August 21, 2001 Review

Holmdel, NJ

To tell this story of our August 21, 2001 concert at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey we must begin the day before in Massachusetts. Zindo and I were taking a train down to New Jersey to stay with my relatives while we attended the concert. My aunt is really cool like that. When I told her Matchbox was coming so close to her, she insisted that we come. Not that we needed any encouragement. To preface the story, anyone who knows Zindo and me knows that anything that we plan inevitably explodes or implodes or spins out of control in some respect. So we were expecting something to happen, we just didn’t know when or what. Well, things started early. We had been preparing for this, our last concert, for weeks. We got Pookie a present (this funny little cover for his golf clubs..it is a beaver head with funny buck teeth…don’t ask…just trust us..he needed it) and I made two shirts celebrating Paul’s birthday. They were pretty ornate. We only have pictures of the fronts. They said Happy Birthday Paul. Then on the bottom of mine in the front I painted an ostrich feather. On the back was Petey the ostrich complete with tail feathers of all colors. Took me about two days to make. For Zindo I put a top hat on the bottom front. On the back I painted Herb, the guy from the front of the mad season album cover. And of course we had our website addy on them. Of course.

So we wake up late. Typical. Our train is at 8:33 (ha! On time my ass) and we wake up at about 7:30. My mom dropped us off at the new train station, or attempted to. We couldn’t find the parking. So we decided to follow the BIG signs that said "PARKING." Well, cut off my leg and call me Goober! Those parking signs led to the mall parking garage!! The one across the street but in entirely the wrong place. It was 8:15 by then. We were circling around and around and around, trying to get out of the stupid garage. We finally did. My mom threw us in the general direction of the train station and went off to find parking. We raced in, picturing the train leaving without us. We needn’t have worried. Not only was the clock in my mother’s car fifteen minutes fast, but the train was a half an hour late! Ah, joy. The wait was interesting considering we were running on such a lack of sleep. And then there were the men in the factory across the tracks who stood in the open windows and just stared at everyone on the platform for a really long time. It was a tid bit strange.

The train finally arrived and we got on. The second that we sat down we realized a horrible thing. We had forgotten our backpack with all the concert signs, the presents, and the shirts at home! I called my mother and she was so sweet. She realized how much it meant to us, and she overnight mailed the necessary stuff. So big, big thank you’s to her.

The next day we got to the venue (it was a miracle, but between the two of us, we found our way ::very proud:: ) at about four o’clock. The venue was a little different than the ones we’ve been to before because there were hunderds of people already there having barbeques. We’ve seen people tailgating before, but not quite so many. And we managed to meet at least three drunk or semi-drunk guys who insisted that their names were Paul and today was their birthday. Needless to say we took the shirts off. (Don’t worry. We had other shirts underneath.)

We checked things out and managed to find Alix, Sam, Lindsay, Val, and Stacy. They’re all really sweet. They loved the shirts and we all shared our various ways for getting cameras into the venue. And let me say, thank God for Alix and her Creme Savers. (lol) We listened to the rest of soundcheck. The girls said that the band had gone through just about every cover song they have ever done "Don’t Let Me Down," "American Girl," "Mama’s Don’t Let Your Babies…," "Jessie’s Girl" and all the others. What was really funny was when they played "Hang" about five times. We heard it the first time and we applauded and were all happy. Then it was over and we all started talking. But no! They started again. Each time changing a little something. Kyle would sing a different part. I hope that there were some real fans in that soundcheck party who write a review. That would have been amazing to see. But hearing it was almost as good!

We went and got our tickets. Ours were center, row K. Not bad. Sam and Lindsay got the best seats: Adam’s side, row D!! But they deserved it. We went in and were forced to buy their overpriced water because it was quite hot. They take the caps away from you when you buy it because they say that prevents people from throwing them all on the stage. Hell, if I wanna throw something onstage I’ll throw the bottle, not the CAP. So that meant that every time we knocked it over (which happened a million times) we lost water. Evil people. But they didn’t mind if you used your camera as long as there was no flash. Well, we didn’t quite listen to that either.

We were so thrilled with our seats! We talked to Jason. He’s so sweet. I gave him the Pookie present and he asked what the hell it was. (lol) When I explained he asked me if there was anything inside it that was gonna explode. I, of course, protested that I would never do something like that to our boys. Then he said he was just doing his job and that you’d be surprised. But I really don’t want to be if that’s what some people do. Thank goodness for Jason.

While we were waiting we continued the traditional "can you see any of the band members walking around backstage"? We saw Kyle, but we were all so excited to see him that we forgot to take a picture. More like we fumbled around for one of our three cameras still tied around our legs and couldn’t get them out in time. But it was nice to see him. At one point Adam ran from stage right to stage left behind the curtain. He was wearing all black and the curtain is black. So all you saw was Adam’s head as he jumped across the place where people in the venue could see. It was quite amusing. We also got to see Charlie from Train. That guy is so sweet! He waved and we got a couple pics. He’s always up there tuning his guitar. (I have loved Charlie ever since I thought he was Paul when I caught a quick glimpse of him backstage at the Boston show.) And there is this one guy who tunes just about every guitar on the stage. He starts working before Seven Mary Three comes on and is still working during Train’s set. It’s also amusing.

