Pasadena, CA (Arroyo Seco Weekend), June 24, 2017 Options

[dangum]

Tickets go on sale Monday

[LiveForNow]

I was at the show.

This was a really short set. Maybe 40-45 minutes (they were slotted 50). They went on about five-ten min late as it seemed they were scrambling to get set up in time. The festival only gave them a 25 min setup time and I got to the stage ten min before Live was scheduled to go on, so I don't know the full story of why they were late. I think Live played 8 songs, same setlist as Bottlerock (which I also attended) minus LJ, WD, and I Am the Highway. Right before Lightning Crashes Ed ran up to all the members of the band and whispered something. My guess was that they had to ax a song due to time constraints. Overall they sounded great and I was really close to the stage, but man was it short.

Gracey's arm was in a sling, so the second drummer was Robin Diaz. Robin is currently touring with Candlebox and has been in Daughtry since 2010. CCP knows Candlebox and Ed knows Daughtry, so he's probably a friend of the band. Ed joked that Gracey had an incident with vodka and macaroni and cheese, which caused his injury. Chad played one handed and Robin played the full drumset. I think for the most part Robin played the entire drum part and Chad harmonized what he could. Robin was great. Great intensity and really matched Gracey's style. He's much better than Ramy (Ed's drummer) IMO, who always had a goofy smile on his face and never matched Gracey's intense style. If anyone from Live is reading this, please please do not hire Ramy to fill in while Gracey is injured. He really isn't a good fit. Robin was perfect. And Gracey, if you're reading this, get better man!

I went with my friend who had never heard of Live. Once they played, he recognized Selling the Drama and "of course knew" I Alone and Lightning Crashes. He really liked the set, and his takeaways were "the lead singer is a great frontman and I love the way the lead guitarist stomps his foot."

In terms of context for the show, both Arroyo Seco and Bottlerock swing to an older festival crowd. Live, playing in the afternoon on the mainstage, really served as an opener as people were getting settled. They did a great job playing that role. A lot of people I talked to or overheard had the same takeaway as my friend. "I remember that band/really liked those songs and they still sound really good." With that said, as a true Live fan, these shows feel like an appetizer for what's to come. I can't wait to see them do their own show, with an 18 song setlist, and to get off the Awake: Best of Live playlist. But I understand they're at these festivals to warm the crowd up and are doing a great job, so I can't complain. Heck, I never thought I'd get to see the original lineup so every song to me is a blessing.

Any questions about the show, feel free to ask.