Photo: Janson Bulpin
+LIVE+ will be one of the upcoming acts at this year’s Bourbon and Beyond. The festival now has a new home. It is still in Louisville, Kentucky of course, but will call a new festival grounds home. This year, Bourbon and Beyond will take place at the Highland Festival Grounds at the Kentucky Expo on September 20th, 21st, and 22nd. The previous location, Champions Park, had a terrible flood last year and day 2 of Bourbon and Beyond as well as Louder Than Life the following weekend was cancelled. However, to make up for that, Bourbon and Beyond is now a 3-day festival. This means an additional day of bands, bourbon and best friends! How awesome is that? This will be +LIVE+’s debut at the Bourbon and Beyond Festival. If you have never had the opportunity to check this band out, prepare yourself to be amazed! With that said, let’s discuss +LIVE+.
Photo: Janson Bulpin
+LIVE+ is an American rock band from York, Pennsylvania. Getting their start in 1980, they were under the name First Aid, which was a trio of Chad Taylor on guitar, Patrick Dahlheimer on bass and Chad Gracey beind the drum kit. Around 1984, the well-known vocalist Ed Kowalczyk would join the group and would go through different name variations before finally settling on +LIVE+. They have a very laid-back type sound if you will. Very melodic rhythms along with a very easy-going groove that will make you want to hold your loved one close under the moonlight. +LIVE+ has just celebrated the 25th anniversary of their platinum album ‘Throwing Copper’ (1994), which has sold over 8 million copies. One of their biggest hits “Lighting Crashes” came from this tremendous album, also one of my personal favorites. In the year 2009, Chad Taylor announced that what should have been a 2-year hiatus looked like the end for +LIVE+. Lead singer, Ed Kowalczyk had left the group. But in 2014, the band reformed with singer Chris Shinn and released the album ‘The Turn.’ Don’t get me wrong Chris Shinn is a very talented singer, but no one could match the vocal talent and passion that Ed Kowalczyk sang with. I once seen the band live with Shinn fronting the band, and the songs just didn’t have the same passionate feel as they do with Ed in his rightful place behind the microphone. 2 years later, Ed rejoined +LIVE+ and the original 4 were back together again! Since then, they have released a new E.P. called ‘Local 717’ (2018). Right now, +LIVE+ is on tour with Bush and Our Lady Peace. This tour has been coined The ALTimate Tour. If you can’t catch +LIVE+ on Friday, September 20th, you need to catch these 3 amazing acts on one bill! Whatever you do, do not miss +LIVE+ at this year’s Bourbon & Beyond! We recently saw them perform to a sold out crowd in the United Kingdom, check out the show review and photos here. You will leave a fan, just like we did! They will be sure to put on a phenomenal show Louisville, KY! The perform on Friday September 20th, pick up your tickets here.
