Last month, it was revealed that Steve Vai would be joining King Crimson alumni Adrian Belew and Tony Levin, as well as Tool’s Danny Carey, for Beat – a forthcoming tour that will see the four musicians play the music of three iconic King Crimson albums.
Now, official details of the supergroup’s upcoming tour have been announced, with Vai and co set to play an extensive tour across North America, during which they will revisit and reinterpret tracks from the Discipline, Beat, and Three of a Perfect Pair albums.
The tour will begin on September 12 at the San Jose Civic in California, and is currently scheduled to conclude on November 8 at Las Vegas’ The Theater at Virgin Hotels. Between those two dates, the group will embark on a mammoth run of 40 near-consecutive nights of shows.
Vai – whose 2024 touring schedule has already included the G3 reunion and Satch/Vai tour – said of the tour: “Being a part of this ensemble is an extraordinary privilege and opportunity to perform some of the most beloved, timeless, and monumental music of the 80’s (and beyond) with truly inspired musicians.
“This music resonates deeply with me. Adrian, Tony and Danny are unique musicians with an otherworldly insight into presenting rich musical complexities in a very accessible way, and I am looking forward to searching each other’s musical minds in real time on stage. I’m sure sparks will fly.
“Father Robert Fripp is one of our historical geniuses,” he continued. “His highly specific and exceptionally brilliant guitar technique is studied and revered. His contribution to the quality of my musical life, and so many others is supreme.
“I can assure the fans of KC that I will be putting my best foot forward to respect this great music with the care and intensity it deserves.”
Vai has already received the blessing of King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp, who voiced his support for the group in a series of Facebook posts. In one, he called Vai “the only guitarist who could play my parts.”
“This is music to be played, engaged, re-imagined, heard anew, chewed up and digested,” he said in another post. “I'm totally psyched for this.”
For Beat, Vai will be sharing guitar duties with Belew, who explained the purpose of the project: to shine a new light on King Crimson’s ‘80s-era material.
“The 1981 through 1984 King Crimson created a music all its own,” he noted. “Timeless. Beautiful. Complex. Fierce. For the fans who lived through it then, and the ones who never got to witness it, our aim is to bring it to life again. A monumental task, but we're going for it.”
You can see a full list of dates below. For tickets and more info, visit the band's website.
Beat Tour 2024 Dates
9/12 San Jose, CA San Jose Civic
9/13 Napa, CA Blue Note Napa Summer Sessions at Meritage Resort
9/14 Los Angeles, CA The United Theater on Broadway
9/15 Anaheim, CA City National Grove of Anaheim
9/17 San Diego, CA Humphrey’s Concerts
9/18 Phoenix, AZ Celebrity Theatre
9/20 Austin, TX The Paramount Theatre
9/21 Houston, TX Bayou Music Centre
9/22 Dallas, TX Majestic Theatre
9/24 Atlanta, GA The Eastern
9/26 Fort Lauderdale, FL The Parker
9/27 Orlando, FL Hard Rock Live
9/28 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall
9/29 Charleston, SC Charleston Music Hall
10/01 Charlotte, NC Knight Theater
10/02 Durham, NC Carolina Theatre of Durham / Fletcher Hall
10/04 Washington, DC Warner Theatre
10/05 New York, NY Beacon Theatre
10/06 Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre
10/08 Richmond, VA Carpenter Theater in Dominion Energy Center
10/09 Red Bank, NJ Count Basie Center
10/11 Boston, MA Shubert Theatre
10/12 Hampton Beach, NH Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
10/14 Halifax, NS Rebecca Cohen Auditorium
10/15 Moncton, NB Casino New Brunswick
10/17 Montreal, QC Theatre Maisonneuve
10/18 Toronto, ON Massey Hall
10/19 Rochester, NY Kodak Center
10/21 Albany, NY The Egg
10/22 Greensburg, PA Palace Theatre
10/23 Reading, PA Santander Performing Arts Center
10/25 Cleveland, OH Agora Theatre
10/26 Cincinnati, OH Taft Theatre
10/27 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre
10/28 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium
10/30 Indianapolis, IN Murat Theatre
11/01 Chicago, IL Copernicus Center
11/02 Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theatre
11/03 Madison, WI Orpheum Theater
11/04 Minneapolis, MN State Theatre
11/06 Denver, CO Paramount Theatre
11/08 Las Vegas, NV The Theater at Virgin Hotels
