earCandy: Collective Soul (Halifax Concert - Oct. 16/05) 3/5
I won tickets to the Collective Soul concert at Dalhousie University last night (my wife is a big fan and scored some tix through their website). Personally, I never quite understood the "Soul" in "Collective Soul", as this is a pretty straight up rock band, which is not exactly my favourite genre. In any case, Collective Soul has been around since the early 90's and have a string of hits under their belt, the newest being "Better Now", a solid track (they even use horns, which is a relief for me) from their 2004 album, Youth.
Collective Soul were competent enough performers and most of the crowd seemed to really love the concert. I'll even admit to enjoying several tunes, but I find it's a bad sign when I'm more interested in watching the crowd behind me than the show in front of me. As a consequence, I have now (and it's been a long time coming) resolved not to go to any more rock concerts unless I can sing along to at least a half a dozen of the headliner's songs :-) . Being a musician myself, I also get a little exasperated (and bored) seeing three guitarists all up on stage strumming the same chords in unison (the opening band, Boy, had the same lineup) and, being that rock doesn't really "groove" per se, I can't even get that into dancing to distract myself :-) .
Maybe I'm getting old, but I either want to see great musicians perform (something like the Montreal Jazz Fest being an ideal setting for this) or see bands that I am already familiar with and enjoy from their CD releases. Let's face it, as time goes on, music is becoming less about performing live and more about the studio anyway, and concerts are really showing this (and it's certainly not just rock - don't even get me started about my disappointment with the Lloyd Banks concert earlier this year). Maybe I'm being a bit of a cynic, but I'd have a hard time being convinced that this isn't true (although there are certainly exceptions - Ween play a fantastic live show, U2 compensate by making it a broader event through extraordinary light shows, etc.).
It says something that my thoughts were on larger issues than the concert at hand, but to give props to Collective Soul, these guys have been making a living at this and have put out some good tunes, so keep on rockin' I guess would be the expression. ;-)
Collective Soul were competent enough performers and most of the crowd seemed to really love the concert. I'll even admit to enjoying several tunes, but I find it's a bad sign when I'm more interested in watching the crowd behind me than the show in front of me. As a consequence, I have now (and it's been a long time coming) resolved not to go to any more rock concerts unless I can sing along to at least a half a dozen of the headliner's songs :-) . Being a musician myself, I also get a little exasperated (and bored) seeing three guitarists all up on stage strumming the same chords in unison (the opening band, Boy, had the same lineup) and, being that rock doesn't really "groove" per se, I can't even get that into dancing to distract myself :-) .
Maybe I'm getting old, but I either want to see great musicians perform (something like the Montreal Jazz Fest being an ideal setting for this) or see bands that I am already familiar with and enjoy from their CD releases. Let's face it, as time goes on, music is becoming less about performing live and more about the studio anyway, and concerts are really showing this (and it's certainly not just rock - don't even get me started about my disappointment with the Lloyd Banks concert earlier this year). Maybe I'm being a bit of a cynic, but I'd have a hard time being convinced that this isn't true (although there are certainly exceptions - Ween play a fantastic live show, U2 compensate by making it a broader event through extraordinary light shows, etc.).
It says something that my thoughts were on larger issues than the concert at hand, but to give props to Collective Soul, these guys have been making a living at this and have put out some good tunes, so keep on rockin' I guess would be the expression. ;-)
Digg | 
Del.icio.us | 10/17/2005 06:58:00 p.m.
posted by Jeff MacArthur at 10/17/2005 06:58:00 p.m.
2 Comments:
I made the decision when I last went and saw Ben Lee, Ben Folds and Rufus Wainwright on a triple bill at Kool Haus a month or so ago, that while I loved all 3 acts, that I might in fact be getting too old for rawk shows… Plus the scenesters and hipsters really annoy me ;)
But every time I think that, another concert comes along and back in I'm hooked.
Yeah, I know how you feel, JOHN.
Post a Comment
<< Home