Matchbook Romance Mellows Down Matchbook Romance – 8.8.2004 Warped Tour, Maurice Stage Englishtown Raceway, NJ by Shawna Adams

At the Englishtown Raceway Warped on Sunday, August 8th, those gathered to watch Matchbook Romance’s performance on the Maurice Stage were treated with a special acoustic set performed by band members Andrew Jordan (vocals, guitar), Ryan Kienle (bass), and Aaron Stern (drums). The acoustic set, a rarity for Warped Tour, was a last minute decision on the band’s part; early that same morning, fellow band member Judas DePaolo had a visit to the emergency room for what turned out to be a double slam of bronchitis and laryngitis. DePaolo, who plays guitar and sings backing vocals for the band, was unable to take part in the band’s set later that day, but fortunately the band was still able to perform for their fans. In the middle of their performance, Jordan expressed his appreciation to the crowd for embracing their acoustic set on such good terms, saying, “We did this once before on Warped and the crowd wasn’t so receptive, but you guys are amazing.” The performance kicked off with a mellow rendition of “Playing for Keeps.” A song normally infused with a loud drumbeat and screaming vocals, this version was toned down beautifully. The band also played “(In Transition) For You,” a song that will be released on a split with Motion City Soundtrack on September 7th. The band ended their set with an acoustic performance of “Promise,” the first single off the band’s debut release, Stories and Alibis.

The first time I saw the band play was at the Starland Ballroom in NJ during their headlining tour last spring. I remember being miserable that I didn’t know the words to their songs because I was itching to scream them back at the band along with every single other person in the room. This band puts on one of the most passionate shows I’ve ever seen. Jordan’s face contorts with ever lyric he belts out while DePaolo’s screaming backup vocals send chills up your spine. Not to mention, Stern is one of the finest drummers on the Warped Tour. Stern could also be found drumming for friends Bleed the Dream while their drummer Scott Gottlieb is at home resting after being diagnosed with leukemia.

check out www.bleedthedream.com for information on how you can help Gottlieb recover

Matchbook Romance will join Taking Back Sunday for the first leg of their tour in the fall.
Check out the Matchbook Romance website at www.matchbookromance.com
and make sure to catch this band live if you can.