MATCHBOX TWENTY in concert; McKay Events Center, Utah Valley State College, Orem; Tuesday evening, Oct. 17; one performance only.
A band known for and loved because of its sometimes mournful, introspective lyrics doesn't bring the perfect musical content to a rock 'n' roll concert.
Tuesday night at the McKay Events Center on the UVSC campus in Orem, members of matchbox twenty (yes, lowercase is the way they spell it on their latest album) acquitted themselves pretty well as rock musicians but left room for improvement as live performers.
Not that there was anything wrong with their performance. But they didn't deliver all the bang for the buck that might have been hoped for from a band that has scorched the record charts over the past few years. Part of the problem is the very thing that makes the band and songwriter/vocalist Rob Thomas successful in the first place: their songs.
Songs full of longing, soul-searching and tales of failed emotional relationships resonate with fans around the country, selling over 12 million copies of their first two albums, "Yourself or Someone Like You" and the newer "mad season." But Thomas' intimately emotional songs, with a few exceptions, didn't quite ignite the live-music magic that can be found at the best rock shows. Still, there were great moments, and the show featured solid musicianship from start to finish.
Joining Thomas in the studio and on stage were Paul Doucette on drums, Kyle Cook and Adam Gaynor on guitar and Brian Yale on bass. A keyboardist also joined the live show along with a flutist, a trumpeter and a trombonist on some numbers.
Whatever the instrument, the band and/or its audio experts deserve credit for the excellent sound. The volume was at reasonable levels, leaving listeners' ears to comfortably hear each instrument without undue distortion. Especially crisp were the acoustic guitars and Thomas' vocals, which is what most came to hear anyway.
When the radio hits — which have been plentiful for a band with only two records so far— did get played, they were devoured by the hungry fans. "Bent," the outfit's current radio favorite, started the show with an energy they couldn't quite match for the rest of the show.
The up-tempo "3 a.m." was pulled out early in the set and got the fans jumping, but the less familiar and angst-ridden tunes like "Last Beautiful Girl" and "Back 2 Good" tempered the momentum. Hard-core matchbox twenty fans lapped up and loved every note that was offered, but there were definite down moments. Two surprise highlights were a rousing rendition of Tom Petty's "American Girl" and the encore of "Time After Time" from '80s diva Cyndi Lauper.
In fairness, the Orem concert was the middle of three shows in three days for the band, but after plunking down around $30 for tickets, fans don't want to feel like the middle of a sandwich.
This is a band that will be around and can, and will, do better.
E-mail: lc@desnews.com