On this day (June 3) in 1996, Alice in Chains took the stage at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. With the band steadily gaining popularity, no one could have imagined that it would be the final time they performed with original vocalist Layne Staley. His substance abuse issues, which later took his life, led to the band’s hiatus shortly after the Kansas City concert.
On paper, Alice in Chains was in great shape heading into the summer of 1996. Their 1992 sophomore album, Dirt, was a top 10 hit. Jar of Flies became the first EP to debut at the top of the Billboard 200 in 1994. The next year, their self-titled album debuted at No. 1. More importantly, they were able to play live again.
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The band hadn’t done a show since early 1994 when they gathered at the Majestic in Brooklyn to record an installment of MTV Unplugged in April 1996. Then, KISS offered them the opener slot on the first four shows of their reunion tour.
Alice in Chains Wasn’t in Good Shape
Alice in Chains kicked off their short tour with KISS on June 28, 1996, with a sold-out show at the Tiger Stadium in Detroit, Michigan. Two days later, they were in Louisville, Kentucky. They hit St. Louis, Missouri, two days later. The next night, they played in Kansas City. By all reports, the band put on great shows every night. Many concert reviews point out that Layne Staley looked unwell but still delivered powerful performances.
Staley looked unwell because his substance abuse issues were only getting worse. In fact, he overdosed shortly after the end of the show. Fortunately, he was hospitalized and recovered. However, he would never perform live with Alice in Chains again.
According to Rolling Stone, Layne Staley reunited with his bandmates in 1998 to record two new songs for the Music Bank box set. Other than that, Alice in Chains effectively went on hiatus when they walked off the stage in Kansas City.
Featured Image by Frans Schellekens/Redferns