Been to any good concerts lately?

[Sock Puppet]

Starting a thrad because I can't find one on point. I'd rather have a place for brags about seeing great shows than bury them in the Listening thread.

Last Friday, best Friday the 13th ever, I saw Beat. Outdoor venue, 4th row, right in the center.

Matlock mentioned them in that other thread, but like I said, buried on page 3K or whatever. 2 members of King Crimson in the 80's era, Adrian Belew and Tony Levin, together with guitar god Steve Vai and Tool drummer Danny Carey, doing music from those 3 80s albums: Discipline, Beat (hence the name), and Three of a Perfect Pair.

Warning to any mere mortals who aren't into this prognerd stuff: You probably wouldn't like this show, at all. Belew's synthesized guitar and Vai's stratospheric axe get really loud, and really high-pitched, while Levin and Carey are laying down near-relentless rhythms. I, however, fucking loved it.

The following pics are sized in half due to hugeness, hopefully they're still clear enough.

Adrian Belew, still in great voice and hilarious to watch:



Steve Vai, who was also hilarious without ever saying a word:



Tony Levin smacking his bass with plastic tubes on his fingertips, a technique I'm calling "Hot Dog Fingers":



Tony again, this time playing the amazing Chapman "Stick":



Post-show bow, showing just how friggin' enormous Danny Carey is:




ETA: P.S. to Matlock - I tend to avoid finding out a setlist ahead of seeing a show, so I'm not gonna spoil anything. You will get a nice surprise, however, if you're a good audience.

[Stephen Maturin]

Thanks much for the report, man! My concert bud from work and I are all set for the day after Election Day.

Seeing Tony Levin never ceases to amaze. That boy is PAB's age, and other than the turkey neck he doesn't look appreciably different than he did when that iteration of King Crimson started pumping out records in 1981! Saw some footage from the tour's opening show, and it still appears to be the case that no one has more fun on stage than Belew.

[Ensign Steve]

Yesssss. We are so glad you asked.

A few weeks ago, we saw Billy Strings at the Greek Theater in Berkeley (not to be confused with the Greek Theater in LA, or honestly probably a million other oudoor amphitheaters in the world). It was our first show, by any artist, at that venue, and our second Billy Strings show, having seen him in Oakland a couple years ago.

This dude is a phenom. He's a wee babby, so you can watch his entire life on youtube. He was riddled with talent before he had any pubes or tattoos, and he just keeps getting better with age and experience.

Seeing him at the Greek was dope. It's a fabulous venue, outdoors and small enough to be intimate. The crowd was so amazing, bunch of fucking hippies all loaded up with love and drugs, etc. Then a week or two later, at Pride, we ran into an aged hippie whose daughter had been at same the show. Small world!

10/10. Would recommend.

bey has the photos on his phone.

[Sock Puppet]

The Greek in Berkeley is indeed a fabulous venue. Offhand, I can remember at least 5 shows I saw there, starting with David Gilmour's first solo tour after Pink Floyd crashed & burned, and including the 90's Jefferson Airplane reunion. All seats are good there, IMO.

[Stephen Maturin]

It's a little too soon to get excited about just yet, but Steven Wilson has a solo tour planned for 2025 (his first since 2018) in connection with a not-yet-released "space themed album that features just two long pieces." Only European dates announced thus far.

The band will include Wilson vets Adam Holzman (keys), who was once the keyboardist and musical director for Miles Davis's band, the incomparable Nick Beggs (bass, Chapman Stick, vocals), and Craig Blundell (drums). The only "n00b" to Wilson's solo band is prog singer/guitarist Randy McStine, who played with Wilson during Porcupine Tree's 2022-23 tours.

[vremya]

We just saw Dave Alvin and the Guilty Ones with Jimmy Dale Gilmore (Smoky in The Big Lebowski) It was at The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis, which doesn't have a bad seat anywhere. It was a great show! Dave never disappoints. Solo stuff, Blasters, lots of chat in between songs - and some GREAT guitar work.

Dave tours up and down the west coast all the time, but doesn't make it inland too often. He's one artist I will move heaven and earth to see.

[Stephen Maturin]

Saw BEAT last night toward the end of the tour Sock referenced in the OP, and holy fuck was it great! Ain't many shows that feature moments making you think "That was worth the price of admission all by itself," but there were multiple such moments last night. The Sheltering Sky, maybe my all-time favorite King Crimson tune, was one. The last half of Industry was one.The Carey/Belew drum intro to Waiting Man that opened the second set was one. Carey's accompanied drum solo at the beginning of Indiscipline was one. And, of course, Steve Vai walking onstage for the first set in full-blown zoot suit was definitely one.

It's been lean pickins concert wise in 2024, which made it extra superb that these guys decided go ahead with their tour.

BEAT: The Sheltering Sky, Sleepless @ Paramount...