Matchbox
      Twenty
      rocks
      Halifax,
      cheers
      up
      city
      in
      wake
      of
      "Juan"
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Recently
      I
      had
      the
      oppor-
     
     
      tunity
      —
      perhaps
      one
      of
      a
      life-
     
     
      time
      —
      to
      see
      one
      of
      my
      favorite
     
     
      bands
      in
      concert.
     
    

    
     
      When
      I
      heard
      that
     
     
      Matchbox
      Twenty
      would
      be
      per-
     
     
      forming
      in
      Halifax
      at
      the
      Metro
     
     
      Centre
      I
      knew
      I
      had
      to
      go
      no
     
     
      matter
      what
      the
      price.
      I
      called
     
     
      the
      box
      office
      a
      few
      days
      after
     
     
      tickets
      went
      on
      sale
      and
      discov-
     
     
      ered
      that
      only
      upper
      bowl
      seats
     
     
      remained
      at
      a
      cost
      of
      61
      dollars
     
     
      a
      pop.
      From
      this,
      I
      gathered
      two
     
     
      things:
      That
      Matchbox,
      while
     
     
      one
      of
      my
      favorite
      bands,
      also
     
     
      thought
      quite
      a
      bit
      of
      them-
     
     
      selves,
      and
      also
      that
      Halifax
      was
     
     
      hungry
      for
      these
      rockers.
      So
      I
     
     
      swallowed
      my
      pride
      and
      opened
     
     
      my
      wallet
      for
      the
      seats.
     
    

    
     
      Earlier
      that
      week
      Halifax
     
     
      had
      been
      nothing
      short
      of
      dev-
     
     
      astated
      by
      Hurricane
      "Juan,"
     
     
      and
      it
      was
      obvious
      through
      the
     
     
      lack
      of
      accommodations
      avail-
     
     
      able
      in
      the
      city
      that
      weekend.
     
     
      The
      army
      had
      been
      called
      in
     
     
      and
      was
      blocking
      off
      streets
     
     
      frustratingly,
      and
      power
      crews
     
     
      from
      New
      Brunswick
      and
      other
     
     
      parts
      of
      Nova
      Scotia
      were
      in
     
     
      town
      for
      as
      long
      as
      it
      took
      to
     
     
      clean
      up
      the
      fallen
      trees
      that
     
     
      were
      strewn
      unpredictably
     
     
      throughout
      the
      city.
      I
      had
     
     
      checked
      with
      the
      Metro
      Center,
     
     
      and
      the
      band's
      website
      several
     
     
      times
      during
      the
      week
      to
      ensure
     
     
      that
      the
      concert
      was
      still
      going
     
     
      forward,
      and
      inwardly
      hoping
     
     
      that
      they
      would
      at
      least
      refund
     
     
      our
      money
      if
      it
      did
      not.
      ©
     
    

    
     
      Boston
      band
      The
      Push
     
     
      Stars
      opened
      the
      show,
      and
     
     
      were
      emphatic
      about
      how
      gen-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      erous
      Matchbox
      Twenty
      had
     
     
      been
      to
      offer
      them
      the
      spot
      on
     
     
      their
      tour
      given
      that
      they
      didn't
     
     
      even
      have
      a
      record
      contract.
     
     
      The
      guys
      had
      been
      at
      it
      since
     
     
      1995
      so
      they
      were
      no
      strangers
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~
      to
      live
      performance
      and
      put
      on
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
      good
      show
      for
      the
      appreciative
     
     
      crowd.
      They
      played
      songs
      from
     
     
      their
      latest
      CD
      Opening
      Time
     
     
      like
      the
      catchy
      pop
      rock
     
     
      "Millionaire,"
      and
      also
      showing
     
     
      their
      ability
      to
      rock
      out
      with
     
     
      songs
      like
      "waiting
      watching
     
     
      Wishing"
      and
      "Drunk
      Is
      Better
     
     
      Than
      Dead.”
      No
      surprise
      that
     
     
      The
      Push
      Stars
      had
      previously
     
     
      been
      named
      the
      "Best
      Unsigned
     
     
      Band
      in
      America"
      according
      to
     
     
      R&R
      Magazine.
     
     
      Then
      the
      real
      show
      start-
     
     
      ed
      as
      Brian
      Yale,
      Paul
      Doucette,
     
     
      Adam
      Gaynor,
      Kyle
      Cook,
      and
     
     
      Rob
      Thomas
      hit
      the
      stage
      to
      the
     
     
      delight
      of
      the
      packed
      Metro
     
     
      Center
      crowd.
      The
      band
      kicked
     
     
      it
      into
      high
      gear
      with
      "Feel"
      off
     
     
      their
      new
      album
      More
      Than
     
     
      You
      Think
      You
      Are,
      and
      an
     
     
      older
      favorite
      "Real
      World"
     
     
      from
      their
      debut
      release
     
     
      Yourself
      or
      Someone
      Like
      You.
     
