Matchbox 20 Tour

[Semarias Alfna]

Butwhile the millionaire Roger Daltrey might not think that Brexit will have any effect on bands of any size touring Europe, one major event that certainly DID affect it was the start of the Iraq War in 2003.

Just kidding, they simply moved their Easter tours to late summer tours, which worked nicely for me as it meant I would be home for the summer and could still go to both, and it brought another tedious summer of stacking fruit and veg to an exciting, rock and roll finish.

Two years before this, I had experienced a minor heart-attack when I thought Matchbox Twenty had booked a stadium tour of the UK, only for it to turn out to be a Bon Jovi support slot they were passing off as their own tour. I was only slightly less shocked to see them book an actual arena tour in 2003, as the intervening 24 months seemed to have produced about 3 UK radio plays and 17 spins of their videos on The Box, all of which were requested by me. I get that they were huge in America (and Australia, I believe), and that planning an arena sized show for two markets and a theatre show for another would be a logistical issue, but there was zero chance they were going to fill these shows, even with an extra 5 months to do so.

While I do maintain a busy schedule of touring and recording sessions, I am always open to playing live and doing session work in general, so please feel free to reach out to me here for any projects you may be interested in having me play for. I do a lot of remote recording out of Trackpad Studio (my home studio), so I have the most flexibility there to get things recorded for you in a timely fashion. Thanks for taking a look here and feel free to reach to me with any work-related questions.

The band then went on hiatus in 2004 after rhythm guitarist Adam Gaynor's departure. As a result, Paul Doucette took over rhythm guitar when the band reunited in 2007. They released a compilation album, Exile on Mainstream, which was certified Gold in the United States. After the release, the band toured to support it. Matchbox Twenty then took another hiatus while Thomas resumed his solo career but reunited again in 2010. On September 4, 2012, the band released their fourth studio album, North, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.[1] Their fifth, Where the Light Goes, was released on May 26, 2023.[2]

Rob Thomas, Brian Yale, and Paul Doucette were part of the band Tabitha's Secret, which was based in Orlando, Florida, with fellow members Jay Stanley and John Goff, before splitting to start a new band (what was to become Matchbox Twenty). After recruiting Adam Gaynor from Criteria Recording Studios in Miami and Kyle Cook from the Atlanta Institute of Music, the band named themselves "Matchbox 20" and earned a recording contract with Atlantic Records. Doucette suggested the name after combining two words observed on the softball shirt of a man where Doucette was waiting tables.[3]Matchbox 20 released their debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You, in 1996. While their first single, "Long Day", was a radio success in the west coast, the album soon spawned several Top 40 singles throughout 1997 and 1998, including "Push", "3 A.M.", "Real World", and "Back 2 Good". "Push" and "3 A.M." did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 chart due to the rule in effect prior to 1998 that required a song to be released as a single in order to appear on the Hot 100. "Real World" and "Back 2 Good" proved to be the band's first entries into the Billboard Hot 100, after the rule was terminated. The album eventually shipped more than 12 million copies in the U.S. alone, achieving a diamond certification. In 1998, Matchbox 20 recorded a live version of their single, "3 A.M." for release on the charity album Live in the X Lounge, benefiting United Cerebral Palsy research.

Before recording their second album, Thomas collaborated with Itaal Shur on a song called "Smooth" for Carlos Santana's comeback album, Supernatural. Thomas was supposed to act only as a songwriter for "Smooth", but Carlos Santana had him sing for it after hearing the song's demo. "Smooth" was the album's lead single and became a hit in 1999. Thomas won three Grammy Awards for writing and performing on "Smooth": Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Popular Music Collaboration with Vocals. In 2000, Matchbox 20 adopted the spelling "Matchbox Twenty" and released their second album, Mad Season. The album, on the strength of several successful singles, including "Bent" (which peaked No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart) and "If You're Gone", was certified 4 platinum in the United States. The video for "Bent" made fun of singer Thomas's increased fame from "Smooth" by showing the other band members assaulting him. The next two singles, "Mad Season" and "Last Beautiful Girl" were not as successful.

