Christmas Eve 1995.

I was at a holiday gathering at my then-Stepdad’s sister’s house. It was one of those Christmas gatherings that you don’t actually want to go to but are nonetheless required to make an appearance. I didn’t particularly enjoy being around them, most notably their youngest son who was a hyper-active lunatic. He would happily try to injure you with a random blunt object just for his own amusement. I found out later in life he was sent to prison for selling drugs to an undercover cop. But anyway……

……we always did a small gift exchange. These were usually gifts that were kept to a minimum price and therefore weren’t anything lavish. I sat down and opened up a gift that ended up being a CD. I found this to be an extremely odd gift at the time, because I was 13 years old and didn’t even own a CD player. I also hadn’t declared to be a music fan at this point in my life, so I thought it odd that somebody would buy me a random album not knowing if it was something I would even enjoy. As it happens, this ended up being a turning point I could not foresee coming.

The album was the newest release from the rock band Collective Soul. I had heard of them, but didn’t know much about their music. It was only later that I realized it was the same band that had scored a mega-hit with their song “Shine” about a year and half previous. Once we got home, the only way I even had to play this CD was on our home computer’s CD-ROM drive. I plucked it in the tray and turned up the speakers.

The feeling that came over me listening to the music was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I was hooked. It was rock music, but I thought it was gorgeous and beautiful. It evoked emotion. Most importantly, it was honest and gave me a view of life through a different lens. This particular album would go on to spurn three more hits for the band with “December,” “The World I Know,” and “Where The River Flows.” Collective Soul has never seen the same level of commercial success that they had in the mid-90’s. They have prevailed, though, and still maintain a devoted fan base. They are also still an active band making new music and doing the occasional tour. To date, they have nine studio albums and I have seen them in concert seven times. Their self-titled album that I was gifted on that otherwise forgettable Christmas Eve in 1995 still remains my favorite album of all time.

I attended a private Catholic school through my Junior High years. My class was tiny, consisting of only 14 students. We were all very different people, but were also a close knit group which was one of the beautiful things about Catholic school. A group of very different people from very different backgrounds could still end up being close friends because we were all united by our faith. I had one friend in particular named Rick who was really into music. It just so happened that he owned the very same Collective Soul album that I got as a gift. Rick and I hung out outside of school all the time and he would be the one that would introduce me to the famed “Grunge” rock scene of the 1990’s.

Kurt Cobain committed suicide in 1994, but had already become somewhat of a mythical figure. Nirvana changed the entire dynamic of rock music as we knew it, and Rick and I loved the grunge sound and the whole message it portrayed. We went around to used CD stores and bought albums on the cheap by Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, The Toadies, and Alice In Chains. We spent hours rocking out in our rooms, buying magazines, and even attempting to learn how to play and potentially start a band. Rick owned a couple of guitars in those days. He couldn’t really play them that well, but he enjoyed jamming around on them anyway.

In 8th grade, Rick actually talked me into purchasing a bass guitar from an older buddy of his. I got some music books and even a couple of free lessons from various people in an attempt to learn the instrument. I ultimately failed to stick to it, though. I was a young athlete back in those days and my love of sports, particularly baseball and basketball, ended up consuming the majority of the rest of my free time. I never ended up devoting enough of myself to learn to actually play music, and ended up selling the guitar a couple of years later. But even with the dreams of being in a band seemingly dead before they even started, the love of rock n roll music was officially ingrained in my DNA. I have loved it ever since and am still an avid fan and follower of all things rock.

Looking back on my life, I later realized that the groundwork was actually laid much earlier for my love of this music. My Mom came up in the Woodstock era and was a fan of some great acts of our lifetimes. I was exposed to some of the all-time greats just from being around her jamming some tunes. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, classic Rod Stewart, Carly Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger, and The Eagles were all among the bands I grew up hearing on the regular. My mom despised Country music, and the feeling became mutual for myself. I grew up with rock n roll, so it’s no secret as to the influence this likely had on me gravitating toward it when I got a bit older.

The first album I ever purchased with my own money was a hard rock record called “Frogstomp” by a band of 15 year old kids who named themselves Silverchair. I have been purchasing rock records ever since. Today I am somewhere north of 1,000 in terms of the amount that I own. Tragically, times have finally forced me to abandon CD’s and go mostly digital in terms of downloading. I wasn’t very happy about this, but the technology has advanced to the point where I really had no choice. But I still purchase the album digitally in an effort to support the works of the bands that I love so much.

