Collective Blow

Anytime someone my age waxes nostalgic about our mid-'90s high school years being the "golden years" of alt-rock radio, I want to puke. My gorge rises because two song snippets will run through my head: Ed Kowalczyk hysterically over-emoting, "Her placenta falls to the floor," during Live's "Lightning Crashes," then the pre-chorus riff from the Worst Song Ever: dunduhduhDUH duhduhDUH duhduhDUH duhDUNT...followed by that strangled "Yeah." I wasn't surprised to learn Collective Soul's "Shine" was the Virginia Tech killer's anthem. Hearing it incessantly in 1994 made me want to shoot people too. Those two hits made way for equally awful bands such as Tonic—whose frontman, Emerson Hart, opens with some Bryan Adams-lite. Until they're in hell, Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie is the perfect venue for thoroughly digesting the music of two bands that sucked the life from rock radio. Suppress your gag reflex 7 p.m. Wednesday. Tickets are $35 to $45. Call 214-373-800 or visit ticketmaster.com.
Wed., Oct. 3, 7 p.m., 2007