Matchbox Twenty dramatically walked onto the stage around 9 p.m. with lights flickering and music pounding through the speakers. They went straight into “Crutch,” a song from their latest album, then followed it up with one of their biggest singles, “Real World.”

The group deftly paced its hour and a half set with hits from Yourself or Someone Like You and Mad Season between some lesser-known album tracks. Lead singer Rob Thomas’s vocals were in top form and showcased the band’s earnest lyrics, particularly on “Back 2 Good” and “If You’re Gone.” Though he looks more like a regular guy than a rock star, Thomas proved himself both a soulful and theatrical performer that could draw loud screams from the all-ages crowd.

Most of its performance included a three-piece brass section, which added depth and more than a hint of the band trying to incorporate Springsteen elements to its tight sound. Lead guitarist Kyle Cook’s ease in moving between Matchbox Twenty’s ballads and more straight-forward rock songs was also impressive. His riffs—especially during “Bent” and the Beatlesque “Mad Season”—helped the band’s catalog come to life on stage.

The people in attendance pounded their chairs in between songs during Matchbox Twenty’s set, eagerly anticipating what they would hear next. No track drew as big a response as “Push,” the last song of the set. The band’s powerful, emotive rendition—better than the album version—belied the fact that it’s played the song hundreds of times.

Seven Mary Three, the concert’s first act, did a short but lively set of melodic hard rock songs culled mostly from its latest album, “Economy of Sound.” The group passionately performed its breakthrough hit, “Cumbersome,” as though they had just released it, making it one of the concert’s highlights.

San Francisco’s Train performed an energetic selection of songs from its 1998 eponymous debut and this year’s Drops of Jupiter . Lead singer Pat Monahan, looking the part of a rising rock star, appeared very comfortable on stage and shared his sarcastic humor with the audience. The hugely popular “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me),” Train’s closing number, showed his soaring vocals and the band’s rich instrumentation at their very best. If the crowd’s rousing standing ovation was any indication, these guys are on their way to headlining amphitheatres and arenas.