Posted by Sid Smith on Nov 2, 2006 - This post is archived and may no longer be relevant

Thanks to Kenneth Pyron for this review of last night's show in Dallas by the Adrian Belew Power Trio.

What a great show. The Granada Theater is a rather intimate venue with no more than twenty rows of seats on the lower level and a great balcony. My friend and I chose in the lower rear, near the bar (great selection of beer) with a good full view of the stage (Cue the beer).

You simply can’t knock the smile off of AB when he’s on stage. Even when a string broke or his new "Adrian Belew Signature Series Parker Fly" would go out of tune (his words, as if I could tell). His interaction with the audience was, as I see it, classic Adrian. Friendly, sharp, with humor.

Playing heavily from Side One, here is a approx. set list:
Writing On The Wall
Dinosaur
Ampersand
??? (here he broke a string and also sat on a stool a la someone I know)
Beat Box Guitar (me thinks, again cue more beer), this became a great lenghty improv piece with more sitting on stool
Matchless Man
Madness (my fav from Side One, irks my wife completely when I play this)
??? - a beautiful solo piece and another stepping off point for some very tasty AB improv
Lone Rhino (solo)
Of Bow and Drum (from Op Zop Too Wah)
??? (beer working)
Frame by Frame
Three of a Perfect Pair
Encore: Elephant Talk
Thela Hun Gingeet
His final piece was the "go ahead and leave when your’re ready, as I’m just screwing around with delay and effects for 20 minutes or so, but I’ll be leaving the stage before that" piece he called "Improvised Symphony"

Whew.

AB was ably backed by Julie and Eric Slick. They handled everything thrown at them by AB with true professionalism. Unfazed, fully up to the task and having as much fun as Adrian seemed to be having. Adrian is obviously happy to be working with them again, enjoying it thoroughly.

This was a great evening, thoroughly enjoyable. I highly recommend attending any of his shows on this tour if you can. My apologies for the rambling. Great music, great middle eastern food, great beer and great friends make the mornings a little slower than normal.