King Crimson Tickets

King Crimson was great. However, all of the sound scape between songs was completely lost on the crowd. Too much screaming, getting up to get more beer, moving to better seats and the apparent inability to figure out how the seat numbering works. The A/C sucked. Best place to be for this concert would have been the front row of the mezzanine.

The beauty of progressive rock music is the exploration of various sounds so beautifully displayed by King Crimson, pioneers of prog. Watching them perform live was mind-blowing. Their presentation was all about the music! No fancy backdrops or light shows. These men were dressed in suits and delivered an outstanding performance. My fiance, who is not very familiar with prog rock, said he enjoyed the show and wants to see them again!

Glad I was able to see these guys live. The musicianship is just incredible. When I think of all the projects these guys are involved in, I am amazed they can remember everything. Putting the 3 drum kits in front was very cool during the drum solos (trios), but put the balance off musically. At times they overpowered the other instruments, which lessened the overall experience. They are also very anti-photography, including cell phones. The problem with this is the ushers became so militant, flashing their flashlights at people who were sneaking photos. The ushers were a much worse distraction than anyone taking pictures. The irony of this was Tony Levin snapped a few photos of the audience at the end of the concert. But overall I would recommend this concert to all Crimson fans. Great set list, masterful musicianship, incredible songs.

A nearly urinated myself finding the encore to contain a concise and drum-centric rendition of of 21st Century Schiz

The presence of 3 drum kits as you enter was the most obvious "update" to this incarnation to KC and it worked very well. The song selection too was excellent. Mostly mid-70's peak stuff (Larks' Tounge, Red, Starless...).Played with tons of expression, heart and skill. Great ensemble playing as well well as solos. A prog-rock wet dream really. The sound was just right for the band and venue. Seeing Fripp and his cockeyed half-smile verge toothy grin as he oversaw the proceedings was joyous. Just a great show.

What talent! What energy! Sonically one of the most impressive concerts I have ever been to. It was all about the music. No running around the stage, no antics or extreme movements or showmanship. The lights did not even change until near the end of the set. The music covered it all. Origins of Prog Rock along with pre- Metallica Heavy Metal meets pre- Primus with a little Frank Zappa thrown in there not to mention some light easy listening Kenny G style stuff (just for the hell of it, I guss) These old guys played all out for two and one half hours. They do it all...simply amazing.

King Crimson was absolutely amazing... Incredible display of musicianship! They had a very varied setlist. The sound was also very good and well mixed overall. The Orpheum Theater was also a pretty good pick and you can always enjoy some good food in the near restaurants.

All six of those guys are extremely talented and precise musicians. The sound at the Orpheum was pretty muddled and echo-y (though my seats were off to the side; still no excuse after paying $80 a seat). I don't mind going to a concert and only knowing one song, but I'd prefer all the other songs didn't all sound the same. While it was great to watch three drummers stay in such synchronization, it overwhelmed the rest of the music and the vocals. The best moments of the night were during the more quiet songs. And what's up with Tony Levin being the only one to smile all night?!? The drummer on our right looked downright bitter all night long. I knew Adrian Belew wasn't on the tour, but I'd still hoped for some of their great 80's songs.

Great review of the history of the project - percussion was a bit overwhelming but was an important part of the presentation.

