BEAT: Adrian Belew, Tony Levin, Steve Vai, Danny Carey Lynn Memorial Auditorium, Lynn, MA 12/6/2024
Montage of video clips and 5 full songs
Steph saw King Crimson in 2017 and we both saw Adrian Belew in 2019. When we heard that Adrian would be uniting with Crimson bassist Tony Levin as well as Steve Vai and Danny Carey to perform Crimson classics from the '80's Belew-fronted albums Discipline, Beat, and Three of a Perfect Pair, and that they would be performing locally in Lynn, we knew that we had to be there. We lucked out and got second row tickets (really the 4th row, because there were 2 VIP rows in the orchestra pit).
The band took the stage one at a time and stood together greeting the crowd. It was nice to get a good look at all of them, as once Danny Carey (of Tool fame) took his spot behind the drum kit, our view of him was obscured by cymbals.
The show was blisteringly good. The musicians seemed to be having the time of their lives performing this music as a quartet. The first set came out rocking and didn't let up. After the intricate "Neurotica" and "Neal and Jack and Me," Belew quipped that they decided to start with the easy ones. The set went on to include 5 songs from Three of a Perfect Pair, some of which Adrian said haven't been played live much (if at all) by King Crimson, except maybe during the short tour at the time the album was released. Tony Levin alternated between a Chapman Stick and a bass decorated with the Three of a Perfect Pair album art. In "Model Man", he also played keys. Steve Vai had some great solos, and provided great texture to the sound overall. But he seemed to be a bit restrained in terms of histrionics to let Belew shine. The audience was on its feet at the end of the set as a 20-minute intermission commenced.
During the break, we hooked up with Kevin and Jenn, who were seated nearby. It was nice to catch up with them. We were all blown away by the first half of the show. We all agreed that the sound was very clear and loud, but that just served to drown out any crowd chatter, which we appreciated.
Set Two started off with a front-of-stage drum solo by Danny Carey. Now we got a good look at him. Adrian came out and it became a drum duet. They were obviously having a blast. Then Tony Levin and Steve Vai joined in, and it segued into "Waiting Man."
The second set contained songs that folks tend to be more familiar with, as they have become staples in Crimson and Belew's live repertoires. Adrian's guitar sound effect techniques in "Matte Kudasai" and "Elephant Talk" were quite enjoyable to watch from up close. He even used a cordless drill to play a solo during "Three of a Perfect Pair." A very playful yet intense "Indiscipline" closed out the second set.
The encore started with "Red", which they dedicated to Robert Fripp and Bill Bruford. This tour was done with Fripp's blessing, and he thought that Steve Vai was a good fit. Then Adrian invited the crowd to get up and dance for "Thela Hun Ginjeet", and the crowd happily obliged.
As usual, Tony Levin snapped photos throughout the show, and posted them in his Tour Diary. You can even see us if you look closely enough in two of the photos.
