Forty-Niner
“More
Than You Think You Are” is the name of their
new album. They rocked the Staples Center
last Saturday with such known songs as “3AM”,
“Mad Season” and “Unwell.” Matchbox Twenty
kept fans happy by playing their older songs,
while still adding new songs.
Although much of the crowd had not taken
their seats yet, Lisa Loeb made an appearance,
playing some of her more famous tunes “Stay”
and “I Do”. After her act and after more
people found their seats, Sugar Ray took
the stage.
With family members in the crowd, Sugar
Ray’s Mark McGrath charged up his hometown
with humorous antics and upbeat music. At
one point McGrath ran out into the audience
and picked a little girl to sing a duet
to the song “Fly.” This type of impromptu
act really had the audience smiling, laughing
and just plain-out enjoying themselves.
McGrath picked up a few more members for
the Sugar Ray fan club after his performance
that night. Along with “Fly” they played
“Someday,” “When It’s Over,” “Every Morning,”
a new song “Chasin’ You Around” and a few
others. Matchbox Twenty had not even made
it to the stage and the crowd was buzzing
over the music they had just heard.
When Matchbox Twenty came on playing “Bent,”
the center filled with cheers and applause.
Especially when lead singer Rob Thomas,
rose to the platform on a lift with a bright
white back round behind him. It is not often
that stage lighting is as memorable as this
concert’s was. They had four massive square
lights that changed color and placement
on mechanical arms high above the stage.
The album “More Than You Think You Are,”
according to Matchbox Twenty’s Web-site,
“features writing contributions from band
mates Paul Doucette and Kyle Cook. As a
result, the album flashes with collaborative
spirit and celebratory energy.”
The crowd felt that energy and many were
up from their seats dancing to music that
is easy to listen to, but hard to dance
to. Special applause was given for the slow
acoustic version of “If Your Gone” and their
cover of Tom Petty’s “Don’t Do Me Like That”
that was in commemoration to their sound
man who was leaving them to tour with Petty.
After a couple of hours of singing and entertaining,
the night was winding down and the encore
show began. They lit the walkways and Thomas
said to a fan that was walking up the stairs
to leave, “Hey you. Yeah you, don’t leave.
Just stay there for a minute, do you have
to be some place you have to be?” and then
closed out the night with “Push.”
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