The first time I heard the band was when their video for "Push" premiered on MTV. I was talking on the phone with my friend. And..truthfully..the first time I heard that song..I HATED it! Now please, before you send me hatemail, let me explain. Like some others, I immediately took the first obvious interpretation of the lyrics without really...listening to them. I was horrified that people could make a song like that...my friend on the other hand, said "Their drummer is pretty good" hehe. Anyhoo...MTV just kept on playing that video, and becuase I was too lazy to change the channel, I watched it. Over and over and over. Soon, it went from "This song should be stopped" to "Well, it's not so bad" to "Actually it's kinda good" to "Hey this is really good" to "Oh my gosh, this is a GREAT song!" to "This is the best song EVER written and I must go out and get the cd right now!" But, because I am the kinda person who spends 20 dollars for a complete outfit, I didn't buy the cd at first because I was horrified at the price of like $19! But...I went to New Hampshire (no sales tax you know) and I found the cd for like $13! Woohoo! And then the guy at the register gave me the wrong change back so I paid only $12 for it...so score! So I took it home, put it in my cd player, and it hasn't gone anywhere since..except when I listen to my other Matchbox 20-related CD's..you know how it is. (submitted by zindo)
I started listening to MB20 when my dog, Teek died. See, I had always slept with my dog in bed with me (yup shedding and all), and when he died I couldn't sleep. So someone had given me a radio at one time, but since I wasn't a big radiop fan I'd never played it much. Well, since I couldn't sleep I thought I'd play the radio while I lay in bed and maybe it would put me to sleep. So I turned on the radio every night before I went to bed, and I could sleep and didn't have nightmares or any of the stuff that had kept me from sleeping.. and I enjoyed the music!! Well, some of it.. there was this one song I didn't like much.. I don't remember why, to tell the truth. And it was 3am. I heard it like every night, and I would think 'Oh, darn they're gonna play THAT song' whenever the DJ announced it. But after I heard it a few times I started to like it a little more. And then I started to like it a lot. And then I started to wait for it every night. But I still wasn't hooked. It was my favorite SONG but not my favorite THING. Then I happened to be flipping through the channels on TV one day and I headr my 3am song playing.. so I stopped, and it was the video for 3am!! I saw Rob. I saw Kyle. I saw Paul. I saw Adam. And I.. saw.. Brian. Omigod!! But.. I still wasn't hooked. MB20 were my favorite GROUP but they weren't my favorite THING. One day while waiting for 3am to appear on VH1 (I was spending a lot of time doing that lately), I heard a new song playing. I liked it.. It sounded just a little bit like MB20, though it wasn't 3am.. so I looked. And I saw Push, and o my!! Then, I happened to see an ad for Live From The 10-Spot, and MB20 was gonna be on it so I think to myself, 'well, this group is my fave so I should watch that, yeah.' On April 10th I'm flipping through the channels and I hit on the first ever showing of Real World!! woohoo!! I loved it. That night I was actually kind of excited about seeing MB20 on the 10-Spot.. so I waited.. and waited.. and, finally it was 10:00 and I'm sitting in front of my TV and I see those numbers flashing on the curtain and then up it goes and Busted explodes into the room, and by God I'm watching MB20 live and.. and.. And the next day I tell my dad I have to have the CD, but he doesn't get it.. A week later, out of the blue he sticks it in my hand and I stick it in the CD player, and I turn it on, and I know I'm never going to need anything else. Except the TS CD.. and a concert ticket.. and an electric guitar (so I can play it myself).. and more tickets.. and of course, BRIAN. Yup, I was hooked. (submitted by Fjord)
I always loved Matchbox 20 since the first time I heard them..I just never payed any attention about the actual band..so I knew the songs but I didn't connect them with Matchbox 20. (Such things do not come easily for me J/K lol) I was talking to Laura, a.k.a. Zindo, one day and mentioned how I was getting some CDs and was torn as to whether or not I should buy YOSLY. Cause I knew she loved it so much and we basically love the same music. Well anyway.. I couldn't really remember who Matchbox 20 was but I got the CD anyway cause the cover was cool and I thougth I remembered some of the songs. As it turned out I have no idea who the hell I was thinking of, but it sure as hell wasn't Matchbox 20! lmao. I stuck the CD in the player and wasn't really paying attention... but them "Real World" started...I was hooked! Absolutely loved it! Every single song! Soon my obsession had grown from listening to the CD a couple times a week to a couple times a day....then I couldn't survive without it for more then a few hours! Who needs drugs! lol. Only I could manage to discover my fav band by being confused! hee hee hee! And I'm still obsessed...=)and very happy thanks to the Matchsticks!! (submitted by Katie aka theREALWinnie)