Seven Mary Three came on. We’re not huge fans, as I have said before. But we showed them some love. Made some noise. They were good. I learned some of the songs by then, so I was able to sing along. I like "Summer Is Over" the best, I think. Oh! I forgot to mention. Before the show started they asked us to rise for the national anthem. We all (Zindo, Sam, Lindsay, Val, Stacy and I) thought they were kidding. But no! There was an American flag off to the side and they put a spotlight on it and started the anthem. Everyone else stood and acted like it was totally normal. Security covered their hearts with their hands. But the six of us were totally confused and not paying attention and whispering asking what was going on. I guess we’re creatures of habit, but us out-of-towners had never seen anything like that. But Lindsay really got into the anthem. She sang along. I poked her and laughed at her, telling her not to embarrass us. I’m sure they were really clapping for her when it was over. (lol)

Then Train came out!! My how we love Train now. I mean, we liked them before. But now? They are amazing live. You know a band is great when they can not only release really good records, but perform impeccably in a lot of different venues. And, not everyone was there to see Train, but a good amount of the fans stood and gave them the respect they deserved. We certainly did! Pat was working the stage, as usual. Charlie was so sweet and smiled at us when we waved. All the guitarists, Jimmy and Rob, came over to us and played to us. Charlie even blew me back a kiss at the end when they were walking off stage! I was in absolute heaven. I just adore Charlie!

Since this was the closest we had gotten to the stage in a long time, we noticed some things. Kyle’s mic stand has a picture of one of those hooter girls lying on the beach or something. And Adam’s has a little place where he sticks his babyhead. It’s a little thing that sticks out of the front of the stand about halfway up. The babyhead rests on that. We have a picture of the babyhead. Also, if you look on the left hand side of the stage where all the computers are that control the soundsystem. There should be a skull. Yes, a skull. I don’t know why, and actually I don’t want to know why. But we have a blurry picture of it.

The show started off really well. Of course, all the die hard fans knew when they were coming out and stood and danced. I was so excited that I couldn’t stand up. I had to sit down to calm myself down. But everyone else was dancing. And then it started!

It was the same setlist tonight, except for a few extra songs that they didn’t play in Hartford (because the crowd just did not care!). They played "Remedy," "Watching the Wheels," and "HANG." I couldn’t believe they did it. But they did.

During the show I was expecting a little something from the band to Paulie, since it was his birthday the next day. But the one time when it is actually someone’s birthday Rob said nothing. I guess he was saving it for a day when it wasn’t someone’s birthday. Rob mentioned how this was one of his top five favorite venues, along with Jone’s Beach that they were playing in the next couple of days. Check out Zindo’s Concert Tips for specific quotes and a detailed setlist and some other stuff. Pat from Train had said how Matchbox had so many friends in the area that it was a little crazy backstage. So the boys were really into this venue. And the venue was really into them.

Everyone was all over the stage. Adam was on Kyle’s side. Kyle was on Adam’s side. Pookie was shufflin’ like nobody’s business. And then there was Paul. (lol) Do you think he ever gets a little restless up there? I mean, I know he really gets into his drumming. But do you think he ever wishes he could stroll around onstage with the rest of the guys? They do climb up to spend time with him, especially Pookie. I attempted to get a picture of Pookie during "Leave" when he makes his little hand motion. It’s almost a conducting motion. But the man always moves right before I get the perfect picture. I swear, he was laughing at me. (lol)

We brought signs that included: "This is a concert sign!" (Zindo) and "Pookie Be My Snooke!" (Me). I also held up the shirt that said Happy Birthday Paul so that Paul could see. Well, every member except Paul saw. Adam was over on our side and I held it up for him. He read it and then saluted me and said thank you. (he is just so sweet to the fans) I know Kyle saw it because he looked right at it. But you know Kyle. (lol) You could explode an A bomb in front of him and he might not acknowledge it. But he was really interacting with the crowd this tour. It was great. Rob saw Zindo’s concert sign and pointed and laughed. That was a thrill. The nice thing is that when they see your signs, not only do you get really happy, but the people around you do, too. They enjoy sharing in the moment. Paul waved to someone in the audience and nodded. But I had no way of telling if he was nodding at me. But that’s ok!

