Trey Gunn described this evening as “interesting” in his diary. A not entirely appropriate venue, combined with an unusually steep ticket price, conspired to produce “Without doubt, the smallest attended gig I have done in years.”
Another first-time visitor to the venue was eye-witness Kronos. Writing on Elephant Talk he noted, “When I arrived at the Talkhouse, I couldn't believe how SMALL this place is. I mean this is a bar, not a concert hall. I counted 60 people.I'm not kidding, this is really small.”
Nevertheless, Belew’s solo set (all of which is included here) was well-received by the small but appreciative crowd with a rendition of Matte Kudesai being a highpoint. “I couldn't believe it...Another standing ovation,” says Kronos.
Reflecting on the show and P2‘s approach, Gunn says “We find the first set is always difficult. As if everyone is tuning into the whole show:us as well as the listeners. It’s as if the whole event is so unusual that no one really knows what to do with it, and we have to go through the formal introductions first. Then when we come out for the second set everyone is tuned up and ready to go. And we do!”
Kronos goes on to observe that the second set “was much more mellow than the first half. Obviously they have surveyed the venue and the audience and decided to lean more heavily on the softer side of their material. They played the lounge version of Vroom, followed by some hyper-extended, mellower, but somehow more intense jams which really showcased the interplay between Fripp and Gunn. They were really cooking. End of last set,standing ovation. We all clapped in unison until they came out for the encore.”
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