For their third album, More Than You Think You Are, the band used more of a pop punk/pop rock sound. Thomas shared the songwriting efforts with the other band members on several songs. The album was recorded at Icon Recording Studios in Hollywood, California. Icon Recording Studios owner and Chief Engineer - Andrew Troy, Assistant Engineer - Aaron Kaplay, 2nd Assistant Engineer - Pablo Solorzano. Additional recording at Bearsville Studios and Hit Factory in New York and was released on November 19, 2002. The album was produced by Matt Serletic, who at the time was the current chairman for Virgin Records. The album again spawned successful singles "Disease" (written with Mick Jagger), "Unwell", and "Bright Lights". The album was not as successful commercially as the previous two, and received mixed reviews from critics. However, the album had an enormous radio presence for well over a year.

During 2003, the band released EP, consisting of six songs. The EP featured previously unreleased live and acoustic versions of songs like "Push" and "If You're Gone", as well as a new track, "Suffer Me". In 2004, the band released a live DVD, Show: A Night in the Life of Matchbox Twenty, filmed in Atlanta and featuring 20 songs, including all of their previous successful singles.

The group reunited and began performing during 2007, with the release of their retrospective album Exile on Mainstream, on October 2, 2007. "How Far We've Come" was the first single from the new album, which was followed by the second single, "These Hard Times". "Exile on Mainstream" included four other new songs and a complete collection of all eleven of their previously released singles. The album was also released in the new MVI (Music Video Interactive) format, which included two video interviews discussing the six new songs and eleven greatest hits, plus extras including a photo gallery, U-MYX (to remix "How Far We've Come"), buddy icons and wallpapers. "How Far We've Come" was released on the band's MySpace page in July 2007, with the video released on September 6, 2007. Matchbox Twenty toured during early 2008 with Alanis Morissette and opener Mutemath. The band began their US tour on January 25, 2008, in Hollywood, FL, and concluded in Las Vegas, NV, on March 18, 2008, before heading to Australia and New Zealand, where the Australian band Thirsty Merc was the supporting act. Following Australia, Matchbox Twenty visited the UK for the first time in five years to play six concerts in Cardiff, Wembley, Birmingham, Glasgow, and Manchester. Matchbox Twenty performed at the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup award ceremony.

When the band finished touring later during 2008, Rob Thomas began work on his second solo album, Cradlesong. He stated in an interview to Billboard that he expected that the other members of the band might begin work on Matchbox Twenty's next album without him.[4] At the concert at Mohegan Sun Casino on December 18, 2009, Rob Thomas said that he was not frequently playing Matchbox Twenty songs at his 2009 tour stops because the band was planning to tour together in 2010.

At the Taste of Chicago on July 2, 2010, Thomas said that Matchbox Twenty would be recording in the fall for their fourth studio album. On September 4, 2010, while on VH1's Top 20 Music Video Countdown, Thomas stated that Matchbox Twenty was planning to start working on their next studio album in mid-September and that he was 80% sure that the album would be released sometime in 2011. Rob Thomas posted on Twitter that he was "heading out next week to start writing the new mb20 record" on September 13, 2010. It was stated on Matchbox Twenty's web site that the next show they will do together is on January 1, 2011, in Oklahoma.[5] Matchbox Twenty played a one-off live show in Temecula, California, on July 9, 2011, but no new material was played. During the show Rob Thomas stated the show was a "love letter to our fans."[6] North was released on September 4, 2012. The album's first single, "She's So Mean," was released on June 12, 2012.[7] In 2012, the band embarked on a worldwide tour, the North Tour, to promote the album.[8] The tour continued as the 2013 Summer Tour, when they co-headlined with the Goo Goo Dolls.[9]

On June 20, 2022, a video was posted on the band's Twitter account, confirming that a new album is in the works, despite Rob Thomas denying this in interviews the previous year.[21][22][23] Having had to make their fans wait for three years to see them on tour again due to cancellations, Kyle Cook suggested that they should make a new album.[24]

In May 2005, nine years after the release of Yourself or Someone Like You, Matchbox 20 was sued by New York City resident Frank Torres, the man featured on the album's cover. Torres claimed the band used his image the album's cover without any consent. Torres also claimed that he had been walking down the street when he was asked by a photographer to pose for a picture. In legal papers, Torres claims the group "knowingly, intentionally and maliciously" used his picture on the cover, causing him mental anguish. Torres's lawyer claimed the reason for the filing delay of the lawsuit, was that Torres only found out about the album in 2003.[26]

3a8082e126