The first time I heard Matchbox 20's music was on the local alternative radio station. They were big promoters of the boys...Long Day was a big song here..but I heard the name 'Matchbox 20' long before I heard a song by them. Matchbox constantly played the small club circuit here and the DJ's would always try and pressure the listners to go and said they were a great band who will make it. I at the time wasn't old enough to go alone nor could I find someone to take me. But eventually in the spring of 97 I went out and bought YOSLY and was halfway disappointed with what I heard. I'm used to listening to darker harder music. So days rolled on and I was getting some Tonic pictures developed and the handsome photo guy who was peirced and tattooed from head to toe brouhgt up the band 'matchbox20' and we started talking about them. I told him I wasn't impressed with their cd and he looked as though I was crazy. He told me to go home and listen to it again..read the lyrics as well. So I did and Busted caught my attention. After seeing MB20 had some intense lyrics I cannot get their cd out of my cd player. They have been my favourite band ever since. (submitted by Meegie)
I'd say the first time I started to like matchbox20 was in the winter of '97, but I first got the CD was in August of 97' after seeing the Push video. At first I hated the song and would always change the channel. So finally I was at my friend Josh's house, and we were watching music videos and Push was played. He said he liked the song and wouldn't let me change the channel. So we watched the video, and I had never heard the whole song before, and I liked it. So the next week I went out and got the CD. I didn't listen to it much, but I thought it was ok. Then about a month later I started to notice Rob and how hot he looked in the video. But I didn't really start obsessing over them until December. It was a 6 hour drive to my aunt's in Vermont from New York, so since none of my other CDs had alot of songs on them I liked, I poped in YOSLY and realized that I liked all of the songs. No other CD I had I liked every song. The most I'd say was 4 or 5 songs I liked. So that's when I started saying that matchbox20 was my favorite on the bus to school. Then I'd say a few months later, I was officially obsessed. (submitted by Alix the Great)
Well lets see, I work for a doctor and I listen to the local station, here in Birmingham,AL. I was listening of course the very first time they played them ("Long Day"). I was hooked from then on. Our station predicted they would be huge and was very, very supportive of them. They were playing them long before anyone knew who they were. I remember the first time the played here, not many people came, but enough to make them feel really welcome. I took my sister, who had no idea who they were, but heard me going on and on about them. She became a huge fan after that night. I remember one of the many times they played here that year, they came to the radio station and did any interview and they said that we (B'ham) had the highest record sales than any where else (at that time) and that they had one of their biggest fan bases here, well of course that has all change, but at the time it was a great feeling to know your city and station supported them and help them get where they are today.It was nice to hear them say (and again at that time) when they had a awesome show somewhere else and a good turn out, "It was a B'ham night". (submitted by LamiaGodss@aol.com)
OK..the first time I ever heard MB20 was in May of 97. No one from around here in Gadsden had heard them except one of my really hot guy friends, Lee. He asked to borrow my Dirty Dancing Soundtrack(I don't know why) but anyway I told him he could but he would have to give me his favorite cd in exchange. So he did. It just so happened it was Matchbox 20. I had never even heard of them so he told me his favorite songs to listen to, Numbers 4,6,9,11,12. Anyway I was not real interested until I heard Hang and I was addicted from there. He moved to Texes for the summer so I kept his cd in my player the entire time he was gone. When he moved back home he asked for the cd back. At first I wasn't going to give it back but instead we just went and bought me one so he could have his back. (submitted Brandy Huff)
