October 1
With another sell-out show at the Orpheum, the band continued their mission to perform what was at that point the deepest dive into King Crimson’s back catalogue. Last performed live in the USA by Bill Bruford, David Cross, John Wetton, and Robert Fripp 40 years previously, the appearance of Starless on the setlist produced gasps of awe from every audience who heard those elegiac Mellotron chords fade in. Throughout the entire concert, the lighting remained static, simple cream/white until the ominous bass section where everything on the stage was gradually bathed in an infernal red/crimson light. It’s worth noting also how good Jakko’s vocals on this performance are. In a review of Live At The Orpheum, the first official offering from this tour, Pop Matters noted that “Jakko Jakszyk’s pipes sound more like Jack Bruce than Adrian Belew or John Wetton, but that matters for nil when he can chase any note up the scale and stay true to the ambitious nature of King Crimson’s music.”
