On stage, John Cooper looms large, a commanding figure at music festivals filled with thousands of screaming fans.
At home in Kenosha with his wife and children? Not so much.
Fans would be surprised to know, he said, “how so many aspects of Skillet’s life are very traditional. Our music is loud and aggressive, and we look crazy, but at home, we read a lot and we’re all into our Christian faith and our family life.”
That tranquil family life will be put on hold for a bit as the band — which has sold millions of records around the world and has been touring for more than 25 years — heads out on its “Rock Resurrection Tour.”
The latest tour kicked off Friday night in Gary, Ind., and stops in Milwaukee Feb. 21 at The Rave.
The tour continues in the U.S. through March and then heads to Europe, with stops in several countries, including England, Belgium, Germany, Denmark and Poland.
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Cooper and the rest of Skillet — his wife, Korey, along with Jen Ledger and Seth Morrison — are touring to support a “deluxe edition” of their latest album, “Dominion,” which first came out on Jan. 14, 2022.
Band with longevity
The band started in Memphis, Tenn., in the mid-1990s “where there was a cool rock scene happening,” Cooper said. “We were just happy to be playing music and were working with a small indie record label before Atlantic Records signed us.”
After playing for a time in small coffeehouses — and growing through word of mouth — Skillet became what one music writer called “the biggest selling band you’ve never heard of,” Cooper said, laughing.
“Nobody is more shocked than me” is how Cooper describes heading up a band that has been performing for more than 25 years.
“I never imagined in a million years we’d still be playing music,” he said. “We’re very blessed. We never really ‘hit it big,’ we’ve just had incredible support, grassroots support, that has lasted and lasted. Now we do shows and have three generations of families come together who all love the band.”
Cooper realizes a rock band thriving for a quarter of a century “is a very unusual story in music.”
And he’s quick to add that it’s been “my dream come true. Playing music is the only thing I was ever good at, and it’s one of my favorite things in the whole world.”
All about the music
While performing on stage is a thrill, for Cooper, it’s all about making connections.
“Music gives a lot of hope to people,” he said. “Music can make people feel understood, make them feel not so lonely, give them hope when they’re really down — people draw on music for that life force.”
That feeling of connection, he added, is more important now than ever.
“Concerts and sporting events are the only places in America where all kinds of people come together, and it doesn’t matter whether you’re religious or not, rich or poor, Democrat or Republican. We’ve all come together to cheer for our team or enjoy the music and that’s really unifying.”
Family life
Cooper writes music and performs with his wife, Korey, who joined Skillet in 1999, just three years after John started the band.
“It’s wonderful having my wife in the band with me,” he said. “Our two kids were raised on the road. I never thought we’d do family life this way, but it’s been remarkable.
“People tell me they couldn’t work with their spouse,” he added, “but we love it. We both love music, and talking to fans about our music is such a rush. People tell us they quit drugs or decided not to kill themselves or first heard about Jesus because of our music. We’ve both experienced that, and it’s given us a special connection to our fans. It’s been such a privilege.”