Collective Soul has a classic “the little engine that could” origin story. They formed in 1992 and released their debut album, Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid, on the small indie label Rising Storm Records in 1993. Then the single “Shine” suddenly started heating up on the radio. Atlantic Records came calling, re-released the band’s debut, and they were on their way.
In March of 1995, they released their “true” debut album, the self-titled Collective Soul, which spent the next 76 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart, sending tracks such as “December,” “The World I Know,” and “Where the River Flows” to No. 1 on the mainstream rock charts.
Like most bands that stick around awhile, they’ve had their ups and downs, some side projects and personnel changes, but core members Ed Roland (lead vocals), Dean Roland (rhythm guitar), and Will Turpin (bass) remain, now accompanied by Johnny Rabb (drummer), and Jesse Triplett (lead guitar). They all sing background vocals, too. Though I haven’t heard the whole album, from what I have heard, Vibrating finds the band in fine form.
See Collective Soul and Switchfoot when they co-headline the Vina Robles Amphitheatre with opener Jade Jackson on Saturday, Aug. 20 (7:30 p.m.; $45 to $79.50 at ticketmaster.com).
“It’s always a thrill to go on tour,” Ed Roland said in press materials, “but this year is going to be so special because we get to be with not only our friends but a great band, Switchfoot! Southern boys meet Southern California boys, which will be a fun time for all!”
Cook’s hook
It’s been more than 25 years since a reluctant Canadian musician decided to reveal his music to the public.
“If you had asked me at age 22, I would have said that I would never, never make music for the public,” Jesse Cook said in press materials. “I would have told you that the public is much too fickle; they may love you one minute and forget you the next. Well, it turns out I did the thing I said I’d never do, and somehow it’s worked out.”
In 1995, he released his debut album, Tempest, and since then he’s become a global guitar sensation with accolades such as Acoustic Guitar magazine’s Player’s Choice Silver Award, 11 Juno Award nominations—he won in 2001 for Free Fall—a Gemini Award, and 10 platinum and gold studio albums. His new record is Libre.
“I wrote and recorded Libre during the pandemic when, like most people, I was longing for freedom,” Cook shared. “My music was my escape from the four walls that surrounded me, and the storm that was swirling outside.”
Jesse Cook plays the Fremont Theater on Sunday, Aug. 21 (8 p.m.; all ages; $41.50 to $66.50 at eventbrite.com).
Also this week at the Fremont, see Los Angeles-based alt-rock duo The Score and Manhattan-based alt-rock duo Dreamers on Saturday, Aug. 20 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $26.50 to $34 at seetickets.us).
Come to Fruition
Numbskull and Good Medicine present Oregon-based folk-rock and bluegrass act Fruition at The Siren on Tuesday, Aug. 23 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $20 presale at eventbrite.com or $25 day of show) with Goodnight, Texas opening.
The band’s newest album, Broken at the Break of Day, “shines a light on all five members of the band, whether it’s on the traded lead vocals of ‘Dawn’ or the irresistible rhythms of ‘Where Can I Turn,'” press materials explain. “As it’s been for more than a decade, their sound is hard to define, but the songwriting and the harmonies tie their diverse influences together.”
They apparently recorded the new album in record time: “We pushed ourselves like never before, but in the end, it all turned out great,” Jay Cobb Anderson (electric guitar, vocals) said. “It was a bit more of a hectic process to get things done and recorded. I can’t believe it sounds so good when we did it all so fast.”
Also at The Siren
Chicago quintet Dos Santos plays The Siren Friday, Aug. 19 (8 p.m.; 21-and-older; $15 at eventbrite.com), bringing their “vibrant amalgamation of cumbia, salsa, jazz, psych rock, and Mexican folk.” Soul Dust spins an all-vinyl after-party.
Alt-country, roots rock, and “Ameripolitan cool” Way Out West Band plays The Siren on Saturday, Aug. 20 (2:30 p.m.; free), and later that night Grateful Dead-inspired act Rich Mahan & Mostly Dead (8 p.m.; free) takes the stage.
More music …
It’s a big weekend for Gypsy jazz act The Tipsy Gypsies, who play a free Concerts in the Plaza show on Friday, Aug. 19 (5:30 p.m.; all ages; free), with special opening act Devin Welsh at 4:30 p.m.), in the Mission Plaza, and then head north to play Camp Ocean Pines on Sunday, Aug. 21, for a Cambria Concerts Unplugged (3 to 5:30 p.m.; all ages; $30 general; $10 students 12 to 17; under 12 free at my805tix.com).
If you dig the Django Reinhardt sound funneled into well-penned pop and blues originals and presented by a stellar group of musicians, you’ll be in the right place. Bandleader Forrestt Williams is a sparkling guitarist who writes many of the band’s originals. Lead singer Hilary Langdon has a silky and emotive voice. Add in backing vocalist Reese Galido, saxophone/clarinetist Laura Foxx, bassist Brian Lanzone, and drummer Daryl VanDruff and you’ve got a band that’s won New Times Music Awards for Best Album, Best Live Band, and Reader’s Choice.
Boogie blues champs The Cliffnotes play Buttercup Bakery & Cafe in Morro Bay (430 Morro Bay Blvd. next to Bay Theater) this Saturday, Aug. 20 (4 to 6 p.m.; all ages; free). Bandleader Cliff “Crawdaddy” Stepp has New Orleans roots and has written songs for 49 Special and Pure Prairie League. Frontwoman Valerie Johnson stepped into Janis Joplin’s shoes as vocalist for Big Brother & the Holding Company. Expect an energetic powerhouse performance.
Jazz Vespers returns to the historic First Presbyterian Church of SLO sanctuary on Sunday, Aug. 21 (4 p.m.; all ages; free/donation). The Ken Hustad Trio—featuring Hustad on bass, Tom Bethke on guitar, and Darrell Voss on drums and vibraphone—will be cooking up straight-ahead jazz. All three players are master musicians. Δ
Contact Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Aug 18-28, 2022.