Photos by Chris Oberholtz/The Star
Vanilla, its proponents often insist, is the most popular flavor of ice cream. It may not be exciting, but it's reliably satisfying. Rob Thomas, one of the world's foremost practitioners of pop music, operates under the same principle.
Thomas falls squarely in the earnest tradition of American singer-songwriters like Bob Seger, Billy Joel and John Mellencamp. Neither trendy nor fashionable, Thomas' songs are more likely to impress bankers than critics.
Thomas shared one of the secrets of his success as the opening riff to a song rang through the Midland. "I like this part, Kansas City," Thomas confessed. "It's not too fast and not too slow." Indeed, Thomas believes in moderation. His concert, a few minutes shy of two hours, was consistently comfortable. The setlist was designed to keep the crowd subdued.
He didn't perform a single song from his work with Matchbox Twenty and only five that aren't included on his two solo albums. The night's lone cover, a gentle reworking of Modern English's "Melt With You," epitomized Thomas' approach. He discreetly removed all of the song's rough edges, rendering it perfectly suited for elevators.
The man just can't help himself. That treacly transformation stood in stark contrast to Thomas' boldest statement of the evening. Rather than giving fans a straight reading of "Smooth," he offered them a marvelously tasteful acoustic version of his hugely successful 1999 collaboration with Santana.
Even better was his memorable take on "Streetcorner Symphony." The original song sounds like a chart-topping hit for a Motown act in the '60s or for Chicago in the '70s. And on the soulful "Lonely No More," Thomas effectively channeled his inner Al Green. "Give Me the Meltdown" married the best bits of INXS' "What You Need" and Blues Traveler's "Run-Around."
Like much of Thomas' material, it's derivative but undeniably delectable. Thomas introduced "Getting Late" as "a happy little ditty about death." Although it's scarcely more than a sliver of greeting card sentimentality, Thomas' gift for melody and insistent voice transformed it into a genuinely moving song. The trite ballad "Ever the Same" became similarly effective in Thomas' talented hands.
These superior moments were complemented by Thomas' outstanding seven-piece band. Even so, every note seemed scripted. The only moment of sponteneity occurred when a disruption near the stage distracted Thomas. He and his band riffed on "Kansas City" as security guards sorted out the situation in the audience. Thomas' improvisation was compelling. He'd do well to loosen up more often. Thomas' presentation may have been predictable, but it was never pedestrian. Just like vanilla flavoring, Thomas is popular for good reason. Another scoop, please.
Carolina Liar: The quartet's carefully crafted melodic rock closely resembles the hits of Matchbox Twenty. The audience adored the likeable band's 45-minute set accordingly.
One Republic did not perform. The audience was told that the cancellation was "due to illness."
|Bill Brownlee, Special to The Star
Setlist (from Rob Thomas' official message board): Fire On The Mountain; Meltdown Real World '09; Lonely No More; Mockingbird; Sunday Morning; New York Blue; Streetcorner Symphony; Natural; Getting Late; Still Ain't Over You; Ever The Same; Cradlesong; Someday; Something To Be; Little Wonders; Fallin' To Pieces; Her Diamonds; I Am An Illusion; Dear Joan; Melt With You; Smooth; This Is How A Heart Breaks
Does ONE REPUBLIC count in the long list of area performances that were canceled? Well, I went to catch ROB THOMAS and even though he's not (even close) to one of my favorites - it was merely something to do. Got ahold of a radio station comp. Don't get me wrong - the MATCHBOX TWENTY frontman knows his stuff + his audience love him.
Posted by: Bubba | October 30, 2009 at 02:40 PM
Love the vanilla comparison, I might even go further and compare it to eating cardboard.
Posted by: Bewlay | October 30, 2009 at 02:55 PM
"Even better was his memorable take on "Streetcorner Symphony." The original song sounds like a chart-topping hit for a Motown act in the '60s or for Chicago in the '70s."
So, for those of us who weren't there, how was the live version different/memorable? There's no explanation in the review.
Posted by: Confused | October 30, 2009 at 05:03 PM