Collective Soul hits Silver Legacy before summer tour

Collective Soul
Iconic ’90s band Collective Soul appears at Reno’s Silver Legacy on Saturday, May 5.

Collective Soul will stop in Reno at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Silver Legacy Resort Casino before the start of their summer tour with 3 Doors Down.

Last “December” the band released an album, “Collective Soul: Live,” which curates tracks from more than 30 live performances with absolutely no overdubbing.

“We are proud of this,” bassist Will Turpin said in a phone interview. “I’ve always wanted to do live records, and the only one we put out was with the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra.”

Turpin said his current favorite songs to play live are an extended version of “Better Now” that drifts into “Contagious” from their 2015 studio release, “See What You Started by Continuing.”

Turpin loves more than just playing shows in Reno. One might say, he and the Biggest Little City “Gel.” [pullquote]When it’s really right … the creation process is magical.”[/pullquote]He’s vacationed here multiple times. When he’s not performing with his iconic ’90s band, he enjoys mountain biking and skiing.

“I don’t know if I like it better in summer or winter,” Turpin said. “We’ve always had a day off in Reno. I have great memories of river festivals, kayak races and dog-jumping contests.”

Mother Nature is still debating which season to showcase for their stop this Saturday.

Collective Soul has been around since 1992, and Turpin said the current lineup is strong. Johnny Rabb on drums and Jesse Triplett on lead guitar have evolved the band and ignited a vibe.

“You’ll hear the hits, but also songs you haven’t heard,” Turpin said.

Collective Soul recently completed about 80 percent of a brand new double-record due out in the early spring of 2019. It was recorded in a New Jersey studio called The Barber Shop Studios.

“This train will keep rolling,” Turpin said.

While I was abroad, photographing in Asia, I saw countless cover bands, and a vast majority of them had a Collective Soul song in their arsenal. I asked Turpin how his band has fused with both the American and world’s psyches.

“If I could write a book about it, I already would have,” Turpin joked.

He said a large part of it is lead singer Ed Roland’s lyrics. He creates from an honest place and strikes a chord with humanity.

“When it’s really right … the creation process is magical,” Turpin said.

There’s a bit of “Heavy” irony between the origin of their band name and this world wide connection. It comes from the Ayn Rand novel “The Fountainhead” when she describes mankind as a collection of souls.

“Ed goes through books on the bus,” Turpin said. “He can munch a book in a day.”

Aside from literature, Turpin said their inspiration often reflects what’s going on in the world.

“You don’t sit down and decide where to pull inspiration from,” Turpin said. “If you get a great idea, you build on it, and see where it ends up.”

He spoke about the current climate of American culture as a war of “us versus them”.

“People are always trying to outdo the other team, and this blinds people,” Turpin said. “We are one and the same.”

Join Collective Soul where the Truckee river flows this Saturday.

– Tony Contini

Related story: Collective Soul rocks Reno – concert review.

ABOUT Tahoe Onstage

Picture of Tahoe Onstage
Tahoe Onstage is an online entertainment and sports magazine covering Lake Tahoe, Truckee, Reno, the Carson Valley and June Lake.

LEAVE A REPLY

SEARCH TAHOE ONSTAGE

Search