Whenever a band has enough clout to merit large arena headlining gigs, it is only natural to assume that an intimate show will be something special. Live, a quartet from Pennsylvania that always aspired to reach "biggest band in the world" status, attained that goal when their 1994 sophomore release, "Throwing Copper," went multi-platinum on the strength of the monster ballads, "I Alone" and "Lightening Crashes." Singer Ed Kowalcyzk's arena rock voice is instantly recognizable and the band's anthem sound is reminiscent of early U2. Even Kowalcyzk's stage presence is taking on a Michael Stipe-ian quality with his bald, intense, Buddha-boy look.

In a small setting such as Asbury Park's Stone Pony, Live decided that three albums into their career is enough to begin to ignore their earlier material. Any trace of their debut record, "Mental Jewelry," was discarded in favor of showcasing the still-not-released new record, "Secret Samadhi." To be fair, this was the second night of the band's club tour and small shows are a perfect opportunity to try out new material.

Fans, however, aren't that patient, and when the band loaded the entire show with unfamiliar songs from a record not available for purchase, things got a little hairy. It wasn't until the band broke into the familiar strains of "Throwing Copper's" "Iris" that the crowd finally rose to the occasion and moshed in accordance. And when a cover of The Psychedelic Fur's "Love My Way" gets more attention than a new song a slaved to record, like Live's self-described epic, "Century", there is cause for some alarm. At one point, the pit continued without the benefit of music, a moment that clearly irked Kowalczyk.

"You're moshing and we're not even playing," he said, bemusedly. "You're supposed to go along with the music. What concert are you listening to?"

Some weren't listening at all. It's kind of hard to enjoy a band when the venue is entirely oversold and you have to stand cramped in the back of the room tippy-toeing to get a glimpse of bassist Patrick Dahlheimer's new facial hair. It is even more impossible to absorb brand new songs when you can barely hear Kowalczyk over an inpenetrable wall of feedback and distortion that guitarist Chad Taylor masons.

That's a shame, because the new songs sound amazing on on record. A new song, "Turn My Head," is a certifiable hit ballad that showcases all that is brilliant about Kowalczyk's emotional range. Like most Live songs, it starts softly and builds to a dramatic ending, but it works poignantly. Another new cut, "Rattlesnake" works just as well, drawing the listener into the swirling chorus.

When the band broke into "Samadhi's" first single, "Lakini's Juice," Kowalczyk finally let his hair down (actually, he took off his shirt) and connected with the crowd. It was the most urgent moment of the show, with Kowalczyk lurking closely to the front row and belting the lyrics "let me ride" like a banshee in the night. Taylor's guitar line was driving, equaling the recently defunct New York band Quicksand in ferocity and punch. Taylor even made up for the orchestral parts on record that are missing in live performance. The audience responded by creating the most dangerous of pits that ended with a fight breaking out by the Pony's caged area.

Moments like this, however, were few and far between, and frankly this show needed more of them. As the tour progresses, Live should begin to live up to the huge expectations that fall on acts of their caliber. Until then, maybe they should concentrate on satisfying their audience an