Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas delivers a handful of MB20 numbers along with tunes from his solo career in this 18-song set filmed in 2008 for the PBS-aired music series Soundstage at Colorado's famed Red Rocks amphitheatre. The close-cropped thirtysomething Thomas—who resembles Eminem and here adopts a semi-hip-hop stage presence when he's not playing the guitar or keyboards—opens with the title cut off his 2005 Something To Be solo debut and the driving “Fallin' to Pieces” (from the same album), before settling into a bit of a lull with a series of power ballads (“If You're Gone,” “When the Heartache Ends,” “Ever the Same”)—finally breaking the semi-soporific state with the MB20 hit “3 AM.” The second half of the concert picks up considerably with the MB20 standards “Bent” and “The Difference,” and Thomas' own toe-tapping “Problem Girl,” lovely “Now Comes the Night,” and crowd-pleasing finale “This Is How a Heart Breaks.” Ably backed by a solid band—guitars, keyboards, bass, drums, backup vocals—Thomas may not be the most electrifying performer, but he is unquestionably one of the stronger vocalists on the contemporary musical landscape and fans of post-grunge crunch will appreciate the singer-songwriter's smooth sound. Speaking of “Smooth” (the Santana megahit co-written and sung by Thomas), the acoustic version presented here comes across as pallid, and the cover of David Bowie's “Let's Dance” will sound like amateur hour to Bowie aficionados. But these are minor missteps in an otherwise solid outing sure to further cement Thomas' solo artist creds. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo (with DTS-HD 5.1 added on the Blu-ray version), extras include a bonus video of “Streetcorner Symphony.” Recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)
Rob Thomas: Something to Be Tour—Live at Red Rocks
(2008) 95 min. DVD: $19.99, Blu-ray: $24.99. E1 Entertainment (avail. from most distributors). ISBN: 1-4172-3109-2 (dvd), 1-4172-3268-4 (blu-ray). Volume 25, Issue 1
Rob Thomas: Something to Be Tour—Live at Red Rocks
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