“Welcome to the last night of our tour,” says Adrian Belew a couple of numbers into the set. “We’re going to kick it out!” And they do just that across a boisterous set. The new material is still rather fluid in places and it’s obvious the paint is still a bit wet - the end picking section of EleKctric gets a little sticky. That said the occasional trap in the older repertoire manifests itself as on The ConstruKction of Light prompting Adrian to declare, “Forgive me, please forgive me. That’s two New York nights in a row that I’ve messed up those words. Remind me not to write so many words.”
Eyewitness Kelly Kincy, who had been at the previous evening’s gig, noted that “The performance of "Red" was both tight and hilarious at the same time. By this time KC had apparently realized that the energy of the crowd coupled with their own excitement over this being the end of the tour was resulting in a rowdier show. At one point during "Red" Belew shouted "Everbody dance!" and started springing about like mad on the stage. RF actually cracked up at this and a number of people started dancing.
RF was in rare form Friday night. His playing was incredible, of course, and he managed to overcome some technical problems during “Dangerous Curves." In addition, a group of people in front of him was so loud in its appreciation for the show that at the end of the set, rather than disappear behind the drum riser as he had the previous evening, he actually walked to the foot of the stage and bowed to this group and applauded them. He seemed genuinely pleased with the audience's enthusiasm and a bit more loose as a result. (This was the tradeoff for losing the quiet appreciation of the previous night's audience; wild enthusiasm that couldn't help but make the band smile. It was nice seeing both extremes over two nights.) Nothing loose about his playing either night, though; he may try to disappear when the band is done playing but when he's onstage performing he continues to amaze.”
“Welcome to the last night of our tour,” says Adrian Belew a couple of numbers into the set. “We’re going to kick it out!” And they do just that across a boisterous set. The new material is still rather fluid in places and it’s obvious the paint is still a bit wet - the end picking section of EleKctric gets a little sticky. That said the occasiona...
More highlights than hiccups for sure! Great end to the tour.
Dangerous Curves is one of the Double Duo/ProjeKct family of Crimso pieces that usually kind of bore me, but it works really well as an opener here. I’ve thought before that these songs would function better earlier in the setlist, we’ll see how Deception of the Thrush goes towards the end of the set…
Grabbed this show thinking that they’d be playing particularly tight at the end of the tour, and it is mostly true. Fripp’s (I think it was Robert anyway) use of harmonics as a fill ...
Dangerous Curves is one of the Double Duo/ProjeKct family of Crimso pieces that usually kind of bore me, but it works really well as an opener here. I’ve thought before that these songs would function better earlier in the setlist, we’ll see how Deception of the Thrush goes towards the end of the set…
Grabbed this show thinking that they’d be playing particularly tight at the end of the tour, and it is mostly true. Fripp’s (I think it was Robert anyway) use of harmonics as a fill under Adrian’s vocals during the bridge was so cool I had to rewind and listen twice. All around, everyone in the band seems to be finding more creative fills like that to add here and there, somehow some of Pat’s drum fills are both tough and sprightly at the same time.
It’s interesting here that Adrian messes up the lyrics to ConstruKction (apparently two nights in a row?), because I thought he had a sheet with the lyrics on stage for that song? I remember him getting grief for it. Perhaps he tried going without his safety net as a response to the people giving him a hard time.
The other day I watched a video of Tony doing the intro to Elephant Talk, realizing just how absurdly hard it is, and I made sure to make a note to pay attention the next time I hear the Double Duo do it, so as to see how Trey handles it. Well, I have my answer -- he just skips it! Right to the main riff. Hard to tell, but I think he makes up for it in the “solo” section, adding some crazy sounds along with Adrian’s usual elephantosity.
Some pretty great soloing from Robert on Virtuous Circle, another one that usually bores me. Pat’s section was particularly inspired as well. Really good night for “new” material.
Deception of the Thrush was still pretty boring tho.
I don’t think they meant to take Larks IV at the tempo they did, Fripp’s lead section starts out with a near frantic energy as he realizes the pickle he’s in going at that pace. His superhuman powers quickly kick in tho, and it turns into a performance that shreds so hard I think MY fingers have blisters now. Adrian knows he needs to take his own playing up a notch to match, and he does. Eagerly starting his solo a half a measure earlier than normal, he doesn’t waste any time getting to the mindblowing stuff. His solos here are always pretty mindblowing tho. :)
Larks IV works great as the last song before the encore. Thela, tho, does not work great as the encore itself. Heroes would have maybe worked better as the last song for the year?
In all, solid 4* show for the avid collector, few mistakes, extra bells and whistles, Adrian’s rather unique humor, what more could you want? (That’s a rhetorical question despite the 4* rating -- the qualities that make a show a 5* are largely ineffable and therefore most of the potential answers to that question can’t actually be spoken by human tongues)
Written by Tomas Ahlin
Great gig
After listening to this a few times I can say the audio quality is great, the set list is great too and the playing is magnificent.
Written by Evan Pilchik
Thank You
Just wanted to use this space to give my thanks to KC and express my appreciation for all of the free downloads the band has provided and continues to provide. KC doesn't get all of my hard-earned money but it does get some ad part of my sustained interest over these many years is the availability of the free stuff.
So, once again, THANK YOU!
