by Sara Alexander–Matchbox Twenty brought the second-to-last night of their A Brief History of Everything Tour to Council Bluffs Friday night with opening act Matt Nathanson, making it the band’s first tour in four years. As the name suggests, songs from each album since the band’s formation in 1995 were played.
The sold-out show was originally scheduled to take place at Stir Concert Cove, an outdoor venue at Harrah’s Council Bluffs Casino & Hotel. However, due to predictions of stormy weather, the show was moved indoors to the Mid-America Center. Additional tickets were also released.
Despite the dreary weather outside, Matchbox Twenty provided a bright outlook on music, life, and love. Leader, Rob Thomas, brought energy, talent, and everything a front man should.
The group was forced into a brief intermission in the middle of “English Town” when a lightning strike caused a power outage on some of its equipment. However, Thomas’ equipment continued to operate just fine; he took the time to serenade the audience with an improvised rendition of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time.” Crew had the gear back up and running in no time and “English Town” was restarted and played without interruption.
The highlight of the evening was the group’s encore featuring some of their greatest hits (3 A.M., Long Day, and Bright Lights) and a touching tribute to the legendary late Tom Petty, who passed away October 2. They brought out their opening act, Matt Nathanson, to join them in playing “I Won’t Back Down.”
Fans began filing out when to their surprise, the members returned to the stage for a second encore. “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds was covered, making it an evening concertgoers would not soon forget.
As of now, Matchbox Twenty currently have no plans to record and release an upcoming album or tour in the upcoming year.
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