Feelin’ alright with Will Turpin and The Way: The ultimate concert guide for the Collective Soul bassist’s solo band

If you have never seen bassist Will Turpin in person or only know of his Grammy-winning work with genre bending rockers Collective Soul, stick around for the ultimate Will Turpin and The Way concert guide. Turpin is seen in a maddening Nord keyboard frenzy during a cover of Traffic’s “Feelin’ Alright”, the penultimate song on October 13, 2012, at the debut Hogs, Hotrods, and Harleys Festival at Alexander Park in McDonough, Georgia. Photography by Jeremy Roberts

Collective Soul founding member Will Turpin belongs in front of an audience. When the bassist appeared on stage at the first annual Hogs, Hotrods & Harleys festival in McDonough, Georgia, with solo project Will Turpin and The Way, fans were treated to a melodic performance focused on piano and guitar pop-rock.

In a twist for Collective Soul fans, Turpin remained behind the keyboards — the first instrument he mastered — all night, barring the one-song encore of Collective Soul’s “Heavy.” As a frontman, the rocker was gracious, acknowledging the audience after each song. Turpin’s humility was evidenced when he introduced each member of the five-piece band.

The lineup consisted of Jason Fowler [guitar and vocals], Mark Wilson [bass and backing vocals] and Scott “super inconspicuous” Davidson [drums]. The band logo — stylized block letters of WT&TW — were visible on Davidson’s kick drum. Calvin Kelley, an auxiliary member of the band who attended high school with Turpin, supplied percussion. Not a fly-by-night side project for the musician, the guys are committed to the music and being a real, working band.

Only a few miles away from the musician’s birthplace in Stockbridge, the intimate 75-minute…