Live is going on tour again. That might be a confusing sentence for our younger readers, so let’s back up and set the stage a bit. Twenty-five years ago, a young central Pennsylvania indie band changed their name from Public Affection to the arguably catchier Live (as in the adjective “energetic or alert,” not the verb “to dwell or reside”) and released their official debut album Mental Jewelry. However, they didn’t really hit their stride until three years later in 1994, when their follow-up effort Throwing Copper went multi-platinum, spawning the hit singles “Lightning Crashes” and “Selling The Drama.” Basically, if you were alive and near a radio in the ’90s, then you knew some Live songs. The band released five more albums to slowly diminishing returns over the next decade or so, then primary singer-songwriter Ed Kowalczyk released a solo album (confusingly titled Alive) and left the group. Live released one more studio album in 2014.
So, back to our earlier statement: Live is going on tour again. And with its original line-up, including Kowalczyk, front and center, according to a press release. That may or may not be a big deal for you, depending upon how old you are and your tolerance for earnest alt-rock, but you should be aware that it’s a very big deal to some people. Now, you might be wondering about the reason for this happy reunion. According to bassist Patrick Dahlheimer, “Live needs no better reason to reform than to spread some light in this time of confusion and unease.”
On top of that, we can expect brand new music: “We are writing and recording at the moment,” Kowalczyk revealed in a statement. “We have mutually decided not to rush the next project. We didn’t want the pressure of completing an entire album hanging over us before we got out and played some shows. I think the idea at the moment is to just go with flow, get onstage together and see where all of this new energy takes us creatively. We might release something new in the form of a shorter release in 2017, in anticipation of larger project in 2018.”
No tour dates have yet been announced at this time. Stay tuned.