Former KING CRIMSON members Adrian Belew and Tony Levin band together with guitar virtuoso Steve Vai and TOOL drummer Danny Carey for the first time to create BEAT, a creative reinterpretation of the three iconic 1980s KING CRIMSON albums — “Discipline”, “Beat” and “Three Of A Perfect Pair”. They will come together this fall for an extensive tour across North America performing repertoire from these three KING CRIMSON iconic albums.
The BEAT tour will begin in San Jose, California on September 12 at San Jose Civic, with the final show planned for November 8 at Las Vegas, Nevada’s The Theater at Virgin Hotels. An artist pre-sale goes live today at noon Eastern (Password: BEATTOUR),with the general on-sale set for Friday, April 5 at 10 a.m. local time at www.BEAT-tour.com.
Guitarist Adrian Belew reflects: “The 1981 through 1984 KING CRIMSON created a music all its own. Timeless. Beautiful. Complex. Fierce. For the fans who lived through it then, and the ones who never got to witness it, our aim is to bring it to life again. A monumental task but we’re going for it! There are not enough exclamation points to express my excitement!”
Guitarist Steve Vai states: “Being a part of this ensemble is an extraordinary privilege and opportunity to perform some of the most beloved, timeless, and monumental music of the ’80s (and beyond) with truly inspired musicians. This music resonates deeply with me. Adrian, Tony and Danny are unique musicians with an otherworldly insight into presenting rich musical complexities in a very accessible way, and I am looking forward to searching each other’s musical minds in real time on stage. I’m sure sparks will fly.” He continues: “Father Robert Fripp is one of our historical geniuses. His highly specific and exceptionally brilliant guitar technique is studied and revered. His contribution to the quality of my musical life, and so many others is supreme. I can assure the fans of KC that I will be putting my best foot forward to respect this great music with the care and intensity it deserves. Did I say ‘sparks will fly’?”
Bassist Tony Levin offers: “This is going to be quite a tour. Revisiting some of my favorite music is a treat in itself, but in company of this stellar lineup, I expect to have my musical butt kicked! And it’s also great that we’re not just playing a few shows, we’re hitting it hard. So, Road Dogs are coming to your area soon.”
Drummer Danny Carey shares: “I am very excited to share the stage with three of my favorite musicians on the planet. Tony, Steve and Adrian have always been a source of inspiration for me since the beginning of my career, and now to be able to share a bit of my musical journey with them is a dream come true. There’s nothing better to make some sparks fly and light a fire under your ass than getting out of your musical comfort zone, and I can’t think of any other three guys I’d rather do this with. I think I can speak for all of us when I say I hope all of our fans are as excited as we are about this tour.”
The vision for this undertaking emanated from initial dialogue between Angelo Bundini a.k.a. Scrote and Adrian Belew. Tour producer Bundini recalls: “When Adrian called me to help bring his idea to fruition, I immediately thought it best to focus on the ’80s albums: ‘Discipline’, ‘Beat’ and ‘Three Of A Perfect Pair’. These three records famously marked Adrian and Tony‘s entry into KING CRIMSON. Their fluid, melodic virtuosity, and Fripp‘s and Bruford‘s dramatic precision created a totally unique, dynamic push and pull that would influence nearly every rock musician and/or band going forward for years, if not decades, to come.”
Both a meet-and-greet and a VIP tour package will be available for purchase. The meet-and-greet includes one premium ticket in the first five rows, early entry, pre-show meet-and-greet, personal photograph captured, limited edition autographed poster, BEAT challenge coin, tote bag, an exclusive merch item, and an official laminate and lanyard. There is limited availability, with pricing set at $200.00. For the VIP tour package, buyers will receive one premium reserved seat in the first 15 rows, a limited-edition BEAT tour poster autographed, the challenge coin, an exclusive tour merch item, and a commemorative laminate and lanyard. Availability is limited at $100.00.
The complete itinerary of planned appearances includes events in:
Sep. 12 – San Jose, CA – San Jose Civic
Sep. 13 – Napa, CA – Blue Note Napa Summer Sessions at Meritage Resort
Sep. 14 – Los Angeles, CA – The United Theater on Broadway
Sep. 15 – Anaheim, CA – City National Grove of Anaheim
Sep. 17 – San Diego, CA – Humphrey’s Concerts
Sep. 18 – Phoenix, AZ – Celebrity Theatre
Sep. 20 – Austin, TX – The Paramount Theatre
Sep. 21 – Houston, TX – Bayou Music Centre
Sep. 22 – Dallas, TX – Majestic Theatre
Sep. 24 – Atlanta, GA – The Eastern
Sep. 26 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – The Parker
Sep. 27 – Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live
Sep. 28 – Clearwater, FL – Ruth Eckerd Hall
Sep. 29 – Charleston, SC – Charleston Music Hall
Oct. 01 – Charlotte, NC – Knight Theater
Oct. 02 – Durham, NC – Carolina Theatre of Durham / Fletcher Hall
Oct. 04 – Washington, DC – Warner Theatre
Oct. 05 – New York, NY – Beacon Theatre
Oct. 06 – Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre
Oct. 08 – Richmond, VA – Carpenter Theater in Dominion Energy Center
Oct. 09 – Red Bank, NJ – Count Basie Center
Oct. 11 – Boston, MA – Shubert Theatre
Oct. 12 – Hampton Beach, NH – Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
Oct. 14 – Halifax, NS – Rebecca Cohen Auditorium
Oct. 15 – Moncton, NB – Casino New Brunswick
Oct. 17 – Montreal, QC – Theatre Maisonneuve
Oct. 18 – Toronto, ON – Massey Hall
Oct. 19 – Rochester, NY – Kodak Center
Oct. 21 – Albany, NY – The Egg
Oct. 22 – Greensburg, PA – Palace Theatre
Oct. 23 – Reading, PA – Santander Performing Arts Center
Oct. 25 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theatre
Oct. 26 – Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theatre
Oct. 27 – Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre
Oct. 28 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
Oct. 30 – Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre
Nov. 01 – Chicago, IL – Copernicus Center
Nov. 02 – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theatre
Nov. 03 – Madison, WI – Orpheum Theater
Nov. 04 – Minneapolis, MN – State Theatre
Nov. 06 – Denver, CO – Paramount Theatre
Nov. 08 – Las Vegas, NV – The Theater at Virgin Hotels