Something To Be

Today, I'm wearing my navy blue Rob Thomas concert t-shirt under my white, black and blue plaid button-down shirt because I'm a rebel like that. Admittedly, a very mainstream and uncool rebel, but a rebel nonetheless. A rebel can also wear khaki slacks and black steel-toed boots, can't he?

Anyway, I'm wearing the shirt because M and I went see the lead singer of Matchbox Twenty perform at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland last night. I feel it's important to mention the shirt more than once because I shelled out $30 for it and any article of clothing that expensive better come with bragging rights or at least a guarantee to last thirty years.

Getting to the venue was easy. We parked in Fremont, rode BART to the 19th Street station and exited on 20th Street and Broadway, across from the theater. I didn't pay much attention to its exterior, but its interior was stunning. I loved the simple, streamlined look of the art deco design. The only aspect I didn't like was the carpeting, which was too dark and cluttered for my taste.

Anna Nalick was the opening act. I'm told she performed nearly every song from her CD, including "Breathe", the only song I really recognized. She was barefoot and liked to twirl around in her blue flowing skirt. She had a strong voice and great rapport with the audience. At one point, she noticed a woman holding up a cell phone, letting her friend listen to the show. In between songs, Anna asked for the phone and chatted with the fan right there on stage. The classic moment came when she said, "Well, I have to go. I'm kind of in the middle of something."

Thomas started just after nine and I knew it was going to be a great show right away. There were flashing lights, screeching guitars, pounding drums and enough bass to shake the theater and liquefy my innards. I now firmly believe that if live music doesn't make you feel like your lungs are collapsing and your ears are retreating into your head, then the artist isn't doing his or her job.

Despite feeling overpowered by the amplified instruments, the show was excellent. Thomas had such energy and presence throughout the night, but I thought he was at his best during the encore, when he mellowed out and sang "Leave" and "Push" with only his acoustic guitar as accompaniment. He's the type of singer that sounds almost exactly like he does on his albums, which is a good thing. What you hear is what you get.

He wore black pants, shiny black boots and a faded black t-shirt. When he sang, he often tapped his chest with his free hand. When he was done, he sometimes scratched behind his right ear. Why I remember this, I don't know. He would also cough right before or after every song, which makes me worry that his smoking will eventually catch up with him and ruin his ability to sing.

He performed at least one song from each of the Matchbox Twenty albums and omitted only two songs from his solo album. I don't recall his set in exact order, but these were the songs he played:

• 3 AM
• Push
• If You're Gone
• Leave
• The Difference
• This is How a Heart Breaks
• Lonely No More
• Ever the Same
• I Am an Illusion
• When the Heartache Ends
• Something To Be
• Problem Girl
• Fallin' to Pieces
• My, My, My
• Streetcorner Symphony
• Not Just a Woman
• You Know Me
• Let's Dance (a David Bowie cover)
• Smooth

The only other thing I wanted to mention was the audience. For the most part, everybody was considerate, enjoying the music in ways that didn't ruin the experience for others, but there were a few that had no concept of common courtesy. I'm all for people dancing to the music, but if the dancing is going to block everybody else's view, it's plain rude, as is using cell phones, using camera phones, kicking the chairs of those using camera phones and telling off the ushers asking you to stop dancing.

Anyway, to summarize: the theater was splendid, Anna and Rob were great and I'm an uncool rebel with an expensive t-shirt.