CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio -- Back to good is what fans of Matchbox Twenty are feeling after taking in the rock act’s chilly Tuesday night show -- originally booked for August 2020 -- at Blossom Music Center.
Waking up the cold and rain-threatened crowd with the Arcade Fire-sounding and on-the-nose opening track “Friends,” the Rob Thomas-led band set the anthemic tone (think U2-lite) early.
“It’s amazing to us some of you bought tickets to this three years ago and you still showed up,” said Thomas.
What was evident from the start is the fact Matchbox Twenty is an enigma.
Haters could argue that the band’s middle-of-the-road rock songs lack any creative punch but the audience at last night’s show would disagree. More than 14,000 fans danced and sang their way through the group’s roughly two-hour, 21-song set in front of a globe-like structure that obstructed a video screen.
Since first arriving among a faceless class of post-grunge rock bands more than a quarter of a century ago, the VH1 act -- an early staple of adult contemporary radio -- has continued to defy pop-rock gravity that grounded its peers.
Touring in support of only its fifth studio album, the recently released “Where The Light Goes,” the band in general doesn’t necessarily challenge its fans as much as satiate their loyal following with a therapy session of sorts featuring plenty of songs about broken people finding a sliver of hope.
Make no mistake, Thomas -- who confusingly hasn’t aged a bit in nearly three decades -- is Matchbox Twenty’s glue and main attraction.
Dressed all in black, the frontman had an earnest awkwardness on stage that is endearing. When not jumping around, he would have fun with the audience.
“I know it’s Cuyahoga Falls but it’s like a first and last name,” he laughed. “Tonight it’s just Cuyahoga but when I want more from the audience, it’s Cuyahoga Falls.”
Quick and hilarious side note: There was a guy in a nearby section who every time Thomas said “Cuyahoga” felt compelled -- as if on cue -- to yell “Cleveland.”
As for the hits, there were many -- the crunchy “Real World,” a slightly askew “Bent,” the ballad-esque “Back 2 Good” and the rousing “3AM.”
The latter is why the audience came out -- to remember what it’s like to be lonely at 3 a.m. or 10:28 p.m. on a cold Tuesday Cuyahoga night.
One band member not present due to his kid’s graduation was guitarist Paul Doucette, who was admirably replaced by Jamie Arentzen (American Hi-Fi, Miley Cyrus).
The secret to Matchbox Twenty’s sauce appears to be less is more.
On stage, the tight outfit -- for good or bad -- safely stays within its lane playing emotionally-tinged anthems (lots and lots of anthems) that transport audiences to a different time.
As for coming out of their comfort zone, the closest moment found Thomas and guitarist Kyle Cook on stools performing a stripped-down version of No. 1 platinum hit “If You’re Gone.”
Reconstructed as a bluesy tune complete with Cook’s subtle fingerpicking, the result wasn’t crafted tender or intimate for effect. Instead, the moment felt honest for what was invariably one of the evening’s highlights.
The headscratcher for Matchbox Twenty has to do with the band’s continued decision not to perform “Smooth,” which is Thomas’ 1999 Grammy Award-winning collaboration with Santana.
Sure, it was a solo effort which probably didn’t sit well with the rest of the band members at the time but even these days Axl Rose at Guns ‘N Roses shows is singing “Slither” from Slash and Duff McKagan’s Velvet Revolver project.
That said, Matchbox Twenty could have used an over-the-top performance of “Smooth” as an end-of-the-night closer.
Speaking of smooth, Matt “bait-and-switch” Nathanson turned in an admirable opening set playing his fun brand of pop-folk to a fairly crowded pavilion, which early on was a bit confused when the singer-songwriter arrived on stage announcing he was Jakob Dylan of The Wallflowers.
It turned out the “One Headlight” band was the original opening act for the 2020 Blossom Music Center date. Well played, Nathan!
During the playful Boston-area native’s 45-minute set, he’d often bait the audience with snippets of classic covers (AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell,” Modern English’s “I Melt With You,” Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” and Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”) before tagging it with his own entire song.
The recipe proved entertaining with Nathanson introducing his radio hit “Come On Get Higher” by saying it sounded like something you’d hear while shopping at Whole Foods.