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Other than recording solo albums and albums with Matchbox Twenty, Thomas was also featured on 'Smooth', a 1999 single by Santana. The song was an. The official video of 'She's So Mean' by Matchbox Twenty from the album 'North'. Matchbox Twenty 2020 Tour w/ special guest The Wallflowers #MB2020 ↓Full List of Tour Dates↓ https.
Randall SlavinYes, Rob Thomas has seen the 'Smooth' memes.In 1999, the Matchbox Twenty frontman was featured on Carlos Santana's sizzling rock hit 'Smooth,' which topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for 12 weeks. In the two decades since, the song has taken on a life of its own, in the form of Twitter parody accounts, T-shirt slogans and countless Internet memes.' Me and Carlos talk almost every other day about stupid (expletive),' Thomas tells USA TODAY.
'My last favorite one was 'The Santana Clause,' where instead of Tim Allen on the poster, they had us and the tagline, 'They have 12 days to save Christmas or else forget about it.' It was something ridiculous, but it's hilarious.' More: Playlist: What's Rob Thomas listening to?Thomas, 47, will continue to embrace millennial nostalgia this summer with the Matchbox Twenty 2020 tour, a 50-date arena and amphitheater trek across North America, kicking off in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on July 17 with supporting act The Wallflowers. Tickets go on sale to the band's fan-club members Tuesday (10 a.m. EST) and the public starting Friday on livenation.com (12 p.m. EST).The tour, announced exclusively on usatoday.com, is timed to the 20th anniversary of Matchbox's 2000 album 'Mad Season,' which spawned Top 10 hits 'If You're Gone' and 'Bent.' The set list will likely incorporate some deeper cuts from that album, as well as other popular songs including '3 AM,' 'Unwell' and 'Push.'
'Half of us realizes we're in the hospitality industry: It's our job to make sure people have a good time,' Thomas says. 'The other half is just playing music we enjoy playing together.' No doubt fans will be 100% excited the band is going back on tour for the first time since 2017. Read on for the rest of our interview with Thomas.Question: Matchbox last hit the road together in 2017, on a co-headlining trek with Counting Crows. What surprised you most about that tour?Answer: We've been playing together for 20 years and we've had very few personal arguments – any argument we've ever had is strictly professional. But before that (tour), we were right on the precipice of whether or not we were gonna be a band anymore.
Kyle (Cook) had gotten frustrated and left, and we were in limbo for a second while I was solo. And then for some reason, everything just aligned. We got back together and that tour in 2017 turned out to legitimately be the most fun we've probably ever had. We got along better than we ever had, so it was a blessing. And that was the moment where we realized that no matter what we're up to, no matter what the hiatus is, when we get back together, we're ready to play.Q: Aside from the hits, is there a song that gets the biggest reaction from fans when you play it live?A: There's one I wrote for the third record called 'So Sad So Lonely.' And then there's one that Paul Doucette wrote for the last record called 'English Town,' which has become our favorite and a fan favorite every night. Over 20 years, the Matchbox sound has really evolved from songs like '3 AM' to 'English Town.' We're lucky that our fans have kept coming along with us and allowing us to do that.Q: What about a song that you've grown sick of or have retired from your set lists?A: There are some songs that are popular that I would be OK if I never listened to again.
'Real World' is a great example: If I was listening to it, I would just hear all the deficits in production and things I would have done differently now. But when we play it live, there's that energy shared with the crowd and it feels new. It's a whole different thing. Then there are songs like 'Busted': the very minor-chord, angsty, '90s rock songs.
As we all got into our 40s and had families and actual things to be concerned about, that manufactured angst from your 20s doesn't really feel relevant to us anymore. We haven't done some of those songs in a really long time just because they don't feel genuine anymore.Q: You released a new solo album, 'Chip Tooth Smile,' last spring, but it's been nearly eight years since the last Matchbox record (2012's 'North'). Are you guys working on any new music now?A: We're working on some new songs, but I don't see the landscape in the world being one that makes sense for us to make an entire album right now. We're going out on an anniversary tour for ('Mad Season') and there's a huge amount of nostalgia that comes with that. There's 20 years of music that people are going to want to listen to.
So for us to just start shoving a whole bunch of brand new songs down people's throats, I don't think they're going to love that. But if we came out with one or two songs that we legitimately got behind and we felt really good about, then those fans that really want to hear something new won't walk away disappointed either.Q: 'Smooth' turned 20 last year. How do you and Carlos Santana look back on it now?A: Listen, we've worked together a lot. We did 'Smooth,' and then after that, I wrote for him and Mary J. Blige and Musiq Soulchild and Seal and a bunch of other people on his records.
