I've never been handed a rose by a band before, let alone my favorite band! Will, their bassist, handed one to me and said my name! I pressed the rose and framed it along with my ticket, the guitar pick and a few other goodies from the show. At this show, they passed out SO many guitar picks to the audience, keeping everyone engaged! I got one before the show even started because the band knows me :) They also handed roses to everyone who walked up front at the end of the show.
My favorite thing about Collective Soul is that they always try to do something special for the audience. He stands in that 'rock star' stance where his legs are bent and his guitar is flung high in the air- the audience can't help but be in awe at his shredding. Jesse is an absolutely professional rocker on the guitar, and he knows it. The rest of the band is SUPER tight as well. Even at shows like these where majority of the audience was just there because of the casino concert perks and only knew 'Shine', Ed was able to get these people up and standing, bopping their heads and smiling all around.
They're rock and roll gods up there on stage, especially Ed Roland who can work up any audience with his charisma, excessive energy, dancing, bright smiles and entertaining stories. I think this was one of the best concerts I've ever been to. This was my 8th time seeing them and they only get BETTER.
