The fever dream that’s attending to see BEAT play King Crimson music continues to be in progress due to the band’s present tour, which runs by early December. You’ll be able to see the dates under.
The all-star collective made its debut in 2024 with a lineup that includes guitarist and vocalist Adrian Belew, guitarist Steve Vai, bassist Tony Levin and drummer Danny Carey, raking in rave evaluations.
Carey is occupied this time round along with his regular Device duties, so drum legend Terry Bozzio has been subbed in, which provides a brand new layer. With Belew and Vai, his added presence signifies that there are actually three Frank Zappa alumni within the lineup. Plus, who amongst us would not need to mark seeing Bozzio play stay off our bingo card so unexpectedly right here in 2026?
READ MORE: BEAT Launches Fall Tour With New Drummer
Thou Shalt Not Miss BEAT
As soon as once more, this present run is providing no scarcity of proof that when introduced with the chance to listen to King Crimson music stay in its numerous kinds, one ought to take that provide. It is also serving to to erase a fear that Adrian Belew himself had.
“You already know, another excuse I began the BEAT factor was I used to be getting apprehensive that the three data that I did within the ’80s, the songs that I wrote and the issues that I used to be, you already know, the principal curiosity in, had been getting misplaced as a result of Robert [Fripp] wasn’t enjoying these songs [from that era],” Belew advised UCR in a current interview you possibly can hear under.
“I used to be pondering, ‘Wow, you imply to inform me all these songs are getting misplaced within the shuffle?’ I used to be apprehensive about that,” he admits. “It in all probability actually should not have been a fear of mine, however that is simply how I’m typically.”
Nonetheless needed or pointless that fear might need been, the top result’s that followers acquired to listen to BEAT carry out materials on the preliminary excursions from 1981’s Self-discipline, 1982’s BEAT and the ultimate entry in that preliminary Belew period, 1984’s Three of a Excellent Pair. It is simply nearly as good of an thought as you’d suppose it could possibly be.
READ MORE: Robert Fripp Explains Why He Will not Revive King Crimson
Is This the Ultimate BEAT Tour?
This time round, they’re including in materials from 1995’s Thrak — and even a Zappa shock we cannot spoil for you. As you may guess, the latter was a really well-received second at each of the exhibits we noticed just lately on the tour when it stopped in Columbus and Cleveland.
In the case of Thrak, then again, “Folks” was a giant spotlight, as you possibly can see within the under video by Kenz Vidz. However based mostly on what followers have been listening to, is that this the final time they’re going to get to see BEAT?
“Nicely, we will not say as a result of we we are going to solely know that after the top of subsequent 12 months,” Belew gives. “To the extent that we will not do something for the following 12 months, not less than. After which you must begin questioning, ‘Nicely, what is going to we do if we come again to it? And are all of us simply going to proceed to need to play King Crimson music?”
“I imply, that is a sort of a giant raise for someone like Steve, who has so many irons within the fireplace, and even me,” he provides. “However I feel everybody loves the band, in order that’s not an issue. However you will simply must see, you already know, what does everybody need to do at that time? Everyone can be coming from their their place.”
Watch BEAT Carry out ‘Folks’ From the ‘Thrak’ Album in Cleveland
What’s Subsequent for BEAT?
In fact, the concept of the band going into the studio to file freshly written materials collectively as further incentive for future exercise has been a subject of fan dialogue for the reason that first day the touring undertaking was introduced. Nevertheless it would not take lengthy to think about and understand the schedule complexities that might be concerned.
“Yeah, that is completely the most important issue. We will solely get collectively for sure durations of time the place our schedules are all open on the identical time, and instantly we are saying, “Okay, e book a tour for that interval,'” he explains. “As a result of our objective has been since we began to play this music stay in as many locations around the globe as we are able to — and principally do a world tour.”
“We have sort of achieved that now. We did not get to all of the Asian nations I hoped, however we did get by Europe, you already know, 21 nations, 31 exhibits. South America, identical factor,” he provides. “We did not play as a lot in Japan as we usually would, however we did play the Budokan, which is sort of like enjoying Royal Albert Corridor. You already know, it is a kind of locations that everyone reveres. And now we’re making our second run by the USA, so I really feel like that is what we actually got down to do.”
“And that is why we have not even tried to to start out making any new music. Now, subsequent 12 months is taken up with obligations from everybody has obligations to do different issues, particularly Steve Vai, I feel, and possibly Tony a bit. I’ve left my schedule open solely as a result of I need to determine once I’m prepared. I am not able to determine: am I going to tour some extra? Am I going to file? Am I going to put round the home and browse books? I am going to determine it out although by January.”
