Beat in Madison

“Indiscipline” brought the crowd to its feet at the close of the second set of Beat–a revival of 1980s King Crimson. The virtuoso band included Tony Levin, Andrian Belew, Steve Vai and Danny Carry. The lyrics for Indiscipline like this:

I do remember one thing
It took hours and hours
By the time I was done with it
I was so involved, I didn’t know what to think
I carried it around with me for days and days
Playing little games
Like not looking at it for a whole day
And then, looking at it to see if I still liked it
I did!

When Belew shouts “I did,” all hell breaks loose. A joyful hell, filled with extravagantly loud and chaotic music, yet played artfully. In some ways, there’s not much to it as a song. In other ways, its a song only King Crimson could perform.

I had a front-row balcony seat with a perfect view, the better to watch Tony Levin–a hero among bass players. Tony killed it, both on Chapman Stick and on electric bass. I realized that Tony makes so much sound and holds the rhythm down so tightly that the rest of the band can do just about anything.

Steve Vai played Robert Fripp’s parts. These are often fast, repetitive minimalist lines, and often out in a different meter than the rest of the band. Challenging work. And his solos were otherworldly.

Andrian Belew was just joyful in leading the band, and playing equally intricate guitar parts and full of energy. Most the songs and lyrics are his.

And this was my first time hearing the drummer, Carey, from the band Tool. He was having a great night, and when they gave him a solo, he took the hall by storm.

A few other notes:

“Matte Kudasai” is just one of the most beautiful songs.
“Sheltering Sky” was another favorite of this show and they played an especially memorable version.
And of course, being a great fan of Tony Levin, I loved “Elephant Talk,” probably the most famous riff played on a Chapman Stick.

Together, the band made King Crimson sound as original and vital as ever.