It's a Dangerous Place!

King Crimson
Opening Act: California Guitar Trio
Sunday, June 4, 1995
Town Hall
New York, NY
Section Right Orchestra, Row M, Seat 23
$27.50

Three days after seeing King Crimson for the first time, I saw them again. Like I said before, I think I realized how much I like this band literally while looking at the tour dates. I realized this was not some band I could see once, but needed to see more. And given their history, before they broke up again.

I've been enjoying writing up some of these more memorable concerts. But I lose the autobiographical thread by jumping out of place. I don't want to get too in-depth with my mom issues, but here's a little background. When I was growing up, my mom and I had a lot of conflicts. Too many arbitrary rules and punishments.

I was a good kid. I realized that I had goals I wanted to achieve - go to a good college and get a good job. Be independent. Get away from home. I also realized that my mom's rules had nothing to do with my goals, and more to do with her frame of mind at the time. So if I could do what I thought was reasonable and not get caught breaking her rules, good for me.

This story could have happened with any parent, nothing spectacular, but I was not having this conversation with a typical parent. So, when I decided I was going to see King Crimson in New York, I was going to do it. The "big city" aspect didn't scare me, I grew up in Philly and that whole city was my playground. And I had been to New York before for concerts, albeit with older fan chaperones. I had street smarts. And I was an adult, I was 20 years old. But I had moved home for the summer and my mom raised a shitfit. "It's a dangerous place", she said, unknowingly quoting King Crimson. She was actually not going to let me go.

This could have been any mother's overreacting comments to a daughter. But I was hearing with the same voice as "you can't go out tonight" with no good reason or "you're grounded because you looked at me funny and have a bad attitude" or "you're just as bad as your brother" and every stupid thing I had to deal with as a teenager. This issue became my big fight to do what I wanted to do without having to sneak around to do it (except when I wanted to keep something private, of course).

Eventually, my sheer force of will won. It must have been, because logic never won an argument with my mom. I was going to take Amtrak up that afternoon. Go directly to the venue. Take a cab directly after the concert to the train station. The one point I didn't win was after arriving in Philly - I would have just taken the local train back home, but she insisted that she and my dad were going to pick me up at the train station in Philly at one in the morning. Fine with me.



The day of the concert, I arrived in New York City. I wore my new red tshirt with the VROOOM artwork. I ate at the train station. The weather was gorgeous. I asked a cop how to get to the venue's address and walked there. And sat there for several hours. The goal was to see the band enter the venue and get some more autographs. I brought my Discipline LP, where I only needed Fripp's autograph and my THRAK. I had only learned about Fripp's attitude about fans and autographs at the show in Philly days earlier.

I wrote up my encounter with Fripp for Elephant Talk a few months later.

"Fripp arrived and was walking towards the entrance of the Town Hall. Remembering the warnings I had received from other fans, I was careful not to walk right up to him. I walked to within ten feet of him, and asked him if he would please sign my Discipline album. He looked at me and said "Can I blow you a kiss instead?" This was not what I was expecting to hear from him, and for a moment I was speechless. He blew me a kiss and walked away. I think I thanked him afterwards. The rest of the day I remember being absolutely thrilled that Fripp spoke to me. Fripp is the only musician I've ever met who wouldn't sign an autograph for me. He has his reasons, and I'd never ask him again, but I'm really glad that he did take a moment to speak to me."

I was more successful getting Pat Mastelotto's autograph. He was very friendly and asked my name.

"Rhea."
"How do you spell that?"
"R-H-E-A"
"What is it again?"
"Rhea. R-H-E-A"
"Ohhhh. Like Rhea Perlman"

He signed it "To RHEA. Pat Mastelotto. Thanx!"



I don't remember talking to anyone else in the band, but Tony waved to me on his way out. I don't know if he recognized me from the other day in Philly. Later on, before the doors opened when a crowd had gathered out front, he opened up the stage door and started signing autographs for people. So cool.

I don't know if I was posting anywhere online at this point in time. I can't find any review I wrote of this show. I do have this show on cassette, and the setlist is:

coda: Marine 475
Frame by Frame
Dinosaur
Heartbeat
Red
B'BOOM/THRAK
Matte Kudasai
Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream
People
Vrooom Vrooom
Elephant Talk
Indiscipline
drum duo
The Talking Drum
Larks' Tongues in Aspic Part II
One Time
Vrooom
coda: Marine 475 (again)
Walking on Air

There was one additional song from my previous show, Heartbeat, but the setlist was in a slightly different order so you'd never know what they'd play next. The concert was enjoyable. I felt stifled sitting still in my seat, so I asked the people next to me if I could switch seats with them. I was now in the far aisle and up and dancing.

After the concert, I hightailed it outside and took the first cab to Penn Station. No problem catching my train. It was worth it not just to indulge my musical passions but to be able to go where I wanted to.

If you have a good eye, you'll notice that Fripp's signature is on my Discipline and THRAK covers. I'll tell that story some other time. ;-)