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King Crimson at the Nokia Theatre


Finbar

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I just got back from New York and saw King Crimson three out of the four nights they were playing at the Nokia Theatre there. I highly recommend the Nokia Theatre to see concerts, it seems like a movie theatre and I really dig the atmosphere there. My girlfriend and I had bad seats all three nights, but we had a great view of the band.

They were the greatest concerts of my life, by virtue of the fact that anything by King Crimson is musical perfection, but I didn't like that they were short, and I didn't like the focus on classic material versus new stuff. Only one song from The ConstruKction of Light (the title track) and only one song from The Power To Believe (Level Five). Even if it is a 40th Anniversary Celebration Tour (Something I was not aware of when I bought my tickets) since when does King Crimson move backward? Isn't the whole point of seeing King Crimson live in the present that they don't look back, but always move forward and play mostly new stuff? And the new stuff is actually innovative, brilliant and great music, important to their catalogue and music in general?

I suppose the newest stuff is no longer new stuff... but that was another big disappointment! I had no idea that this newly formed Crimson was not giving us any new music, short of some very interesting drum duos. The six Mastelotto/Harrison drum duos I saw over the three nights were infinitely more enjoyable and satisfying for me than the three Neil Peart drum solos I've seen, but I really would've appreciated some new music by the whole band at these shows.

And that being said, if you are going to focus on the classics to that extent, why the hell not bust out 21st Century Schizoid Man? Do we really need four songs from Discipline and none from the 40 year old album by the incarnation of the band whose anniversary we're celebrating? Hello!

I also didn't like that they played B'Boom without playing THRAK afterward.

 

On the other hand, the classics are classics for a reason, and it was f***ing exciting to hear songs like Red, Frame by Frame, Dinosaur, Three of a Perfect Pair, and The Talking Drum/Larks' Tongues in Aspic Part Two live.

The first show, the Thursday night, they played Walking on Air. The other two shows, Friday and Saturday nights, they swapped that out for One Time and added in Sleepless later on in the show. Other than that, the song lists were the same albeit with the order shaken up.

A nice quirk rarity they played was Neurotica from the Beat album, which was f***ing intense with the Mastelotto/Harrison/Levin rhythm section. I love how that song is arranged a certain way on the album and the three different live lineups that've played it have always played arrangements faithful to the studio version yet very interesting in all the differences. I didn't like that they had a recording of the spoken lyrics instead of Adrian Belew speaking the lyrics. They did the same for Thela Hun Ginjeet, but for that song it works a little better for obvious reasons.

Level Five's arrangement was really interesting. They did a cool polyrhythmic symbol thingy in lieu of the chuggy 7/8 bit near the beginning and it really pleased and wowed the crowd all three nights. I think it's actually my favourite version of Level Five and I'm glad I got to hear it live three times.

One Time the Friday and Saturday night was awesome just because it was such a surprising disappointment not hearing it the Thursday night. I loved that Robert Fripp did a soundscape in the middle of the song. It was achingly beautiful.

The drum duos were definitely highlights for me. They played one as an intro to the whole show, leading into The ConstruKction of Light, a new (THRAKless) version of B'Boom, and one in the encore leading into Thela Hun Ginjeet. That last one was utterly incredible in the whimsicality. It was incredibly technical and it would be impossible to try to find any sort of meter in it; let alone try and nod your head to it. But you really want to! They made it sound so easy, not show-offy at all, even though it was clearly really hard to play. I don't think description can do it justice, and I just hope that when a show from this tour gets released on DVD, that you all go out and buy it and watch it so you can see what I mean.

 

There were no fancy light shows, and virtually no banter (or brouhaha). I loved that it was just the band and the songs they played. It's my kinda band. Not that I don't love Rush or Nine Inch Nails and their grand visual live shows, but ultimately, this is the kind of rock concert I prefer.

 

They were a tad sloppy the first night, dead on the second night, but terribly sloppy the third night. The first and third night, they screwed up the ending of Frame by Frame; both times it was Adrian Belew's fault. My attitude toward that song is, if you can't play the ending, you can't play the song.

Still awesome, of course, and maybe I'm splitting hairs. For the few mistakes they made, there were still tens of thousands of things they did right, right? And a King Crimson concert with seventy mistakes would still be harder to execute than a Bon Jovi concert with one.

I bought so much merchandise at the second show that the salesman threw in a free not-for-sale drumstick of Gavin Harrison's from the first show. And in one 1 hour 39 minute set, this drumstick was WRECKED! I will upload a photo at some point.

 

Robert Fripp, Friday and Saturday, but not Thursday, did surprise soundscape opening performances. It felt so special to hear this hauntingly beautiful music that was being improvised and not recorded. It had never been heard before, not even by the performer, and would never be heard again since.

