The title of this entry comes from the definition of the ancient Greek term “kairos.”The ancient Greeks used it in order to make sense of time. In my life, the termis used in a spiritual sense, in reference to a moment in which an individual abandons all stress and burden and focuses on what brings him personal peace.The qualitative nature of kairos is what resonates with the one experiencing it. This resonance is said to be long lasting and transformative to the mind. At my Catholic school, every senior is given the opportunity to attend a Kairos retreat either in the fall or in the winter. However, it being a primarilyreligious experience, I have assessed that such a retreat is not right for me and what I need in order to succeed at finding that inner peace. With that in mind, I decided that it would be best if I created my own kairos “retreat,” and on Wednesday, 1 October 2014, I was able to do just that.
That October evening was the night I saw my fifth favorite band perform a previously unprecedented concert: King Crimson. On 26 September 2013, I discovered a note from Robert Fripp that surprised me plus countless prog rock fans: the band were reforming with its eighth incarnation and planning a tour for the fall of 2014. Having been a fan since summer 2009, I had come to accept that the band were essentially done, since they had been on an extended hiatus since 2008 and their future was looking uncertain. Well, needless to say, I was thrilled with the news, and spent the time between then and about May of 2014 watching closely for Los Angeles tour dates to appear. Soon enough, they did, and I was happy to see that they were appearing at a much loved concert venue of mine,the Orpheum Theater. I hold many strong memories at that venue, from meeting Greg Lake, to having special conversations with some of my dearest friends.
Having spent much time learning what I can about this mysterious band (there’s really no other way for me to describe them) since discovering them, I knew that their concerts were unlike the ordinary, just as their music is. Photos were never allowed,and there was minimal focus on the band members themselves, the goal being to emphasize the experience of sound and the importance of, as they would put it,embracing the moment. Not long into their tour, they released a sound clip telling concertgoers to refrain from taking photos or videoing any of the concerts, and to instead, eliminate distractions and turn all attention to the music. I began to wonder, what if I treated this concert like my own personal kairos retreat? It all seemed to click. Put away any physical or mental distractions and focus on the opportune moment of being at the concert and united your friends and with many individuals who share the same love for the band as you.
1 October turned out to be a very hot, but beautiful day. Having been to multiple“school night” concerts, it didn’t bother me that this show fell on a Wednesday night. I simply came home early from school, and changed into my concert gear (Discipline tee, jeans, a watch, scrunchie and My Chemical Romance bracelet). I wore a watch because I had decided to leave my iPhone in the car once we reached the venue. Soon my dad and I left the house, and after making a quick stop, were on our way. About a quarter to 6 pm, we found a parking spot a few blocks from the Orpheum. I took out my phone and locked it in the glove compartment; my retreat had started.
We walked down to the Nickel Diner to meet up with our friends Gina, Jean, Kathy,and new friend Melissa. Most of them had flown in from out of state to see this show. Throughout a casual dinner, we discussed all things music, from the unknown future of Tool, to our frustrating experiences with John Wetton. Furthermore, from the time we ate to when we arrived at the Orpheum, I may have asked the following question about five different times: What do you think the band is doing right now? It’s something I can’t help but speculate about before a concert, and I thoroughly enjoyed the scenarios we came up with.
When we arrived, it was after 7. Less than one hour before show time. My friend Phil, who had gone to see them the night before, told me that they were pretty good about not starting too late after their scheduled time (8 pm), so that made me feel better. Since the girls had balcony seats and my dad and I had floor seats, we said goodbye to our friends and wished each other a good show.
Now came what is, in my opinion, one of the most exhilarating moments one could experience at a concert: finding our seats. I say that because, more often than not, the seats we get are actually closer than the seating chart leads us tobelieve. We were in the Orchestra section, Row M, seats 3 and 4, a position very similar to where we were when we saw Yes there back in March 2013. Off to the left, but we still had a view of the entire stage. We took the remaining time to take photos of the stage, which was beautifully set up, so that we may be able to see the entire band, a seven-man lineup and King Crimson’s eighth incarnation if you can believe it. After we finished, we took our seats.
“Girls? At a prog concert?” an older male fan observed, noticing the presence of myself as well as that of three other women seated behind me. The four of us simply glanced at one another and merely laughed to ourselves. I have a feeling this wasn’t the first time this had happened to them, as it certainly wasn’t the first time for me. All I can say is,believe it or not gentlemen, we exist. ;)
Soon after we had taken our seats, an audio clip of the YouTube video about the band’s No Camera/Video Recorder policy played over the speakers. I recognized the soft-spoken voice of Robert Fripp as we were welcomed to the show and politely requested to refrain from using our phones or recording devices while they were performing, with the rest of the band providing their own feedback when asked (Listen here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl69qnWbQ_M).Finally, at approximately 8:17 pm, all the lights went down except for those that lit up the stage. Interesting. We all stood up in respect as the band enteredthe stage in a beautiful, orderly fashion. All of them were dressed in suitsand looking very sharp. They took their places, and there they were, the eighthincarnation of King Crimson: news frontman Jakko Jakszyk on lead vocals and guitar, Mel Collins on saxophones and flute, Tony Levin on bass and Chapman stick, Robert Fripp on guitar and Mellotron (what would a prog concert be without that?), and on drums, Gavin Harrison of Porcupine Tree, Pat Mastelotto, and Bill Rieflin.
