Matchbox Twenty Album: “Show: A Night in the Life of Matchbox Twenty”

I saw MB20 on their fall tour last year, so as soon as this DVD came out I ordered it and waited to pounce on it as soon as it arrived. For a way to relive my concert experience, I was extremely happy with it -- since I didn't have a seat very close to the stage I didn't get to see any close ups of the band. This DVD fills in those gaps for me perfectly, but also pans out to let you appreciate the awesome light show and background images that just add to the whole scope of their production. My only complaint with the camera angles was that during "Downfall" they couldn't seem to decide whether to let us see the words on the screen or not (I remember from my concert that they had a series of questions culminating in "are you more than you think you are?") -- it's great when the camera's on Rob and the band, but when the camera shows the background it's too fuzzy to read and the flow is broken up, which only leaves me wondering why they didn't just keep it on the band the whole time. The sound is a little weird in places -- when Rob talks between songs it's very hard to understand him, but not impossible. Don't let these tiny problems dissuade you, though, it's still an awesome band and a great concert!

The second disc is fun, the documentary is close up and candid, very funny at times and gives you a great glimpse into the "traveling circus". I am amazed at the sheer scope of each concert and tour, but the best part remains the guys at the center of it all. And make sure you stick around through all the credits so you don't miss out on the extra footage at the end. The whole thing seems just like it's described in the booklet:

"...What I [Gillian Grisman, Director] discovered about Matchbox Twenty, was that not only are they extraordinarily talented musicians, but they are some of the most hilarious, sincere, caring and down-to-earth guys I've ever met. All I really had to do was roll tape."

The lyrics section is handy: the words scroll up the screen and are easy to read -- since the "More Than You Think You Are" CD didn't list the lyrics there were some songs I went to right away to confirm or correct how I was hearing them! On the other hand, the photo gallery is in black and white and doesn't compare to what you see anyway in the documentary.

Now, I personally would have liked them to also include some music videos from their three albums as a bonus, since I'm rather fond of music videos and have a hard time getting ahold of MB20 ones. (You /can/ find some on their official website /if/ your connection can handle video streaming.) But all in all, I think any time you buy something from MB20 you're getting a quality product and a great show, and this no exception.

I was fortunate to have actually attended this show in Atlanta. It was fantastic then and I think the DVD does a wonderful job capturing the excitement of the concert. Matchbox Twenty is without a doubt one of the most underrated bands today. I love all kinds of music and appreicate the critical acclaim given to Coldplay, The White Stripes, Fountains of Wayne, The Strokes, etc, but as a live band I'll put MB20 up against any of these bands any day. You really can't understand the emotion that Rob sings with until you see him live. He is simply awesome! And the musicianship of this band is awesome. Once again, Kyle Cook is an extremely talented young guitarist. You can tell that he has improved greatly over the years. I think he was only 19 when MB20's first album was recorded. MB20 has now been around for 8 years but these guys are still young. I expect some more great music from them in the years to come. The SHOW documentary depicts what great people these guys are!!

Again, I think the concert DVD is great. And props to Paul Doucette for participating in the lighting design. As the offical reviewer stated, the light show is out-of-this world.

Sound problems? Rob's vocals are a little low on a few of the songs but I can still hear him and I can certainly hear him when he talks. Buy the DVD and judge for yourself. If you are a fan of good songwriting, good singing, good musicianship, this is the DVD for you. Don't be mislead by the "mainstream" tag that MB20 has been labeled with. They have the right stuff even for the indie-minded enthusiast.

I was hesitant about this after reading some of the negative reviews about the sound quality. Maybe it's a system setup issue, but we had no trouble at all with the surround sound, and the lyrics were very clear. Great show, great band.

Oh my GOD, This DVD is AMAZING!!!!!! It is by far the most beautifully shot concert DVD I have ever seen!!! I felt like I was there in the front row!!! The sound was incredible... The best of the over 100 concerts DVD's I own. If everybody knew how to use their 5.1 circle surround systems correctly, nobody would be complaining about no DTS track. Read your owners manuals people!!!

I was at the DVD release party premier at the Avalon Hollywood and to put it simply "THIS DVD ROCKS"!!! The sound and image is excellently implemented - its as if I was at the concert!