 

Overall, I would say that I highly recommend King Crimson concerts to any fans of adventurous music. This is a Rush forum, so I would say that applies to any and all of you.

 

Did anyone else go see them on this mini-tour? Any thoughts?

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Finbar, you sound like a parent who has accepted the fact that his child is not an A+ student, but you love them to death anyway, so anything they do is great in your eyes. A true fan.

 

Glad you enjoyed the show. You made me even more disappointed for not being there. laugh.gif

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Yeah I caught both of the 'warmup' shows in Nashville. I posted my review earlier:

 

http://www.therushforum.com/index.php?show...dpost&p=1413164

 

 

Cool to hear that Ade gave you one of Gav's drumsticks, he's done that for me at a couple of PT shows. I agree with you though, if they tour again, EVERYONE here should go see them. You'll be happy you did.

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QUOTE (vaportrail @ Aug 19 2008, 10:47 AM)
Yeah I caught both of the 'warmup' shows in Nashville. I posted my review earlier:

http://www.therushforum.com/index.php?show...dpost&p=1413164


Cool to hear that Ade gave you one of Gav's drumsticks, he's done that for me at a couple of PT shows. I agree with you though, if they tour again, EVERYONE here should go see them. You'll be happy you did.

Oh no, it was a pleasant British-accent dude selling merchandise! (He seemed to generally like me.) Dude, I would've mentioned it had I met any of the band members!!! If I met Adrian Belew, I would've died!

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QUOTE (Finbar @ Aug 22 2008, 12:56 PM)
QUOTE (vaportrail @ Aug 19 2008, 10:47 AM)
Yeah I caught both of the 'warmup' shows in Nashville.  I posted my review earlier:

http://www.therushforum.com/index.php?show...dpost&p=1413164


Cool to hear that Ade gave you one of Gav's drumsticks, he's done that for me at a couple of PT shows.  I agree with you though, if they tour again, EVERYONE here should go see them.  You'll be happy you did.

Oh no, it was a pleasant British-accent dude selling merchandise! (He seemed to generally like me.) Dude, I would've mentioned it had I met any of the band members!!! If I met Adrian Belew, I would've died!

I would love to meet Adrian Belew (or Tony Levin, or Bill Bruford, or John Wetton, or...etc.), but if I saw Fripp I think I'd run right the hell away, I'd be so scared.

 

Speaking of, anyone else here met any of the guys from KC?

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Please, please let there be a live recording or DVD of this tour released at some stage. Have read nothing but great reviews. Would love to see what Gavin Harrison brings to the band. You just know it's gonna be amazing. Very jealous of you guys who have seen them this tour. (Or ever.) music.gif music.gif
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gavin harrison and kc wtf

 

 

 

are they going to the west???!!!!!!!

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QUOTE (edgyspice @ Aug 22 2008, 05:14 PM)
QUOTE (Finbar @ Aug 22 2008, 12:56 PM)
QUOTE (vaportrail @ Aug 19 2008, 10:47 AM)
Yeah I caught both of the 'warmup' shows in Nashville.  I posted my review earlier:

http://www.therushforum.com/index.php?show...dpost&p=1413164


Cool to hear that Ade gave you one of Gav's drumsticks, he's done that for me at a couple of PT shows.  I agree with you though, if they tour again, EVERYONE here should go see them.  You'll be happy you did.

Oh no, it was a pleasant British-accent dude selling merchandise! (He seemed to generally like me.) Dude, I would've mentioned it had I met any of the band members!!! If I met Adrian Belew, I would've died!

I would love to meet Adrian Belew (or Tony Levin, or Bill Bruford, or John Wetton, or...etc.), but if I saw Fripp I think I'd run right the hell away, I'd be so scared.

 

Speaking of, anyone else here met any of the guys from KC?

Finbar and I both met Tony Levin a few years back when he was touring for Resonator. I believe he has a picture of him with Tony that I took. Maybe he will post it... huh.gif

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QUOTE (Rush! @ Aug 19 2008, 10:24 PM)
I hope they stop by somewhere in NJ. cool10.gif

good luck with that biggrin.gif

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QUOTE (Ya_Big_Tree @ Aug 25 2008, 06:00 PM)
QUOTE (edgyspice @ Aug 22 2008, 05:14 PM)

I would love to meet Adrian Belew (or Tony Levin, or Bill Bruford, or John Wetton, or...etc.), but if I saw Fripp I think I'd run right the hell away, I'd be so scared.

Speaking of, anyone else here met any of the guys from KC?

Finbar and I both met Tony Levin a few years back when he was touring for Resonator. I believe he has a picture of him with Tony that I took. Maybe he will post it... huh.gif

Lucky. Tony Levin is a freaking bass god! I've been playing Discipline over and over and he makes me wish I owned a Chapman stick. It would be even better if I knew how to play it, or, indeed, any instrument. laugh.gif

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