What do you get when you combine two members of King Crimson, guitarist/vocalist Adrian Belew, Chapman Stick/bass player Tony Levin, with ace guitarist Steve Vai and Tool drummer Danny Carey?

You get musical genius. And a sold-out show at the City National Grove of Anaheim. One could easily put the word legend in front of every member of this group. The die-hard King Crimson fans could only imagine what would happen at what was only BEAT’s fourth show together. This was billed as a “creative reinterpretation of the three iconic 80s King Crimson albums” which made sense since that is when Belew and Levin joined the guitarist Robert Fripp-led progressive King Crimson. Fripp had led versions of King Crimson from 1968 to 1974. After a long hiatus, in 1981 Fripp decided to form a new group and brought in Belew and Levin. They recorded three albums together, Discipline, Beat, Three of a Perfect Pair. These three albums were the foundation of the Anaheim show’s set list.

With no opening act, the concert was divided into two sets with a short intermission between. While there were obvious hits played from the albums, the group was able to both stretch themselves and surprise the audience by pulling out some deeper cuts. As Belew mentioned, the Anaheim show was only BEAT’s fourth, so while major KC fans can identify certain areas that seemed “off”, one also has to remember that this is once again, a “creative reinterpretation” and the band could be trying something along the way.

Belew came out in an all-red suit and porkpie hat. He mostly played his Parker Fly guitar throughout the evening, but sitting to his left, under wraps, was his Twang Bar King which he tried unsuccessfully to unveil in a dramatic fashion. Belew laughed it off and had fun with the effort as he did with the entire show. How much fun was he having? He joined drummer Danny Carey at the front of the stage for a little tandem drumming until one of the sticks fell out of his hands. These minor setbacks in no way belie Belew’s abilities throughout the evening. He made his guitars howl, bringing out sounds from fretboard and whammy bar use that showcased his true mastery of the instrument. His love and respect for these albums and songs were evident.

Which brings us to the second guitarist who is second to none: Steve Vai. Vai was ultra-stylish in a black embroidered suit, floral shirt, with a black hat and cool shades. The man was gunslinger/guitarslinger personified. Vai played an Ibanez PIA that was custom-made for this tour and featured his own art on it. Prior to the tour, Vai worked extremely hard to learn the intricate Fripp guitar parts and it showed. But there were also moments when certain songs became Vai-ed, which once again, keeping with the “creative reinterpretation” became a treat.

On bass, Chapman Stick, and vocals, Tony Levin delivered and then some. He also added some synthesizer work as well. His contribution is incredibly important to the BEAT sound. His usage of his signature Funk Finger Sticks on “Larks' Tongues in Aspic Part III” drove that song.

Speaking of driving songs, some felt like drummer Danny Carey had the toughest role to play. Fans on YouTube have been comparing his work to not only Bill Bruford, but also Pat Mastelotto, who did not play on the albums. Carey was up for the challenge. His work both anchored and drove the music. And his smile showed how much fun he was having. All four members of BEAT broke into smiles throughout the evening, whether those smiles were due just having fun or due to having survived playing some of the most intense and intricate music on earth could be up for “creative reinterpretation.”

Either way, the band and the audience knew that something special had just occurred. As one audience member gushed on the way out, “Oh my god, I can’t believe what we just saw!”

SET LIST

SET 1

Neurotica

Neal and Jack and Me

Heartbeat

Sartori in Tangier

Dig Me

Model Man

Man With an Open Heart

Industry

Larks’ Tongues in Aspic (Part III)

SET 2

Waiting Man

The Sheltering Sky

Sleepless

Frame by Frame

Matte Kudasai

Elephant Talk

Three of a Perfect Pair

Indiscipline

ENCORE

Red

Thela Hun Ginjeet

Special note: The first song of the encore, “Red” was a break from the three albums from the 1980’s theme. “Red” is from the King Crimson 1974 album of the same name.