Collective Soul collectively sold out Water Street Music Hall last Monday night, and I liked it. Rochester ex-pat Ron Mesh tour manages the whole affair, so what the hell? I figured I'd pop in. The band may be used to strutting on slightly larger turf, but it expertly made its big 90's rock fit. This band is king of the guitar hook; riffs that are melodic and instantly recognizable. I was surprised by how many tunes I recognized and liked... really liked. I guess I've always been a fan and just didn't know it. You gotta give it a chance. I mean, who knows? I might even be a Hanson fan

Back to Water Street Tuesday night to watch Louisiana slide sensation Sonny Landreth do his voodoo backwards. That is, his best song was his first -he sat in and raised a little hell on the final tune of The Campbell Brothers' incendiary opening set. Landreth and the Campbells traded licks and wound the scene up tight for a good 10 minutes. It was sanctified and feverish. On his own Landreth was a little more animated than last time through town, and a whole lot louder. His tone is large, and extremely picturesque. His playing is exquisitely raw, and in some cases literal. The upper register cried out and the bottom end moaned. Landreth has wings.

The brand new Record Archive celebrated its grand opening with a host of bands. Local surf nerds The Isotopes took the stage at high noon and knocked me out with a jumpin' take of "Sing, Sing, Sing" - one that rivaled Dexter Romweber's Silvertone'd version from way back, if you ask me. Other hits followed, along with the band's low-brow hi-jinx and dancing girls. Ahh, dancing girls...

And then it was back to the Record Archive Monday for Hanson's 8 a.m. acoustic in-store appearance. The boys are all growed up, donchyaknow, but the post-pubescent harmonies were great. The kids went wild. The trio was approachable and way cool, signing anything the kids thrust in front of them, including pages ripped from a phone book. Doesn't anyone sign boobs anymore?