It’s not hard to forget that good concert DVDs exist. With Disney pushing its stars and their concert films into cinemas across the world, you can’t help but wonder why better artists don’t get similar treatment with some of the truly brilliant sets they bothered to record live video for. I think the first concert series I ever watched on DVD was The Central Park Concert by Dave Matthews Band which debuted on DVD back in 2003. It wasn’t a phenomenal concert nor was it such a brilliant experience that the DVD recording rocked my world – but it was my introduction to live performances that were no longer live which is an odd paradox.
The entire point of a concert is to see your famous artists performing live and listen as the music shifts and molds to become something entirely new as the artists try something new or blend one song into another in a way they may never reproduce on an album. Rob Thomas’s performance at Red Rocks on his Something To Be Tour featured quite a few instances like that and yet simultaneously produced a presentation that would have an entirely different impact when viewed on a digital medium later on. The people at the concert felt the thrum of the crowd, the deafening boom of the speakers and the blinding flashes of the strobe lights as the music broke forth from the stage. While all those experiences are unique for every concert, one thing is always true of attending a concert: you have but one perspective.
Seeing a concert in hi-definition footage from the vantage points of cameras dipping and swaying over the head of the audience lets you see Rob Thomas perform in a way never before available. And let it be known that Rob Thomas is an exceptional performer. Long-known as the incredible vocalist and front man of Matchbox Twenty, he went on to lead a simultaneous solo career which has produced equally impressive results. He delivers new renditions of his biggest solo hit “Lonely No More” while moments before performing a b-side take on the hits of his original band like “3 AM”, “Bent” and “If You’re Gone”.
Rob Thomas has an excellent stage presence and his ability to move fluidly between a humorous anecdote and a few sweet ballads makes for the perfect concert formula. And the voice. My god, the man has a terrific set of vocal chords on him. There are some artists who are incapable of straying too far away from the original recording of their singles due to their limited range, but Rob Thomas doesn’t really have that limitation. He can waver, dip and rise to meet whatever mood he’s cultivating and the songs sound all the better for it. He carries the concert expertly and has a great set list to create a solid 95 minute concert experience.
The video and audio were recorded in hi-definition and accordingly the Blu-ray presentation looks fantastic. Pop this baby into your Blu-ray player, hook up a nice pair of speakers and get ready for a well-rounded sensory experience. It’s a fantastic Blu-ray disc for just mellowing out and enjoying the sound. If you’re not a fan of Rob Thomas already, this could be the disc that pushes you into his corner. The man is an amazing musician and now he has a Blu-ray disc that proves it.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
The Blu-ray is unfortunately short-stacked when it comes to extras and you’ll find little more than a live concert music video for his song “Streetcorner Symphony”. It’s somewhat odd that the Blu-ray doesn’t have more to offer in the back-end considering music video feels like little more than a deleted scene from his tour. He has other music videos out, and maybe they couldn’t get the rights for inclusion on the disc but it would have been nice to see them or at least an interview rounding out the disc’s offerings.
"Rob Thomas: Something To Be Tour - Live At Red Rocks" is on sale October 6, 2009 and is rated NR. Concert-Film. Directed by Joe Thomas. Starring Rob Thomas.
