Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier

Chicago, IL

Review and Photos by Cathy Mein

After a whirlwind week promoting their new live DVD "Home", Collective Soul landed in Chicago only hours before their scheduled show at the Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier on Friday.

Taking the stage without time for a soundcheck, they experienced a few technical difficulties with lighting and sound which were quickly resolved by their crew and seemed to go unnoticed by most in the all-ages crowd who broke down roped-off areas in a wave of excitement to flood the space in front of the stage.

Opening with "Counting the Days," frontman Ed Roland took the stage kicking radio station beachball giveaways into the audience and telling the crowd it was his way of practicing soccer so he could play with his 7-year-old son. Always a generous leader, Roland worked the Jack-FM 104.3 audience, many who stood in line for hours to get into the general admission show, into a frenzy with energized moves, audience sing-alongs and high-fives to the extended hands of excited fans.

The 1 hour 40 minute show was peppered with standard Collective Soul hits: "December," "How Do You Love," "Gel" and "The World I Know," but also included a deeper cut, "Sister Don't Cry," which, as told by Roland, was the song that the band thought at the beginning of their career would put them on the map.

Finishing the set with their current hit "Better Now," the band left the stage to be summoned back by the audience repeating the song's lyrics, "the world's done shaking, the world's done shaking, the world's done shaking me down..." leading the band into their encore of "Where The River Flows" and the song that gained them acclaim in 1994, "Shine."

Although often orchestrated on CD, Collective Soul proved during this live performance that no frills and only a modest stage are needed to showcase their pure talent.

Set List from Chicago 2/10:

1) Counting The Days

2) Listen

3) Heavy

4) December

5) Compliment

6) How Do You Love

7) Precious Declaration

8) Sister Don't Cry

9) Perfect To Stay

10) Run

11) Under Heaven's Skies