Tickets are fast disappearing as fans of Melisma/Lava/Atlantic recording group matchbox twenty continue to cue up, phone up, and log on in conjunction with on-sale dates for the band's North American arena tour.
As was announced earlier this month, the "Mad Season Tour - 2001" kicks off February 27th at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
In numerous markets across the United States and Canada, the commencement of ticket sales has been greeted with a mad rush, resulting in a number of near-record fast sell-outs. In New York City - where the Grammy Nominated act is set to make their debut at the venerable Madison Square Garden March 16th - tickets were declared sold-out in just 45 minutes. The band's March 2nd Chicago-area date at the Allstate Arena sold-out in a mere 20 minutes, while upcoming Detroit and Boston-area arena concerts moved into the sold-out column in only four hours. Capping news of this activity is the addition of a final seven dates to the tour, with on-sale announcements going up for shows in Kansas, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Florida (see attached itinerary).
"The show at New York's Madison Square Garden sold out in 45 minutes," says John Scher of the Metropolitan Entertainment Group. "Only big acts do that kind of business that quickly. Matchbox twenty has clearly crossed over from being a pop sensation to a huge lifestyle concert attraction. All of our dates, in both large and small markets, are big winners."
The tour's roll-out announcement came on the heels of the band and vocalist/songwriter Rob Thomas each being honored with a Grammy Award nomination. Already a triple Grammy-winner, Thomas was nominated in the Best Rock Song category for the RIAA gold-certified "Bent." The song's chart-topping achievement marked the multi-million-selling band's first #1 record, as well as Thomas's second consecutive chart-topper - following "Smooth," his mega-hit collaboration with Santana. The success also earned Thomas the distinction of being placed atop Billboard's prestigious "Hot 100 Songwriters" tally for 2000.
In addition, the band's current album - the RIAA triple-platinum "mad season by matchbox twenty" - was tapped in the Best Rock Album category. In its first week of release, the album scored a #3 debut on the Billboard 200. "mad season by matchbox twenty" was produced by dual Grammy Award winner Matt Serletic.
Along with being nominated again this year for Producer Of The Year - Non-Classical honors, Serletic was placed atop Billboard's high-status "Hot 100 Producers" tally for 2000. Serletic first worked with matchbox on the quintet's 1996 RIAA Diamond-certified (now 11-times platinum) label debut, "YOURSELF OR SOMEONE LIKE YOU."
In other news matchbox twenty is slated to perform February 6th on Late Show with David Letterman and February 9th on the Rosie O'Donnell Show.