A tour that was “years in the making,” according to Ed Roland, Collective Soul and Switchfoot kicked off the first show of their 2022 Summer Tour in Gary, IN on July 15th and made sure to start this tour with a bang! Accompanying them for this summer tour is the very soft-spoken country singer Jade Jackson. The lone singer, with just an Telecaster strapped around her torso, spoke on how the past few years have been for her as an artist. In between songs, she would interact with crowd members and discuss how she plans to independently release her upcoming album after her label dropped her during the pandemic and how well the newly built Hard Rock Casino has treated her and the other bands, exclaiming that they are served catering multiple times throughout the day as well as other generous offerings.
Switchfoot, a staple in rock music since the early 2000s, brought the energy for the night as they were all visibly excited to be in front of fans and reiterating how honored they felt to share the stage with Collective Soul this summer. When not bound to a guitar on stage, vocalist, and frontman, Jon Foreman would sprint into the crowd with microphone in hand as fans would get out of their seats and sing along with him. Not that he needed that as Jon Foreman’s voice sounded phenomenal and seems as if it has not aged since the release of their first album. The setlist was a fun mix of fan-favorites and some new songs off their latest album release interrobang. Towards the end of their performance, a crowd member presented the band with a banner that read “Where I Belong” as the band played their song bearing the same name. Jon Foreman then proceeded to wrap this banner around his body during the performance to cap off a wonderful set.
Collective Soul, the band that gained international fame with the release of their 1993 hit “Shine” and various hits throughout the decade, took to the stage during thunderous applause in Gary, IN. Immediately, they played the first song of the night “Precious Declaration” which got the crowd dancing and moving once again. Ed Roland, donning a suit draped with artwork of red and purple flowers, spoke and reiterated how excited they are for this tour with Switchfoot. He claims they have been planning this tour for years and now was the right time for them both to share the stage. He also spoke about the release of their upcoming album Vibrating and joked about how they need to get their “stage legs” back, as it was the first show of the tour. The band then proceeded to play a new song that they have not played live yet “Undone” which got a loud reaction from the fans in attendance. Later in the night, Roland then talked about legendary artists from the state of Georgia, where Collective Soul is from, citing R.E.M. as a huge breakout band from the Peach State. Collective Soul then covered “The One I Love” as made famous by R.E.M. The night was filled with their premiere songs including “December,” “The World I Know,” “Heavy,” and their biggest song “Shine.” Collective Soul’s upcoming album is due out November 11th, 2022.