Well, I've loved Matchbox20 ever since I heard their song push... it was kindda funny.... you see, I live in Chile, and radios keep playing BSB, Five and all that kind of stuff and sometimes you wish you heard something better. Anyway, I still remember the first time I heard MB20, I was watching MTV's premier videos while my father was packing cuz he was going to the US for a week or so....suddenly I heard this incredibly good song... I couldn't help staring at the tv... the music was THE BEST. I waited till the video ended to see who was performing... I wrote the band's name, the song and the album and asked my father to bring it to me.....Since I got YOSLY I haven't stop playing the CD, I got the TS cd also and I've bought three of their singles + I love to play their music...Matchbox20 is the best band ever.....(and Rob is H-O-T!) (submitted by Da_Sistah)
My first experience with Matchbox 20 was great! so perfect, I remember sitting in front of the TV when "Push" was playing, I heard it once and I really liked it. Then I was listening to it for the 2nd time or so, and it was only the 2nd time I'd seen the video, then my sister goes "Do you want to go see them?" I started to freak out, I was like kick ass! So most definitely I said yes! A few months later I was standing on a chair waiting to see Matchbox 20, The lights went out, and a fight broke out too. Me being clumsy I fell through the little hole in the chair. Then the lasers came on and "I want to push you around" came from behind the curtains. They opened everyone was screaming! I was too! They sang all of the good songs! "Push" "3 am" "Real World" Damn" "Girl Like That" "Kody" " Long Day" and the rest of them! plus another one that he just finished, but I was only 10 at the time and don't remember what it was called! It was the best day of my life, and I haven't worn the shoes I wore to that concert since! I also remember saying to my self, "O my god he looks like my uncle" ! lol! That was on August 15,1997! It ended with many encores, and 2-3 singing of Long Day! Me and my sister ended up with 2 shirts about 5 X stickers (a radio station) a guitar pick signed my Rob Thomas, and sooooo many memories! This was on August 15, 1997, at the Coca Cola Star Lake Pavilion in Pittsburgh! I Love Matchbox 20 and my love is just getting bigger! (Rob does look like my uncle though!) Just wanted to share my experience! (submitted by MatchBox20Chic! a.k.a. ILSA)
Well, I actually got into matchbox twenty pretty late, like one or 2 years after they were really big. I remember being, like, 13, and watching 'push' and I'm like 'God that guy looks ugly in tight pants' and 'Why doesn't he stop hugging the camera and sing properly' and as I watched I started thinking 'DAMN that guy is hot (I still think he could lose the pants)' and 'It's a bloody good song too' but I never really got into them. I never saw the long day or 3am clip on TV, only in the Net. And then a few years later I was sitting watching some TV program with my parents and an ad for mb20 (with the Real World clip) came on and suddenly it clicked that I'd loved this band all along. I got so obsessed with saving up for the CD mum gave me her $30 CD voucher for me to buy it!!! and it didn't leave my CD player for 6 months. I missed the concert but I brought the video, I missed all the good stuff, but im still glad i got into them. I am really in love with Rob and would give ANYTHING to meet him. (submitted by Niky)
To tell you the truth, I honestly can't really remember when I first heard Matchbox Twenty, I think towards the end of '97 when Long Day came out, and to be honest, I really didn't take too much notice, although I remember thinking they sounded good, but can't remember seeing them. I remember at the beginning of '98 they were on a Australian TV show over here performing and instantly was in love....Rob was such a hottie!! Didn't hear much of them for a while, then a couple of months later my sister called me from Sydney (im 2 hours south of there) and said that they were coming to Sydney and if I wanted to go, well, no need to ask me twice!! Tickets went on sale in June (the concert was in October)and we decided to phone up for ours...but 2 hours later it looked like we had missed out and there were 3 of us trying on different phones..but