Matchbox Twenty reunites for trek with Alanis Morissette

Matchbox Twenty reunites for trek with Alanis Morissette
November 12, 2007 03:11 PM
By Tjames Madison
LiveDaily Contributor
Matchbox Twenty will greet 2008 with its first North American outing in more than four years.
The band's "Exile in America" tour, featuring special guests Alanis Morissette [ tickets ] and elctro-rock outfit Mute Math [ tickets ], is scheduled to kick off Jan. 25 in Hollywood, FL, and visit US arenas from coast to coast through mid-March. The trek will also cross the border for shows in Toronto and Vancouver. Details are listed below, and tickets go on sale Nov. 17.

"We're all completely pumped about getting back together and heading out on the road after all this time, especially since we have a bunch of new songs to play for everyone," Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas said in a statement.

Morissette added that she can't wait to play songs from her forthcoming album, "Flavors of Entanglement," which is due next year.

After spending the last few years focusing on their various side projects, the members of Matchbox Twenty regrouped to put together a greatest-hits album. They enjoyed the reunion so much that they ended up writing a bunch of new material, according to their bio. In the end, their new record, "Exile on Mainstream," turned out to be a mix of old and new.

The set combines 11 Matchbox Twenty hits with six new tracks, including lead single "How Far We've Come." The new tunes represent a major shift in the band, which previously relied on frontman Rob Thomas' songwriting abilities.

"I don't think we could have gone on if we didn't change the dynamic of the band," the group's drummer-turned-guitarist Paul Doucette said in a statement. "It got to a point where it was like, well, if we're going to be a band, this needs to really be a band."

While Thomas' solo career took off with 2005's multiplatinum-selling "... Something to Be," Doucette and guitarist Kyle Cook were working with other bands and becoming songwriters in their own right.

"We're all older now and it doesn't make sense any more for the guys in Matchbox to spend their lives trying to play my life," Thomas said in an online bio.

"Exile on Mainstream," which debuted at No. 3 on The Billboard 200 last month, is Matchbox Twenty's first album since 2002's "More Than You Think You Are." The Grammy-nominated band last toured in 2003, selling out premier concert venues including New York City's Madison Square Garden and Los Angeles' Staples Center, according to a press release.

The upcoming dates will mark the group's first tour as a four-piece, following guitarist Adam Gaynor's 2005 departure. Thomas, Doucette, Cook and bassist Brian Yale round out the current lineup.

Matchbox Twenty has sold some 30 million records since releasing its 1996 debut, "Yourself or Someone Like You," which earned the RIAA's Diamond Award for US sales topping 10 million.

[Note: The following tour dates have been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]
January 2008
25 - Hollywood, FL - Hard Rock Live
26 - Tampa, FL - St. Pete Times Forum
28 - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
29 - Charlotte, NC - Cricket Arena

February 2008
1 - Hoffman Estates, IL - Sears Centre
2 - Auburn Hills, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills
4 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
5 - Milwaukee, WI - Bradley Center
7 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
8 - Fairfax, VA - Patriot Center
12 - Verona, NY - Turning Stone Resort & Casino
14 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
15 - Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata Hotel Event Center
16 - Niagara Falls, NY - Seneca Niagara Casino Theatre
18 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
19 - Reading, PA - Sovereign Center
21 - Albany, NY - Times Union Center
22 - Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre
25 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
26 - Omaha, NE - Qwest Center
28 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
29 - Grand Prairie, TX - Nokia Theatre

March 2008
2 - Oklahoma City, OK - Ford Center
4 - Colorado Springs, CO - World Arena
5 - Broomfield, CO - Broomfield Event Center
6 - West Valley City, UT - The E Center
8 - Seattle, WA - Key Arena
9 - Vancouver, British Columbia - General Motors Place
12 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
14 - Reno, NV - Reno Events Center
16 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center
17 - Phoenix, AZ - Cricket Wireless Pavilion
18 - Las Vegas, NV - The Pearl Concert Theater