Live

American rock outfit Live specializes in anthemic, idealistic, and often spiritual songwriting, hallmarks that earned the group early comparisons to predecessors like U2 and R.E.M. They rose to success in the '90s, first on the strength of sophomore set Mental Jewelry, and then they became era staples with their breakthrough third album, 1994's chart-topping, multi-platinum Throwing Copper and its hit singles "I Alone" and "Lightning Crashes." They remained platinum-certified, alt-rock radio mainstays throughout the decade with Secret Samadhi and The Distance to Here, while 2000s efforts Birds of Pray and Songs from Black Mountain made modest showings around the globe. Electric frontman Ed Kowalczyk parted ways with the band in 2009, replaced by Chris Shinn, who appeared on just one Live album, 2014's The Turn. Things were patched up enough with Kowalczyk in the late 2010s that the band was able to issue the EP Local 717, but by 2022, all members were released from service and Kowalczyk remained as the sole permanent member. In 2024, the first new Live track in six years, "Lady Bhang," was released.

The group's roots stretched back to the early '80s, when future members Chad Taylor (guitar), Patrick Dahlheimer (bass), and Chad Gracey (drums) began playing together under the name First Aid while attending middle school in York, Pennsylvania. After losing an area talent contest, they decided to enlist singer Ed Kowalczyk, and as a foursome the group played under a series of names before settling on Public Affection. After earning a rabid local following, Public Affection released a cassette, 1989's The Death of a Dictionary, on their own Action Front label. Shows at CBGB and other famed New York clubs followed, eventually earning them a demo deal with Giant Records that proved unsuccessful. The completed demo did earn them a deal with Radioactive, however, and before drawing their new name out of a hat, Live recruited Talking Head Jerry Harrison to produce their 1991 debut, Mental Jewelry. A collection of songs based on the writings of Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti, the record made Live one of the key players in the post-Nirvana alternative music scene thanks to singles like "Operation Spirit (The Tyranny of Tradition)" and "Pain Lies on the Riverside."

Three years later, Live returned with the muscular Throwing Copper, which lingered a number of months on the charts before pushing the group into the rock mainstream. After a series of popular singles like "Selling the Drama" and "I Alone," the album's slow build climaxed with the funereal "Lightning Crashes," which propelled the album to the top of the charts and paved the way for the subsequent hits "White, Discussion" and "All Over You." The album went on to sell over eight million copies in the U.S. alone. Secret Samadhi, the third Live LP, followed in early 1997, and while it failed to match the commercial success of Throwing Copper, it nevertheless sold over two million copies.

Released in 1999, The Distance to Here went platinum on the strength of "The Dolphin's Cry," which peaked at number two on the Mainstream Rock Singles chart. The bandmates continued to refine their ambitious, spiritual sound over the next four years, with both 2001's V and 2003's Birds of Pray cracking the Billboard Top 30 as a result. However, the band's seventh studio effort, Songs from Black Mountain, effectively spelled the end of Live's popularity in 2006, with less than 100,000 copies sold in America. The album fared considerably better overseas, prompting Live to devote more time touring Europe during the decade's latter half.

In mid-2009, the band decided to go on hiatus. Kowalczyk recorded a solo album, Alive, while Taylor, Dahlheimer, and Gracey formed a new band, the Gracious Few, with Kevin Martin and Sean Hennesy from Candlebox. (Their first album, The Gracious Few, appeared in 2010.) By that time, it was revealed that Kowalczyk had decided to exit the band, and legal squabbles ensued. In 2012, the original trio of Taylor, Dahlheimer, and Gracey had launched a new version of Live, recruiting vocalist Chris Shinn (formerly of Unified Theory) to be Kowalczyk's replacement. The first (and only) album to feature the new lineup, The Turn, appeared in late 2014, preceded by the single "The Way Around Is Through." In late 2016, the group announced they'd be reuniting with Kowalczyk for a 2017 tour. As part of the 2017 reunion, the group released a 25th Anniversary Edition of Mental Jewelry in August of that year. An EP, Local 717, landed the following year. The reunion didn't last long, however, and by 2022, Taylor was fired from the band and Kowalczyk took to the road without Dahlheimer or Gracey.

With Kowalczyk the sole permanent member at the helm, Live continued touring, joining bands like Incubus and Stone Temple Pilots on a road tour into 2024. That year, they released the single "Lady Bhang (She Got Me Rolling)" with STP guitarist Dean DeLeo. ~ Jason Ankeny & John Bush