Live (, often typeset as LĪVE or +LĪVE+) is an American rock band formed in York, Pennsylvania in 1984, consisting of Ed Kowalczyk (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Chad Taylor (lead guitar, backing vocals), Patrick Dahlheimer (bass), and Chad Gracey (drums).
Live achieved worldwide success with their 1994 album Throwing Copper, which sold eight million copies in the U.S. The band had a string of hit singles in the mid-1990s including "Lightning Crashes", which stayed at the top of the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for 10 consecutive weeks and the Modern Rock Tracks (now Alternative Songs) chart for nine weeks from February 25 to April 22, 1995. The band has sold over 20 million albums worldwide. Their last three studio albums fared only moderately well in the U.S., but they continued to enjoy success in the Netherlands, South Africa, Australia, and Brazil.
When touring, Live has used additional musicians, including Ed Kowalczyk's younger brother Adam, British keyboardist Michael "Railo" Railton, rhythm guitarist Christopher Thorn of Blind Melon, and guitarist Zak Loy of Alpha Rev, Dames Violent and Mothers Anthem.
On November 30, 2009, Taylor revealed that what had initially been termed a two-year hiatus was more likely the end of the band. An acrimonious split soon occurred, with Kowalczyk leaving the band. However, Live continued with singer Chris Shinn and released the album The Turn in October 2014. Kowalczyk rejoined the band in December 2016 and in 2018 they released a new EP Local 717.