The Addition of Terry Bozzio
Understandably, followers have been excited in regards to the addition of Terry Bozzio. The legendary drummer has been out of vast circulation for fairly a number of years on the subject of common touring. He packed a big equipment for his present street adventures, as one would hope (you possibly can see further pictures of the beast at Tony Levin’s ongoing tour weblog right here).
Belew, after all, was equally excited to welcome Bozzio into the BEAT fold and shared some reflections with UCR about his preliminary encounters with the drummer.
“Nicely, once I first labored with Terry, I used to be as inexperienced because it will get. I had by no means achieved something,” he says now. “I keep in mind Terry and Patrick O’Hearn had simply had been simply getting back from a tour enjoying jazz with the Brecker Brothers, in order that they had been seasoned professionals. You already know, I used to be this man from Nashville who was enjoying in cowl bands.”
“What I keep in mind pondering is to start with, Terry appeared like he was 16 years outdated, however he was enjoying drums like I might by no means seen anybody play earlier than,” he recollects. “It was like, every of his arms and every of his legs might do utterly totally different, unbiased issues, and I might by no means actually seen anyone with that sort of potential.”
“So I studied him as I used to be finding out every thing else that was happening,” Belew provides. “It was actually a number of years later when he was coming to to King Crimson exhibits, and I might see him there. He lastly took me to his house and he performed me some music. He hoped they’d get a file deal, and it was Lacking Individuals.”
They’ve Been Across the World….
As Belew famous throughout our dialog, BEAT has put some miles in at this level on the subject of his unique mission and what he hoped to realize, making music on stage with Vai, Levin and Carey.
The present fall tour with Bozzio stepping in for Carey exhibits how far they’ve come. Understandably, it took the drummer a second to get his BEAT sea legs, however by the point we caught up with the group in Ohio, they had been well-oiled and totally tuned up. It was encouraging to see what number of younger individuals got here out to see the gigs.
It is not onerous to comprehend what it means to them to have the ability to see these exhibits, as a result of it means one thing related for almost everybody who’s within the room. There’s an opportunity right here to see masters at work. You’ll be able to say that at minimal about any alternative to see Belew, Levin, Vai and Bozzio stay. However to get all 4 of them within the room without delay? That is one thing else.
“You already know, we have been all around the globe for the reason that final time we noticed you,” Belew advised the viewers in Cleveland.
And that is one thing that basically caught out seeing this newest spherical of exhibits. These guys can play King Crimson music. They will in all probability play almost anything that you simply need to throw at them. However for individuals who noticed spherical certainly one of BEAT, the present exhibits reveal how Belew, Levin and Vai have actually discovered their collective chemistry. There was a palpable connection that felt extra outlined this trip.
All of them really feel a freedom to discover, as nicely — one thing Belew says he instilled within the members as they had been making ready to go on the street in 2024 — and he assured us that Beat, mach two, with Bozzio, would have the identical mojo in place. He used their preliminary experiences with Carey behind the equipment for instance the the reason why.
“We now have to play the issues which can be necessities that everybody is aware of must be there. After that, although, we are able to all take off and go our personal methods with it,” he detailed. “So, as soon as Danny Carey realized he did not must be Invoice Bruford, and he grew to become Danny Carey, the doorways simply kicked vast open, and wow, he began enjoying unimaginable stuff that you already know was King Crimson materials. It simply wasn’t on these data.”
Take heed to Adrian Belew on the ‘UCR Podcast’
BEAT, 2026 Tour Dates
11/10 Washington, DC MGM Nationwide Harbor
11/11 Rochester, NY Kodak Middle
11/13 Virginia Seashore, VA Sandler Middle
11/14 Studying, PA Santander Performing Arts Middle
11/15 Philadelphia, PA Academy of Music
11/17 Durham, NC DPAC
11/18 Nashville, TN Grand Ole Opry Home
11/21 Charlotte, NC Ovens Auditorium
11/22 Daytona Seashore, FL Peabody Auditorium
11/24 St. Petersburg, FL Mahaffey Theater
11/25 Atlanta, GA Cobb Power Middle
11/28 Houston, TX 713 Music Corridor
11/29 Austin, TX ACL Reside
11/30 Dallas, TX Music Corridor at Honest Park
12/02 Inglewood, CA YouTube Theater
12/03 Riverside, CA Riverside Municipal Auditorium
Prime 50 Progressive Rock Artists
From Kansas and Can to King Crimson and Curved Air.
Gallery Credit score: Ryan Reed
