Bands provide solace, patriotism

Collective Soul's Ed Roland at Bigger Day Out in Atlanta, Georgia.

By Shanon Cook
CNN

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- As fans turn to music to tune out from or make sense of the recent terrorist attacks in the United States, musicians are finding themselves in the position to help heal and restore calm.

“I think our mission in this band is more valid than ever,” said 311 singer Nick Hexum in a recent interview with CNN’s World Beat.

The group has always made music with a positive message, said Hexum. Since the September 11 attacks, he said, fans have looked to 311 for comforting words and a way to escape.

311 was one of 31 bands that participated in Bigger Day Out, a two-day rock festival sponsored by local radio station WNNX-FM in Atlanta, Georgia, on Friday and Saturday, September 21-22. Most of those bands modified their acts in some way to address the shock and uncertainty plaguing audiences.

Some unified the crowd with raw displays of patriotism. Living Color vocalist Corey Glover draped himself in an American flag a fan had thrown on stage. Emulating Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock in 1969, Lit kicked off its act with a stirring electric guitar rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner" that brought the audience to its feet.

Some rockers retooled their song lists, omitting songs with violent lyrics. Others used the microphone for opposite effect. Fuel front man Brett Scallions made a few gratuitous swipes at Osama bin Laden, the suspected mastermind of the terrorist attacks in the U.S. The audience’s roar signaled its appreciation.

World Beat caught up with Collective Soul, Dave Navarro, Lifehouse, 311, Sevendust, 3 Doors Down, and American Hi Fi while at Bigger Day Out, to get their take on the attacks against their country.

Here’s what they had to say.

Dean Roland, Collective Soul

World Beat: How have the September 11 terrorist attacks affected you?

Roland: I think everybody has been affected to some degree. But my immediate family is safe and sound. I actually have an apartment in Soho in New York. I just got back (from there) this morning. I just went back to see what was going on. And it’s the first time I’d been there when it was a different vibe. But New York’s pretty amazing in how resilient it is. It just kind of keeps on trucking. But it’s been a time… everybody has been mourning, just readjusting and just trying to get our footing back.

World Beat: What are your thoughts on the U.S. preparing for war?

Roland: It’s scary. In my life I’ve never experienced anything to this degree. Maybe the Gulf War and some other military action in the past, but nothing to this degree. I hope our leaders proceed with caution and that they think of all circumstances… and when they go in it’s not a blind retaliation.

World Beat: Do you think the recent events have brought people closer to music?

Roland: Music is something that takes you away. It pulls out different emotions and it’s a therapy. It’s healing for a lot of people. So it definitely plays a major role in our lives and emotions.

Dave Navarro

World Beat: How have the attacks from September 11 effected you?

Navarro: To be honest it was so overwhelmingly catastrophic that it was hard to have an initial emotional reaction at all. I went numb when I first heard about it. My instinct was to immediately call my family and my loved ones, and my fiancée and make sure that they were OK.

My tendency was to look inward, It was difficult for me to swallow what a huge global effect this thing was. And I'm still kind of processing that. It continues to affect me on a daily basis and how it’s affecting me is evolving from day to day.

World Beat: How has this event affected the music world?

Navarro: I don’t think that the music community is necessarily of any importance in light of this. To be perfectly honest, if people stop buying tickets and records, so be it. We have life. We’re sitting here talking about it so I couldn’t care less if my record sells or if people come to the show. I mean, I still have a good time playing and if people show up and they’re enjoying it, and there’s a moment where their minds aren’t racing with “what ifs” and fear, then my job has been done.

When I perform live music I am forced completely into the moment and completely in the space where I’m relating with other people and sharing, and experiencing and having an exchange of love and joy. That’s what it’s about for me. That’s why music is such a wonderful tool. But as far as on an economical level, it affecting me or the music business -- who cares?

Jason Wade, Lifehouse

World Beat: How have recent events disrupted your current tour across the U.S.?

Wade: We already canceled our first three shows because it happened the day we started our tour. We just didn't feel like it was a good thing to play on such a terrible day. So we kind of waited some time out.

We're just starting to get going. Now people are coming (to the shows) with the attitude that they just want their minds to be preoccupied for a while. It's easing people's minds.

World Beat: Where were you when it happened?

Wade: Wisconsin. I woke up and the TV was on… I kept seeing the plane crash but I wasn't sure if it was real or out of a movie or something, because it's such a surreal thing.