I think we have this affection for 'Smooth,' while at the same time, I don't think either one of us thinks it's the best song that we've ever done. I don't think it's the best song I've ever written and certainly not the best song that he's ever done.
But it just really holds a place in our hearts. It was the exact right song at the exact right time for the two of us. That's another great example of a song that I don't need to hear ever again, but if you play it live, it just sparks something in the crowd.We went through that journey together. We're like, 'Man, this was the jam in the summer. Man, this is kind of cheesy and I'm sick of it. Oh, man, remember 'Smooth?' Let's hear that again.'
Matchbox Twenty 2020For more information about the tour, visit matchboxtwenty.com. The full list of dates:July 17 – Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Wind Creek Event CenterJuly 18 – Gilford, New Hampshire, Bank of New Hampshire PavilionJuly 19 – Syracuse, New York, St. Joseph's Health Amphitheater at LakeviewJuly 21 – Camden, New Jersey, BB&T PavilionJuly 22 – Wantagh, New York, Northwell Health at Jones Beach TheaterJuly 24 – Saratoga Springs, New York, Saratoga Performing Arts CenterJuly 25 – Mansfield, Massachusetts, Xfinity CenterJuly 26 – Uncasville, Connecticut, Mohegan Sun ArenaJuly 28 – Holmdel, New Jersey, PNC Bank Arts CenterJuly 29 – Bristow, Virginia, Jiffy Lube LiveJuly 31 – Virginia Beach, Virginia, Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia BeachAug. 1 – Raleigh, North Carolina, Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut CreekAug. 2 – Charlotte, North Carolina, PNC Music PavilionAug.
4 – Atlanta, Cellairis Amphitheatre at LakewoodAug. 5 – Nashville, Bridgestone ArenaAug.
7 – Tampa, Florida, MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre at the Florida State FairgroundsAug. 8 – West Palm Beach, Florida, Coral Sky Amphitheatre at the South Florida FairgroundsAug.
9 – Jacksonville, Florida, Daily's PlaceAug. 11 – Pelham, Alabama, Oak Mountain AmphitheatreAug. 13 – Memphis, Tennessee, TBAAug. 14 – Houston, The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by HuntsmanAug. 15 – Dallas, Dos Equis PavilionAug.
17 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Zoo AmphitheaterAug. 18 – Rogers, Arkansas, Walmart AmpAug. 19 – Maryland Heights, Missouri, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – St. 21 – Tinley Park, Illinois, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre - ChicagoAug. 22 – Noblesville, Indiana, Ruoff Music CenterAug. 23 – Moline, Illinois, TaxSlayer CenterAug.
25 – Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Blossom Music CenterAug. 26 – Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, S&T Bank Music ParkAug.
27 – Cincinnati, Riverbend Music CenterAug. 29 – Darien Center, New York, Darien Lake AmphitheaterAug. 30 – Toronto, Budweiser StageSep. 1 – Clarkston, Michigan, DTE Energy Music TheatreSep. 2 – Toledo, Ohio, Toledo Zoo AmphitheaterSep. 4 – Welch, Minnesota, Treasure Island Resort & CasinoSep.
5 – Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Denny Sanford PREMIER CenterSep. 6 – Kansas City, Missouri, Starlight TheatreSep. 8 – Omaha, Nebraska, CHI Health Center OmahaSep. 10 – Denver, Pepsi CenterSep. 12 – Boise, Idaho, Ford Idaho CenterSep. 13 – Salt Lake City, USANA AmphitheatreSep.
15 – Seattle, White River AmphitheatreSep. 16 – Vancouver, Rogers ArenaSep. 17 – Ridgefield, Washington, Sunlight Supply AmphitheaterSep. 19 – Mountain View, California, Shoreline AmphitheaterSep. 20 – Fresno, California, Save Mart CenterSep. 22 – Phoenix, Ak-Chin PavilionSep. 23 – San Diego, Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre at SDSUSep.
24 – Irvine, California, FivePoint AmphitheatreSep. 26 – Las Vegas, Palms Casino ResortSep. 27 – Bakersfield, California, Mechanics Bank ArenaSep. 28 – Los Angeles, Hollywood Bowl.
As their first single, 'Push,' climbed the charts, it was widely assumed (at least by cynical critics) that they were a one-hit wonder, but Yourself or Someone Like You continued to spin off singles well into 1998. By that time, the group's blend of '70s arena rock and early-'90s American alt-rock - closer to and maybe than - had become the sound of mainstream American rock. That transition slipped underneath the radar of many pop music critics and fans.
