Live (the band) is back together and touring in support of new single

If it can happen to David Lee Roth, it can happen to anyone: the indignity of being replaced with a new lead singer, and the band carrying on under the same name as if nothing changed.

Ed Kowalczyk knows. Separated from his then-former band Live a few years ago and working as a solo act, the chances for his return seemed unlikely.

However, he and his bandmates did, indeed, reconcile, and Live – best known for such 1990s rock hits as “I Alone,” “Selling the Drama” and “The Dolphin’s Cry” – is back on the road with a new single to promote.

Kowalczyk discussed the turnaround during a recent phone call.

Question: Did you have the sense that, even during the most acrimonious times with your former bandmates, you would one day reunite?

Answer: In the back of our minds, we held out some kind of hope, but I have to say we were all kind of pretty damn surprised when it finally happened. Being as severe a break as it was for a while, I think we’re all sort of pinching ourselves every night that we’re not only back together but feel like our relationship musically and personally is stronger than ever, too.

Q: Were you the one who was wronged, considering they kept the name and hired a new singer, and was it up to you to forgive them?

A: When I look back on all the things that were said and done and everything that happened, there was just such a wealth of good years and incredible accomplishments and strong friendship years, that the gravity of the good times that we shared really was just allowed to rise to the top, and we ended up just missing each other. Within a few weeks after getting back together and playing together and writing together again, it was like we didn’t miss a beat. Although it was in some ways more energized with gratitude and confidence and all the things that we learned in our experiences apart.  

Q: Your new single “Love Lounge” is swaggering, whereas your biggest hits of the ‘90s were more moody and brooding. Does that reflect your current outlook?

A: Absolutely. There’s a bounce and, like you said, swagger, to “Love Lounge” that comes from what I’ve been listening to. Going into reverse, I realized I had kind of blew past the early blues music and began learning it on guitar and just immersing myself in that for a while and still am. I think that gave the melody and the lyric that sort of blues bounce to it.  

Q: Live toured with Guns N’ Roses last year, and now it’s Counting Crows. Is this a matter of your band’s versatility, or is it just about two popular bands hooking up to play shows together?

A: It’s a testament to the nature of our band and our discography and how varied it is. We’ve had success with songs that were more mid-tempo, not necessarily super-intense rock songs, but we’ve also had success being a little heavier, too. We’ll find ourselves on tour with Counting Crows and that totally makes sense lyrically, melodically. Our camaraderie with them is a beautiful thing. This is our third tour with them, so that obviously works really well. The fans enjoy that. But then we’ll find ourselves on an active-rock radio station festival with Avenged Sevenfold, and somehow we’ll make it work. 

If you go

What: Counting Crows with Live

When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 1

Where: Riverbend Music Center, 6295 Kellogg Ave., Anderson Township; 513-232-5882

Tickets: $99.50-$29.50