Aug 18, New York
Just a quick update - all the shows are going great at the Nokia. I should be updating the tour page, but have got distracted, in what free time I have, with continuing the
Crimson comic pages.
Will catch up soon, I hope.
Aug 17, New York
We uncork in New York
Excellent shows here at the Nokia. Big storm before last night's show, but afterwards, Robert had one of those wise ideas... instead of waiting for Sunday, the tour's last night, to open a bottle of champagne, he
pointed out that we're always busy packing up at the end of a tour... so we popped the cork early!
Robert also gave me a gift of a cartoon captioning program, and since I am overdue in presenting my many miscellaneous photos from this tour, here is a quick beginning
of La Vida Crim.
(I haven't yet figured out how to put returns on the comic page, so it'll open in it's own window.)
Aug 15, New York
Last stand with the band
Here for the last four shows of the Crimson tour. Nokia Theatre is wonderful, and last night's show was the same.
Just got photos up from last nights first New York show.
The upcoming festival in Kazan, Tatarstan has a new web page that's got my StickMan graphic overlaid on the city - kind of neat. Link is below.
Aug 12, Philadelphia
Hilly to Philly
After 3 wonderful shows at Chicago's ParkWest, the band travelled to Philadelphia for our two night stand here.
Lots of travel difficulties, with flights delayed due to weather conditions here. Unlike the others, I drove. Stopped in Detroit to visit my friends and eat at the Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
restaurant (I've put up photos from it in the past, and won't belabor the point, but it's good!)
Anyway, I did hit some storms, coming across the hills of Pennsylvania, but no particular problems.
Last night's show was at the Keswick Theater, and presented us with a classic ringing auditorium sound - not the tight sound of the club in Chicago.
But the show was very good anyway - and you'll see from the page that we're having fun at all the shows.
Just a note that I've put up pages of all the Chicago shows too - they can be navigated to from any of the tour pages.
And another note: for any ladies who will be coming to the New York shows at the Nokia Theater... (that may be a select group to be addressing, but I can't resist...) if you visit the ladies powder
room in that beautiful theater, you may find it's layout strangely familiar. The fact is, my Speedbump video was filmed there!
Yes, though
it was intended to take place in an airport restroom, the security there would not look kindly at cameras on skateboards, lights, and eight dancers filling up the stalls of a restroom for a
couple of hours. (Though we did try to set that up!)
The management of the Nokia kindly allowed me in there on an off day, and hence we got to film in a hot pink bathroom!
One of these days we'll assemble a short of the making of that video. My daughter Maggie did the choreography (!) and though you can't tell it from the mens trousers and shoes, most of
the people in the stalls were the actresses she works with.
Aug 7, Chicago
The Beast Released
Really great show last night - one of our best ever.
No time to discuss it, on the way to soundcheck, but got some photos uploaded.
Aug 6, Chicago
Pages of Stages
Got the second Nashville show up on a page now.
Tonight we start a three night stand in Chicago's Park West.
Aug 3, Nashville
Hark, the Larks
Last night, at the treasured Belcourt Theater in Nashville, we began our tour, with the first King Crimson concert in a few years.
It was a great success, and with a late soundcheck today, I've had time to put up a page about the show with photos and diary.
Tonight's show will be at the same venue - we're looking forward to it. Then with two days before the Chicago shows (I'll be driving up on one of those days) I'll
have time, I hope, to fashion pages, long overdue, with my photos from our rehearsals.
July 31, Nashville
Nashville Bashville
I've been slow in updating - not because there was nothing to report, but I was too busy to write about it.
Here for last King Crimson rehearsals, and shows starting Saturday - and it's going to be a great little tour.
I drove down to Nashville again - I'll do the whole tour by car this time. It's a great way, when the chance comes by, to enjoy the country a little, compared to spending a lot
of time in airport security lines! (There will be plenty more of that for me, later this Summer.) The drive from New York State to Tennessee goes through some great areas in
Virginia - each time I kick myself for not stopping to spend some time and take pictures ... but with a lot of miles to cover I seem to prefer carrying on with the drive.
The official tour starts Saturday, with a show at the Belcourt Theater, but we'll do a full run-through tomorrow night at the rehearsal facility, for invited friends and guests.
So rehearsing is finally over, and ready or not, we're going to share some of this music with the public! Very exciting, because there is some powerful music being done in the
band.
