If you listened to music in the ’90s you are no doubt familiar with Counting Crows and Matchbox Twenty. They wrote some of the biggest radio hits of the era and last night they touched down in Vancouver for a double bill full of ’90s nostalgia! Naturally, JACK was there.

For those looking to capture 1999 in a bottle, this concert did not disappoint. Counting Crows hit the stage first and played a 13 song set that took a while to get going but finished strong with some of the bands biggest hits (including the crowd favourite, “Mr. Jones“). Adam Duritz, the Crows’ lead singer (and former boyfriend to both Jennifer Aniston AND Courtney Cox) was his usual unique self, complete with his dreadlocks (which look like they haven’t really changed at all since 1993) and his ability to never sing a song the same way twice.

While some people were rumbling that the band didn’t play “Round Here” or the song they did for Shrek 2, the Counting Crows delivered a solid performance. We’re not sure if they’re best suited for big arena rock shows but what was lost in acoustics and intimacy was made up for with nostalgia.

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Next up were Matchbox Twenty and to be honest, the crowd seemed much more excited for Rob Thomas and the boys. From the opening riff, it was apparent that MB20 were going to ratchet up the energy level and the crowd responded! They fired through the hits, both fast and slow, and the crowd was singing along at every moment. “3 AM”, “Unwell’, “Push”, and “If You’re Gone” were standouts and Rob Thomas’ energy was contagious. His playful and bouncy persona rubbed off on the audience and made sure that all ’90s enthusiasts left feeling content.

 

Matchbox Twenty also wins the award for best merch of the night. They were selling a USB bracelet, which in itself isn’t that great. However, when you return home from the show and plug the bracelet into your computer you get rewarded with an instant download of that night’s concert! Very cool.

 

Were you there? What was your favourite moment from the show? Who was better: Counting Crows or Matchbox 20? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter.

Filed under: counting-crows, jack-concert-reviews, jack-in-the-box-office, jack-loves-the-90s, matchbox-twenty, rogers-arena