They did a wonderful job with all the songs. We got some great pictures. Rob was right in front of us and smiled and waved. He went over to either side of the stage and was shaking hands with people. Lucky Sam got to touch him! He also pulled out the list of organizations that the band does not support. He threw it in the crowd over towards the right side. Oh well! (more on that later) Kyle threw his guitar pic and it landed about two rows in front of us. They didn’t know where it went so they were kind of half-heartedly looking for it. I prayed for them to forget about it and maybe we could find it after the concert ended. But they found it. I just hope they appreciate it enough. I’m sure they will.

Some of the best times in terms of fan participation were of course "3am," "Back2Good," "Push," "Stop," and "Hang." The whole place was singing along and waving their arms. The people a couple of rows in front of us had such long arms! (lol) They kept getting their arms right in way when I could have gotten the best pictures. But I am really glad that they were having a fun time. And we were probably bothering people with our signs. But we only raised them when they were looking in our direction and the lights were really bright. Most of the time I was holding up the Happy Birthday Paul shirt. But then when they started playing "Angry" I took them and wadded them up, ran down the aisle and chucked ‘em. They hit Kyle’s guitar! Oops. He didn’t even notice. I think a roadie picked them up and took them offstage. But I really hope they got them. I guess I should have given them to Jason, but I really wanted to give them to them myself.

After I ran back to my seat security started walking up and down the aisles. They started taking people out of the rows. I don’t know why. But Zindo made me put on this free shirt we had gotten. And I put my hair up. Just in case.

It was kinda of funny because Rob went offstage to get the video camera during "Mad Season," but then it didn’t work. So you could hear him, and for a second you could see his eyes but then it disappeared and he just came back out with nothing. The soundsystem was going a little bit haywire for all of the bands. When it started to squeak Rob would hold the mic away from himself and make a little face. The boys toddled off the stage for a minute. They came right back on when the crowd would not settle down. You can tell when they are going to play "Hang" because Kyle’s acoustic is put onstage right before they walk on. I think they finally realized how much we love that song. It seems that they play it for the really hyped crowds. The whole crowd was singing along. It was great. They finished the show with their usual flair and thanked the crowd for being so amazing. Right at the end of the show I decided I would hold up my "Pookie Be My Snookie" sign. I figured why not? They turned on the house lights and Rob was standing right in front of me. He took one look at my sign and started laughing! That was pretty cool. I tried to get Pookie to see it, but I don’t think he did. That’s ok. It was a great feeling anyway.

We tried to get a setlist from the lighting guys, but it didn’t work. They weren’t rude about it, though. That was a relief. Before the show one of the venue security guards was holding a paper. So Zindo went up to check it out and see if it had any relevance to Matchbox. The guy got super defensive and said she wasn’t allowed to see what it was. That it was security protocol and no she couldn’t have it when he was done. I mean, no problem if we can’t have it, just say so. But he was glowering and getting a little uppity. What’s she gonna do to him?

We met up with Val and Stacy again. The girl next to Val had caught the paper that Rob wrote the list of organizations on. She was really sweet and gave Val a piece of the paper that had no writing on it. Val gave each of us a little slip of that paper. And she showed me her cigarette butt of Paul’s that she had. Psychotic? Noooooo. We’re both totally normal! (lol) See, that’s the closest that we’ll ever get. So we have to make due with small things.

We walked out back and met up with Alix and her friends. (Enter the CremeSavers) Alix always brings CremeSavers to her concerts and they are very useful when your throat hurts from screaming and you have no water. I was convinced that they were going to close the gates and we would be trapped in the venue forever. Also I just wanted to annoy Zindo, which I succeeded in doing. We all sat in the shadows on this hill facing the place where the buses come out. So after everyone else had been chased away we hung out for a while. Unfortunately, the state cop came and ran us off. Literally. He drove his car up on the grass and drove us away. Then we had to figure out how to turn on the high beams in my aunt’s car. How we actually made it home I don’t know! (lol)

This concert was amazing. We got some amazing pictures of the entire band. It was a wonderful way to end our "2001 Mini Concert Blitz." The crowd was hyped, the band was hyped and that made for a great show. I really don’t think that they can give us a "bad" show. Some days they might be a little under the weather, but they are always above par. The show really depends on the energy that the crowd gives off. Tonight it was magic! I hope that everyone who is going to a later show has as much fun.

Some people were wondering if the show was a little too produced in terms of the lighting etc. It is a little more produced than their previous tours. But that is mainly because they have money now. (lol) I really want to say that I thought it was very well balanced. It had an element of production to it but basically it was a good rock conert. If you go to a full-fledged pop concert you realize what it means to be over produced and have no spontenaity. But Matchbox doesn’t perform the same set list night after night. They change what cover songs they do. They try to give a little flavor to it. It must be pretty dull do perform the same thing night after night. I would think that after a while you would simply go on autopilot. While some shows might not be as exciting as others, a good rock show still has those important elements that make it so exciting for us fans. And anyone who has seen Matchbox Twenty live would agree with me, I think. Thanks for listening and thanks for reading. Have fun everybody!