Mount Pocono, PA, Saturday February 18, 2012 Options

[Good_Pain]

Yes, The Thrill doesn't swing and miss often when stepping up to the plate.

[Pokey]

Great post Thrill!

[OutToDry]

Thrill hits a HR as usual!!!

[dangum]

Also, if you see the one pic that zman posted. The drummer is looking at a laptop. That laptop plays backing tracks so they added in some guitars and stuff to give it a bigger sound etc. So even though it was 3 pieces it makes it sound "fuller" Its usually the drummers job to run that. A few times during the show the drummer was having issues with the laptop.

Thanks for presenting your side of what happened.

I have a question re: the laptop. I've seen a Macbook near Chad Gracey while he performed with Live during the latter part of their career. Do you know what that computer was used for?

Also, thanks for the reviews zmanpga and The Thrill. Were there any new additions to the setlist?

[Opinechik]

There are Ed supporters and CCP supporters. .

And then there are those of us who are both.

Honest question...if he had given you a moment, what were you looking to discuss?

This post has been edited by Opinechik: Feb 20 2012, 5:15 am

[zmanpga]

his questions was...

why do so many songs have the word WATER in them?


This post has been edited by zmanpga: Feb 20 2012, 7:37 am

[SJN1279]

I was back in the mezz with my wife and a few friends. No new additions to the setlist were played. There was a song "I'm the Proof" on the setlist, but it wasn't performed. I actually have no idea if it was an actual song or what.

[SJN1279]

http://blogs.mcall.com/lehighvalleymusic/2...-airy-show.html

February 19, 2012 Live singer Ed Kowalczyk still selling the drama at Mount Airy show
Total People in Discussion: 1
Categories: Concert Reviews, Music, Music News
Posted by John J. Moser at 11:56:39 AM on February 19, 2012

Nearly three years after Live officially broke up and 18 years after its commercial peak – the eight-times-platinum album “Throwing Copper” and its single “Selling the Drama,” – lead singer Ed Kowalczyk still is doing precisely that: selling the drama.

Ed Kowalczyk at Mount Airy Casino

His show Saturday at Mount Airy Casino in Mount Pocono was replete with dramatic moments – musically, vocally and performance-wise. But it worked well, and the reasons it did were that Kowalczyk never once made it feel anything but genuine.

And that angst was what made all of Live’s songs so popular in the first place.

And despite Kowalczyk releasing a solid solo disc, “Alive,” in 2010, Live’s songs are still the stock-in-trade of Kowalczyk’s concerts. Just five of the 15 songs in an 80-minute show were from the solo disc – the same number as he played from “Throwing Copper.”

That’s not a complaint: That’s clearly what the crowd of nearly 500 wanted to hear.

After Kowalczyk opened with “The Distance” – nicely nuanced for how hard it rocked with just a drummer and bassist backing him on acoustic guitar – the crowd enthusiastically greeted “All Over You,” cheering and singing along.

With Kowalczyk on electric guitar, the song typified the night’s Live offerings: The playing was not as complex, detailed or rich as they were originally with Live, but they were reasonable facsimiles, and Kowalczyk’s contributions were undiminished.

Kowalczyk acknowledged the age of the songs. “We’re going to go back to the times of slightly larger mobile phones,” he said before “Selling the Drama.”

But Kowalczyk helped elevate those songs with emphatic singing (even though his all-important voice occasionally was too low in the mix) and phrasing – at one point, he dramatically paused before a lyric, then forcefully kicked in. He was desperate and almost possessed on the harder-rocking “White, Discussion.”

The sample of songs from the rest of Live’s catalog also were good. He went back to the beginning, the band’s 1991 debut “Mental Jewelry,” with “The Beauty of Gray,” which he said he wrote at 19 in reaction to racial tensions of his hometown of York, Pa. (He made frequent Pennsylvania references.)

“The Dolphin’s Cry” from 1999’s “Distance to Here” was a particular crowd favorite, greeted by cheers, and Kowalczyk sang it wide-eyed and smiling, as if imparting the song’s message.

