Ed Kowalczyk, Chad Taylor, Patrick Dahlheimer, and Chad Gracey first played together at a middle school talent show in York, Pennsylvania in 1988. They stayed together through high school, calling themselves Public Affection.  They made a demo cassette, and released an EP, entitled Divided Mind, Divided Planet,

Live

Live has come to a point where we're finally comfortable with being a big rock band and dealing with the absolute change of circumstance we went through during the last five to 10 years ... We don't have to lash out against it anymore.

The Early Years

Ed Kowalczyk, Chad Taylor, Patrick Dahlheimer, and Chad Gracey first played together at a middle school talent show in York, Pennsylvania in 1988. They stayed together through high school, calling themselves Public Affection.  They made a demo cassette, and released an EP, entitled Divided Mind, Divided Planet, and traveled often to New York to perform at CBGB (Country, Blue Grass, and Blues Club).  They ultimately gained the attention of Radioactive Records, who offered the group a recording contract.

Their debut album, Mental Jewelry, was released in 1991.  It was warmly received and peaked at #7 on the Billboard Heatseeker Chart and #73 on the Billboard Top 200.  With a new name, Live, the band set out to make a name for themselves and promote their album.  They released an EP and toured with the MTV 120 Minutes Tour, Woodstock '94, and Peter Gabriel's WOMAD Tour.  

The Road to Success

Their second album, Throwing Copper, was extremely well received, ultimately certifying 8x platinum.  Released in 1994, it peaked at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and on the Australian ARIA Albums chart.  The band enjoyed ample radio play, and the five singles released became popular hits; I Alone, Lightning Crashes, and All Over You were all in the Top Ten.  Live's 1997 and 1999 albums certified double platinum and platinum, respectively, and in 199, they launched a co-headlining tour with Counting Crows.

In 2001, Live released the album, V.  Their melancholy single, Overcome, received ample radio play, as it seemed to mirror the mood of the public at the time of its release, a week after the 9/11 attacks.  The released two more albums in 2003 and 2006, each enjoying moderate success.  

Present and Future

After the 2008 release of Live at the Paradiso – Amsterdam, Live announced they would be taking a two-year hiatus, to work on solo projects and spend time with family.  They had announced that their new album would be due for release in 2010.

However, since that announcement, it appears more likely that they are broken up permanently.  Monetary issues with Kowalczyk have been cited as the reason for the disbandment.  Taylor mentioned that there is a possiblity of a reunion if they are able to find a new lead vocalist.  

Did you know . . .

1. Much of the material on their debut album, Mental Jewelry, is based on the teachings of Indian philosopher, Jiddu Krishnamurti.

2. On Season 5 of American Idol, Chris Daughtry performed Johnny Cash's I Walk the Line. Live accused him of using their version of the song, to which he later confessed.

3. An unreleased song by Live is featured in a movie by Kevin Smith, entitled Zack and Miri Make a Porno.  

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