Rob Thomas performed at Foxwoods Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, for his charity foundation, Sidewalk Angels. Sidewalk Angels is based out of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and supports no-kill animal shelters all over the US. The show had a chill vibe, with Thomas providing insights to each song before he performed them along with some cute little crowd interactions. We could tell pretty quickly that we weren’t exactly the target audience for his show– most of the attendees were middle aged, and the show had an acoustic and slower feel on the whole.
Zach: Rob Thomas played my favorite song of his within the first three, so when I heard it I got really hyped. “Her Diamonds” is a song about how Thomas is sometimes unable to solve all his wife’s problems. This theme is best illustrated by my favorite lyrics of the song, “And I don’t know what I’m supposed to do / So I sit down and I cry, too.” What made me sad about this song was the crowd. No one was really singing along, and the energy was kind of low. The way Thomas’ acoustic versions worked was that all of his faster, high-energy songs didn’t have the same kick. The audience didn’t really respond to this at first, which unfortunately made for a worse experience for my favorite song.
Anthony: My main issue with the concert was the acoustic versions of each song. Going into the show, I was mostly familiar with just Matchbox Twenty, and I had a fairly limited knowledge of Thomas’s discography, except for “Little Wonders” and “Lonely No More.” I felt that hearing some of these songs performed acoustically for the first time didn’t really do them any justice. After going back and listening to the recorded versions of all the songs from the setlist, “Her Diamonds” moved into my top three favorite Rob Thomas songs, but it could have easily been overlooked if I dismissed it after hearing just an acoustic version.
Zach: Even though it took a minute, the crowd began to better understand what Rob Thomas was going for. He played “Pieces” next, which was so beautiful. Thomas was on vocals for this one, accompanied by only the piano. There were a lot of songs I didn’t really know going into this concert, so I made it a point to keep an open mind, and I’m really happy I did. “Pieces” was one of many new songs that got added to the playlist instantly.
Anthony: Rob Thomas started to win everyone back over with “Pieces”. Although I still wasn’t a fan of the idea of an entirely acoustic concert, Thomas proved here that it had its benefits. I feel like most concerts have a moment where the artist stops to slow things down. It usually ends with them pouring their heart out over the piano, this was nothing short of that, and I think it was well placed within the setlist.
Zach: The crowd really came alive for the first Matchbox Twenty song that Rob Thomas played, which is also the band’s most popular. “3 A.M.” was one of my favorite songs of the concert because it felt like every single audience member knew the words. Despite the fact Thomas slowed it down, the crowd (and I) got super into it. I was just really happy he was playing any songs from the band that made him a superstar, and he even gave some stories about playing with the band and their most recent tour. All in all, if you haven’t heard “3 A.M.,” go listen right now.
Anthony: It wouldn’t have felt like a Rob Thomas concert to me if we left Foxwoods without hearing him play “3 A.M..” As Zach said, the crowd lit up and really got into it. Thomas gave a heartwarming, and funny, story behind the song before he performed it as well. He claimed it was one of the first truly meaningful songs he wrote, and you could hear it in his voice as he sang the chorus of the song.
Zach: Thomas followed that up with another Matchbox Twenty song, “Disease.” I was unfamiliar with this song as well, but it had more kick than any of his other songs up to this point. I was obsessed with the sounds produced from the minor chords right away. It’s sort of on the edgy side for his music, but it definitely works.
Anthony: This song probably had the most impressive conversion to an acoustic song in my opinion. Although I’ve said before I wasn’t a fan of the concept, this one worked pretty well.
Zach: Towards the end of the show, Rob Thomas pulled out all the stops and started playing the hits. First was “Little Wonders” which was awesome as a huge fan of “Meet the Robinsons.” He followed that up with “You Won’t Be Mine,” another Matchbox Twenty song. Thomas got on the seat this time and played solo piano. He did a pretty fantastic job until he messed up a couple chords at the end. He even joked to the audience that as soon as you think about how good you’re doing, that’s when you screw it up.
Anthony: I waited the whole show for “Little Wonders” and I was so happy to hear it live. I remember I was actually in line trying to buy a shirt when I heard the song start and I ran back to my seat to hear it. Even if he messed up a little at the end I still loved “You Won’t Be Mine.” The chord progression in the song and the emphasis on the piano part made it easy to transfer into an acoustic version.
Zach: Rob Thomas stuck the landing with his last two songs. First, he gave a long story beginning with something to the effect of, “If my life were a book, there would have to be a “Smooth” chapter.” He talked about how both his wife and Carlos Santana hated the initial, slower version of the song, and how corny he thinks the first line of the song is. He barely got it out the first time around since everyone in the crowd was chuckling, but it ended up being one of the best songs of the night. I think it only barely beat the last song, “This Is How A Heart Breaks.” The original song is probably Thomas’ most up-tempo song, and it kind of lost a bit of its spark in the acoustic version. Overall though, this was a fantastic show for a fantastic cause.
Anthony: After hearing the story and Thomas’ opinion on the first line of “Smooth,” I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to hear it the same way again. The personal story made the song that much better and although I would’ve preferred a more upbeat version of the song, it was still one of the best songs of the night. I had a great time at the show and I’d love to get the chance to see Matchbox live with more of a band backing up Thomas, I believe it would make all the difference.