Aah... didn't get the photos collated and ready in time.. now it's Saturday and I'm off to the show. I'll finish this diary, and have lots of photos, when there are a few hours
to get it together.
July 23, Kingston
I'm sorry to bring more sad news for the music community - another great guitarist whom I was lucky to have played with, Joe Beck, passed away last night, in Danbury, CT.
When I first came to New York as a young bassist looking to play rock, Joe was playing guitar in two bands I found myself in - White Elephant and Aha, the Attack of the
Green Slime Beast (!) Joe also produced records and wrote jingles, and urged me to do some sessions, though I was more interested in live playing, and he
introduced me to all the players I'd be working with for years after.
Joe's ablility to move
from heavy rock or jazz playing to studio producing of straight music was amazing. We did a lot of playing as a duo in a Village club called Bradleys - he would improvise
songs for 6 hours, then the next morning he'd have me on a Muzak session, and I'd recognize the song as one he'd made up the night before.
I owe to Joe my introduction to studio album sessions - starting with my first, Rock Encounters with Flamenco guitarist Sabicas, he brought me in on dozens of
projects, though I was reluctant the whole time - all the time doing rehearsal bands and duo gigs together at night.
Lately Joe has been playing in my brother Pete's band. The jazz world has lost one of its stellar members.
July 22, Kingston
Many of us in the Woodstock area are in grief over the passing of guitarist Artie Traum.
He was a close friend, in addition to musical collaborator. I'd played on many of Artie's albums and live shows, and he produced my first Narada album, Waters of Eden.
But my fondest memories are of our breakfast club, sharing countless coffees as we found humor from the twists and turns of the music business.
Artie was remarkable in the range of his abilities - having had success as a folk singer and player, then moving into jazz playing, also producing albums, an
excellent documentary film about our local reservoir, travel pieces for the NY Times, and he was close to finishing his new book on the music scene in the 60's.
In all of that, it was Artie's infectious humor, selflessness, and love of people that warmed the days and lives of all who were lucky to be involved with him.
There will be a memorial get-together this week in Woodstock, where stories and sadness will be shared. We will greatly miss him.
Upcoming appearances:
with King Crimson
Return of the Beast Celebration Shows
Aug 14,15,16,17 NEW YORK / Nokia Theater
Russian Shows
Aug 27 MOSCOW / Geoffrey Oryema / club B2
Aug 30 KAZAN, TATARSTAN, RUSSIA / Sotvorenie Mira Festival

Sept 3 MOSCOW / King Crimson friends festival with KTU, Adrian Belew Trio, Eddie Jobson / club B1
with Stick Men
Oct. 11 WROCLAW, POLAND / Intl Percussion Festival
Oct. 12 OPOLE/ workshops & concert
with Terry Bozzio & friends
Japan tour - Tickets.
Nov 25 NAGOYA/ Bottom Line Terry Bozzio, Pat Mastelotto, Tony
Nov 26 OSAKA/ Big Cat Terry Bozzio, Pat Mastelotto, Tony
Nov 27, 28, 29 TOKYO/ STB139 Terry Bozzio, Allen Holdsworth, Pat, Tony
Recent releases Tony played on:
Roman Klun, Kingsway.
Murali Coryell, The Same Damn Thing.
Jason Sadites, Vicious Dishes.
Gap Mangione, Family Holidays.
Danny Brill, Better Late Than Never.
Enrico Giaretta, Sulle ali della musica.
Peter Rainbird, Dust
Liquid Trio Experiment, Spontaneous Combustion.
Amplify, Amplify.
Paula Cole, Courage.
Susan Calloway.
Peter Kearns, Don't Shoot the Messenger
Gabor Lesko, Colors.
Bryan Andrews, Sessions.
Sarah Perrotta, The Well.
Jeremias, Un Dia Mas en el Gran Circo.
Kevin Parent, Fangless Wolf Facing Winter.
Cynthia Dillenbeck, Little Secret.
Peter Kater, Faces of the Sun.
Judy Collins, Sings Lennon & McCartney.
Joe Brucato, Free.
Artie Traum, Thief of Time.
Pete Levin, Icarus.
Steve Thorne, part two : emotional creatures.
Rachel Z, Dept of Good and Evil.
Jon Durant, Flood.
Laurence Revey, Laurence Revey.
Aaron Comess, Catskills Cry.
|
|
|