“Good evening! Welcome to this beautiful Symphony Hall. Fasten your seat belts, here we go,” says Belew offering some belated advice to the good folks of San Diego after they been jostled and generally thrown about by an especially aggressive reading of Vrooom Vrooom, whose palindromic melodies and inversions spin like Catherine wheels. Those kinds of fireworks are a feature of this and other shows during this particular tour.
Reflecting on the unveiling of the power and promise of the Double Trio, Belew told Rolling Stone ahead of King Crimson’s first North American dates since 1984, "We didn’t want to be a bunch of old guys who got together to try and recreate the past or cash in on it — not that the band was ever that popular anyway; I’ve always seen King Crimson as more influential than affluent. In fact, it was several months before we even played a note of old Crimson songs. The beauty of this band is we have so much choice — two of everything is something that’s no-one has mined very much, so you have to write your own vocabulary. No-one knows what they should do together. The music sounded so chaotic, even to me! Sometimes you feel like there’s no-one in control and that the music's creating itself, it’s so strong and powerful.”
As the band edge toward the conclusion of a punishing 28-date itinerary, the energy levels here remain remarkably high and greatly appreciated by this packed San Deigo crowd.
