August 15, 2010: Amazing Acoustic Show!

Saratoga, CA
Mountain Winery

Okay, so I'm a week behind, but it's been a crazy week and finally have some relaxing downtime. Last Sunday I headed out to Saratoga and the beautiful venue that is the Mountain Winery. It's a bit of a hassle to get to nestled as it is in the hills, but it's a gorgeous venue with a view that's worth the drive. I met up with Leslie and Emerson for dinner and we carpooled up to the show.

I've seen Matchbox 20 a couple of times and this would be my third Rob Thomas solo show, so I thought I had a pretty good idea what to expect. Neither Leslie nor Emerson had seen him (and, weirdly, informed me they didn't like Matchbox 20 but liked the solo stuff) so they were a little surprised when the first thing I did was head to the merch booth to purchase a USB wristband. You see, all of Rob Thomas's and MB20s shows are available on a flash drive immediately after the concert. Having passed on this opportunity last time, when Carlos Santana showed up for the encore, well, let's just say I wasn't going to miss out again.

It was the first time either Leslie or Emerson had been to the Mountain Winery since the remodel in 2008, so they were impressed with the changes. It was always a fairly intimate venue, but the sight lines and the bowl seating left something to be desired. The wholesale remodel improved the sight lines and the capacity while still maintaining the intimacy. Pretty neat trick. Thus even our seats mid-way up the General Admission bleachers didn't feel too far removed from the stage.

When we got to our seats and saw the stage we were a bit puzzled. There were a couple of chairs, a couple of guitars, and a grand piano. Huh? Where's the rest of the gear? There's usually a huge band, what's going on? Maybe they'll bring more stuff out after the opener?

Well, after suffering through a mildly humorous comedian, Rob took the stage with just two backing musicians. Turns out the whole tour is a stripped down (mostly) acoustic show! WOW! The songs just at their bare bones with Rob singing. Since my favorite songs of his are mostly the ballads, this was going to be a dream gig for me. And it was pretty magical.

The set list was a mixture of solo and Matchbox tunes with a handful of covers thrown in. He hit all my favorite tunes including "Now Comes the Night" which he hasn't done in previous solo shows and did a fantastic job on "Crazy" -- a timeless classic. That alone was worth the price of admission, but hearing some of the rockier songs slowed down and made quieter was fantastic. Sometimes keeping things simple just makes it all that much better. Combine it with the feel of the Mountain Winery and it was just a soothing and joyful show.

Rob's voice was just amazing through out the show and his on stage anecdotes were told with a great sense of humor and humanity. Going to as many shows as I do, I'm sure much of the patter is the same night to night, but there is a huge difference between telling stories that feel rehearsed and repetitive (hello, Kevin Cronin) and ones that feel genuine and Rob's tales felt like it was the first time they were being told. It's a skill.

The show lasted about 2 hours but with no surprise special guests (and in this type of show it would have been really weird to all of the sudden plug in with Carlos Santana anyway.) And best of all, is I've been enjoying all of it over and over again every day this week which has been great keeping my stress level under control this past week.

On to the easiest set list ever compiled!:

Mockingbird
Sleep Til the War Is Over
When the Heartache Ends
Ever the Same
Bent
Dear Joan
3 A.M.
Crazy
Getting Late
Streetcorner Symphony
Now Comes the Night
Lonely No More
Her Diamonds
Someday
Disease
Unwell
You Won't Be Mine
Time After Time
Smooth
This Is How a Heart Breaks
Bright Lights