Adrian Belew’s all-star tribute to ’80s-era King Crimson received underway Thursday night time at San Jose Civic in California. Beat additionally consists of his long-time former King Crimson bandmate Tony Levin, Steve Vai and Danny Carey of Tool.

They’re presenting music from 1981’s Discipline, 1982’s Beat and 1984’s Three of a Perfect Pair throughout a trek with further stops in Los Angeles, San Diego, Toronto, Dallas, New York, Boston and Las Vegas.

The opening present featured 19 songs throughout two units, together with “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic (Part III),” “Elephant Talk,” “Three of a Perfect Pair,” “Indiscipline” and “Red” – together with the primary dwell efficiency of “Model Man” by any Crimson-related band ever. See the movies and an entire set listing under.

“It’s amazing to hear and amazing to see,” Levin advised Guitar World. “I’m a photographer in addition to being a bass player, and my temptation is to pick up the camera and take pictures of them about every 30 seconds! I have to remind myself to stick to my job and leave the photography for in-between pieces.”

READ MORE: How Adrian Belew Put Together His ’80s King Crimson Celebration

Belew and Levin joined King Crimson in 1981 and remained in the lineup until Robert Fripp put the group on hiatus in 1984. They were also part of subsequent lineups between 1994 to 2008, with Levin continuing through what appears to be King Crimson’s final tour in 2021.

There was an initial schism when Fripp decided to jumpstart King Crimson without Belew in 2013, but they mended fences a few years later. Fripp has given his blessing to this new project. Belew said Fripp suggested the name “Beat.”

“The producers had made up a reputation which had my identify in it – which I didn’t like that a lot as a result of I did not really feel it represented the entire band, however I advised Robert anyway,” Belew told UCR. “They needed to name it Crimson Belew. He mentioned, ‘Hmmm, oh.’ I may inform he was balking. I mentioned, ‘Well, I do not actually prefer it both. I’m not pleased with that, however what would you name it?'”

Watch Beat Play King Crimson’s ‘Heartbeat’

Watch Beat Play King Crimson’s ‘Man With an Open Heart’

The Difficulty of Following ‘One of Our Historical Geniuses’

Like Belew, Steve Vai is a former guitarist with Frank Zappa. Vai has also toured and recorded with David Lee Roth, Whitesnake, Alice Cooper, Motorhead and, most recently, Joe Satriani. He’s called Fripp “considered one of our historic geniuses” while trying to put guitar performances on songs like “Frame by Frame” from Discipline in perspective.

“It’s the endurance,” Vai told Guitar World. “It’s absolutely the relentlessness of what he does that makes it so troublesome – as a result of it is fixed and it is intense, and it is incredible. … His model is so particular and refined, it isn’t one thing I may simply bounce into. It’s a research.”

King Crimson has previously opened for Tool. Carey also appeared on Belew’s 2005 album Side One. “I imply he is simply nuts about [former King Crimson drummer] Bill Bruford,” Belew has said. “Like, these information and Bill’s taking part in modified his viewpoint of music. So when you might have somebody like that, that is precisely who you need within the band, somebody who has a deep vested curiosity within the music as a result of they realized from it.”

Watch Beat Play King Crimson’s ‘The Sheltering Sky’

Watch Beat Play King Crimson’s ‘Matte Kadusai’

Beat, Sept. 12, 2024, San Jose
1. “Neurotica”
2. “Neal and Jack and Me”
3. “Heartbeat”
4. “Sartori in Tangier”
5. “Dig Me”
6. “Model Man”
7. “Man With an Open Heart”
8. “Industry”
9. “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic (Part III)”
10. “Waiting Man”
11. “The Sheltering Sky”
12. “Sleepless”
13. “Frame by Frame”
14. “Matte Kudasai”
15. “Elephant Talk”
16. “Three of a Perfect Pair”
17. “Indiscipline”
18. “Red”
19. “Thela Hun Ginjeet”

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