Artist: King Crimson
Tour: The Power To Believe Tour
Concert Date/Venue: March 15th, 2003 at Park West, Chicago IL
Concert Rating: 8.5/10

Experiencing A Progressive Rock Institution…King Crimson at Park West 2003

After a full day of exploring and barhopping around Chicago, our four heroes; Dustin, Adam, Bill and Josh, caught a taxi to Park West, a multilevel performing arts venue which would host the progressive rock giants King Crimson later that evening. The four ragamuffins shivered through the long line that wrapped around the building before finally entering the venue. The setup was ritzy, compliant with the $40 general admission ticket. Dustin and Bill made their way to the front of the aggregation and solidified their position. Josh and Adam scouted the area for interesting peoples and opportunities, then joined the other two in the crowd. There was no opening band, just straight Crimson.

The Crimson King himself, guitarist Robert Fripp, walked onto the stage to a roar of cheer. He began the experience with a beautiful soundscape as the house music and the crowd quieted to near silence. The rest of the band; Adrian Belew (guitars, vocals), Trey Gunn (Warr guitar), and Pat Mastelotto (traps and buttons) soon advanced to their positions and set themselves for a full night of work. They began with the subtle introduction to their album, “The Power To Believe I: A Cappella,” then moved into the grinding of “Level Five.” Already the crowd reaction was high, and the energy level of the audience was carefully manipulated by the band throughout the night. New tracks such as “EleKtriK,” “Facts Of Life,” “Eyes Wide Open,” and “Happy With What You Have To Be Happy With” were executed masterfully and older material such as “One Time” and “The Construction Of Light” kept those who hadn’t heard the new album at attention. The play between the ambience and structure, the improvisation and discipline, kept the listeners alert with anticipation. The pure intensity in Gunn’s eyes during “Dangerous Curves” displayed the level of passion that he and the others had for their work. A two song encore only fueled our heroes and the rest of the audience for more. A second encore sent the packed house roaring as the two elder Crimsonites smiled and embraced each other before parting.

The four travel-weary voyagers left awestruck and traded ridiculous sums of money for a few items from the merchandise booth. They had experienced the Crimson King in all its power and glory, but now it was time for the long ride home.

- Dustin Wall