It just feels like your security is almost shattered. You feel a little unsafe. We felt like we wanted to get out of all the major cities and go hide in Utah or something! And at the same time (I’m) just really sad about everything for our country and for all the people who lost their lives.

World Beat: Today was the first time you’ve flown since the attack. Were you nervous about getting in the air?

Wade: It was a little creepy. To be honest it didn't feel like the airports were that much safer. Two of our guys had metal belts on and no one even checked them. So hopefully the airports will get their stuff together really soon.

World Beat: Have you felt inspired to write songs about what has happened?

Wade: I haven't fully digested it yet. When something big in the world happens that impacts me, it usually takes me a while to digest it. I'm sure that in the next couple of months I'll be inspired to write something. I'm kind of in shock.

Nick Hexum, 311

World Beat: What are your thoughts on the present situation in the U.S.?

Hexum: What I say about it is the world needs us (United States) to come together and think positively… We really just need to believe in ourselves and believe in our ability as a country to rise to any challenge. Because if you think about it, in World War II we had these two incredibly rich adversaries. Two at once -- Japan and Germany -- and we still prevailed. And though this is scary because it has hit all of a sudden on our turf, we will handle it. That’s what I’ve been thinking to myself and telling people.

World Beat: How did you feel about going on stage after the attacks?

Hexum: That first show felt a little weird. It was a little tentative but we just realized that people need a bit of a release, and music is a healthy way to get your energy out, let your emotions go and feel connected to everybody when you’re all rocking together.

Lajon Witherspoon

Lajon Witherspoon and Clint Lowery, Sevendust

World Beat: Where were you when the terrorists attacked?

Lowery: We were actually in the middle of nowhere. We were somewhere in Wisconsin. And we were waking up and everyone was reacting really differently. You know -- shock. It was kind of like a dream state. A deep depression set in once it was revealed how much damage had been done. It was just terrible. My hat’s off to the people doing the recovery right now.

Witherspoon: I remember getting a phone call from our road manager and him saying, “Wake up. Turn the news on.” I turned the TV on and I saw the second plane crash (into the World Trade Center) and I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t even understand how we could continue to tour… and to play different towns the next night… The different radio stations started saying that maybe with all the bad things happening, if the music comes to these towns let’s give these kids a minute or 45 minutes away from all the terrible things that are going on.

You know what’s beautiful? Every night we get off stage, the kids, without anyone even saying anything, chant “U... S... A...” And one thing I say every night is, it’s not just about the United States of America. (Many) other countries were associated with dying (in the attacks). So that’s something that we always stress.

World Beat: What do you think about going to war?

Lowery: I think going to war is just absolutely going to affect everybody. I feel differently every day about it.

Witherspoon: I’m scared. I think about it every day. I have a 2-year old daughter… (Another attack) could be anywhere and that’s what makes me afraid. But I believe in our troops and the backing from all the allies that we have everywhere around the country that it will be safe in the long run.

Chris Henderson, 3 Doors Down

World Beat: Did the events of September 11 affect you personally?

Henderson: Yes. I knew someone in the Pentagon who’s missing. And it’s my country. To see something like that is not good and I lost a lot of sleep over it. I never thought I would but I felt like I was there.

World Beat: What’s your impression of President Bush’s reaction?

Henderson: I’m glad he’s not taking it. We’re going to go do something about it. And I think something should be done about it. Nobody should have the freedom to come to our land and our home and do what they want to do and when they want to do it when death is the result. We’re the strongest country in the world. We should do something about it.

World Beat: How do you think this will affect the music industry?

Henderson: Maybe music would be the good thing that comes out of it. I mean, that’s what I run to whenever I have problems and things that I want to deal with. Instead of maybe hitting the bottle or something like that, I hit the CDs.

Stacy Jones, American Hi Fi

World Beat: How have you coped with the terrorist attacks?

Jones: We've all gone through every emotion that you can pretty much think of. I think it has been really hard for us. We've been on tour the whole time, so we've been separated from friends and family. We canceled some shows and we thought about canceling the whole tour ... Parading around in a rock band just didn't seem right.

Really the turning point for me, in terms of getting on with it, was when we did play a show and some kids came up to me and said "Your music has really meant a lot to me this year and it has been especially meaningful this week."

We have to actually get on with our lives and not forget what happened by any means -- just keep those people in our hearts and press forward.

--World Beat’s Dan Vanderkooy contributed to this report.