Live Review: Rob Thomas @ Forum Melbourne

Fans of Rob Thomas have been spoiled over the past couple of years, first with Matchbox Twenty’s Slow Dream Tour hitting our shores in February 2024, and now with the singer’s own ten-date solo run, including three sold-out shows at Melbourne’s Forum Theatre.

Last time he was here, the city was swept up in a friendship bracelet frenzy, with Matchbox Twenty’s Melbourne show coinciding with night one of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. Last night, Thomas had the city’s undivided attention.

As the frontman of Matchbox Twenty and a successful solo artist in his own right, Thomas has spent nearly three decades pouring his heart into chart-topping hits packed with emotional resonance. Rising to fame in the late ‘90s with Matchbox Twenty’s debut album Yourself or Someone Like You, he quickly became the defining voice of post-grunge pop rock.

Championing local talent, Thomas encouraged his fans to arrive early to catch Melbourne singer-songwriter Shannen James, and she was well worth the endorsement. Thomas later remarked, “I picked her because she’s awesome.”

James even opened her set with Thomas’s personal favourite song of hers, Get Go. The rising artist delivered a confident performance featuring seven songs, mostly pulled from her debut album Patchwork. Released last year, the record glistens like heat off a long road, its breezy pop shimmering onstage, particularly in the glorious Superstitious.

Another highlight was the catchy little country number Breakfast With You, when James taught the crowd how to line dance. Initially apprehensive, they soon joined in – even the bar staff couldn’t resist. Her set also included a dreamy cover of Kylie Minogue’s Love At First Sight, which left the room glowing.

Celebrating a double milestone, The All Night Days Tour honours the release of Thomas’s brand new, sixth solo album All Night Days, which dropped last month, as well as the 20th anniversary of his acclaimed debut solo record …Something to Be, which is certified triple platinum in Australia.

Fittingly, the set drew heavily from both records, featuring three tracks from the new release, notably the upbeat title-track All Night Days, alongside four songs from …Something to Be, including crowd favourite Lonely No More.

Throughout, there was a lived-in warmth to his delivery: intimate and reflective, yet quietly defiant —a sound drenched in urban soulfulness, like city streets after rain, with crisp enunciation that made every word feel earned.

While this tour centres on Thomas’s solo work, the night would have felt amiss without a nod to his Matchbox Twenty roots. Stripped back, 3 AM incited an instant sing-along and even featured a saxophone solo, before Thomas performed an acoustic rendition of Bent, which still hits with gritty emotion and cathartic punch, even in its gentlest form.

But it was the understated If You’re Gone that delivered the most touching moment of the night. Thomas shared that he wrote the song the night his son was born. Now twenty-seven, Maison Thomas-Eudy stood on stage beside his father, playing lead guitar, a full-circle moment that added unexpected emotional weight to the performance. The young musician has been touring with his father since 2023, and his presence added a sense of sentiment to the song.

The rest of the stellar band included longtime collaborator Matt Beck (guitar, keyboards), Able Fogle (drums), Korel Tunador (guitar, keyboards, saxophone), and Al Carty (bass), as well as singers Kim Dawson and La Tanya Hall.

Together, they brought Thomas’s rich catalogue of music to life, drawing from every one of his records, with 2009’s Cradlesong receiving particular attention. On Wednesday night, Give Me the Meltdown, Real World ’09, and Someday emerged as fan favourites from the record.

Other highlights included Heaven Help Me – a candid nod to partying like a rockstar and realising your body doesn’t recover the way it used to, though Thomas looked remarkably untouched by time, and Little Wonders from Disney's Meet the Robinsons, a song inspired by the unconditional love of his dog. He also treated the audience to two covers, Elvis Presley’s That’s All Right and INXS’s New Sensation.

It was in the encore that the unmistakable opening riff of Smooth finally arrived, and the crowd erupted. Taken from Santana’s 1999 duets album Supernatural, the song dominated the airwaves at the turn of the millennium and remains Billboard’s Hot 100 third biggest song of all time, spending 12 weeks at number one and winning three Grammy Awards.

Thomas didn’t just provide the sultry vocals; he also wrote the lyrics, earning him instant credibility as a songwriter and cementing his place in pop-rock history. Live, the song feels more restrained, with Thomas’s voice taking centre stage. The guitar parts still sizzle with Latin heat, but the mood is mellow and cool, with a lounge-like vibe.

He closed on an electrifying note with This Is How a Heart Breaks and after two tours in two years and three sold-out shows in Melbourne, it’s safe to say the city's heart is anything but broken. In fact, it’s beating louder than ever for Rob Thomas.