Review by Shawn Perry
There are more than a few offshoots from the almighty King Crimson. Stick Men, featuring Crimson bassist Tony Levin and drummer Pat Mastelotto with touch guitarist Markus Reuter, is one of the more prolific. Primarily instrumental and improvisational in its execution, Stick Men’s origins grew out of Levin’s Stick Man solo release from 2007, which focused largely on the musician’s mastery of the Chapman stick. Mastelotto also plays on that album. From that, Stick Men with Levin, Mastelotto and Michael Bernier emerged. The group eventually stabilized when Reuter joined in 2010.
To date, the three-piece unit has released several studio and live recordings. Tonight, within the confines of the intimate 3rd & Lyndsey venue, they rolled out 14 different pieces to underscore their ethos. The room was three-quarters full, with many musicians and hardcore King Crimson fans in attendance. You can imagine the potential for scrutiny in a place like Music City. Undeterred, the members of Stick Men took full advantage of the setup and dove right in at the appointed time of 7:30.
You could hear the birds tweeting and squealing as they launched into the epic King Crimson classic, “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic.” Both Levin and Reuter alternated between lead, rhythm, and bass patterns, finger-tapping their way through a sonic tapestry that defies easy categorization. Indeed, the spirit and attack align with how King Crimson operated for the last few years. The gloves come off and you’re swept up by the current before you realize the payoff.
The trio offered up a new, smooth instrumental called “Ringtone” from their most recent release, Tentacles, before Mastelotto mentioned they used to frequent this establishment when they’d come to town to visit Adrian Belew, another King Crimson alumnus. They moved onto “Hide The Trees,” a multi-layered track that had Levin intricately working his magic on the Chapman stick. Prior to falling into “Tentacles,” Reuter explained how he built a 10-string instrument for Levin to complement his own eight-string touch guitar. Settled in, Mastelotto succinctly struck his tom-toms to set the pace. Together, a meandering fabric of sound stretched its rapture over the captivated crowd.
Mastelotto explained that “Horatio” was inspired by a swinger in a zoot suit. Later, Stick Men shared a work in progress alternately called “Voodoo” and “Komodo.” Mastelotto tackled “Cusp” like a determined octopus. Then Levin announced that he played on the original “Breathless,” from Robert Fripp’s first solo album, Exposure, released in 1979. A year later, the bassist became part of the newly revived King Crimson. Tonight’s rendition resonated as “the best track King Crimson never recorded.”
Mastelotto attempted to engage a bit of audience participation on “Mantra,” but without a repetitive refrain, it was hard to keep up. “Danger In The Workplace,” based on the inevitability of making a mistake or two during an intense King Crimson workout, tumbled out sporadically as Levin weaved and wallowed over a prog-heavy landscape. Between that and the ambient “Swimming In Tea,” all anyone within striking distance could do was to hold on and enjoy the ride.
“Prog Noir,” the title track from the group’s 2016 album, had Levin singing over a driving medley. Originally cut in Nashville, it easily qualifies as one of the group’s more accessible numbers. Of course, as the show wound down, Stick Men weren’t about to shove off without a couple more King Crimson songs to seal the deal. “Level Five,” a staple in Crimson’s latter-day setlists, was a perfect way to push the dimension of the music, while “The Sheltering Sky” punctuated the evening with articulated brilliance.
With King Crimson officially disbanded (unless Fripp has a change of heart), it was revelatory to see Stick Men up close in Nashville. Just as the tour wraps on the Cruise to the Edge out of Miami, the players are preparing for other musical ventures. Levin’s on call for hopefully another round of shows with Peter Gabriel, while Mastelotto and Reuter gear up for an album and west coast tour with Trey Gunn, another former member of Crimson, this summer. Whichever incarnation the members of Stick Men find themselves, you can’t help but think that somehow, some way, the story of King Crimson continues unabated in all its forms and factions.
