To Be Alive

Founded by Jon Kaiser in 2021 as a means to perform at his festival Northwoods Rock Rally, the name started as a joke, calling the band "TBA" due to every festival announcing TBA bands on their posters, but "TBA" would never actually play.

Despite the less-than-serious name, the band was designed to be an all-star lineup of experienced musicians (Jon Kaiser - lead vocals/guitars, DJ Harm - backing vocals/guitars, Sully Neal - lead guitar, Paul Lasiewicz - bass, Zac Neal - drums/backing vocals), but with minimal rehearsals and an inexperienced lead vocalist (Jon Kaiser had been a guitarist and bassist in other projects), the expectations were not set very high. They hit the stage following P.O.D. and blew the crowd away with Nu Metal covers from bands like Sevendust, Nonpoint, Slipknot, Korn, Mudvayne and Chevelle.

Soon the band knew they should take this more seriously, and in the fall of 2022, they decided to rename themselves "...To Be Alive". Still honoring the acronym but carrying an entirely different meaning. With members of the band having various near-death experiences, or unexpectedly losing friends and family members, ...To Be Alive was named as a reflection on the fragility and reality of how it feels "to be alive".

In October 2023, To Be Alive opened for 10 Years at the St Croix Casino, performing their first original song "I Can't Say Goodbye", written by DJ Harm years ago while he was a member of the band For Once. This performance marked the beginning of a new era for TBA, as they have been writing music ever since, performing original songs like "Deception" which was written in the fall of 2023 after Zac sent a drum intro and Jon wrote the rest of the song, "Simple" which Jon wrote over 10 years ago in High School, and "Devil In My Pocket" which Jon and the band wrote in the spring of 2024.

In November 2024, TBA invited producer Myles Clayborne (Left On Red, SAUL, Widow 7) to come up from Columbia, Missouri to record, mix, and produce their debut 8-track EP, "How Does It Feel..." which was released on Saturday, March 15th, 2025.

...To Be Alive was born on the stage at Northwoods Rock Rally, but has also played Monster Hall Music Festival and many venues around the region, they have shared the stage with many notable bands, including 10 Years, Nonpoint, Hed P.E., P.O.D., From Ashes to New, Smile Empty Soul, FLAW, Lines of Loyalty, and many more...