     
      Thomas
      then
      played
      to
      the
     
     
      crowd,
      and
      commented
      on
      the
     
     
      storm
      of
      that
      week:
      "You
      guys
     
     
      have
      had
      kind
      of
      a
      fucked
      up
     
     
      week,"
      and
      "You're
      all
      only
      here
     
     
      because
      you
      heard
      we
      had
      elec-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      tricity.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      audience
      roared
      with
     
     
      every
      hit
      song,
      and
      every
      time
     
     
      Thomas
      would
      address
      the
      fran-
     
     
      tic
      Nova
      Scotia
      faithful,
      and
     
     
      even
      though
      we
      were
      pretty
      far
     
     
      away
      from
      the
      stage
      it
      didn't
     
     
      matter
      to
      me.
      Everybody
      in
      the
     
     
      place
      was
      bopping
      and
      singing
     
     
      along,
      which
      is
      what
      you
      can
      do
     
     
      with
      Matchbox
      Twenty
      because
     
    
   
   
    
     
      they
      have
      so
      many
      songs
      that
     
     
      we
      know.
      The
      crowd
      was
      a
      mix
     
     
      of
      young
      and
      old,
      and
      showed
     
     
      the
      diversity
      of
      MB20's
      reper-
     
     
      toire
      and
      vast
      radio
      airplay.
     
    

    
     
      A
      band
      that
      was
      voted
     
     
      Rolling
      Stone
      Magazine's
      "Best
     
     
      New
      Band"
      in
      their
      1998
      reader
     
     
      poll
      should
      and
      did
      put
      ona
     
     
      great
      stage
      show,
      highlighted
      by
     
     
      dazzling
      strobe
      lights
      and
      big
     
     
      screen
      video
      to
      go
      compliment
     
     
      each
      song.
      The
      band
      performed
     
     
      almost
      every
      song
      off
      More
     
     
      Than
      You
      Think
      You
      Are
     
     
      including
      the
      hits
      "Unwell"
      and
     
     
      "Disease."
      They
      played
      for
     
     
      almost
      two
      straight
      hours,
      and
     
     
      teased
      the
      fans
      slightly
      before
     
     
      coming
      out
      for
      a
      five
      song
     
     
      encore
      including
      their
      first
     
     
      chart-topper
      "Push,"
      and
      an
     
     
      acoustic
      performance
      of
      "If
     
     
      You're
      Gone"
      dedicated
      to
     
     
      Thomas's
      wife,
      as
      it
      was
      the
     
     
      couples
      wedding
      anniversary,
     
     
      and
      performed
      with
      only
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Thomas
      singing
      and
      Cook
      play-
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ing
      solo
      guitar.
      All
      the
      while
      the
     
     
      guys
      were
      drenched
      in
      sweat
     
     
      and
      stopping
      at
      nothing
      to
     
     
      entertain
      the
      Haligonians.
     
    

    
     
      I
      left
      the
      Metro
      Center
      as
     
     
      buzzed
      as
      if
      I
      had
      been
      in
      the
     
     
      mid-Sixties
      and
      seen
      The
     
     
      Beatles
      perform,
      although
      that's
     
     
      probably
      making
      matchbox
     
     
      twenty
      into
      something
      bigger
     
     
      than
      they
      are.
      However,
      not
     
     
      many
      bands
      today
      can
      come
     
     
      close
      to
      the
      originality
      of
     
     
      MB20's
      music,
      and
      there
      are
     
     
      even
      fewer
      songwriters
      that
      can
     
     
      match
      Rob
      Thomas's
      writing
     
     
      style.
      For
      me,
      matchbox
      Twenty
     
     
      has
      been
      one
      of
      the
      few
      bands
     
     
      that
      I
      have
      listened
      to
      consis-
     
     
      tently
      over
      a
      long
      period
      of
     
     
      time,
      and
      followed
      their
      career
     
    
   
   
    
     
      since
      its
      beginnings.
     
     
      If
      you
      ever
      have
      a
      chance
     
     
      to
      see
      this
      band
      live,
      or
      any
     
     
      band
      you
      admire
      for
      that
      mat-
     
     
      ter,
      don't
      hesitate
      to
      spend
      the
     
     
      money,
      or
      take
      the
      chances
      to
     
     
      get
      there,
      because
      we
      only
      live
     
     
      once,
      and
      you
      may
      never
      get
     
     
      that
      chance
      to
      see
      them
      again.
      I
     
     
      remember
      writing
      to
      Matchbox
     
     
      Twenty's
      fan
      club
      earlier
      in
     
     
      their
      career
      and
      pleading
      with
     
     
      them
      to
      come
      to
      the
      Maritimes
     
     
      some
      day,
      and
      explaining
      how
     
     
      terrific
      the
      fans
      are
      in
      this
      cor-
     
     
      ner
      of
      the
      world.
     
     
      Some
      naive
      part
      of
      me
      wonders
     
     
      whether
      that
      letter
      persuaded
     
     
      them
      to
      start
      this
      tour
      in
     
     
      Halifax,
      but
      if
      that
      were
      true
      I
     
     
      think
      they
      probably
      could
      have
     
     
      got
      me
      closer
      to
      the
      stage.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -spage
      [13]
      October
      29,
      2003:.