Guitar legend Steve Vai, who is currently touring with former King Crimson members Adrian Belew and Tony Levin, and Tool drummer Danny Carey under the Beat moniker, has shared the following message:
"After feverishly prepping for five months, I was ready for the Beat tour and last night's (September 12) first performance in San Jose brought huge relief and joy.
The first show of a tour can be like a gauntlet. You can rehearse until you're blue in the face, but once you hit the stage and the lights go out and there’s a live audience eager to be entertained, all bets are off as to what it’s like in rehearsal. But the band delivered well and we were all relieved to get through a good first show.
I’ve been fronting my band for the last 35 years and I discovered a very comfortable place on the Beat stage with master of ceremonies, Brother Adrian Belew at the helm. It is so enjoyable to play this historical music for such a passionate fan base. I discovered the sincere devotion of the audience for this music and the whole band felt their firm support.
I am looking so forward to the roll out of this tour and being on stage with such seasoned and immensely talented bandmates. Not to mention they are all outstanding people that I enjoy being with. Thanks so sincerely to our San Jose audience for making this first show such an enjoyable experience."
Fan-filmed video of the entire show can be viewed below.
Setlist
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, Pt. 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"
From the moment Beat went on-sale, tickets flew out of box offices across North America. Tour producer Angelo “Scrote” Bundini shares, “Due to overwhelming demand, Adrian, Steve, Tony and Danny have decided to extend the Beat tour with an additional 21 shows in order to perform these incredible King Crimson albums for even more fans. We are adding many additional cities alongside second and even third appearances in various regions. Sixty five dates in total! The audience has spoken loudly so Beat is responding in kind.”
Visit BEAT-tour.com for tickets.
Former King Crimson members Adrian Belew and Tony Levin band together with guitar virtuoso Steve Vai and explosive Tool drummer Danny Carey for the first time to create Beat, a creative reinterpretation of the three iconic 80s King Crimson albums - Discipline, Beat, and Three Of A Perfect Pair.
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!”
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 80’s (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?’”
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.”
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 aka 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 & greet and a VIP tour package are available for purchase. The M&G includes one premium ticket in the first five rows, early entry, pre-show meet & 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 a cost basis of $100.00. For all new appearances being announced today, a third VIP option has been made available. For $300.00, fans will receive the complete package detailed above, with front row seating guaranteed.
Tour dates:
September
15 - Anaheim, CA - City National Grove of Anaheim
17 - San Diego, CA - Humphrey’s Concerts (Sold Out)
18 - Phoenix, AZ - Celebrity Theatre
20 - Austin, TX - The Paramount Theatre (Sold Out)
21 - Houston, TX - Bayou Music Centre
22 - Dallas, TX - Majestic Theatre (Sold Out)
24 - Atlanta, GA - The Eastern (Sold Out)
26 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - The Parker (Sold Out)
27 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live
28 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
29 - Charleston, SC - Charleston Music Hall
October
1 - Charlotte, NC - Knight Theater (Sold Out)
2 - Durham, NC - Carolina Theatre of Durham / Fletcher Hall (Sold Out)
4 - Washington, DC - Warner Theatre (Sold Out)
5 - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre
6 - Glenside, PA - Keswick Theatre (Sold Out)
8 - Richmond, VA - Carpenter Theater in Dominion Energy Center
9 - Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Center (Sold Out)
11 - Boston, MA - Shubert Theatre (Sold Out)
12 - Hampton Beach, NH - Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (Sold Out)
14 - Halifax, NS - Rebecca Cohen Auditorium (Sold Out)
15 - Moncton, NB - Casino New Brunswick
17 - Montreal, QC - Theatre Maisonneuve (Sold Out)
18 - Toronto, ON - Massey Hall (Sold Out)
19 - Rochester, NY - Kodak Center (Sold Out)
21 - Albany, NY - The Egg (Sold Out)
22 - Greensburg, PA - Palace Theatre (Sold Out)
23 - Reading, PA - Santander Performing Arts Center
25 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theatre
26 - Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theatre (Sold Out)
27 - Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Music Theatre
28 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
30 - Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theatre
November
1 - Chicago, IL - Copernicus Center (Sold Out)
2 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theatre
3 - Madison, WI - Orpheum Theater
4 - Minneapolis, MN - State Theatre
6 - Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre (Sold Out)
8 - Las Vegas, NV - The Theater at Virgin Hotels
9 - San Diego, CA - Humphrey’s Concerts
10 - Los Angeles, CA - The United Theater on Broadway
NEW DATES:
November
18 - Thousand Oaks, CA - B of A PAC
20 - San Jose, CA - San Jose Civic
21 - Reno, NV - Grand Theatre at The Grand Sierra Resort
22 - Portland, OR - Keller Auditorium
23 - Eugene, OR - McDonald Theatre
25 - Vancouver, BC - Orpheum Theatre
26 - Seattle, WA - Moore Theatre
30 - Hammond, IN - The Venue at Horseshoe
December
2 - Buffalo, NY - UB Center For The Arts
3 - Hartford, CT - Mortensen Hall at the Bushnell Center
4 - Wilkes-Barre, PA - F.M. Kirby Center
6 - Lynn, MA - Lynn Auditorium
7 - Atlantic City, NJ - Tropicana Showroom
8 - Brooklyn, NY - Kings Theatre
10 - Louisville, KY - Brown Theatre
11 - St. Louis, MO - The Factory
13 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Criterion
14 - San Antonio, TX - Majestic Theatre
16 - Albuquerque, NM - Revel
17 - Tucson, AZ - Fox Tucson Theatre
18 - Highland, CA - Yaamava’ Theater
