Matthew Sweet Tickets

This is my 10th time seeing Matthew Sweet and the third time seeing him at the Duck Room. Last year Sweet began touring for the 20th anniversary of his popular "Girlfriend" LP. Sweet mostly played from "Girlfriend" on Saturday night, but did play some songs from his other albums. Unfortunately, the evening was ruined by a group of over-ripe frat boys in the their late 40s who must not have been able to get RUSH tickets (also in St. Louis that night). The men (and I use that term loosely) were obnoxious to the point of distraction and even elicited the drummer to say "get the fuck out" to them prior to the encore. Sweet and his band are good and seasoned, but it would be nice to hear some more newer music played - they did play one new song. I do hope that the unfortunate event that transpired and even had Sweet say at the end of the show, "We've been here twice before, maybe that was enough for you", won't keep them away. I personally really like the "Sid and Susie" albums that Sweet collaborated with Susanna Hoffs on and it would be fun to see Sweet and the Bangles (not really my scene) tour together just to hear some of these great covers live. Maybe at the Pageant next time?

Girlfriend is one of my favorite records of all time so when this opportunity came up I jumped at the chance. I was not disappointed at all. While Matthew seems to have sucombed to a similar weight gain that has affected myself and quite a few of my friends his voice and passion came through. All the band members played and sounded great too including the background vocals. Don't miss Matthew Sweet if you have the chance.

This was an outstanding performance by a great singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Hearing the epic Girlfriend album performed front to back was a real treat. The single Girlfriend was the only track that got any traction but as a body of work the album is outstanding. This great show was topped off with Sick of Myself (from 100% Fun), Time Capsule (from Altered Beast), and She Walks the Night (from the new release Modern Art). Be sure to catch Matthew Sweet if he's coming your way...

Matthew sounded incredible. His voice was just perfect and I enjoyed the slightly snarly exaggerated distortion. If you love a raw sound than it just does not get any better than this. The songs and delivery were so good I almost cried on a couple tunes. Luckily no one saw me do this. If you are a fan of this man then you must, must do yourself the favor of seeing him. My wife and I cannot stop talking about how awesome it was and we really feel we got way more than we paid for. Thank You Matthew, your band and the opening band who were fantastic as well.

Matthew was in great voice, and his band (including Ric and Paul from the Velvet Crush) were in top form. New guitarist Dennis Taylor did an incredible job recreating the leads and parts that Richard Lloyd and the late Robert Quine originally recorded.

Great show, MS & band sounded great. Haven't heard Girlfriend in awhile but it still sounded great.

June 21 Paradise was full as usual, but you have a good view from most locations. Matthew Sweet sounded like the album on many songs. The harmonies were mostly good and the guitar was excellent. However, the acoustics at the Paradise often make the sound muddy and somewhat distorted. The sound is not great, I am not sure if it is the sound system or just the building itself. Overall the show was good and Sweet played Sick of Myself and a few other songs in addition to the entire Girlfriend album.

To hear the Girlfriend album live was an honor and I will always remember it. Matthew Sweet was definitley amazing and the Paradise is always a great place for a show...

Played Girlfriend straight through, in order, plus a few encores from other records. Band was sharp; the guitarist shredded (which is required for Girlfriend).

Went to the Paradise to catch Matthew Sweet's Girlfriend tour and all I can say is that while I didnt expect much out of this as a tour 20 years after the fact is kind of either 1. a ploy for a band to raise cash, or 2. a stab at fame again or, 3. just going through the motions. I found that while the sound was outstanding at the show and the band did an ok job, there were timing issues with some of the songs, also the entire band seemed like #3 above.....just going through the motions. Matt's stage persona is less than stellar but the music was ok. Of particular note, the openning act 'A Fragile Tomorrow' was stellar! Their band was tight, and harmonies were dead on. They were a fun power pop act. Overall I gave this a 3 as I would expect that if you're going to repeat your major hit album on a tour, I would certainly hope you would be enthusiastic about it. Yeah the music was great, but the act was lame!

He plays the Girlfriend album from start to finish. It is incredible. Hard to believe his songs can get better and then when you hear them live they somehow do! In an age of doctored music, his music remains a breath of fresh air. LOVED this show.

Big fun! Sounded Great!!! Loved it as much as I did 20 years ago!

The harmony on the Girlfriend songs was sub-par, but the songs are so good they made up for it. It was amazing how much more polished the song from Modern Art was.

Nothing like hearing one of your favorite albums ever played live start to finish... that's what Matthew delivered with Girlfriend... celebrating its 20th anniversary. Throw in "Sick of Myself" and some cuts from the new album and you've got one great show! No place like the Birchmere to see anything!

awesome show, sweet was great. The band was tight, great show

This was the third time I'd seen Matthew Sweet perform, and the second time I'd seen him at Blueberry Hill. Twenty years ago I'd seen him at The Blue Note in Columbia (Missouri), and Sweet has produced some excellent pop-rock gems since then to build on the success of "Girlfriend". (Check out "Spiral" from the Japanese import or anything from Altered Beast, as two examples.) This third live show was built around "Girlfriend". From the first song, the band played each track in sequence to celebrate its 20th anniversary, plus a few bonus tracks from the reissue, and then three songs from other albums, including "Time Capsule" and "Sick Of Myself". Blueberry Hill is an intimate venue and this show was low in attendance, as one might expect on a beautiful fall night, but the band performed with gusto. Those who remember the title track might not recognize (or appreciate) the faster version of "Girlfriend" played that night, but it seems to me that all the songs were played that way. Sweet has many younger fans now attending his shows, and I'm glad to see them. He's an excellent songwriter and his tunes carry a lot of rhythm and pop not found on radio anymore. His work covering 70s songs with Susanna Hoffs is also of note, and his voice is still in good form. For the price, this was a perfect show, and a great way for new fans to discover Matthew Sweet, with or without his "Girlfriend".

Awesome show at a great venue!!! Sounded as he always has. Overall .....awesome.

Played the Girlfriend album front to back. Awesomely I might add. And loud. Fantastic!

Went to see Miles Zuniga, although I also like some of Matthew Sweet's music. My wife and I had a great time, as Miles put on a terrific acoustic performance and then Matthew's band rocked the house. They both were fantastic and we really enjoyed ourselves. I got to talk to Miles for quite awhile after his show, what a cool guy. Thanks for putting on such a great show, hope that 20th Century Theater keeps providing more of the same.

Saw the first "Girlfriend" tour back in Boston 20 years ago, and I seriously think this has improved with time. Matthew's voice is still just as beautiful as ever; I was right on the stage, so close I could hear what he was saying to the other band members. Yes, it was amusing. He enjoyed the enthusiasm of the crowd in St. Louis. Played the whole album, bonus tracks, new and greatest hits. Miles Zuniga of Fastball opened the show with his amazing guitar talent; I have seen his solo show three times already (well, 4 now), and he was just as amazing. Check him out, too. Talented singer, guitarist and all around nice guy who will stay and chat with you as long as you like. Great songs, we even got a few bars of a Barbara Streisand song! And comedy in between.