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http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/entertain...45?OpenDocument
QUOTE
Live is on the Levee
By Kevin C. Johnson
POST-DISPATCH POP MUSIC CRITIC
08/10/2006
Rock music might have been purer when Live dropped its 1994 blockbuster "Throwing Copper," including the hits "I Alone," "Lightning Crashes" and "Selling the Drama" - at least according to the band's drummer, Chad Gracey.
Grunge was hot at the time and had revitalized the rock scene. Though Live wasn't directly a part of that movement, it still made its name with straightforward, anthemic rock.
"It was an amazing time period, though it was a huge blur while it was happening," Gracey says. "Rock is more homogenized now. Sometimes I like to call it McRock because it all sounds the same and there's not a lot of room for diversity, for people to do different things.
"I'm a little disappointed in rock music today. But we as a band just go out and have fun - and hope to do this for as long as possible."
In a recent interview, Gracey talked about Live's new album, "Songs from Black Mountain," appearing on the "American Idol" finale with finalist Chris Daughtry and whether Daughtry crossed the "Line."
Q: Talk about "Songs From Black Mountain."
A: Lyrically, it's a lot along the lines of what we've always done. (Singer) Ed (Kowaczyk) has always been about spirituality and love. It's also a little more pop-rock, which is a little departure for us. It's a little less heavy on the guitars.
Q: Why did the band make a departure this time?
A: It's our sixth studio record, and we thought we should try something different, concentrating more on melody and not have guitars so prominent. We wanted to make the record a little more accessible.
Q: What's your favorite thing about "Songs From Black Mountain"?
A: Every record you make is like your child, with the long process of writing, recording and putting it together. We recorded this one in Santa Barbara (Calif.) along the oceanside, and it was a lot of fun, great energy.
Q: Why did the band agree to appear on "American Idol" with Chris Daughtry?
A: We made a special appearance because Chris asked us to. He had a choice of who he wanted to play with, and he chose us. The show's a great way to get music out to a gigantic audience, so why not do it? But in the '90s, we wouldn't have considered it. It was a whole different era, and your credibility would've been in question. But now, everybody's doing everything.
Q: Is the band a fan of the show?
A: No. We don't watch it regularly, though I like watching the beginning when the funny people are trying out. That's the entertaining part.
Q: What did you think of the little controversy when Chris performed your band's version of Johnny Cash's "I Walk the Line" without crediting Live?
A: Once we heard his version, we did see why people would have started that. After he did the song, Ed contacted him, and what we found out was he did credit us but it wasn't aired. We were cool with him doing it. We don't own the song, though the way he did it was similar to how we did it on our greatest hits CD.
Q: Did Chris Daughtry do the right thing by turning down Fuel's offer to take over its lead singer slot?
A: I think so. He'll be better off doing his own thing. He'll have more control, and it's just better for him to have his own. He's a great singer, and I think he'll have a nice career. He's working on his record now, and Ed has worked on a song with him.
Q: What can fans expect out of Live in concert?
A: If you've seen us in the past, you know we put on a high-energy show. We always cover the full gamut of our career, and sing songs from every record. And we always play the hits because people like those. We're not the kind of band to play all the tracks you haven't heard off the record.
Q: What stands out when you think back to the "Throwing Copper" period?
A: The time when we finished the tour. It was 18 months straight with no break. We played at the Spectrum (in Philadelphia) the last night of the tour, and the Spectrum for us was where all the big guys played. But while we were on stage playing those songs, we were exhausted, mentally and physically gone. When we finished, we were like, 'See you later,' and we went our separate ways. We were so exhausted we couldn't enjoy it.
Live on the Levee
Friday: Johnny and Dave Duo at 5 p.m., Madahoochi at 6:30 and Edwin McCain at 8
Saturday: My Friend Mike Duo at 5 p.m., Autovein at 6:30 and Live at 8
Where: St. Louis Riverfront, Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard
How much: Free
