Well I didn't see this one coming, that's for sure.

When I took out the new Matchbox Twenty live DVD, Show: A Night in the Life of Matchbox Twenty, from the library, I figured I'd enjoy it ok enough, and with the 25 minute documentary on disc two about a normal day or two on tour, I thought it might be well worth the $1 fee to borrow it. After viewing this, I'm seriously considering heading out and buying the damn thing. While not quite perfect, it is pretty impressive.

Recorded on June 28, 2003 at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Show features 20 songs, most of which are from the album the band was supporting at the time, the excellent third effort More Than You Think You Are.

The first thing you'll notice about many of these songs is that they have a bit more of an edge to them. Songs like Disease and Feel are even stronger showcases for the band's lead guitarist Kyle Cook. And quite frankly, if there is a shining star in Matchbox's live show, it is Cook. He puts out a ton of energy throughout the performance and plays just about flawlessly here.

The biggest highlight of the show is Bright Lights, which was actually released a few months back as the video for the song, which was the third and final single from More Than You Think You Are. What starts as a simple piano ballad with Rob Thomas' plaintive voice becomes a startingly energetic and powerful piece of rock and roll theater. Thomas and Cook do their best Axl Rose and Slash imitations, with Cook just going absolutely apesh*t on top of the piano while Thomas stares straight into him. In terms of intensity, nothing on this disc comes close to shaking a stick to the final 2 minutes of that song.

In many cases, the band sticks to the basic renditions of some of their prior hit songs. Both Real World and 3AM are played near note for note to what's on the album, while ballads like Unwell and Back 2 Good are given solid renditions as well. The band does show a willingness to try something new though, by making If You're Gone a duet between Thomas and Cook.

If I were to have one complaint, it's that there are hardly any album tracks from the first couple of records. Granted, the band gets all the hits in here (as they should, given how uneven the first two records are), but a track like Argue would've been a very welcome addition. In addition, the band has hit big on ballads and thus there are an exorbitant amount of them in this show, too many if you ask me.

The second disc has a multi-angle feature for two of the tracks, Soul and Bright Lights. It also has the aforementioned documentary which wound up being extremely interesting if you're interested in the everyday decision making of a popular band.

Show isn't the best concert DVD I've ever seen, but it is pretty damn good. Die hard Matchbox fans will definitely want this in their collection, and I think casual Matchbox fans will find themselves surprised at how tight a unit this band sounds live.

4 stars.

Tracklisting:
1.Cold
2.Real World
3.All I Need
4.Soul
5.Disease
6.Could I Be You
7.3AM
8.Mad Season
9.Feel
10.Hand Me Down
11.If You're Gone
12.Bright Lights
13.Bent
14.Unwell
15.Back 2 Good
16.Downfall
17.You're So Real
18.So Sad, So Lonely
19.Long Day
20.Push

Matchbox Twenty CD reviews:
Yourself or Someone Like You
Mad Season
More Than You Think You Are


Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12