Acrpost: A Project of the Pacific Association of Artist Run Centres

Event Description

LIVE
with opening guests... TBA
Sunday, April 27, 2008 (EARLY SHOW!)
Victoria Curling Club, 1952 Quadra St, Victoria
Doors 7:00pm - Showtime 8:00pm - EARLY SHOW! ALL AGES!
Tickets: $45 Advance / $50 Door
Available at: Online at www.hightideconcerts.net, Lyle's place 770 Yates St. & McPherson Box Office 250-386-6121

Live's website: www.friendsoflive.com

When the four members of Live first began performing together in middle school during the summer of 1985, they gave little, if any, thought to the possibility that they would still be together 22 years later. Lead singer/frontman/guitarist Ed Kowalczyk, lead guitarist Chad Taylor, bassist Patrick Dahlheimer and drummer Chad Gracey (all of whom were in their early teens at the time) were simply four friends from working-class York, Pennsylvania who wanted to express themselves by writing and performing music. But Live has, in fact, endured—and along the way, they have built an impressive résumé that includes eight full-length albums, total CD sales exceeding 20 million, a huge international fan base and extensive touring all over the world. Live has been one of the most successful and enduring alternative rock bands of the 1990s and 2000s, and despite their long list of achievements, Live are finding themselves busier than ever with a lot of songwriting, recording and big summer and fall tours.

Reflecting on the band’s past and present, Kowalczyk attributes Live’s longevity to a variety of things, including their strong rapport with fans and the chemistry that Live’s members have enjoyed with one another. “When bands become successful, the fact that all of the members have different agendas can come out,” Kowalczyk explains. “But that didn’t happen to Live because all of us were so young when we started playing together in 1985. It would be a lie to say that there weren’t moments when we didn’t get along, but the fact that we grew up together and developed our personalities in the band at such a young age helped us to stay together.”

Another thing that has enabled Live to maintain a devoted fan base, Kowalczyk theorizes, is the substantial and durable nature of their lyrics, which have often reflected Kowalczyk’s personal and spiritual concerns. “My approach as a songwriter is to write songs that are not finite and will resonate with listeners for a really long time,” Kowalczyk asserts. “Sixteen years after our first album, Mental Jewelry, I am still able to get something out of songs Live recorded in the early 1990s--and I think that one of the reasons why we have had so many fans for so long is that our fans are also continuing to find nuances in our songs.”