Collective Soul - River Cree Casino Edmonton Alberta Oct 8, 2010

We always love seeing Collective Soul play live shows. We've seen them a number of times in the past, but it had been awhile since the last time (Capital Ex a couple years back), so we decided to catch their show at River Cree Casino!

Collective Soul always put on a very entertaining show and playing songs from their extensive catalogue of hit singles!  Audience members danced and sang along as the band played familar favorites such as "Shine" "Gel" "The World I Know" "Precious Declaration" and (our favorites) "Why pt. 2" and "Hollywood"!

Lead Vocalist Ed Roland was playing acoustic guitar. He said his young son came up and told him he learned his first song from the internet. The song was "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana. Ed said his son then asked him what his first song was. Ed said he'd try to play it on the acoustic guitar for us, and that it went something like this: He then broke into the first few lines of "Cat Scratch Fever!". He exclaimed "Wow that sounds awful!! I bet Ted Nugent would shoot me with a bow & arrow if he heard me play his song like that" ha ha ha  Ed then said that him and lead guitarist Joel Kosche (who recently became a new daddy) had the same conversation recently (about the first song they'd learned to play on guitar). He went on to say that Joel said that if his son should grow up and want to learn guitar, he'll teach his song his first song which would sound something like this: (and they went on to play) "Enter Sandman" as the crowd sang the lyrics right up to and including the first chorus!  It was so awesome!

After a few more songs, Ed wished us all us Canadians a Happy Thanksgiving and said that the next day (Oct 10th) was his brother (Rhythm Guitarist) Dean's  Birthday. Then Ed said "Tomorrow is the 10th month, 10th day of 10th year 10-10-10 that's like the number of the beast or something isn't it??? Then sure enough, Ed took that acoustic guitar and rocked the best acoustic version of Iron Maiden's "Number of the Beast" that we've ever heard!

Collective Soul ended their set by playing "Run" (off "Dosage" released in 1999). One by one the band members stopped playing their instrument and came up to the front of the stage, shook hands with fans in the crowd, tossed out picks, sticks etc.. then left the stage as Ed kept playing and singing "Have I got a long way to run".  Soon, Ed was the last member left on stage playing and singing and he too shook hands and walked off the stage all the while singing and playing the song. The show ended as the last few bars of "Run" was heard acoustically being played behind the stage!  What a great ending to an awesome show!

Check out Collective Soul's Official Site:

http://www.collectivesoul.com/