Adrian Belew Tickets

The sound was so good my ears didn't ring the next day. A sonic colonic, I mean that in the best way possible.

So the big King Crimson man visited Winnipeg and played the rather small West End Cultural Center. The size of the venue made it very personal, and everyone had a fantastic view of the band. The bass and drum players were unknown to me when I first saw them, but they proved to be very talented, very young, and almost as crazy as Belew himself. The band opened up with some newer material, but didn't forget to pay tribute to some of the legendary Crimson classics. Sometimes the dis-harmonic scales can alienate some more traditional music fans, but everyone there was like-minded, and went nuts for Belew's wacky musical adventures. At the end of the show, the crowd refused to let Belew leave without playing 2 encores, and I can only hope he was happy with Winnipeg's hospitality.

The true value of an estimable artist like Adrian Belew doesn't only lie in his ability to create mind-bending sounds from his customized guitar or how he has ably reconfigured his complex arrangements using only bass and drums as support - it's his onstage persona that truly completes the package. Mr. Belew evokes such happiness in what he does, and what he does is amazing, that it is truly infectious. With the Slick siblings rhythm section aiding and abetting the guitar/noise master perfectly The Adrian Belew Power Trio truly lived up to their moniker. This was about pushing air folks, in a good way. Seeing Belew in this small venue (he was literally ten feet away from me) was awe-inspiring. Of course the Crim-nerds were out in full force and ready to hang on every riff. But Belew offers so much more than six-string finesse. He is engaging without really speaking to the audience that much. There is something about that crazy grin he has on his rubbery mug while he tears through his set that is truly remarkable. He seems to be having a genuine good time and it's as infectious as heck. This is what sets this guy apart from most of the other shredders...he's got personality beyond the chops. The band played excellently, never missing a note, which if you are a fan of this music you know how difficult that must be. Mixed in with the new tunes were enough solo Belew and Crim faves to make everyone happy, and the noisy WECC crowd persisted in getting three encores. Nice. After the show, Belew and crew graciously signed "stuff" (albums, posters, cds and even a couple of guitars!) and hopefully the response that this world class artist received here in little old Winterpeg will bring him back again. Thanks Adrian, you made our week.

SMOKING ..... SMOKING

Great show! Eric Slick on drums and his sister Julie on bass. Fabulous players. Adrian is lucky to have found these two. Adrian was in top form playing sounds noone has heard before to his most recognizable sounds. I loved his piano solo played on his guitar.

Just what I thought it would be? No. But it was an excellent example of what a great guitarist can do with what he has. The missing star is for the live mix. If they had resolved the bass guitar issue before the third last song, I'm sure the concert would have been better. John Bottomley also put on a fine show. Loved the drummer, but could use a more adventurist guitarist.

Adrian Belew Power Trio took the stage to raucous applause and I was wholly unprepared to experience what happened as they played. It was, to distill it all down to one word: Transformative. Even before the show began, I could see the drum kit on the stage was set particularly differently then I had ever been used to. For one thing it was set on the stage on one far side, furthest away from the bass player and secondly was itself set turned to face the rest of the band. And with the toms and cymbals set mostly to his right - I was expecting to get a fantastic view of his performance. I was pumped about that. Although they looked like an odd mix of a wise old rocker paired with a youthful looking brother and sister act, there was no denying how tightly integrated their playing was. The phrase "virtuous musicianship" is very applicable. This was not a commercial act. Creativity abounded: sophisticated time signatures, crying guitar solos, electronically echoed riffs, even unexpected song endings that still felt "right". A sense came over me that they made it look so easy, like all masters do, in such a way that I found my mind developing a burning desire get the rust off my own drum playing. And through it all I felt I was in the front rows of a huge rock concert, and determined that it was wise that I didn't like to waste my money on those kind of overly produced tours. The intimate space of the Mod Club (Toronto) gave it the perfect atmosphere and the accompanying light show became more sophisticated as the evening progressed. Adding to the music, rarely interfering or becoming a distraction. At some points offering an LSD style trip that was outstanding! Leaving the show I was left with the notion that maybe, to paraphrase Honest Ed Mirvish, it was a bargain at twice the price. I declared that event "unbelievable". My psyche seems altered. I've never, ever, felt so passionate to be bothered to write out a review such as this before. To sum it up, it was unbelievably powerful and heavy... AC/DC move over.

