[black max]

Saw KC in February '03, in a converted aircraft hanger in western NC. Absolutely amazing. I saw them on the ConstruKction tour and thought that they were finally, sadly, going to fade into the sunset on us -- at that concert they were almost "doing it by the numbers," very rote and uninspired. Belew was trying to liven things up by mugging at the audience and Gunn was his usual splendid, Zen master self, but the show just didn't work. I thought they were done. Then I saw them a couple of months ago and was flabbergasted. Mastelotto has figured out his role in the band and is having fun, Belew came out stripped for battle and fought with his guitar all night (it was a draw, and an epic battle it was), Gunn was again his usual calm, splendid self, and Fripp looked...almost pleased, as if his recalcitrant pupils finally had it right. The energy level should have lifted the place right up off the planet, and the audience panted so hard for more that the band gave up 3, count em 3, encores. Interesting sidebar: they've completely excised everything pre-Thrak from their repertoire, and that only in the encore ("Vrooom Vroooom" and "Dinosaur"), and are focusing almost exclusively on music from their last two albums along with plenty of improvs and the occasional ProjecKct piece ("Deception of the Thrush"). Now, this is from February; no guarantees what you'll see if you go to see them now, but even if they're playing beer hall polkas, they're very much worth seeing.

(Note: I am aware that, like any other band, KC has their good nights and their bad nights. I'm sure they've come out limp as wet noodles once or twice on this tour, and I'm sure they raved some venues down on the 2000 tour. I've seen them almost a dozen times since 1981, and I've never seen them look so flat and uninspired as when I saw them in 2000. I honestly thought that they had finally reached the end of their rope. Thankfully I was wrong, wrong, wrong!)