But “Heaven” from 2003’s “Birds of Pray” was the best non-“Throwing Copper” song of the night. With the song having touching references to his three daughters, Kowalczyk’s emotions came through. He dedicated the song to his mother, who was in the crowd.

The songs from Kowalczyk’s solo disc also were very good. The first, “The Great Beyond,” was a stylistic sibling to Live’s classic tunes, and held up beside them. “Zion” was sung from the heart, with Kowalczyk’s impassioned scream connecting it, too, to Live’s best days.

He asked the crowd to sing along on “Stand” – “It don’t have to be pretty; just give it,” he said. And before “Drink (Everlasting Love),” he noted how he probably overused water as a metaphor in his songs. But he seemed to put extra effort into it.

But the songs from “Throwing Copper” still were the highlight, as he acknowledged by ending the main part of the set with “I Alone.” Without an introduction, its building progression whipped the crowd into intensity, and he, too, shook about the stage, pulling out all stops.

Kowalczyk opened the encore with a sweet and prayerful “Overcome,” a song off 2001’s “V” that became a song of solace in the immediate aftermath of the 911 attacks. Played gently without drums, it was a good companion to the following “Grace,” the first single from his solo disc.

He closed the show, of course, with the monster hit “Lightning Crashes,” which topped Billboard’s rock charts for 10 weeks. Nearly two decades later, it still raises goose bumps. And though it, too, suffered slightly from the lack of Live’s input, Kowalczyk wisely sang the heck out of it – extending it to eight minutes and having the crowd finish with a cappella singing accompanied by clapping.

It, and the entire show, got a deserved standing ovation. The crowd had gladly bought the drama.

[zmanpga]

well then you had a twin there sittin by us!

[Wambangalang]

dude did you really expect the gyu to talki to you about that shit aT A MEET AND GREET I MEAN I NEVER been to one but iwoul assume its all l about photos and happy shit,like sdeems to me like you picking a fight but yeh funny anyway, whatvere drama is good . i just dont kno why you would sepend your time going to someones gig to approach them, nick and out to dry and aitkns and you like some crazy mother fuckers! maybe you guys related to the boys or somethingm take everyting so personly

:kickingumbsupe: :g:

[World Dreamer]

Too funny. Thanks all for reviews.

Honestly, I am sad that Ed is using sub-par musicians (compared to CCP) and not doing the old Live songs justice, but at least it sounds like Ed is still bringing it somewhat, so that is good.

Even though he has changed lyrics and added smiles to everything, Ed has always given good effort.

Sort of off-topic but I watched Live at Paradiso the other day and it was better than I remembered. There were some really bright spots in that show.

[Opinechik]

his questions was...

why do so many songs have the word WATER in them?

OoOo0o I got this one... Ed's sign is Cancer, Cancer is a water sign. Voila!

[Opinechik]

Sort of off-topic but I watched Live at Paradiso the other day and it was better than I remembered. There were some really bright spots in that show.

This is why I love YouTube so much, they have so many videos of all those great performances.
Have you seen this one? He's totally tripping but still manages to get through the song and throw in a little speech as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbsnqHO6vY0

[jclive]

Glad to see the reviews of the show. Thank you Thrill for giving us an honest account. What you did was not wrong and no matter what occurs EK will face questions regarding CT, CG, and PD. It doesn't matter what happens these questions will abound and until EK ligitimately moves away from what LIVE is/was. Sure we all can disagree about points here and there, but I think we can all agree we love LIVE and their music we just want it to be properly represented.

There was nothing wrong with Thrill's question (or intent to ask a question). And there was also nothing wrong with Ed's response.

There is a time and a place to discuss things, and the asker of the question set himself up as coming from a direction that Ed didnt care to entertain. It was poor planning on the Thrill's part. Ed handled the situation properly. And it sounds like the Thrill handled the result well, too. Great job guys. Wish I could have seen the show.

J

[zmanpga]

He's tripping?? if you just found them, why or how would you think he's tripping
up the song or your insinuating ?