Ed Kowalczyk back-to-back with Vertical Horizon

MANILA, Philippines - With three months barely gone in the Year of the Water Dragon, there seems to be no end to the steady stream of foreign singers and artists who have been coming to the country with such regularity to perform in various concerts and other musical events.

Showcasing world-class acts and performances in a wide range of genres from pop to rock to R&B to country to jazz, the musical invasion has brought immense joy and excitement to millions of fans who eagerly pack concert venues to watch their singing idols up-close and personal as they entertain them with their greatest hits.

The next major attraction in the roster of upcoming imported acts shall feature two of the biggest names in alternative rock who will visit Manila this month in a rare back-to-back performance to treat Pinoy fans to a trove of the most memorable alternative rock hits during the past 20 years.

Ed Kowalczyk, former lead vocalist of the American rock band Live, will team up with the alternative rock group Vertical Horizon as they headline the twinbill set to be staged on April 28 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.

Vertical Horizon will also perform at a solo concert on April 29 at the Waterfront Hotel & Casino in Cebu City.

The two-in-one show from Ovation Productions and dubbed as Live’s Ed Kowalczyk Back-to-Back with Vertical Horizon!, is expected to bring together in what promises to be a spectacular rockfest millions of fans as they whoop, gyrate and stomp to the tune of some of the greatest alternative rock hits from the ’90s through the 2000s.

Kowalczyk, who will be backed by a full band, will perform the greatest hits of Live, for which he was also the principal songwriter and credited for making it one of the most successful alternative rock bands in the past two decades.  

Among Live’s hits are All Over You, The Dolphin’s Cry, I Walk The Line, Selling The Drama, Lightning Crashes, Turn My Head, I Alone, Heaven, Iris, Shit Towne, and many more.

He will also perform selections from his 2010 debut solo album, Alive, such as Drive, The Great Beyond, Grace, Stand, Drink (Everlasting Love), Zion, In Your Light, Just In Time, Rome, Soul Whispers, Fire In The Mountain, Eat Your Love and A New World.

 Kowalczyk has conquered the hearts of millions since he embarked on a musical career in 1991 in York, Pennsylvania when, together with three others, he formed the band that would later be known as Live and led it to the height of success, starting with its 1994 album, Throwing Copper, which sold eight million copies in the US.

Live churned out several hit singles in the mid-’90s, notably Lightning Crashes, which stayed at the top of the Billboards Hit Mainstream Rock charts for 10 weeks and at the Modern Rock Tracks (now Alternative Songs) charts for nine weeks.

Throughout his stint with Live, Kowalczyk has built an impressive record of achievements that includes eight full-length albums, total CD sales exceeding 20 million, a huge global fan base and extensive touring all over the world.

 With the breakup of Live in 2009, Kowalczyk ventured into a solo career that was highlighted by the international release in 2010 of a solo album, Alive, whose songs he composed with an acoustic guitar.

Grace, the first single from the album, rapidly climbed its way up the Alternatives and Rock radio charts after seven weeks, with heavy airplay coming from big cities, such as Syracuse, Rochester and Charlotte, with its largest market added from WBDS in Boston.

The alternative rock band Vertical Horizon, on the other hand, rose to prominence for a string of hit singles in 1999 and early 2000, such as You’re A God, Everything You Want, Best I Ever Had (Grey Sky Morning), I’m Still Here, Forever, When You Cry, Save Me From Myself, and many more.

It was formed in 1991 at Georgetown University in Washington, DC by Matthew Scannell and Keith Kane, which performed well-received cover sets in the campus in its early years and was active in the touring circuit.

After drummer Ed Toth and bassist Sean Hurley joined in 1996 and 1998, respectively, the now four-piece band was signed to Sony BMG Music Entertainment/RCA Record, which released its debut major label album, Everything You Want, in 1999.

A string of hit singles followed, such as We Are, Everything You Want, You’re A God and Best I Ever Had (Grey Sky Morning).

Burning The Days, the group’s most recent album, was released in September 2009, its first major recording after a hiatus of five years.

Vertical Horizon is composed of Matthew, lead vocals, lead guitar; Ron Lavella, drums; Jason Onme, rhythm guitar, backing vocals; and Cedric Le Moyne, base guitar, backing vocals.

Live’s Ed Kowalczyk Back-to-Back With Vertical Horizon is presented by Ovation Productions in association with 2nd Avenue, Diva Universal, Talk TV, Universal Channel, The Rockwell Club and EDSA Shangri-La Manila. 

It is also supported by The Philippine STAR, Manila Bulletin, BusinessWorld, Monster Radio RX 93.1, Mellow 94.7, 97.9 Home Radio, OptimaSignsolutions and ABS-CBN.

Tickets, priced at P4,500, P4,000, P3,500, P2,500, P1,500 and P500, are available at Ticketnet outlets located at all SM Department Stores and at the Araneta Coliseum ticket office. For details, call Ticketnet at 911-5555.