York band 'Live' part of NASCAR finale on Sunday, 11/15- Article Options

[SJN1279]

Thanks to klove807 on SOY:

York band 'Live' part of NASCAR finale on Sunday
COLUMN By ELLEN SISKA For The York Dispatch
Article Launched: 11/15/2007 07:02:41 AM EST


Athunderstorm is not a welcome thing at a racetrack on race weekend.
But when "Lightning Crashes" at Homestead-Miami Speedway Sunday, fans will be on their feet cheering because York's own rock stars, Live, will be performing.

The quartet of Ed Kowalczyk, Chad Taylor, Chad Gracey and Patrick Dahlheimer, the band behind 1990s alternative-rock smash hits "Selling the Drama," "Lightning Crashes," "I Alone" and "All Over You," will take the stage before the Ford 400, the final race of the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup series season.

"Racing fans have come to expect the best both on and around the track during Ford Championship Weekend, and Live fits that bill beautifully," speedway president Curtis Gray said. "It's really an entertainment coup for us and our NASCAR fans; we couldn't be happier Live will take the Miller Lite stage on Sunday."

Live's 1994 release "Throwing Copper" sold more than 12 million copies worldwide and is the only album in Billboard history to stay on the charts for 52 weeks before reaching No. 1. It has been hailed as one of the most definitive alternative-rock recordings in the history of the genre.

Speaking Wednesday via phone from his home in California, lead singer Kowalczyk told me that while he doesn't follow NASCAR, he's looking forward to the appearance.

"I have to say I'm not big into car races in terms of being a spectator, but the environment as far as playing a show is pretty exciting," he said. "Everybody is so amped up. It's a real party atmosphere and everybody's there to have a good time. They're really great from that standpoint."
In a news release issued
by the track, Kowalczyk is quoted saying, "Live is looking forward to fueling the race with plenty of high-octane rock and roll. We're also really looking forward to meeting Ricky Bobby -- shake and bake, baby!"

Kowalczyk said he made the tongue-in-cheek reference to the movie "Talladega Nights" because "I've seen it three times on the tour bus and I think it's one of the funniest movies ever."

While frequently critical of York in interviews in the 1990s, Kowalczyk said his views have changed with the passage of time.

"It's funny," he said. "I think growing up there, which is typical of a lot of people and their hometown, they can't wait to get out. But York's a cool place. I think that as a kid, I wanted to get out and see the world so much that I held a negative view of where I grew up just because it was part of my -- the fuel for my fire, to feed and build our band.

"But as I've gotten older, I do get back there every once in a while and it's a cool place. I still have lots of friends there. I can't say I'd ever want to live there again, but my views on it have become softer as I've gotten older."

Kowalczyk, who has two daughters, said that becoming a father has also changed him and is reflected in his music.

"It's a deeper humanity, a deeper sense of being grounded and very real," he said. "Bringing up my daughters has made me a better person in general, and that would include my life as a singer/songwriter."

An example of Live's bigger world view is the band's upcoming participation in a World AIDS Day concert on Dec. 1 in South Africa.

"It's such a tremendous honor to be asked," he said. "Not only is it an honor to be asked to do this concert in particular, but it's always fun to appreciate the success we have all over the world, as far away as Africa."

The band remains extremely popular in Europe, New Zealand, Australia and Africa, perhaps more so than in the U.S.

"I think that a lot of it has to do with our approach to the music being so passionate," Kowalczyk said. "My lyrics are lyrics that people seem to be able to sort of sink their teeth into and then grow with them and stay interested in them for years and years, rather than just, 'oh yeah, that was a song I liked for a month, and now I don't like it anymore.' Our fans seem to stick with us.

"Our music tends to sort of integrate itself into people's lives at a really deep level, and that's just been a universal experience in terms of going to places like Europe and Africa and Australia."

But Kowalczyk said he still loves playing for his hometown crowd, citing a September concert in Hershey as "one of our best shows all year."

Asked if he had a message to convey to local fans, Kowalczyk laughed.

"You keep calling and we'll keep coming," he said.

[Badman]

Waiter, good point on the umbrella song compared to SFBM. I think I'll go listen to SFBM and be thankful for what I have...

Also, maybe Ed IS right about his songs being meaningful. Waiter used a SFBM track at his wedding! I think I remember some one telling a story around here about how Forever may not be long enough is crafted into her wedding ring as "Track 6" because it meant so much to them. I can actually remember more people being inspired by the newer tracks... Weird... oh well.