Here’s KC in KC! The Madrid Theatre is noted for reputedly having received the patronage of notorious gangster, Al Capone. With bullet-holes peppering the walls below stage, King Crimson are no strangers to a different kind of firepower and the unleash it with force tonight in what might well be a real highpoint of the tour so far. Virtuous Circle becomes wonderfully elongated prior to RF's spectral appearance, with Trey repeating a single note, wafting in the draft of Mastelotto's ever-shifting percussion and allsorts.
Pat Mastelotto recalls that "the stage sound was very strong from my seat...and the band seemed to be riding a wave. . . .after Ade broke a string we altered the set list on the fly and it seemed to have a great flow (shorter set/longer encores)"
One eye-witness, Sydburnz had this to say about the show and demonstrated how sometimes our enthusiasm can get the better of us all. “One member of the audience was getting into the music so much, he reached up onto the stage and moved some of the equipment which in turn bumped one of the red spotlights right in front of the guitarist, Adrian. Adrian was going into this extensive guitar solo, I was surprised he didnt get thrown off. It took a long time for security to apprehend this dude. He was a big guy. One of the members of the audience tried to pull him away, but to no avail. Also, Robert Fripp didnt do much, but sit there with a content smile on his face watching the others perform while he played his riffs. His back was sorta turned to some of the audience, I felt sorry for them. He wasnt in the spotlight, and even when they took a bow, he was still in the dark.”
Here’s KC in KC! The Madrid Theatre is noted for reputedly having received the patronage of notorious gangster, Al Capone. With bullet-holes peppering the walls below stage, King Crimson are no strangers to a different kind of firepower and the unleash it with force tonight in what might well be a real highpoint of the tour so far. Virtuous Circle...
2001 was something of a transitional year for the 00's Quartet. Pat's drumkit & sounds were evolving in a heavier direction, and the open improvs of the 2000 tour were replaced with new material getting roadtested and readied for recording. On this night, they were in Kansas City's unique Madrid Theater, a venue with a long and checkered history, large enough to accommodate national & international acts, but intimate enough for smaller concerts as well (around this time the Madrid was a favori...
2001 was something of a transitional year for the 00's Quartet. Pat's drumkit & sounds were evolving in a heavier direction, and the open improvs of the 2000 tour were replaced with new material getting roadtested and readied for recording. On this night, they were in Kansas City's unique Madrid Theater, a venue with a long and checkered history, large enough to accommodate national & international acts, but intimate enough for smaller concerts as well (around this time the Madrid was a favorite place for KCMO local bands to put on a special evening). The 2001 shows are notable for the ways they highlight earlier versions of material that would end up on The Power To Believe - some, like Level Five, are already fully formed and scorching, but others are still being probed. Dangerous Curves makes for a wonderfully sinister opening, kind of like a full band soundscape. It's not too far from the finished version, but the playing is definitely less nailed down, and the drum parts have more in common with ProjeKct Three than the way they would end up on the album. ELEKTRIK is a bit tentative, the only song of the night that veers a bit into clam territory, with several moments that fall into that nebulous region between investigations gone awry and regular errors. But it is by no means a bad rendition of the piece. Perhaps the best highlight of the night (and the '01 tour) is Virtuous Circle, a looser, semi-improvisational form of what would solidify into The Power To Believe II. The motifs and general shape are all in place, but the band stretches them out and lets the piece take on different colors and tones. This night's performance has Fripp's climactic guitar lines rather buried in the mix - whether this was deliberate or a technical glitch is uncertain, but the result is fascinating nonetheless. As for the more established pieces, this audient finds no complaints anywhere. Into The Frying Pan benefits from the beefier drum sounds, TCOL is both spirited and precise, VROOOM has a satisfying stomp, Elephant Talk and Red are as delightful as always, and LTIA IV showcases sharper arrangements than on the album and first tour. Pat's drumming is less busy, the rhythm attack is more pointed and angular, and the coda has been shortened, with the vocal part excised completely, all of these changes for the better. And Deception of the Thrush is, as usual, amazing (I have yet to hear a performance of this piece that was anything less). 2001 was the year when the Double Duo started to achieve its full potential, and this show from the Madrid is an excellent showcase of that evolution.
Written by George Davis
A Good Night
I had lost track of Crimson’s albums since 1984 and was unfamiliar with the newer material. I was completely taken aback as I heard some of the best music this band has ever done. I told friends for weeks about how good the show was and how it seemed like a 45 minute improv that shook my head out. Before the band took the stage, I was standing near the sound board when out of the crowd came Robert Fripp. His face was nearly expressionless, I guess he likes to check out the audience like this f...
I had lost track of Crimson’s albums since 1984 and was unfamiliar with the newer material. I was completely taken aback as I heard some of the best music this band has ever done. I told friends for weeks about how good the show was and how it seemed like a 45 minute improv that shook my head out. Before the band took the stage, I was standing near the sound board when out of the crowd came Robert Fripp. His face was nearly expressionless, I guess he likes to check out the audience like this from time to time. Once he got close I calmly said "Hey, Bob." He looked at me but still showed no expression as he continued toward the lobby of the theater.
