A decade into their life as a band, the guys in The Common stopped dwelling on whether their music was power pop or indie rock or whatever pigeon hole they'd been placed in and settled on the one thing they could all agree on - they were an arena rock band formed about 20 years too late. Rather than ignore their fate, The Common embraced it and did what any arena rock act worth their salt does. They created a live record in the spirit of the Who's 'Live at Leeds,' the Rolling Stones' 'Get Your Ya Ya's Out,' and 'KISS ALIVE.' The result is 'Live Tonight,' the band's sixth official release and first to capture the sound of the band where they are their best - on stage. The twelve tracks that make up the record draw from all eras of the band. 'Nothing I Do' and 'Thanks To Yesterday' date back to the early days as both songs appeared on the group's debut record, 'Forget About Tomorrow.' 'Lonely Satellite' appeared on the band's sophomore effort, 'A Liar's Dozen,' while a studio version of 'Lady Godiva' appeared on the Common's limited release self-titled third record. 'Secrets Safe' represents the group's most recent studio effort, 'Rock & Roll People.' The remaining seven songs on 'Live Tonight' all make their first appearance on record. 'Expected' and 'Rock & Roll People' get the show going at a blistering pace with the nervy guitar work, high-speed tempos, and spot-on harmonies that hallmark The Common's sound. 'First Second' pulls the band back into pop territory as longtime friend Jessica Benge steps in as backup singer to take the vocals to new heights. 'Give the World Away' offers the finest recording of the three-part harmonies of Jimmy Sizemore, Mike Hayes and Steve Hayes while 'Love Tonight' takes cues from Phil Spector and John Fogerty to build a great upbeat love song. The set closes with 'Knowing Is Easy,' a pure rave-up that let's the band stretch out and pay tribute to another set of arena rock legends, Van Halen, with a snippet of 'Everybody Wants Some' snuck into the middle of the song. Every arena rock show must have an encore, and this one is no exception. The band kicks off the encore with the previously mentioned 'Lady Godiva' before bringing down the house with a fiery version of Queen's 'Tie Your Mother Down.' If you listen closely you can hear the crowd matching Sizemore's vocal on the chorus before the band sends them off in hopes of finding a group that can match the raw live power of The Common. Recorded live on location and mixed by Kevin Loyal (Echo Park Studio, Bloomington, IN), 'Live Tonight' truly captures the best of rock & roll that is part British rock majesty and part Midwestern rock twang. Of course a listener might ask how a band that rarely been known to play outside of their home state of Indiana might find themselves on stage in front of an arena full of fans. To those listeners, we offer these two answers: 1.) 'Live Tonight' is as 'real' as some of the greatest live albums ever released. 2.) Rock & Roll has always required it's followers to pretend to be things they are not. It's that masquerade that has kept the music interesting for over 50 years. Rather than dwell on the question of how 'real' this record is, on should simply approach it for the absolute truth it presents: a record of a great live act captured at the height of their powers.