Adrian Belew is more than just a talented musician. His smooth voice has tremendous power & range, he’s an intelligent & adventurous songwriter, and is quite possibly one of the best guitar players in the world. He has been described by Frank Zappa as having “reinvented the electric guitar”, and has been in demand by a host of prominent artists such as Zappa, David Bowie, Paul Simon, Talking Heads, Nine Inch Nails, and the list goes on. He has also been the front man, lead singer and guitarist since the late 70’s for King Crimson, possibly one of the most respected progressive rock bands ever. For those that think that his act is out dated, the other members of the Adrian Belew Power Trio will make you think again. They are Julie Slick (bass) & Eric Slick (drums), and despite the ability to put your jaw on the floor with their own gifted talents, are in their early 20’s. It’s a rare pleasure to witness the type of natural fluidity in each of their playing, and it never let up for the entire show. To simply be able to keep up with Adrian Belew is impressive enough, but that they each have the ability to steal moments of their own, is truly remarkable. The show itself was a predictable mix of old & new material. The old being also a mix of Belew’s solo & King Crimson material, and the new being several tracks from the trio’s new cd “e”. The tracks from e have some similarity to King Crimson’s style, both in their complexity & volume. They are complex enough to challenge these great players, as well as keep the audience interested, if not intrigued. Some of the time signatures on this new material kept me on the edge on my seat (yes, I was one of the fortunate early birds to have a seat) and I was especially taken by Eric Slick’s perfect mechanics and busy style. The treats of past material included songs like Young Lions, Of Bow & Drum & King Crimson’s Three Of A Perfect Pair. The surprise treat of the evening was Neurotica from the cd “Beat”, a song that’s obscure even for most Crimson fans. The continuing theme of this show was a combination of complexity of material & the natural, relaxed ease with which it was executed. Add to this the charm of Julie & Eric’s proud Mom selling cd’s & t-shirts at the back of the room, the trio graciously meeting with the audience after the show for autograph’s, and what’s not to love? My only complaint is that it was all over far too soon.

nobody can make a guitar sound like Adrian Belew.He's a living legend,yet no one know's who he is.Anyway,the current band he's on tour with kick @##%$! A sister and brother rythym section that play like legends themselves but ,are barely out of high school.His persona on stage is infectious,he's having fun and loves what he's doing.I wish his music would catch on because this man is awesome.Go see him next time he's in your town.

That was a great show. It was a real pleasure to see such a virtuoso in a small room like the mod club. I would jump at the chance to see them again and i would bring lots more friends to get blown away by this crew.

The Adrian Belew Power Trio played the Mod Club in Toronto last night. The opening act was Brainfudge. They were a good match, both with superb musicians, both w/ a guitarist + bassist + drummer. All compositions, without exception, were musically complex and beautiful, and all musicians were virtuosos. The Belew Trio, playing Adrian Belew's compositions, even 1 song from King Crimson, filled the soundscape with waves and loops of intricate moods. The yout(h)s in the band are very seasoned already -- I was very impressed. Adrian's compositions are rich and dense and very playful. I love his stage presence -- he projects so much joy at creating complex, funny music. Overall very inspiring. Blew ma mind!

The show was amazing! Everyone must see Adrian Belew Power Trio! Watching the three of them communicate on set was.... I don't know. I'm terrible at writing reviews. I'm still glowing from the concert. I even got to meet my guitar hero after the show! I can't remember what he said to me. At that moment I couldn't believe I was making eye contact with Belew. I thought he was taller. I also briefly met Julie and Eric Slick and I can't remember if Julie shook my hand. But, the concert was great. It tops my list. I really hope they come back. Yay!!!

If you are into progressive rock, this band should not be missed. Adrian Belew is backed by 2 young, but nonetheless, amazing musicians, which happen to be brother and sister.

Wow, I still have songs playing in my head as I woke up this morning. One of my all time favorite musicians. Seeing him play with the Slick siblings, picked out from the Philadelphia School of Rock .These 20 somethings can sure play their bass and drum kit. Keeping up with the groove Adrian played his signature sound for almost 2 hours. Some King Crimson and Solo stuff thrown in, we were entertained with the latest release of funky, groovey, jazzy, bluesy, space age music which kept most of the smallish crowd bopping. The band signed autographs after the show and it was a great end to an evening, to exchange some words and accolades. Always surprised that the venue wasn't completely sold out.