Chickens Concert Series #11: Collective Soul

Public Apology:

Sometimes in the mad pursuit of living "life", we forget about what's really important...all the procrastinators out there who rabidly check and recheck blogs in the mad hope that someone (namely me) has put some random jibber-jabber on the internet. I will now acquiesce to popular demand with another highly anticipated installment of the Chickens Concert Series.

Chickens Concert Series #11: Collective Soul

So, time for an excursion into the world of 90's mainstream alterna-rock. Collective Soul as a group has definitely looked better. But they did their thing and it was exactly what I expected. Good nostalgia value.

"Wait! Collective Soul hasn't done anything since 1995 so why the heck are they on tour and why the heck would you go see them?" you ask? I told you! Nostalgia value! Also it turns out they have been putting out albums every couple of years since they started. Don't believe me? Well, I guess some background info is in order. Collective Soul is brothers Ed Roland (Vocals/Guitars/Keyboards) and Dean Roland (Guitar), Joel Kosche (Guitar), Will Turpin (Bass/Percussion) and Ryan Hoyle (Drums/Percussion). Note: Not the original lineup. They formed in Georgia in 1994. They got their name from reading Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead" (ironic considering how mainstream they are). Anywho, their debut album "Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid" went double platinum and their second album (self-titled, released the next year) went triple platinum. But, as with so many bands, their crooked manager stole all their money, royalties, and publishing rights (while they were touring in 1995 they only got a $150 a week pittance for food).They broke it off with him and in 1997 they released their third album, "Disciplined Breakdown". This was after 2 years of courtroom battles, canceled concert dates, and self-imposed seclusion in a Georgia cow pasture. In 1999 they released "Dosage" and "Blender" in 2000. If you listen to the radio at all you probably would have heard some of their songs but it is possible you didn't know it was them. It happens. It happened to me. Then there was a 13 song greatest hits album 7even Year Itch: Greatest Hits 1994-2001. I agree with Kris, it's pretty lame if you can't think up a greatest hits album with more than 15 songs on it. Especially since 2 of the songs were new. But I digress. Next we have "Youth", an independent album in 2004 and in 2005, and acoustic album called "From the Ground Up". Then a DVD or something stupid. And finally their 2007 release, "Afterwords". It's OK, but not great. So I guess it just goes to show that just because I haven't been paying attention to something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Let that be a lesson to me.

The opener was a band called Jonas (not biblical, it's the lead singer's name). Jonas released his self-titled debut album in 2004 in Quebec (his home province). He became popular there through excessive radio play, concerts and magazine appearances and later received Juno nominations for Best New Artist and Best Rock Album. His second album, Suite Life, came out in 2006 was nominated for Anglophone Album of the Year (his second nomination for that). His new CD release in 2007 called "Promised Land" (part of why I thought it might have been a biblical thing but it isn't) is presumably why he is touring right now. Anyway, he was pretty good. Standard rock stuff. He signed my CD and even spelled my name right. Oh! Also I got to see him sign some women's boobs. Another concert first for me! Good times watchin' hoes.



Cameras were allowed at the concert so of course there are lots of videos. But not good quality videos. What an age we live in.