Adrian Belew Leads All-Star Band Back to King Crimson's '80s Era

Former King Crimson bandmates Adrian Belew and Tony Levin will celebrate the band's '80s-era renaissance during a series of all-star North American dates with Steve Vai and Danny Carey.

Simply dubbed "Beat," the band will present music from 1981's Discipline, 1982's Beat and 1984's Three of a Perfect Pair. Their tour begins in San Jose, California, then makes stops in Los Angeles, San Diego, Toronto, Dallas, New York and Boston before wrapping in Las Vegas.

General pre-sale tickets go on sale beginning Friday, April 5, at www.BEAT-tour.com. Both meet-and-greet and VIP tour packages will also be available. A complete list of Beat tour stops is below.

Belew and Levin were invited to join King Crimson in 1981 and remained in the lineup until Robert Fripp put the group on hiatus again in 1984. They were also part of the next iteration from 1994 to 2008. Levin continued thereafter until what appears to be King Crimson's final tour in 2021. Fripp has given his blessing to this new project.

"I went back to Robert and said, 'Here's what I've got,'" Belew tells UCR. "We talked about a lot of things. He had a lot of questions but he said, 'What are you thinking of calling it?' The producers had made up a name which had my name in it – which I didn’t like that much because I didn't feel it represented the whole band, but I told Robert anyway. They wanted to call it Crimson Belew. He said, 'Hmmm, oh.' I could tell he was balking. I said, 'Well, I don't really like it either. I'm not happy with that, but what would you call it?'"

Fripp considered things for a moment, then said, "'You know, I've always used the term 'Discipline' for all of my business and everything for years now. For 13 years, you and Tony and Pat Mastelotto have had your band camp and you guys called that 'Three of a Perfect Pair.' Why don't you call it 'Beat,'" Belew remembered with a laugh. "I said, 'Will that get your support?' He said, 'Yeah, you have my support and blessing.'"

Adrian Belew and Steve Vai Have a Frank Zappa Connection

Like Belew, Steve Vai is a former guitarist with Frank Zappa. He has toured and recorded with David Lee Roth, Whitesnake, Alice Cooper, Motorhead and, most recently, Joe Satriani. "Robert Fripp is one of our historical geniuses," Vai said in an official statement. "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."

Carey is Tool's co-founding drummer, and has also worked with Carole King and the Melvins. He also appeared on Belew's 2005 album Side One. "Revisiting some of my favorite music is a treat in itself," Levin added, "but in company of this stellar lineup, I expect to have my musical butt kicked."

There was an initial schism when Fripp decided to jumpstart King Crimson without Belew in 2013, but they mended fences a few years later.

Beat, Performing the Music of '80s King Crimson
9/12: San Jose, CA @ San Jose Civic
9/13: Napa, CA @ Blue Note Napa Summer Sessions at Meritage Resort
9/14: Los Angeles, CA @ The United Theater on Broadway
9/15: Anaheim, CA @ City National Grove of Anaheim
9/17: San Diego, CA @ Humphrey’s Concerts
9/18: Phoenix, AZ @ Celebrity Theatre
9/20: Austin, TX @ The Paramount Theatre
9/21: Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Centre
9/22: Dallas, TX @ Majestic Theatre
9/24: Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern
9/26: Fort Lauderdale, FL @ The Parker
9/27: Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
9/28: Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
9/29: Charleston, SC @ Charleston Music Hall
10/01: Charlotte, NC @ Knight Theater
10/02: Durham, NC @ Carolina Theatre of Durham
10/04: Washington, DC @ Warner Theatre
10/05: New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
10/06: Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theatre
10/08: Richmond, VA @ Carpenter Theater in Dominion Energy Center
10/09: Red Bank, NJ @ Count Basie Center
10/11: Boston, MA @ Shubert Theatre
10/12: Hampton Beach, NH @ Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
10/14: Halifax, NS @ Rebecca Cohen Auditorium
10/15: Moncton, NB @ Casino New Brunswick
10/17: Montreal, QC @ Theatre Maisonneuve
10/18: Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
10/19: Rochester, NY @ Kodak Center
10/21: Albany, NY @ The Egg
10/22: Greensburg, PA @ Palace Theatre
10/23: Reading, PA @ Santander Performing Arts Center
10/25: Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
10/26: Cincinnati, OH @ Taft Theatre
10/27: Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
10/28: Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
10/30: Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Theatre
11/01: Chicago, IL @ Copernicus Center
11/02: Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theatre
11/03: Madison, WI @ Orpheum Theater
11/04: Minneapolis, MN @ State Theatre
11/06: Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
11/08: Las Vegas, NV @ The Theater at Virgin Hotels