then mine rang, my heart was pounding!! Anyway, we got 2 of the last 5 tickets..literally!!! Between then and October I found out as much as possible about them, and learned all there songs so I didn't look like an idiot at the concert. Push was my fave song, and couldn't wait to hear it live. Anyway..Oct 29th came, my sister and I got to the Entertainment Centre at 2pm!! Yep, 6 hours before the concert!! To make a long story short the doors finally opened, and we had floor tickets, so we had to run, and when I say run, I mean run for a good spot!! We got 2nd row standing which we were very happy about. The atmosphere was amazing, the Feelers came on, but didn't get to see much of them as all the people that were around us were being complete a******s, so instead of missing the concert we decided to move towards the side, which ended up being a better view!! Anyway, they came, gave a brilliant concert and it was over.....but it wasn't..me and my sister remembered from previous concerts that all the groups that play there sign autographs around the back of the Centre, so we made our way around there, and realised about another 500 others did too!!! After a long torturious wait they finally came out and signed EVERY single thing that people wanted signed, not missing anyone..that will always stay with me!! As much as I liked the other guys in the group, Rob was my main focus and wanted to just meet him, finally he got to me, and I got him to sign my arm, right under my tattoo (in the heat of the moment I considered getting his signature tattooed over, but later decided against it!!), we had a little chat, and I mean little, you couldn't say too much, 'cos everyone else was waiting for their turn, but it was enough for me. I've never been happier..my photos turned out really well, and now I just can't get enough of them....(submitted by Aimee)
I went to see Matchbox Twenty 2 years ago they blew me away and I have been not the same since in a good way I feel like I know them and what wonderful people this band is. You guys a good and only getting better. I love Matchbox Twenty from the bottom of my heart always. Would see you every time if I could just keep up the awesome work. Good luck with everything you guys do. They are just so great. (submitted by Fan For Life)
It was August '97 and I got a page from my best friend Michelle she was hanging out with this band Matchbox Twenty in Pittsburgh,PA. I kept asking everyone I was with if they had ever heard of this band. Nobody had a clue! Well for the next few weeks I heard "Push" on the radio and saw the video....Let's face it I was hooked! Then Michelle informed me that the where coming to the AGORA in Cleveland,OH. I couldn't wait for tickets, nor could I wait to see these SEXY GUYS. We couldn't get tickets they sold out.......DEPRESSION was starting to set in and the thought of not seeing them in concert was awful. Wait.......this is where it gets better. Paul was going to be on a local radio station talking to fans and Cheryl (Michelle's Sister) called in and got through...she actually was talking to Paul. He remembered her from Pittsburgh....Can you believe that? When she told him that we couldn't get tickets cuz it was sold out he replied," How many do you need?" Cheryl was a little in shock, but she replied "FOUR"! Paul put us on the guest list and said he would see here later. By the time I found this out.....Not only was I going to the concert, but we would be going back stage to meet the band. That night I saw a great concert, met them backstage, and hung out on the tour bus......Rob, Kyle, Adam, Paul, and Brian are the BEST!!! The more you hang out with them the more you fall in love with them.....that's happened to us. (submitted by Aimee DuChanois)
Hey so heres my first experience of Matchbox Twenty! It started last Spring/Summer. I had tickets to go see Bon Jovi in Cardiff and as they are my favourite band I was sooo looking forward to it! I had heard that this band called Matchbox 20 were one of the supporting acts but I didn't really think anything of it as I was only interested in Bon Jovi! Then I heard Mad Season on the radio and thought it was a cool song but I didn't know who it was by. Well when I found out it was by the same band who was supporting Bon Jovi I was thinking well this is gonna be a great concert if the support band is good too! Well by the time the concert came around I was in love with Mad Season and I had already decided to buy the album after the concert. Then MB20 came on stage and I was like WOW, Rob is so FIT!!!! They totally rock live, they made the wait for