King Crimson’s Tony Levin On Touring This Summer With The Zappa Band, Working With Peter Gabriel, John Lennon & More
When King Crimson returned to action last month, it marked the seventh year that the band has toured since returning to performing live in 2014, a run only interrupted by 2020’s COVID-19-related lockdown. The band’s shows regularly include material from 12 of their 13 studio albums, including many songs from their seminal 1969 album In The Court Of The Crimson King, which has been described by The Who’s Pete Townshend as an “uncanny masterpiece.” These days, King Crimson’s 7-piece line-up — which includes Robert Fripp, Tony Levin, Jakko Jakszyk, Mel Collins, Gavin Harrison, Pat Masterotto and Jeremy Stacey — plays both setlist staples and songs which Crimson had never previously played live. Setlist aside, the group’s live show is known to feature 3 drummers.
Commented Fripp about the band’s summer tour alongside The Zappa Band: “The Crimson Beast Of Terror has woken from its enforced slumbering and is venturing out to stomp flat the psyches of innocents not yet experienced in the hammering onslaught of King Crimson’s uncompromising pounding – bish! bish! bish! – before turning on a beat to jellify hearts with gut-wrenching passion and soul-squeezing epic unfoldings to remind us that we are all mere subjects in the unfolding drama of the universe’s unfathomable mysteries while simultaneously rocking out and having a great time bopping about with Tony and Bobby and Gavin and Jakko and Mel and Pat and Jezza too.” Touring is set to wrap on September 11, 2021 via a tour-closing show at Washington, D.C.’s The Anthem.
The aforementioned Tony Levin has been a member of King Crimson since 1981. Internationally-renowned and constantly in-demand for his distinctive bass work, he also tours with Peter Gabriel with whom he has worked since 1977. Levin has appeared on albums by Paul Simon, John Lennon and David Bowie, beyond leading his own band, Stick Men, alongside Crimson drummer Pat Mastelotto. On August 17, 2021, I had the pleasure of speaking with Levin via Zoom, as embedded below. Tour dates and more on both Levin and King Crimson can be found by clicking here, here, here and here.
About the Author
Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."
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