-
- Matchbox 20/Soul Asylum
- Chastain Park Amphitheatre
- Atlanta
- August 2, 1998
- Reviewed by Bruce Buckley
-
- From the very beginning of matchbox 20's set, singer
- Rob Thomas was looking strangely tense, pacing the
- stage and waving a balled up fist in front of his
- chest. Under the circumstances, one would think he'd
- feel quite comfortable: This was the city where the
- Lava/Atlantic act recruited lead guitarist Kyle Cook,
- then later recorded its debut record, "Yourself Or
- Someone Like You," which is lodged at No. 16 on The
- Billboard 200 after 74 weeks on the chart. But Thomas'
- tenseness was due to his desire: Instead of coasting on
- the band's success, he is still sincerely tied to the
- desperate narratives behind the band's hits.
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-
- Such songs as "The Real World" and "Push" kept the
- sellout crowd singing along as Thomas exorcised his
- insecurities about personal relationships with raspy
- intensity. "3 AM," in particular, demonstrated the
- act's range, building from rhythm guitarist Adam
- Gaynor's quiet acoustic fretwork to drummer Paul
- Douchette's booming hits during the song's explosive
- chorus. Meanwhile, erratic video images, streams of
- rich lighting, and dense fog added to the track's
- dramatic feel.
-
- Band members also showcased some of their individual
- talents with several non-album cuts. Cook soared on
- "Tired" (the B-side of "Push") with an impressive
- flurry of licks, while an ambient cover of Sinéad
- O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U" was given a spiritual
- lift by the reverent organ work of newcomer Joey
- Huffman. But the night's most intense moment belonged
- to Thomas, when he delivered a solo acoustic encore of
- "Rest Stop."
-
- As the set drew to a close, the band ripped through the
- single "Long Day," interpolating it with a cover of
- David Bowie's "Fame." The tongue-in-cheek juxtaposition
- reaffirmed that matchbox 20 hasn't let itself get
- caught in the trapping of pop success after all.
-
- Opening band Soul Asylum is another act that is no
- stranger to success. The group sparked memories of its
- post-punk prowess on tracks "Somebody To Shove," "Black
- Gold," and "Runaway Train," the latter featured on its
- 1992 Sony album "Grave Dancers Union." Singer Dave
- Pirner showed that he hasn't lost a bit of his on-stage
- energy, continually flailing his body and flipping his
- scraggly locks. Despite best efforts, however, the band
- failed to turn the audience on to unfamiliar material
- from its latest set, "Candy From A Stranger," or to
- recent single "Close."
-
- Bruce Buckley is a freelance journalist based in Atlanta.
