AUGUST 29th 2023
COLLECTIVE SOUL
Review by Metallic Barbie
Photos by Peter Ruttan

PICTURE GALLERY
http://www.metaltitans.com/concertpics/collective-soul/

Nostalgia was alive and well at the Commodore Ballroom last night for night one of Collective’s Soul’s two-day takeover of the venue.  The strangely blue-haired crowd was gently warmed by opener Storie, a one-man acoustic act that gently massaged out the pre-show stiffness.

Primed for some (slightly) heavier sounds, fans roared when Collective Soul took to the stage and right into opener “Cut the Cord” from their 2022 album Vibrating.  While not the most solid opener, the band made up for potential question marks with high energy, moving and grooving, and interacting as close to directly with the room as possible.

Maintaining the intensity of their performance at Woodstock ’99, Ed Roland (lead vocals, guitar), brother Dean Roland (rhythm guitar), Jesse Triplett (lead guitar), Will Turpin (bass), and Johnny Rabb (drums) brought 90s rock to life, jamming through “Heavy”, “Precious Declaration”, “Shine” and “She Said”.  Ed brought a strangely hippy vibe, snaking himself around in a sequined blue velvet blazer, toying with the mic stand like it was a 5th appendage.

The band also played two new songs, “Mother’s Love” and “Not the Same” from an upcoming double album release set for January 2024.  There was no mistaking the sound and general 90s rock rhythm embedded in these tunes, demonstrating Collective Soul hasn’t cut their roots, nor would they surrender them.

Moving into “Better Now”, the sing-a-long crowd was treated to a mini drum solo coupled with a vocal scat that developed into an almost garage jam among the bandmates.  Closing out the set with faves “Why Pt. 2”, “Gel”, “Where the River Flows”, and finally a long “Run” into claps, tambourine, and Ed’s 12-string acoustic, the fellas congratulated each other and thanked the crowd for a full, participation-heavy night.

For more shenanigans, same rock time, same rock venue, hopefully this time with rock merch, Collective Soul will belt out another round tonight, August 30th, at the Commodore.