Rob Thomas laughed as he shared stories of high school parties, saving a phone message from Mick Jagger and how he knew nothing about relationships despite being married for 18 years.
In between, the svelte 44-year-old New Yorker sang eloquently about love, broken hearts, an ailing
mother and life香蕉视频直播檚 small but simple gems in front of 2,000 fans Wednesday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
Dressed in black skinny pants, his signature black T-shirt and tan, low-leather boots, the German-born front man of Matchbox Twenty delivered a sweet, two-hour romantic evening of 18 ditties. He and his two fellow guitarists performed the monster single Push for an encore.
Thomas, who grew up in the Southern U.S., will open for The Counting Crows Saturday night at the Chateau Ste Michelle Winery in Woodinville, Wash. and play the Sunlight Supply Amphitheater Sunday in Ridgefield, Wash.
He was at the Hard Rock Casino in Vancouver the night before the Penticton show.
Thomas, who works 16 hours a day as one of the world香蕉视频直播檚 top songwriters, opened 10 minutes late with Heartbreaks and followed with Falling to Pieces and Diamonds. The sound was clearer than Windex from all parts of the facility.
He also delivered a tender and dialed-back rendition of 3AM, which was written about Thomas香蕉视频直播� experiences as an adolescent watching his mother fight cancer.
The mainly 40-something crowd finally got up from the floor seats when Thomas rolled into Someday. He offered the microphone to the crowd on his next hit, Unwell. A philanthropist who, along with his wife, Marisol, created the animal rescue and advocacy charity Sidewalk Angels in New York, Thomas relayed a story about how he felt guilty about giving his dog attitude when the pooch took too long to 香蕉视频直播渢ake a poop香蕉视频直播� on a walk in the park.
Thomas urged fans to 香蕉视频直播渟urround yourself with people who love you香蕉视频直播� and then sang the piano and string-driven ballad Disease, a song he wrote for Jagger, helping Thomas be a contributor to sales of more than 80 million records.
香蕉视频直播淚 got a call from Mick Jagger and when I told him I sold 13 million records, he thought that was cute and said 香蕉视频直播業 hope things work out for you,香蕉视频直播� I saved a message from Mick on my home voicemail for three years. When I had company over, I香蕉视频直播檇 say, 香蕉视频直播榡ust let me check my messages香蕉视频直播� and go 香蕉视频直播榦h, it香蕉视频直播檚 Mick again.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈
On Street Corner, his fifth performance on the set list, Thomas talked about how learning to play the piano helped him meet girls in high school.
香蕉视频直播淚 would bring my Lionel Ritchie playbook to house parties. The jocks would do a billion beer pongs and pass out and leave their girlfriends to me.香蕉视频直播�
He added before playing keyboards 香蕉视频直播渢his goes out to my younger self because I wanted to be like Lionel Ritchie.香蕉视频直播�
Thomas nailed every song and admitted You Won香蕉视频直播檛 Be Mine was his favourite Matchbox Twenty tune.
He also shone on the ballad Pieces, his latest single, four songs from the night香蕉视频直播檚 end.
Last in the Okanagan 11 years ago, at Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 Prospera Place, Thomas drew the loudest ovation when he began a slow rendition of Smooth, a Latin-tinged blockbuster that earned Thomas three Grammy Awards and spent 12 weeks atop Billboard香蕉视频直播檚 Hot 100 chart. The song香蕉视频直播檚 video, with Carlos Santana on guitar, is much livelier and danceable.
Thomas was the recent recipient of an Ally Award from the Trevor Project, a nonprofit suicide hotline specifically made for LGBTQ youth.
He and The Counting Crows wrap up their summer tour, Sept. 30 in Nashville.
Kevin Mitchell a reporter with Black Press
