A Collection of Souls

Several months ago, but not too many blog posts ago, I wrote about all the trumpet players that I have seen in concert. If you are not a trumpet aficionado you probably would not recognize most those names. I have also, however, seen many bands in concert whose names you probably will recognize if you pay any attention to pop culture (which I do not condone, but sometimes it's inescapable!) Anyway, here is the list: Counting Crows (2x), Goo Goo Dolls (2x), Gavin Degraw, Lifehouse, Augustana, Maroon 5, Colbie Caillat, Josh Ritter, and Jamie Cullum. I could write individual posts for each one of these concerts if I ever run really low on material. The point of all this is that just a few weeks ago I added a few other bands to this list.

On September 2, I had the privilege of seeing Ryan Star, Black Stone Cherry, and the headliner Collective Soul. I was not familiar with Ryan Star but he is most famous for writing the song "Long Train Home" which was featured in the movie P.S. I Love You. He also wrote the theme song for the Fox television show Lie to Me called "Brand New Day". He put on an energetic show and displayed a wide range of vocal prowess. His tune "Psycho Suicidal Girls", though the title may suggest deep seeded angst and resentment, was catchy and fun.

Next up was Black Stone Cherry. I had heard of them before but I didn't know what to expect. Out came four guys with 1970s-esque long hair, clothing that looked like hand-me-downs from Lynyrd Skynyrd, a vibe that was primed to rock, and a sound that was rooted in an earthy mixture of blues and classic rock. Their set began in rip-roaring fashion, with fast guitar riffs, heavy drum kicks, legs flailing, and hair exploding like fireworks. Their lead singer's voice was blues-inflected, powerful, and just throaty enough to reveal the band's southern roots. The band backed off the accelerator with each song and eased into a ballad of sorts called "Things My Father Said". They kicked it up again at the end and finished with an in-your-face rendition of Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child". I was really impressed with Black Stone Cherry, a band from the small 1500 person town of Edmonton, Kentucky. They really shook the place up and delivered a strong punch to my thoughts that real hard rock 'n' roll was dying. It may still be but Black Stone Cherry is at least the respirator trying its best to revive it. Here's the official video of their hit "Please Come In" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKtpyeWb3jg

As the main attraction approached the crowd slowly began to multiply and my friend Shane and I were gradually getting pushed to the front, which was fine by us. Then Collective Soul entered the room and the crowd erupted. Collective Soul got their name from the Ayn Rand novel The Fountainhead where the phrase collection of souls is used to indicate a threat to the main character's individualism. Lead singer Ed Roland, son of a Southern Baptist minister, has pointed out that they chose the name not to make a statement about objectivism, egoism, nor because the works of Ayn Rand had any influence on his life. "We just dug the name," he's been quoted as saying. In their career, which catapulted with 1993's hit Shine, Collective Soul has had seven mainstream #1 hits, and five certified platinum albums. Needless to say, their performance lived up to expectations. I have always liked the band, but there were many people around me who surpassed my fandom. There was the overweight, balding up front flowing out back haired man with pork chop sideburns to my right who from the first note just closed his eyes, threw up two rock on signs with his hands, and just emersed himself in the music. There was the tipsy, middle-aged woman behind me who claimed to have seen Collective Soul in Morocco and preceded to tell me what a great guy lead singer Ed Roland was in person. There was another woman to my left who nearly fainted when Roland looked her way in the middle of the concert. They put on a high energy, diverse show that featured many of my favorites including, "December", "The World I Know", "Heavy", "Run", "Gel", and of course "Shine". I walked away more than satisfied with that musical experience. For a taste of a Collective Soul concert check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKROlUWkbsQ

I consider myself lucky to have seen some of my favorite bands in concert. I'm not done yet, though, as my sights are set on catching a John Mayer or Matchbox Twenty concert in the future. I'm hoping that the concerts I've seen thus far are just the beginning of a multitude of musical listening endevors in my life.