Yourself or Someone Like You sold millions of copies without ever truly dominating the charts - by 1998, it had gone platinum five times; by 2000, ten times. At no time did the record top the charts, but it was always around, a staple of modern rock, adult alternative, and Top 40 radio alike. Matchbox Twenty was omnipresent because they managed to blend the structure and sentiment of '70s arena rock with '90s hard rock, thereby winning a large audience by seeming simultaneously classicist and modern. They were a little more classicist than modern, but that's the reason why they became America's most popular rock band of the late '90s - even if nobody quite realized they had achieved that status. The de facto leader of Matchbox Twenty is lead singer and songwriter.
An Army brat born on a military base in Germany, spent much of his childhood between his mother's house in Florida and his grandmother's place in South Carolina. The stress of the constant movement spilled over into his schoolwork, and he dropped out of high school at the age of 17.
He spent some time wandering around the Southeast, singing in a variety of rock bands before he made Orlando, Florida his home base. There, he met bassist Brian Yale and drummer Paul Doucette, and the three spent several years drifting through local bands before Matchbox Twenty officially formed. They rounded out the lineup with Adam Gaynor (rhythm guitar, vocals), who had previously worked at the Criteria Recording Studios in Miami, and Kyle Cook (lead guitar), a former student of the Atlanta Institute of Music. The band hooked up with producer Matt Serletic and recorded a batch of demos, which helped the band secure gigs throughout the U.S. Soon, the band signed to, a subsidiary of, and recorded its debut, Yourself or Someone Like You, also with Serletic.
The album was released in October 1996 to little attention, but Matchbox Twenty continued to tour America, cultivating a fan base. They eventually landed their single 'Long Day' on several influential radio stations, which paved the way for their breakthrough hit, 'Push.' In spring 1997, 'Push' began climbing its way to the top of the modern rock charts, as it received heavy airplay from radio and MTV. By the summer, the single was in the modern rock Top Ten, and Yourself or Someone Like You had reached the album Top 40 and gone gold. As it turns out, 'Push' wasn't the culmination of their work but the beginning of a somewhat surprising success story.
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During fall 1997, the record picked up momentum, as '3am' became a bigger hit than 'Push,' propelling Yourself or Someone Like You to multi-platinum status. Early in 1998, the group was named Best New Band by Rolling Stone's annual reader's poll - proof that, even if Matchbox Twenty wasn't winning critics, they were winning over a wide, mainstream audience. The band and its debut album continued to sell at a steady pace throughout the year as the singles 'Real World' and 'Back 2 Good' joined 'Push' and '3am' as radio favorites. Throughout it all, Matchbox Twenty stayed on the road, at home and abroad. They did well in foreign territories, including Canada, but they truly connected with Australia, where they went platinum eight times; in neighboring New Zealand, the band went quintuple platinum. Matchbox Twenty reserved 1999 as the year to record their eagerly anticipated second album, but they didn't disappear from the spotlight, due to the unexpected success of 'Smooth,' a song co-written and sung.
'Smooth' was one of many songs sung by celebrities on 's cameo-studded comeback album Supernatural, but it was the one chosen as the lead single. A wise choice, as it turned out, since it became a true pop phenomenon, topping many radio charts and driving Supernatural to multi-platinum sales and many industry awards. Throughout the second half of 1999, 'Smooth' was inescapable, as it and Supernatural sat on the top of the pop charts.
Its success brought more attention to Matchbox Twenty, and Yourself or Someone Like You rocketed to over ten million copies sold - which now qualified it for the RIAA's Diamond Award, which is only granted to records that have moved over ten million units. On top of that, was named 's 1999 Pop Songwriter of the Year, for 'Smooth' and his work with Matchbox Twenty.
Early in 2000, won three Grammys for 'Smooth' - Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. All of this success happened as Matchbox Twenty was recording their second album, again with producer Matt Serletic.
The success raised expectations for the new album, entitled Mad Season, which was released in May 2000. Two years later, the band emerged with its third album, More Than You Think You Are. With this particular record, the band shared songwriting duties as a whole for the first time ever. Despite, or perhaps because of, the band's success and frequent touring, Matchbox Twenty decided to take a break from recording and in 2005, released his debut solo album, Something to Be.
Featuring a more polished funk and dance-influenced sound, the album sold well and spawned several hit songs, including 'Lonely No More' and 'This Is How a Heart Breaks.' In 2007, the reunited Matchbox Twenty - with Doucette now on guitar replacing Gaynor, who left the band in 2005, and ' Ryan MacMillan on drums - delivered the hits collection Exile on Mainstream which included a bonus EP of new tracks.
North, the band's fourth studio album, and first official release since 2002, arrived in September 2012. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi Read More.
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