If there was one sound to define the rock music movement of the mid to late 1990’s, it would be heavy yet undeniably catchy guitar riffs. Hundreds of bands tried to come up with their own distorted riffs that made people buy their albums and go to their shows. Many of those acts have faded away or in some cases, completely dissolved. One band that continues to this day – with most of their longtime 90’s lineup in tact – is Collective Soul, the energetic outfit from Georgia who burst on to the alternative scene in 1994 with possibly the catchiest riff about Heaven letting its light shine down.
Fast forward three decades, and the southern rockers are almost always on the road including a recent stop at the F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. on March 31. As part of their tour, the band brought along Plush, a three-piece all female band who have both a strong stage presence along with a controversial back story. The band is the product of longtime California rockers Pavement, who essentially hired the musicians to form the band and allegedly controls the trio’s musical direction. It’s unfortunate that the band has to receive some criticism due to the Pavement tie-in, but when the story of the band’s origin gained traction, many fans have raised questions about the group’s authenticity and how much creative control they have compared to Pavement. Their music is melodic, loud, and easy to find a connection with, but the internet has been relentless towards the three young women in terms of classifying them as a corporate outfit controlled by other musicians.
When the three musicians – guitarist/vocalist Moriah Formica, bassist Ashley Suppa, and drummer Faith Powell – are on stage together, it does work well. Throughout cuts like “Left Behind,” “Hope it Hurts,” and “Found a Way,” the three ladies sound incredibly tight together with Powell putting in one of the most energetic performances you could ask for. The crowd was cheering and nodding along to each song and gave the trio a huge round of applause after their final number, but if you research the band on Google you can’t help but have a slightly different view of them when you read about their origins. If the Pavement tie-in is true, these three ladies would have no problem forging their own career – without anyone else’s help or hiring – if given the opportunity.
Following a brief intermission, Collective Soul burst onto the Kirby Center stage with a three-shot opener of “Counting the Days,” the guitar-driven “Heavy,” and “Mother’s Love.” Along with having an enormous catalogue to choose from, one undeniable focus of the band’s live shows is lead singer Ed Roland. At 62 years old, Roland’s voice is almost exactly as it was in the band’s heyday, but even more noticeable are his sometimes outlandish wardrobe and his mannerisms which could be classified as over-the-top at some points.
Roland studied at the Berklee College of Music and exemplifies the saying “music is art.” He has the rock star moves down pat, does every pose the way you expect a front man to do them, and engages the crowd when needed, like in the chorus of their breakthrough hit, “Shine.” On the other hand, if you’re close to the stage at a Collective Soul show, it’s also impossible to ignore the different contorted faces Roland makes while which at times can be a bit distracting.
Along with the long-standing tradition of Roland’s eccentric stage presence, another constant for the band is the nucleus of its set list. For a few years now, the band has had a basic structure for its shows with a minimal amount of songs swapped out from tour to tour. It’s not a bad strategy, either. It’s one that works. The band does have a large number of hits and fan favorites that have to be played each night, but instead of going deep into their catalogue and risking losing the crowd’s attention, the band sticks with the songs they know fit the show. Songs like “Not the Same,” “Sister Don’t Cry,” and “She Said,” blended perfectly with hits like “The World I Know,” and “December.”
For the music to carry over so well on stage there’s more than just Roland to thank. His younger brother Dean, a co-founder, is always smiling while delivering some fantastic rhythm guitar playing, while Jesse Triplett absolutely shreds on lead guitar. The two together are what gives the music that duel guitar sound that has made them sustainable for over 30 years. Drummer Johnny Rabb is spot on with the grooves while bassist Will Turpin, with the outfit since 1993 and its musical director, lays down the low-end which guides the entire show along flawlessly. A slower “Compliment” gave way to two of the band’s biggest hits, “Gel,” and the driving riff of “Where the River Flows,” before ending the show with their usual choice of “Run” where Ed Roland thanked the fans and his band mates for another fantastic night together.
Seeing Collective Soul in concert is almost required for any fan of 90’s alternative or just good rock and roll in general. The music helped define a generation and the fact that three out of the five members have been there since at least 1993 gives the band more credibility than many of their cohorts from the same generation. More than anything, the band has never veered from its original sound and is one of the best examples of the adage, if it’s not broke, why fix it?
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