Bon Jovi bearable and that is a huge compliment as anyone who knows me wil know how much I adore Bon Jovi and I could not wait to see them, I almost wanted MB20 to stay onstage a bit longer even if Bon Jovi was following them! Well that concert was the most memorable nights of my life as I saw the 2 best bands in the world in one night and the 2 best looking men, I couldn't be happier!!! Well as soon as I could after I got home I went out and bought Mad Season and listened to it almost constantly through the summer (except when I listened to Bon Jovi!) Well I loved Mad Season so went and got YOSLY and now MB20 are my second favorite band and I can't wait for the new album and the tour next year!!! (submitted by Hannah)
A long time ago I saw the Real World video and I thought Matchbox Twenty was a cool band. But I wasn't really into music so I never bought their cds or anything. Then, in February 2002 I wanted to buy a CD and I remembered Matchbox Twenty. I bought Mad Season and then the next week I bought YOSLY. A couple of days later I bought a MBT necklace and like 2 weeks later I bought LFA. I am so hooked to MBT and they are the ONLY band I listen to! My life shall be complete when I someday go to a concert and *maybe* meet Rob! (submitted by Tiffany)
I only recently got seriously interested in matchbox twenty. I had heard (and loved!) Push, 3am, Real World, and Back 2 Good, but I was never really all that interested in getting the CD. The guys slowly floated into the back of my mind, until Smooth. I was like "Hey, that's they guy from matchbox 20!" Well I liked that song, too, but I wasn't about to go out and buy a whole CD ("Supernatural") for just 1 song. "Smooth" left my mind, too. Until, of course, If You're Gone came into the picture. I have to admit, when I first heard it, I was like "What the *hell* is this??" But as I listened to it more I realized I liked it. So I was at the mall one day with lots of cash to spend and nothing to buy. With "If You're Gone" in mind, I went to the record store and bought Mad Season. I brought it home, and frickin loved it! Two days later, I ran out and bought YOSLY. Those 2 CDs were the best 30 bucks I ever spent, and totally worth the weird look the cashier gave me...(submitted by Mel)
It was so weird...I hated MB20 when I first saw push! I was like "Who the hell is this ugly, angry man?" I always dreaded seeing that clip, so I didn't take notice of their other songs! I was only like 12 then, so I was totally into the pop thing. I took notice firstly when Smooth came out, I loved that song! I took more notice when Bent came out...I really loved that song, it was like the theme song of my life! So after that, I was thinking about buying the 2 albums, but I still didn't. I only got them after I liked Train...and I realised how alike they are, so for Christmas 2000 I got their albums!! Now I love them so much, I finally got a DVD of their old videos, so I can now take notice of what I missed out on (I get to reminiscent when I think of them...It makes me cry!!) (submitted by Jasmin)
My cousin bought the YOSLY cd when it first came out and I hated it whenever he would listen to it blaring in his room and one day I got too tired of just complaining so I actually listened to the songs instead of trying to tune them out and I was like "hey this is an ok band." Then I was like "man their pretty darn good." then I had to have that cd. So I went out that weekend and bought it and I listened to it non stop matter of fact I played sick one day just so I could stay home and listen to it (which was ok I was a straight a student) but somehow I drifted away from it and lost the cd. But for Christmas our neighbor gave me and my sis a gift card to warehouse music $20 (tightwad) and while we were there we had liked bent since it had been on the radio but really didn't recognize it was matchbox 20 and so my mom asked the lady who sang it and she said m2 so my mom ended up buying it. At first we listened to a couple songs off mad season and then just kind of forgot about it. One day I decided to listen to it and I sorda liked it so I burned it. One day my sister went to fye to get Ermine show and so I decided to get a cd and I didn't see any thing good so I looked at the top 20 albums and #11 just happened to be MTYTYA so I bought it and I am now forever hooked (it helps that Rob is hot). (submitted by Stargirls0817)
