I’ve been a fan of King Crimson almost as long as I can remember. My dad had the Court LP, and I can remember vividly being in awe of the title track at 5 years old in 1970…..By the time Discipline was released, I had the entire LP collection (minus Earthbound). I was lucky enough to have seen two shows in 1984 (Santa Barbara and Irvine). By 2019, I’d been living in Alaska, and I wanted so badly to fly to the Lower 48 to catch the 50th Anniversary tour, but didn’t think I’d be able to justify the expense to my wife….but close to one of the final dates, I mentioned it to her. She shocked me by saying “Well, why not? If it’s something you really want, then let’s do it!” But by then the tour was nearly over, and then of course Covid killed the 2020 tour. But I was not to be deterred – my wife said she would come to hear my “weirdo music” (her term), so - by god - I was gonna make it happen….I bought a pair of Royal Package Tickets and used up all our airline miles to fly from Alaska to new Jersey for the Holmdel show. I had very much wanted to share Crimson’s music with her before we went, but she refused, saying that she wanted to experience the band with no expectations – a blank canvas, so I decided to honor that wish, thinking that it would be an interesting experiment – King Crimson music has always been a part of me – my wife was going in completely blind….. We managed to dodge the tail end of a hurricane two days before the show (I was convinced it would be cancelled), and I later heard that part of the venue had actually flooded, cancelling a concert there earlier in the week. Yet it turned out to be a glorious sunny afternoon, and we were greeted at the gate by Iona Singleton (who was just lovely and even recognized that we had come in from Alaska). We then went in to the seating area for the Royal Package talks. Robert Fripp came out and was just delightful. He spoke about being in the moment, and how very easily one can carelessly remove oneself from the moment. (After the talks but before the show, my wife said of RF, “That man just penetrated my soul….I just love him!”) David Singleton was next, giving us some short previews of restored Frippertronics performances from the upcoming Exposure box, and then Pat Mastellotto appeared for a brief Q&A before the gates opened for the general audience. Before the very end, I was able to ask David if the session tapes for Islands, Larks and Red would be forthcoming on DGM in the same way that Court, Poseidon and Lizard had over the past couple years. He answered, in effect, that yes, it needed to happen, though he said that Larks would likely be a daunting task just because of the sheer number of session tapes! (Best spoiler alert ever!) After hitting up the merch table, we settled in for the show. I hadn’t been to a proper concert in over 20 years, and it had been 37 years since last seeing King Crimson, so I was just beside myself even before the Zappa Band came out for the opening set. My wife and I were 4th row center, and the view of the stage was perfect! The Zappa Band was sensational, and I was so overcome by being at a live show that I actually had tears in my eyes during one of Mike Keneally’s solos…. King Crimson’s set began with a newly recorded RF spoken intro (Yayyyy!), which soon led into a blistering Drumzilla that nearly knocked me out of my chair. Pictures > Court > OMRN > Tony Cadenza > Red….It was just incredible….Islands was a moment of calm before the maelstrom of Neurotica into Indiscipline….Epitaph, Radical Action II, Level Five, and then Starless, which gave me goosebumps and more tears, finally ending with a 21CSM encore with an astounding solo from Gavin… The show was amazing from start to finish, although I must say that the sound up front was quite muddy during the heavier portions of the performances. On Islands, Epitaph, and Starless the mix was excellent, but otherwise the drum line was so close that you could not only clearly hear the drummers in front of you, but also the amplified drummers in the sound system. But this is a minor complaint - My wife genuinely loved the show, particularly Robert and Mel, though she also said the sound wasn’t as clear as she’d have liked….So on our way back to the car, I vowed to myself that one way or another we’d see another show before tour’s end….. (Boston)

Six days prior, I had taken my wife to see the Holmdel show. We had flown in from Alaska for the Royal Package. That show was fantastic, and we had a wonderful time, but down front the sound was a bit muddy and the drum line perhaps a bit overwhelming at times. As we weren’t flying home for a few more days, I managed to convince my long-suffering partner to attend the Boston performance. I was able to grab a pair of tickets right next to the soundboard, ensuring that we would get the best possible mix. It was a beautiful evening, with a slight breeze. The Zappa band was spectacular, and the sound mix was a thousand times better than what we’d gotten the week before…I knew without a doubt that my wife (who’s only exposure to KC had been at that first concert) was in for a treat….. I had recently read a post from David Singleton outlining an issue at the Ravinia Festival regarding the use of multi-camera video feeds during the performance and why the band was opposed to them. So I was rather surprised to see them in use during the Zappa Band’s set. I was certain that they’d be turned off for the Crimson performance, but to my shock, during Devil Dogs the cameras were still on, and of course they’d focus on Pat while Gavin was doing his bit, then on Jeremy while Pat was doing his, and so on – As David had said, it was very distracting and absolutely made full attentiveness difficult. Somewhere around the beginning of Pictures Of A City, I saw RF summon one of the stage crew, and then he gestured toward the cameraman who had stationed himself in the pit on the edge of the stage…..He was summarily removed from the area and the screens on either side of the stage then switched to a static shot of the full stage, which was almost comical, since the figures on the stage were larger and better-defined than the screens! What can I say about the music that hasn’t already been said a hundred times? The mix was sublime, the performances by each musician were spectacular, and I was so happy that I had talked my wife into a “do-over” so that she could finally hear what I’d been enthusiastically raving about for so long….. “Court” was so powerful that I remember thinking that the Coda would almost be pointless – Boy, was I wrong….the sheer weight and velocity of the sound during that section was unbelievable…”One More Red Nightmare” and “Larks II” were flawless. ”Islands” and “Court” were my wife’s favorites. Jakko gave a shoutout to Pat at the end of “Indiscipline” (“I like it because it's Pat Mastelotto's birthday!”) An energetic “Red” and a beautiful “Starless” closed out the main set, before a blistering 21CSM finished off the night. This was in my opinion a fantastic show, and a contender for eventual release (hint-hint), at the very least as a full DGM download….. This having been my fourth (and likely final) KC show, I am so happy to have attended. Thank you to the band, the crew, DGM, and everyone involved……I’ll never forget it!

