Rob Thomas Full Interview

Rob Thomas, one of modern music’s most compelling and commercially successful artists of the past 25 years, returns to Fantasy Springs Resort Casino’s Special Events Center on Saturday, September 21 at 8 p.m. Tickets for his Chip Tooth Smile tour are $59, $79, and $89 — on sale this Friday, May 17 at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, via phone (800) 827-2946 and online at www.FantasySpringsResort.com. Best known as the frontman and primary composer of Matchbox Twenty, Thomas has led the band to multi-platinum success over the course of two decades, including the hits “Bent,” “Push,” “If You’re Gone,” “Unwell,” and the band’s breakthrough single, “3AM.” The group received a rare Diamond Award for their 12-times platinum debut, Yourself or Someone Like You (1996). Thomas has also been a part of several genre-bending collaborations with such iconic artists as Mick Jagger, Willie Nelson and Carlos Santana — the latter resulting in the Latin-tinged “Smooth,” which earned three Grammys and topped Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for 12 weeks in 1999. As of 2018, the song was recognized as the second most successful song of all-time. Thomas launched his solo career with the 2005 album …Something to Be, followed by Cradlesong (2009), and The Great Unknown (2015). The recently released Chip Tooth Smile was shaped by the singer’s early influences, as well as his own inherent pop-rock instincts. “There’s a sensibility to the way I write that’s been informed by ’80s songwriters, especially,” Thomas says. “Nothing’s overly produced. It has everything from Cutting Crew to Cyndi Lauper, INXS, and Depeche Mode.” The album’s lead single, “One Less Day (Dying Young),” illustrates Thomas’ artistic evolution. Backed by a propulsive riff, steady beat, sparse keys, and subtle Celtic flavor, it sets the tone for the 11 tracks to follow. “To me, it encapsulates everything you’re about to hear on the rest of this record,” Thomas says. “I write a lot of songs about the human condition, how people interact with each other, and how we deal with our environments. I want people to take them and attach them to their lives. I hope they possibly speak to what they’re going through, and I’m always thankful they’re still listening.  Tickets for Rob Thomas’ Chip Tooth Smile tour are $59, $79 and $99, on sale Friday, May 17 at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, via telephone (800) 827-2946 and online at www.FantasySpringsResort.com.