My first taste of rock music in concert also came when I was in the 8th grade. Rick, myself, and a couple of friends journeyed over to Muncie, IN to see the 90’s alt-rock band The Gin Blossoms at Emens Auditorium on the campus of Ball State University. It is one of my favorite memories. The songs that you know and love amped up to full volume and pouring into your soul directly from the artists that created it.

My biggest joy of the live rock concert setting is actually the feeling of the crowd. The energy of the crowd at a rock show is an experience unlike any other genre of music. The movement, the voices, the roar, crowd surfing, moshing, knowing the words to every song. Seeing the passion of the artists performing their own written work. I love it. I started going to outdoor festivals and then when I got my driver’s license and on into college, it was on. I went to every show I could. I’ve attended hundreds of shows in my life including the now legendary three day festival Rock on the Range for 11 years and counting.

Having reached my mid-30’s now, I’ve slowed down in terms of the amount of shows I attend. If I’ve already seen a band 5 times, I’m not as excited to attend that show like I used to be. I actually get more excitement out of seeing new bands. But I still love a legendary headlining act. I checked the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Metallica off my concert bucket list the last two summers. I hope to do the same with Tool this coming May.

In 2003, when I was in college, I discovered a then little known band named Shinedown. Brent Smith, the lead singer, was the most polarizing and honest musician I had ever witnessed. He was the first guy that I ever really personally related to in terms of who he was and what he stood for. He was also the first guy that I had ever seen speak directly to the crowd and actually act humbled to be where he was. The first “non-rock star Rock Star.” He made everybody feel like they belonged and that whatever you were going through, you weren’t alone. That the people at a Shinedown show were your family, and we were all in this life together. He is the most passionate frontman I’ve ever seen and in my opinion is the best rock vocalist alive today. I rank Shinedown in my top two favorite bands alongside Collective Soul, and they hold the personal record for the band I’ve seen the most in concert. 41 times and counting since 2003.

The Portrayal of Rock Music in Society

As devoted as the fans of hard rock are, it’s never really been universally accepted in mainstream society. Some fans would argue this is actually a good thing, because it would only serve to taint the music and water it down. But personally, I’ve never really understood why it seems to be shunned. A prime example is any music awards show. Grammy’s, AMA’s, MTV, doesn’t matter. Rock music is basically non-existent. The one or two categories that actually address this genre usually have nominees that make no sense, not to mention they are never actually aired as part of the show.

The biggest problem I run into is the canned mindset people have that don’t listen to rock and view it as the “devil’s music.” Several years ago, when I had a job working at a hospital, music came up in conversation one night and one of the nurses asked me what kind of music I enjoy.  When I told her, the reaction I got was actually pretty insulting. She said, “Oh, so you like all that crazy devil suicidal music.” That was an exact quote. I responded to her that I didn’t think any of my music was “devil music” or “suicidal music” at all and then preceded to ask her who she might be referring to. She didn’t have an answer, because she didn’t listen to rock music and couldn’t even name a band. So it was pretty obvious that she just lumped the entire genre into that opinion, which I thought was extremely naive and also led me to believe that she instantly starting looking at me differently just because of the music I like.

If you are somebody with this same view point, I encourage you to better educate yourself. The occasional shock rocker will come along, but even most of them are simply a gimmick act that isn’t taken very seriously. And most of them don’t last. The truth is most rock bands and artists are the hardest working people in the industry. Many of them are Christians and take good care of themselves. They write honest music, most of which actually comes from real life experiences, making it the most relatable music in my opinion. They bust their butts traveling around the country in beat up vans barely having enough money to eat just to get a gig hoping that somebody notices them and gives them a real shot at making it. They grind it out and the most dedicated ones are the ones that stick around for the long haul.

The music industry is one of the toughest industries to find success in and if you aren’t real, you’re not gonna last. Even if it’s often swept under the rug by the mainstream, rock music is never going to die whether you like it or not. And the fans will continue to be the most dedicated fans in all of music. I love that I am and will continue to be a part of that movement!

If you aren’t somebody that really gives this genre the time of day, I challenge you to take the time to check out some bands. Whether it be on the radio, SiriusXM, YouTube, another streaming outlet, or even going to see a local band in the live setting. I think you’ll be really surprised by how much of it you actually enjoy. I see it all the time when I play a song somebody doesn’t know and they jump up and ask me what it is. So give it a shot!!

For all my fellow rockers out there: Keep up the good fight and I hope to see you out at a show sometime!! Rock on!!