The Murat Theatre @ Old National Centre, Indianapolis — This author is a big fan of King Crimson, but did not get a chance to see them until the 2000s, long after they had recorded some of their best and seminal material. And while I have seen Adrian Belew and Tony Levin countless times this was the first time I ever got to see them on stage together. Adding Steve Vai and Tool’s drummer Danny Carey, BEAT is a super group in every sense of the word, and with all the talent on stage tonight, it was going to be a treat for anyone who was into 80s era King Crimson.
When they came out, it was hard not to notice the white suit Tony Levin was wearing. They quickly started into their set which was comprised of songs from Discipline, Beat, and Three Of A Perfect Pair. From the first notes of “Neurotica” it was apparent they were going to be on point and could not have sounded better as they played their first set which comprised music from the latter two albums which are so lightly more obscure than Discipline. I was wondering if Steve Vai would be up to the challenge of performing with these musicians, but by the second song, I wasn’t worried at all as his solo’s were intense.
The songs certainly got quirky deep into the first set, and it was evident that they put their own touch on some of the songs as live music is want to do. For the most part, it came across excellently and there was only a few moments where I felt a little confused. And since King Crimson didn’t tour for these albums, it was a treat to hear them. The audience had nothing but praise for this music, and this reviewer went into the break pleased with what he had heard so far!
The second set would prove to be amazing and it only took two songs before “The Sheltering Sky” would mesmerized the whole audience! They worked into my favorite songs from Discipline and “Matte Kudesai” and “Elephant Talk” were both stellar! I’ve been waiting most of my life to hear these songs live, and they did not disappoint! Adrian Belew had a stronger voice when I saw him 20 years ago, but he still can sing well, and did justice to all the material, especially the spoken word!
For an encore, they started with the classic Crimson tune “Red” and then finished with “Thela Hun Gingeet” which I have always found to be a fun tune, and hearing it live was great!
So all in all, this was an excellent success at bringing the music of 80s era King Crimson to a new audience! Many of these songs were performed live for the first time, at least here in America, and since this writer didn’t get to see the band in their heyday, this was as good as it gets! If BEAT tours again, I will probably see them because they certainly know how to give a good show, and if you missed the show and have any interest, I do encourage you to see them the next time they come around!