It's not often that a good rock show rolls through Erie, Pennsylvania. Actually, it's not all that often that any show stumbles across the city at all. So when one does, we just have to take what we can get, cross our fingers, and hope for the best. Luckily, Collective Soul didn't disappoint when they took on the Warner Theatre on June 30.

Train, of "Meet Virginia" fame, had the honors of opening that night. While they're a solid rock band, most of their songs were mediocre, nothing too original or inventive. It didn't help that the sound quality during their set was just plain awful. Nonetheless, the audience was receptive, though the fact that the lead singer is from Erie may have factored in to this response.

As soon as Collective Soul took the stage, the energy seemed contagious. Whether the band was feeding off of the crowd or vice versa doesn't matter; they were both having one hell of a time.

As lead singer Ed Roland said, some of the songs they played were old, some were new, and some weren't even their own. They rocked, even during the two covers. Especially on their version of Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train," which the audience just ate up.

As for their old material, it was mostly a greatest hits show where even the lesser Collective Soul fans could find themselves singing along. They performed most of the expected hits, including "The World I Know" and "Listen," both of which lived up to their success in a live performance.

There was also plenty from their new album, Dosage, including "Needs" and "Tremble for My Beloved". The new single, "No More, No Less", sounded especially alive with Will Turpin's bass pulsing through the crowd and drawing them in. Of course, the hit "Run" was a sure winner, though Roland performed it a bit slower. The band closed out the show with encore performances of "Heavy" and a killer version of "Shine".

What was most impressive throughout the show was guitarist Ross Childress. The way he mastered his guitar was unbelievable and contributed immeasurably to the band's performance.

Add all of that to a spectacular light show during many of the numbers and greatly improved sound quality after the opening act, and you have one amazing show. Given the lengthy hit list of such veteran rockers, a good show would have been expected. Collective Soul more than delivered.