I heard Matchbox 20 on MTV in 96/97, I don't remember exactly which year itwas but I remember hearing Push and thinking how good they were. I searched high and low for their album, Yourself Or Someone Like YOU, and finally got it when my dad brought it back from one of his business trips. I have been hooked since! They are fantastic and I am looking forward to seeing them for a second time at Wembley in March 2003. (submitted by Tiffany)
I don't remember the first time I heard MBT, But in Jan. 1998 I got a phone call saying that my best friend, the girl I started Kindergarten with, the girl I graduated with and everything else in between had been murdered! I proceeded to get out of bed and start to head up to her family's home, seeing as though they were also like family to me when I started my car the first song on the radio was 3 am! why this stuck in my head was beyond me! I purchased their CD that afternoon and listened to the song over and over again, hoping that it would give me something as to why this had happened, well I feel in love with the CD! I've now bought every CD the day it's released! I've seen them twice in concert including Saturday night when I had a brief moment to tell Rob this and he gave me a hug and even took a picture with me! so I'm eternally grateful for 3am, cause every time I hear it I think of Heather and all the great memories I have of her and I thank MBT for that! (submitted by Jayme)
Being from Orlando, Florida, i was bound to like Matchbox 20 since they lived here. My first time I ever heard Matchbox 20 was on New Years Eve of 1997. My dad had "Long Day" blasting right as the clock struck 12. I didn't know who it was but i knew i loved the song. The very next day i searched through every single CD that was on our CD stand. I would put them in and play #2, because i remembered the number from the night before. Well honest to God, the last CD i played was Matchbox 20. I brought it in my room and played it over and over while i obsorbed every lyric. Not long after, i was just hanging around the house when my dad came home from work and said he had something to show me. He put in a tape labeled "Push". He told me it was Matchbox 20 and i sat there in amazement watching the hottest guy i had ever seen being tied in chains and with black eyeliner... wow. He had got the video from his friend who is a friend of Rob's. After the video he showed me and my family some concert tickets. They were to Earthday Birthday 4 in Sanford, Florida where Matchbox 20 was going to play. The concert was on April 19,1997- my first and the BEST concert i have ever been too. Matchbox 20 played last and they brought the crowd togther. I would have to say "Busted" was the best performance becuase of him jumping around on stage and w/ his voice changer. At the end of the show my dad wanted to go home but i begged him to stay so we could meet them although i didn't think i was actually going to! We walked over to where there was a very short line. When we got up to Rob he goes "Hey I'm Rob, the singer for matchbox 20" and then him and my dad talked some since they know friends of each other. I wanted him to sign something so my brother had a Star Wars hat on and after he pleading him- he gave it to me and i handed it to Rob and he said "Wow this is so cool! I've never signed a Star Wars hat before!" LOL Note that Rob is very short... but the coolest guy you'll ever meet! (submitted by Laura)
I bought YOSLY EARLY on the recommendation of my younger brother(who's taste usually runs to Heavy Metal). He asked, "Have you ever heard of Matchbox Twenty?" I said, "Well, sounds kinda familiar." I was thinking, "Oh no! Here we go again with some Poison or Ratt or Dio." THEN, he said, YOU know, you know that song "Long Day"? We both started singing, "Reach down your hand in your pocket and pull out some hope for me!" It was a great moment! One of the few things we have in common today!
I finally had a band name to put with that ROCKIN' sound! Bought the CD the next day and have eagerly awaited each one since. I was thrilled when Push started getting airplay! (submitted by Nedra)
So I first heard Push when it came out on the radio, and I was thinking how much I didn't like the song because it had too much of a hateful sound... so like many others, i would change it too. well, my older brother had YOSLY in his room and i stumbled upon it. I ended up listening to it and LOVING it. It is, to this day, the ONLY entire album I can sit through. I first saw the band the day after Valentine's 1998 at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans. I was only 17 at the time, so I hadn't been to many concerts before this one. It ended up being one of the best nights of my life thanks to MBT, Cool for August, and a girl I met at the show! Hi Megan! (submitted by Craig)