Monday, September 6, 2021

King Crimson w/ The Zappa Band 9/5/21 Westville Music Bowl

 The Frank Zappa sound lives on through a maze of relations and affiliates. A potent stew of rock, jazz, and sophomoric humor is the backdrop for continual invention and re- invention. The lineup for this group is Mike Keneally, Scott Thunes, Ray White,, Robert Martin, Joe Travers , and Jamie Kime. The set list mirrors tunes played on the last show of the FZ 1988 tour. Peaches en Regalia, What’s New in Baltimore?, City of Tiny Lites, Florentine Pogen we’re a few of the highlights. The group closed with an appropriate version of the tune Andy, a chestnut from the One Size Fits All record.

Robert Fripp is still steering the prog monster known as King Crimson. The stage setup was imposing. Three full arena rock drum kits were side by side on the fore stage with the second tier of non drummers consisting of Mel Collins on saxes, flute and keys, Tony Levin on all varieties of bass, singer guitarist who took the role of Greg Lake, and cranky Fripp on guitar and knob twiddling. KC sound has evolved from late sixties orchestral faerie fluff, to menacing seventies prog metal, to eighties power quartet virtuosity. It was mesmerizing to watch three talented drummers play off or with one another. Each drummer came with a “side dish”, one with gongs/bells, another with keys, and the last with a variety of shakers and noise makers. There was one passage where each tried to shift the time signature and watch the next try to catch up. The set list included such heavies as Lark’s Tongues in Aspic pt 1, Epitaph, Court of The Crimson King, Islands, Red, and One More Red Nightmare. Encored with 21st Century Schizoid Man. The show was enjoyable, and the novelty of 3 drummers was a sight. I do think the schmaltzy Greg Lake- isms fall short on the 2021crowd, but there is “safety in drummers”.

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