Stick Men Tickets

This was a completely EPIC show. Ludlows Garage did a fantastic job hosting this event. Mr. Levin, Mr. Mastelotto and Mr Reuter delivered an EPIC performance playing numerous King Crimson tunes and their own Stick Men creations. Then they came out into the crowd for a meet an greet and we got autographs and photos and had a nice chat. Total 5 STAR performance !!!!

The three musicians that comprise Stick Men: bassist/stickman Tony Levin, stickman Michael Bernier and drummer Pat Mastelotto, put on a performance that redefined modern Prog-Rock, with an emphasis on pure improv, which gave the show an edge that's usually missing in some of the more mathematical musicians out there (such as Steve Vai, whose show put me nearly to sleep years ago). Levin is, of course, one of the world's most accomplished bass players, having performed and recorded with Peter Gabriel for the entirety of his post-Genesis career, as well as with lofty names such as John Lennon, Sarah McLachlan, Pink Floyd, Paul Simon, Warren Zevon, Buddy Rich, Lou Reed, Dire Straits, Alice Cooper, Tom Waits, David Bowie and Todd Rundgren, to name a few. He, along with both Bernier and Mastelotto is also a member of the current incarnation of King Crimson, and that band's influence of tricky time signatures were very much on display during this concert. This is not a show for casual fans. It was immaculate musicianship on display. The music was often challenging and intense, yet capable of great beauty, such as with the elegiac tune "Crack In the Sky", which was my favorite of the night. For the most part, the emphasis was on free-form improvisation, which owed as much to the likes of mid-1960's era John Coltrane and early Weather Report as it does to Crimson's live explorations. What really carried the show over the top was the good humor and personality of the players. All three took turns at the mic, talking to the audience in between songs, setting tunes up and even cracking jokes. It broke the ice early on, and put a lot of people at ease who may have been apprehensive about the music, because it was so complex in general. A treat for the fans was a performance of KC's "Sartori In Tangier", which was as welcome as it was unexpected. Likewise, a version of Mike Oldfield's "Mirage" was a cool surprise. If the concert had a flaw, it's that the acoustics sometimes overwhelmed, particularly the drums, which seemed to be turned up too high for a venue as intimate as the Canyon Club. Still, it was exciting to see such seasoned musicians up close and personal (my table was right up to the stage with no barrier, and I was no more than 5 feet from Tony), especially since they tend to 'stick' to much larger venues, like theaters and festivals. After the show, each of them came out into the audience to hang out, pose for pics and sign autographs. A nice way to cap the evening. ***--note: opening act Pet Shark were excellent. A three-man instrumental group with echoes of Ozric Tentacles, Jeff Beck and Goblin with some really tasty lead guitar. These guys are easily worth seeing on their own.