Great selection and quality. Love this band

I love the performances they made and the songs they played are awesome. Also, the quality of the recording is really great!

Possibly my last Crimson show, Rose Music Center, nowhere in particular. What a strange venue that suddenly arises like an island out of the sea of Ohio suburbs. As I arrived to the hotel, I heard KC rehearsing. I crossed the enormous empty parking lot to sneak a listen (sorry, couldn't help it!) and soaked in the beloved sounds,until a security guard suggested that I can "walk and listen" at the same time. It was a surreal moment that made me forget about the whole world outside that parking lot. The entire evening had the same aura of surrealism and magic as if some greater forces conspired to make this the most special night of music - but such things are commonplace when Crimson is in the house. The emotional Royal Package, the setlist, the smiles on the faces of musicians, hearing Schizoid Man (finally!), it was perfect in each moment. As the show neared its thundering conclusion I felt a great wave of love for each band member. I realized that out of all the Crim iterations, with so many greats passing through, this band, the first and last I've ever seen, is the one I will always treasure as my Crimson. I understood what Robert always said, about this being the only band that could be King Crimson in this moment in this circular time. If this was indeed my last KC show ever, it couldn't have possibly been more perfect.

King Crimson Rose Music Center in Huber Heights, Ohio September 2, 2021 As the last reverberations of “21st Century Schizoid Man” settled, triggering a merry, mutual photo session between King Crimson and its audience at the Rose Music Center, a bittersweet sentiment sifted through the crowd. It was reflected very matter-of-factly by a patron sitting next to me. “I wonder if that’s really it.” The remark reflected widely circulated (meaning rumored) scuttlebutt that the mighty Crimson’s current North American tour will be its last. Of course, the band has issued no official statement on the subject. It’s a good bet, in fact, the musicians themselves don’t definitively know what the future holds. But if this was indeed part of the last-go-round for Robert Fripp and company, then they are going out on a jubilant note – well, a whole lot of jubilant notes. Like the near annual treks Crimson has undertaken since reinventing itself in 2013/14 as a seven (and sometimes eight) headed beast fronted by three drummers - Gavin Harrison, Jeremy Stacey (who doubled on keyboards) and longtime Crimsonite Pat Mastelotto - this performance was a stunning presentation of living history. The 15 tunes making up the concert covered eight different albums spanning five decades. But the specific “whens” didn’t really matter. All of the material was presented with an almost symphonic electricity. The drums didn’t just establish grooves, they played off them, orchestrated them and at times even harmonized with each other during specific passages. Mel Collins’ turns on flutes and various saxophones enhanced the color of more pastoral moments while turning more open-ended passages into jazz joyrides. Guitarists Fripp and Jakko Jakszyk proved a daredevil tag team, especially when their dizzying runs locked horns with the drums. And then there was Tony Levin, who navigated the same treacherous rhythmic waters as his cohorts on bass and stick while also providing each workout with subtle, flexible but substantial foundations. In other words, the technical command of Crimson remained stunning with a repertoire covering a half-century that in no way resembled a collective museum piece. Whether it was through works from the 1969 debut album, “In the Court of the Crimson King” (in particular, the still-elegantly ruminative “Epitaph) or comparatively newer instrumentals composed by the current Crimson lineup (the roaring percussion/guitar workout “Radical Action II”), this is a modern thinking unit. For instance, the pastoral sweep of “Islands” remained rich and warm, reflecting the concert’s quietest set of dynamics. Credit Jakszyk’s vocal lead and Collins’ saxophone flights for making the piece sound fresher than any supposed “prog” song from 1971 has a right to. Similarly, a comparatively recent (if you want to call 2001 recent) excursion like “Level Five” remained a stirring blend of electro/acoustic percussive ingenuity and warp-speed guitar fire. If there is a single piece that best reflected the sound and strength of this current Crimson incarnation, “Level Five” gets the prize. Also, for an ensemble with so many moving parts, this seven-member crew performed expertly as an actual band. A drum break from Garrison during “21st Century Schizoid Man” and an earlier serenade by Levin on electric upright bass were among the only unaccompanied solos performed during the show. But the members all soloed generously through the evening within a band context. Everything coalesced with the set-closing “Starless,” a still-stirring 1974 composition that swept in like an evening fog before a middle section broke away for an ominous ensemble groove that slowly gathered intensity and dimension with guitars and drums both anchoring and playing against the groove. The tune also allowed for the show’s only visual indulgence, one that gradually bathed the band in blood red lighting. So if this performance was, in fact, “it” – meaning, the show was part of the concluding Stateside chapter in the 50-plus year saga of King Crimson – then the band is leaving with more than a mere bang. It is exiting by illuminating nearly all its creative history with the vitality and invention of the here and now.