Saturday night, thousands of people rocked to Mute Math and became nostalgic for the 90s with Alanis Morissette and Matchbox Twenty. Not only was the Seneca Niagara Events Center packed for the show, but dozens watched from the back in the "standing room only" section.
New Orleans' based Mute Math started the show with a bolt of energy. The band is made up of lead singer Paul Meaney, drummer Darren King, guitarist Greg Hill, and bassist Roy Mitchell-Cardenas. They began their set with "Chaos" and the grammy-nominated "Typical". They followed those songs with the fast, upbeat tempo of their newly released single "Control".
For those in the crowd unfamiliar with Mute Math, their music was a pleasant surprise with a harder sound than the headliner Matchbox, but an energy level that left many wanting more at the end of their four song set. To say that Meaney physically gets into his music is an understatement, he performed handstands and danced on the keyboards during the group's finale "Break the Same". The group wrapped things up with a drum compilation and a homemade sound machine that kept many spectators captivated. Their "MySpace" page says the group's live show has "the kind of freak-outs that keep any given performance worth the price of admission", very true.
Alanis Morissette began her set with "Uninvited", and instantly the 33 year old singer captivated the crowd. Dressed in a black halter top and leather pants, she brought a celebrity sex appeal to the stage. Her enthusiasm took her on a dance from one end of the stage to the other and she kept that high energy level through performances of "Baby Steps" and "Hand in My Pocket".
The crowd favorites were obviously Morissette's hits from 1995's "Jagged Little Pill", but when she performed new songs like "Underneath" from her upcoming "Flavors of Entaglement" album, she proved that her vocals and performance were just as strong as when she topped the charts more than a decade ago, and she looked like she enjoyed the performance just as much now as she did back then.
Something Morissette fans are not used to seeing on their rebellious icon - a pink boa. She donned one as she covered a slower version of Fergie's "My Humps". Ladies in the crowd were once again brought to their feet when she morphed into a performance of "You Oughtta Know", proving that the award-winning songs were still the favorites in fans' hearts. Morisette gave the crowd the pleasure of singing the first verse of "Ironic" and many quickly rose to their feet for a standing ovation at the end of the hour-and-a-half set. She may have won all the acclaim in the 90s, but this young woman proved Saturday that she has a lot more musical talent left to share with the world.
It was obvious who everyone came to see when Matchbox 20 took the stage.
The band has come along way since they started performing in Orlando, Florida
in the mid 1990s. Lead Singer Rob Thomas, Kyle Cook on guitar, Brian Yale on
bass, and Paul Doucette on drums brought the crowd to its feet instantly with
their latest hit "How Far We've Come". They kept the energy going
with1998's "Real World", "Disease", and "Could I Be You"from their "More Than
You Think They Are" album.Thomas dedicated "I'll Believe You When" to all the
married couples in the crowd, with excellent lyrics and a upbeat tempo it just
might be another hit from their "Exile on Mainstream" album.
The crowd remained on their feet for all of Matchbox 20's performances, and they
became even more enthusiastic when the band performed their hits
"3am","Bent", and "If You're Gone". The group performed for two solid hours
giving fans a great mix of old and new throughout the show. They mixed in a few
from 2003 and 2004, including "Downfall" and "Bright Lights", but left the best for
last with "Push". Three acts, each with a unique sound, created a night of music
and nostalgia that many in attendance at the Seneca Niagara Casino won't soon
forget. To see more pictures from the Matchbox 20 and Alanis show head to
Buffalo.com/Spotted.