Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal make Carson City debut

Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal make their first trip to Carson City, and it’s the first time they’ve played anywhere near the area.

“I’m excited about it,” Josh Hoyer said. “I’ve heard lots of good things about the Levitt AMP Series. It’s cool we got the opportunity, and we’re looking forward to playing it.”

The band performs Saturday at the Levitt AMP Concert Series presented by The Change Companies.

THE BAND

The five-piece band out of Lincoln, Neb., has been Hoyer’s project for the past seven years. Joining Hoyer (keyboards/vocals) is Blake DeForest (trumpet), Mike Keeling (bass), Benjamin Kushner (guitar), and Larell Ware (drums).

“To me they are the best players in the area for what we do,” Hoyer said. “I’m fortunate to have great players at each instrument.”

The music is funk, soul and R&B. It’s original music Hoyer writes with songs directly from his life that people can relate to, he said.

“The thing that sets us apart is that we deliver a real honest show, night in and night out,” he said. “It’s not about being flashy or being poppy; it’s about connecting people on a real level through the power of music.”

US, EUROPEAN TOURS

Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal tours the United States extensively, and has been to Europe on two tours. The band has performed in 38 states and eight countries.

“Everywhere you go, you meet somebody who you can connect with,” Hoyer said. “It makes the world a lot smaller. You realize that we have much more in common than we have different.”

Having friends everywhere can be very helpful. They performed a show July 18 in Milwaukee, Wis., and the tour van broke down. One of his friends in town he made over the years was in his phone, and was able to help the band. The mechanic offered to help them without any charge, so Hoyer bought him a cheesesteak sandwich for helping out.

“That kind of stuff restores faith in humanity,” he said. “For someone to go out of their way to help someone else out is really cool.”

THE VOICE

Fans of NBC’s The Voice may recognize Hoyer as a contestant from 2017. He was in Los Angeles for about three months, which he said amounted to about 15 minutes of airtime. It was a lot to step away from touring, but as far as what the band is doing, it didn’t change the music or how they do things.

FUTURE

Hoyer’s goal is to continue to write.

“My belief is you’re only as good as your next song,” he said.

He has plans to put out an album next year, which would be the band’s fourth. He’s working with Eddie Roberts (of The New Mastersounds) and his Color Red Label. He’ll also plans to do some touring with them too.

“We’re just working hard, putting our nose to the grindstone,” Hoyer said. “It’s tough to break through, and this might be a shot to break through. I’m always thankful for every opportunity.”

Ready To entertain

Hoyer can’t wait for his first time to Carson and meet everyone in Carson City and make new friends.

“We hope people come out and want to have an experience. What we do is lay every bit of energy and humanity and soul on stage night after night. Prepare to have a good time.”