They began their set after being cued by a recording of the band’s 1971 bassist, Boz Burrell, which can be heard at the very end of their album, Islands (“One, two, three, two, two,three…”), with “Larks Tongues in Aspic Part 1.” The three drummers performedthe opening three minutes in perfect syncopation before being joined by the rest of the band. With the violins being replaced by the hard tone of Robert’s guitar,it really made for a strong beginning. The pounding sounds provided by our three drummers actually proved to be a valuable aspect for the entire show. The next piece they played was a pleasure for me to hear live: “Pictures of a City” from In the Wake of Poseidon, a grossly underrated album in my opinion. This was the first song they played to feature vocals, which did not disappoint in the slightest. The roaring, deep blares from Mel’s saxophones gave significant power to that song. The song waswoven into the next one in their set, a cover of the Jakszyk, Fripp and Collins song “A Scarcity of Miracles.” Hate to say it, but I don’t remember too much from that performance, since I wasn’t familiar with the title. But rest assured, it was great. Next was a drum arrangement called “Hellhounds of Krim.” It was essentially a few loud,thundering minutes of Gavin, Pat and Bill getting a chance to display their capabilities. It reminded me very much of the tribal drums Tool used when I saw them in Las Vegas back in 2012. Well, that was pretty cool, I thought. Back to the albums, the band continued with the instrumental title track from the album Red. I always liked that track. Nottoo long or too short. Really a decently composed instrumental, and better than it sounds on the record. After that we moved into the THRAK album, a record my dad has come to really enjoy. They played the opening two songs off that album, “VROOM,” and “Coda: Marine 475.” Beautiful. Just beautiful, all the way through. Probably one of Robert’s best moments was during “Coda.” THRAK has grown to be a favorite of my Dad’s, so he especially enjoyed hearing those two.The drummers had another big moment after that, during the Bill Bruford song,“Hells Bells.” Sadly, my memory of that track is a bit blurry, but again, I know it was great. They followed that up with the vocal-free “The ConstrucKtion of Light, Part 1.” Probably one of Tony’s best moments happened right here. Dad was particularly intrigued by it, since he especially enjoys King Crimson’s discography from the 90’s and 00’s. Another favorite of mine came after: “Level Five” from The Power to Believe. Ever since I heard that piece for the first time, I had always imagined that it would sound unbelievable in concert, and I was more than right, fortunately. It was just a powerful 7 minutes of work from the whole band. This was anothertime in which I particularly loved Robert’s guitar tone. As a guitar player, Ipay careful attention to those kinds of details. I was thrilled with what they played next: “The Letters” and “Sailor’s Tale” from Islands, another underrated record of theirs in my opinion. A big moment for the band was during “The Letters,” as they perfectly transitioned from the soft vocals and guitar in the first minute to the roaring combination of percussion and saxophone. Loved it. Another Jakszyk, Fripp and Collins cover followed, called “The Light of Day.”Beautiful, and just as good as the first JFC cover they played. One more big moment for the three drummers, who pounded out “The Talking Drum” from Larks Tongues in Aspic. I never imagined I would be hearing that one live, but it was a wonderful rendition. Of course,like on the album, that track took us into “Larks Tongues in Aspic Part 2.” I have to say, hearing these pieces in concert really does change my perspective on them, especially on ones that I previously didn’t have much interest in.“Larks Part 2” was definitely one of those moments.
Now came the moment that made the entire show for me: the band’s performance of the song “Starless,” from the album, Red. Definitely Jakko’s best performance, but for me, the piece marked the climax of my Kairos retreat. The piece was just played to absolute perfection. It was a gorgeous combination of Mellotron, percussion, spacey guitar work, wind instruments, and strong vocals. About halfway through the piece, I began to notice the only light transition in the entire show. Very, very slowly, the lights transformed from a bright luminescent glow to a deep, rich red color that covered the band and stage.Staring intently at the band at that moment, it felt like a dream watching them bring that piece to life while immersed in the color that appears in their name. For the remainder of the piece, they were all in perfect syncopation with one another. There was such intense focus on the music from everyone in that concert hall. At that moment, I felt at peace. At the end of that piece, Dad and I both had to stand up with the rest of the audience, applauding the band as they exited the stage, which was still in that dreamy, red glow.
Wait, the show’s almost over? I thought. I had a watch on, but had not glanced at it since shortly before the show started, so time was not even on my mind. Needless to say, I didn’t want the night to be over, but they needed their beauty sleep like I did. After a few minutes, sure enough, the band reemerged for one last jam. That jam, naturally, was “21stCentury Schizoid Man” from the classic In the Court of the Crimson King. A favorite of millions of prog fans, it was only appropriate for them to close with that one. They brought the insanity and energy of the piece to its maximum potential, I think. I really don’t think they could have performed that song any better than they did. It was also during this song that Gavin received his big moment by performing a drum solo.Dad and I are not particularly fond of drum solos, but Gavin, Pat and Bill were all able to play a decent solo and make it a valuable addition to whatever song was being played instead of mindlessly thrashing about as fast as possible.When the band played that last bar of “Schizoid Man,” everyone stood up in unity and just applauded. The band also stood up, but did not say a word to us,as they hadn’t for any of the show. I was back a little ways, but I could see the satisfaction on their faces, particularly on Robert’s. They were “embracing the moment” in a way I had never seen a band or artist do so. No bowing, waving, or anything of that nature, but it was a beautiful moment. Just to watch them take in the audience’s happiness let me know of the time they had spent carefully planning out this tour. Then I watched the back curtains close as they disappeared backstage.
Through the ride home, I wrote out as many notes on my phone as I could while the details were still fresh in my mind, all so I could write this entry. I can’t afford to forget any part of this night, this retreat, this Kairos. The quality of the evening is what will stay with me, just as it had for the ancient Greeks, and just as the band would want for their audiences. When I got into bed that night, shortly before midnight, I couldn’t help but think to myself. I wonder what they’re doing now…
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