Matchbox Twenty moves Jones Beach concert to 2023, citing an 'abundance of caution'
Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty performing at Lakewood Amphitheatre in Atlanta on August 13, 2017. Credit: Katie Darby/Invision/AP/Katie Darby
Matchbox Twenty just added a "23" to its name as the pop-rock band from Orlando, Florida, has rescheduled its entire 2022 North American tour including the July 19 date at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater, which has now been moved to July 18, 2023. This marks the fourth time the band has booked this show at the outdoor Wantagh venue and the first from the summer 2022 roster to get pushed into next year.
On its website (matchboxtwenty.com), the band claims the delay is "out of an abundance of caution for members of the Matchbox Twenty family, as exposure to COVID-19 could potentially present serious health issues."
Lead singer Rob Thomas, 49, said in a statement, "We are disappointed to have to move the tour into 2023 but are looking forward to playing for all our fans before we know it. We appreciate all your understanding and hanging in with us. We promise we will bring you our incredible show when we see you in 2023!"
This concert date goes back two years when the band was originally supposed to perform at Jones Beach on July 22, 2020. Due to the pandemic, the show was moved to July 25, 2021. Although concerts were held at the theater in the summer of 2021, the band chose to delay the gig to July 19, 2022, which has now been switched again, this time to July 18, 2023. The Wallflowers, who were once listed as a special guest, are no longer on the bill.
However, there has been some speculation that the band wants more time to work on new material as it hasn’t released a studio album since 2012’s "North."
Last month Thomas told Smashing Interviews magazine, "Right before the holidays, the guys were in New York at the studio. None of us really had the time or emotional bandwidth to put together an entire album in the way we’d want to put together a whole record."
All previous purchased tickets will be honored on the new July 18, 2023 date. Those seeking a refund must go to their point of purchase.
David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.