Saturday Night Live Ade’
On Saturday night August 19th in Lake Worth, FL, Adrian Belew and his ‘Slick’ power trio rocked a capacity crowd of about 150 in The Bamboo Room blues bar. The small venue proved excellent for close up viewing of the ‘Twang Bar King’ in action. Adrian rocked the house with a generous helping of tracks from his recent Side One and a number of King Crimson classics.
The venue had advantageous seating from all angles, with the furthest seats at the bar a mere 50 feet from the stage. The upstairs to a converted warehouse, the Bamboo Room offered some fine acoustics and Adrian offered a loud and energetic set of his legendary guitar prestidigitations. The site was small enough to hear the direct emanations from the guitar and bass amps and crack of the drum kit as well as the PA.
Arriving early I was able to get an up close look at his guitar rig and copy down the set list which has aided me greatly in coming up with this review. The set list consisted of 17 songs, a few wound up not being played in the hour and a half concert, however.
The show opened with a rocking version of “Writing on the Wall†from Side One and was followed by a three piece version of “Dinosaur†that delighted Crim-Heads in the audience. The power trio then moved into “Ampersand†and “Young Lions†to great effect.
Adrian’s new rhythm section, which was stolen from Paul Green’s famous School of Rock, consisted of youngsters Julie Slick on bass and Eric Slick on drums. Both of them underage for this 21 and older drinking establishment. I’m glad the venue let them in and they provided terrific, if not flashy, support for Adrian’s wild excursions.
A highlight of the show was the Grammy nominated “Beat Box Guitarâ€. Adrian provided some of his most intricate guitar parts and the song was stretched out through an extended improvisation in the middle section that was not even hinted upon in the versions on Side One and Side Three. At first during the improv Adrian traded slap bass licks with Julie Slick, presumably from his guitar synthesizer. He then drifted into some ambient passages and even quoted the Crimson song “Discipline.â€
The show then picked up with “Matchless Man†which proved a lyrical treat I had never noticed previously in the song. A personal highlight came when the Slicks left the stage and Adrian went solo electric. Samples of car horns and traffic began to play and Adrian electronically looped some arpeggios for the song “Drive All Night†(this title is according to the fan next to me). Adrian then went into extended soloing and wammy bar histrionics over the top of his so called “Beloopsâ€
The instrumental tune was followed by a solo “Lone Rhino†accompanied by just a rhythm guitar which was looped after the last chorus and augmented by guitar generated jungle sounds, including a heard of elephants, roaring lions and charging rhinos. Adrian then broke into “Big Electric Catâ€, also from his first solo album.
Adrian then proceeded to ask the crowd if they knew what time it was. To the delight of many he said it was time for 1980s era King Crimson. He then proceeded to close the show with “Frame By Frameâ€, “Three of a Perfect Pairâ€, “Elephant Talk†and “Thela Hun Gingeet†(Jungle Heat). Adrian has said in interviews that when it comes to the King Crimson material, he basically writes the vocal songs and Robert Fripp writes the instrumentals. These four powerful numbers in which Adrian pulled out all the stops proved just how talented he is as a song writer, even without the mighty engine of King Crimson behind him.
Adrian Belew was also extremely generous with his time. He sat for autographs at the merchandise table and signed my Side One CD (won from Jeff Duke in a Krimson News contest) and signed my Limited Edition hardcover book In the Court of King Crimson by Sid Smith. This book has a number of autographs from other Crimson alumni and when I mentioned to him that I still needed Fripp’s signature, he offered to sign it for Robert. I said I would catch him at ProjeKct Six. Adrian said Robert was still not signing. I also managed to talk briefly with Eric and Julie Slick’s proud mom and she mentioned that she reads Krimson News every day.
I would recommend any music fan, not just King Crimson fans, try to catch The Adrian Belew Power Trio when they hit the West Coast in November. His musicianship is unparalleled and Adrian Belew has and is taking the electric guitar to places that have never been explored before.
August 21st, 2006 at 9:40 am
Great review! Sounds like you were treated to a fantasitc show in a very intimate setting. I just wished I could have been there!
August 21st, 2006 at 9:59 am
We saw Adrian the night before in St Pete and they absolutely “belew” the walls off of the State Theater. Adrian is in top form and obviously inspired by the new kids on the block rhythm section. I would have liked to have heard more of Adrian’s earlier solo work like Inner Revolution, Mr Music Head stuff but hey, he can play whatever he wants too. I’m just glad he came to St Pete again. Eric said they only rehearsed for 6 days before the tour. Jerry Outlaw, former Bogus Pomp leader opened the show and played some stellar guitar music ala FZ also. It was guitar orgasm night!
August 21st, 2006 at 12:33 pm
Absolutely accurate review. I was there, it was wonderful. Seeing Adrian for the first time without the Crimson cast was indeed eye opening and his contribution to that band made evident.
August 25th, 2006 at 8:46 am
Great job Tim! This is a wonderful review. I wish I could have been there.
December 10th, 2006 at 12:31 pm
Hello. Prompt how to get acquainted with the girl it to me to like. But does not know about it
I have read through one history
Each of you has your personal story; it is your history. Keeping a diary or writing your feelings in a special notebook is a wonderful way to learn how to think and write about who you are — to develop your own identity and voice.
People of all ages are able to do this[url="http://xanaxaxa.blogspot.com"].[/url] Your own history is special because of your circumstances: your cultural, racial, religious or ethnic background. Your story is also part of human history, a part of the story of the dignity and worth of all human beings. By putting opinions and thoughts into words, you, too, can give voice to your inner self and strivings.
A long entry by Anne Frank on April 5, 1944, written after more than a year and a half of hiding from the Nazis[url="http://phenne.blogspot.com"],[/url] describes the range of emotions 14-year-old Anne is experiencing:
“. . . but the moment I was alone I knew I was going to cry my eyes out[url="http://merrychristmascatalog.blogspot.com"].[/url] I slid to the floor in my nightgown and began by saying my prayers, very fervently. Then I drew my knees to my chest[url="http://tramadol400.blogspot.com"],[/url] lay my head on my arms and cried, all huddled up on the bare floor[url="http://bigbreast2.blogspot.com"].[/url] A loud sob brought me back down to earth, and I choked back my tears, since I didn’t want anyone next door to hear me . . .
“And now it’s really over[url="http://ass0parade.blogspot.com"].[/url] I finally realized that I must do my school work to keep from being ignorant, to get on in life, to become a journalist, because that’s what I want! I know I can write[url="http://naruto0xxx.blogspot.com"].[/url] A few of my stories are good, my descriptions of the Secret Annex are humorous, much of my diary is vivid and alive, but . . . it remains to be seen whether I really have talent . . .
“When I write I can shake off all my cares. My sorrow disappears, my spirits are revived! But, and that’s a big question, will I ever be able to write something great, will I ever become a journalist or a writer? I hope so, oh, I hope so very much, because writing allows me to record everything, all my thoughts, ideals and fantasies.
“I haven’t worked on Cady’s Life for ages. In my mind I’ve worked out exactly what happens next, but the story doesn’t seem to be coming along very well. I might never finish it, and it’ll wind up in the wastepaper basket or the stove. That’s a horrible thought, but then I say to myself, “At the age of 14 and with so little experience, you can’t write about philosophy.’ So onward and upward, with renewed spirits. It’ll all work out, because I’m determined to write! Yours, Anne M. Frank
For those of you interested in reading some of Anne Frank’s first stories and essays, including a version of Cady’s Life, see Tales From the Secret Annex (Doubleday, 1996). Next: Reviewing and revising your writing