Beautiful drumming by these three and some wonderful ensemble playing

The is the first incarnation of King Crimson in 30 years without Adrian Belew, and for me it's about time. After disbanding Crimson in 1974 Robert Fripp waited 10 years before devising a Crimson featuring Belew, the flashier guitarist, to be front and center. Fripp wanted to disappear into the dark, to be subsumed into the mix, to no longer be "the man," for whatever reason. He always remained a dominating force throughout the next three decades and Crimson's various incarnations, particularly as a composer of many of the instrumental pieces. Still, for fans like me of his particularly idiosyncratic guitar sound his contributions became entirely too egalitarian. But according to a recent interview with Tony Levin this latest tour, the concept, the musicians, the song list was all Fripp's idea, so something's changed. I don't know if he's getting soft in his old age , but last Tuesday the band performed what up until now Fripp had always forsworn doing - a greatest hits tour! No new material except for the incidental pieces used as bridges between some of the songs, unless you consider the newer arrangements of some of the familiar classics. I particularly liked the almost loping quality applied to Red. But of the 16 songs on the setlist, 10 were from albums released between 1969 and 1974. And every song sounded better (at least to me) than the original. I especially have to give props to Jakko Jakszyk for his vocals and fine guitar work. He didn't particularly impress me when he was with the Crimson tribute band but he's definitely stepped up his game (or maybe I just wasn't listening attentively enough before). A standout was his performance on The Letters. And the gorgeous cross picking Fripp played as accompaniment to the ballad portion was unbelievable. So beautiful. Then the thundering middle section with Mel Collins groaning sax and that heavy bottom end. Incredible. Then to be brought back to the tender melody with Jaks z yk's vocal and one of Sinfield's best lyrics. Oh man.... One More Red Nightmare....Pictures Of A City....Sailor's Tale.... ....and of course 21st Century Schizoid Man, with one of the most jaw dropping drum solos I've ever heard placed in the middle. Honestly - Gavin Harrison - I had no idea. I don't even like drum solos that much. Less is more, usually. But this one was amazing. And like all greatest hits shows this Crimson had the crowd screaming out with Jaks z yk when he sang the title. But though that song was the closer, the great one for me was the band's penultimate offering, Starless. Fripp's finest melodic line, I think, and on this tour his boldest statement on the legacy of what is undeniably his band. On the album his guitar floats in, delicate and etheral. But Tuesday night The Master, no longer in the shadows, fully lit, his guitar turned up and searing, la id out the melody over the haunting mellotron (or mellotron-like) chords and filled the theater with a sound everyone there will long remember. To old fans, who had all but given up hope of ever hearing those notes played again it's as if he was saying, "Thanks for hanging in there." And to the younger fans, many of whom I'm sure hadn't been born when Starless first came out, those notes seemed to say, "This is why you may have heard of me." But whether old fans or first timers, anyone who came Tuesday night wanting to hear why King Crimson has always been considered such a legendary band left with a very clear understanding. An incredible show.

I have seen KC before - in the 1980's, 1990's and early 2000's (opening for Tool). Each concert was unique. This one was no exception. Having 3 percussionists play at the same time gave it a more sonic punch. Also, KC performed songs that have not been played before (like Starless and Bible Black). The musicianship was tight and led by the superb Robert Fripp. The only relatively weak link was the Mel Collins (saxophonist & flutist). Considering that is most likely their last concert, I just wished that KC performed Fracture and that Robert Fripp for once acknowledge his fans' standing ovation (as usual, he never showed any kind of emotion). Nevertheless, you have to admire his guitar skills, his non conformist spirit and his musical vision.

Put aside any reservations you might have about Adrian Belew not being a part of this incarnation of King Crimson. This is an incredible line up of musicians, and they put on an incredible show. The band is so tight that it's easy to overlook the individual talents of each member, but maybe that is a testament to the transcendence of the body of work that is King Crimson.

Where to start? All I can tell you is, if you where there, then you know; you witnessed it. For those of you who did not attend, it would be difficult to convey just how astonishing this incarnation of KC is. I discovered KC when I heard Elephant Talk blasting from the kitchen of a sub shop on University Ave in Madison the fall of 1981. I was so impressed and intrigued with what I heard that I immediately set about finding this music. My first purchase was Red and over the next couple of months, I acquired the entire KC catalog. As fantastic as the entire catalog is, Red holds a very special and important place in my heart and mind as it is such an emotionally powerful work. I never thought that I would experience this material performed live. Profoundly moving.

I don't have the words for it. You have to see it for yourself. Amazing musicians playing great music. It's always great to see the people artists having fun playing for you! Three drummers and all kinds of creative techniques! See them as soon as possible!

Was extremly polished and well done. was able to get autographs. Would see it again if possible, but with better seats.

I was well behind the evolution of the band and did not understand where they were coming from. That along with hoping Greg Lake would be joining, I had wished I was better prepared. The band was definitely tight.

One of the the most professional and polished stage acts i have ever seen! They had three, count em, three drummers!! Just a fabulous overall experience!!!!

King Crimson VIII delivered an unforgettable evening of music. First time I ever saw a band with three drum kits set up in the first row, but it added a new rhythmic layer of sound, both in the bass and in the treble (especially the blending of cymbals). This added a new dimension to some great classic songs from the 1970s that still sound ahead of their time, all these years later.

The last time I saw King Crimson was 30 years ago. They have not lost a single bit of intensity. This kind of talent is truly rare these day....you know-people who really play their instruments!