by Sean Maciejewski
On an absolutely spectacular early summer evening, the band Collective Soul performed at the Perinton Center Park Amphitheater in Fairport, NY. The medium-sized amphitheater sits at the base of a small hill, creating an awesome intimate outdoor venue. This was the first ever national act to play here and eager fans were lined up at the entrance, long before the start of the show. A portion of ticket sales were to be donated to a local charity and over 2200 people came out to enjoy the night. Many carried folding lawn chairs and blankets looking for the perfect spot on the gently sloping hill to see the show. The venue was steadily filling in before the opening act came on at 7:00 PM.
The Summit
Opening the show was The Summit, formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2016. They hit the stage with their “new” vintage rock-n-roll sound and set the tone for the show. Fans, mostly unfamiliar at first with the band's sound, were really getting into the music by the end of the 7 song set. The songs had a good vibe of southern/soul/blues with a touch of rock and were a perfect way to start the show. Frontman Chris Scott had a powerful voice and even hopped off the stage and had some fans sing with him over the stage barricade. Guitarist Coty Hicks layed down some cool leads and showed some excellent skills, while the duo of bass player Michael Walker with drummer Mike Hennel kept the low end notes and the beat. Also touring with the band was rhythm guitarist Matt Goetz. These guys were having fun on the stage and really enjoyed the moment. After the set was over the band went out into the venue and were mingling with fans throughout the evening. Great Stuff!
Set List: Sad Eyes, Beat My Soul, Hit Me Up, Soldier I’ve Become, Six Feet Under, Set Me Off, Goin Down
Collective Soul
At 8:00 pm, Collective Soul walked on stage while the crowd erupted in a cheer. Band members were smiling,waving, and giving peace signs to fans out in the audience. It really felt that the band was genuinely happy to be performing for this crowd! Formed in Stockbridge, Georgia almost 30 years ago, Collective Soul is still producing new music. Starting off the 15 song set was the song “Cut the Cord” from the bands 2022 album “Vibrating”. Following, was the hit “Heavy ” and the fans responded with arms in the air all the while swaying to the beat. Singer Ed Roland delivered a solid performance and engaged the fans with some stories. One stood out about the local area, he explained that “Back in the day, the band's tour manager of many years, Ron Mesh, was from Rochester”. He said “The band was basically based out of Rochester for a bunch of years”, "Rochester is like family, let’s give a yell for Rochester”! The crowd went wild! Sprinkled throughout the set was a mix of big hits and newer songs. The last 6 songs kept the crowd on their feet. Starting with “The World I Know” with the fans singing in unison and dancing. Next up was “December” with an altered ending where guitarist Jesse Triplett played an awesome solo to close the song. Slowing it down Ed Roland wanted to pay a homage to Georgia musicians, he listed off several names and then the band played a snippet of an Alan Jackson song. Following this the band played an excellent cover of Georgia native R.E.M. 's “The One I Love”. After the song was over Ed Roland yelled out “God Bless R.E.M.”. Drummer Johnny Rabb left his drum kit and took center stage. He started up the song “Gel” and clearly was having fun running around the stage sharing vocal duties with his fellow band members. Guitarists Dean Roland and Jesse Triplett started off “Where The River Flows” with a really cool, heavy, chunky guitar sound standing near the front edge of the stage for the entire song,showcasing that killer sound. Slowing the vibe down bassist Will Turpin led the audience in a mellow chant of “Oh,Oh,Oh - Oh,Oh,Oh - O, Oh” for several minutes which then led into the closing song “Run”. The fans are really getting into the music and singing along with the chorus and swaying to the beat. As the song is winding down all the members of the band head to the front of the stage minus their instruments. Only a tambourine and a drumstick are held by Johnny Rabb continuing the beat. The bandmates are singing in unison “I've got a long way to run” the entire venue joins in for many minutes. Slowly, each band member exits the stage one by one, till only the sound of the tambourine is left while the crowd singing slowly fades out. The show is over..what a cool ending to a perfect night!
Set List: Cut The Cord, Heavy, Right As Rain, Compliment, Shine, Precious, Better Now, Let It Flow, Not The Same, The World I Know, December, The One I Love,Gel, Where The River Flows, Run
