A chorus of voices reverberated through the air as attendees yelled in excitement. Holding up his hands in the shape of a heart, LIVE frontman Ed Kowalczyk walked out adorned with sunglasses, a silhouette against waterfalls on the screen behind him.
The band immediately launched into their electrifying set with “The Dolphin’s Cry.” The song’s loud, metal-leaning sound prompted many in the audience to hold up peace signs, devil’s horns and hearts. Bassist Chris Heerlein placed one foot on the speakers, jumping and skipping around throughout the hour-long performance.
“We are lost ‘til we are found / This phoenix rises up from the ground,” Kowalczyk sang. “All these wars are over / All these fucking wars are over!”
Continuing the energy, LIVE transitioned into “All Over You.” The background turned into fiery visuals, directly contrasting lyrics, “Our love is like water.” Guitarist Zak Loy delivered impressive soulful solos that felt natural and highlighted the band’s talent.
“We came with a drunken time machine operator in his wares,” Kowalczyk said. “We are going to trust him to be drunk for the next hour, jump all over the last 30 years for you if you don’t mind.”
Jumping back in time to 1997, the band played “Freaks,” exploring infidelity through biblical references before “Pain Lies On The Riverside,” a song Kowalczyk wrote at 19 years old.
“This next song, I wrote this about where I grew up in a little town (in) Pennsylvania,” Kowalczyk said. “Let’s just say it’s not Austin … I call it ‘Shit Towne.’”
Referencing a poor neighborhood, “Shit Towne” discusses drug addiction and run-down living spaces, with Kowalczyk cursing the world for allowing people to live like this.
“Hey man, this is criminal / it’s hardline symmetry of people and pets,” Kowalczyk sang. “And we don’t bother anyone / we keep to ourselves.”
Johnny Radelat’s intense drumming signaled a shift into a heavy metal-style song, “Rattlesnake,” the show’s climactic high point. Festivalgoers rocked and jumped with the band.
Kowalczyk showed off his cowboy hat as Loy kept throwing his guitar picks into the audience before ending their adrenaline-fueled set with the hit “Lightning Crashes.”
A reflection on the cycle of life, the song was a fitting end to the evening. With the entire crowd acting as backup singers, LIVE demonstrated the timelessness of well-written classic rock. Throwing his drumsticks to those at the barricade, Radelat looked afraid, then relieved when he saw he hadn’t hit anyone.
“I can feel it coming back again / like a rolling thunder chasing the wind,” Kowalczyk sang. “Forces pullin’ from the center of the Earth again / I can feel it.”
