PROJEKCT THREE: LIVE IN AUSTIN, TX, MARCH 25, 1999

Y'all gotta hear this one! The ProjeKCts had been under a way for a bit by this one when Fripp & Co come to Austin, TX for SXSW (or South By SO WHAT?!? IMHO). Don't know why and don't care because Fripp has deigned to perform one of KING CRIMSON's "ProjeKCT 3" in my hometown. And no arena show is this: ProjeKCt 3 played on the University of Texas campus in the basement of the student union in a sweet little wood-paneled club called the Cactus Cafe. This little boho, campus box of a barroom usually hosts the likes of open-mic singer/songwriters or Texas acoustic troubadours who typically croon in warbles and pluck their gitboxes in a wheedly-strum kinda way. Nice selection of imports beers pour from taps and they are typically enjoyed in nice leather chairs while 17 other "friends of the band" do likewise...YAWN.

My guess is that this venue is SMOKE-FREE and why Fripp chose it. The UTexas staff cleared out the furniture and a room (25' x 50'?) that typically holds about 40 sulky tortured songwriters was overbooked and about 200-250+ rabid Crim fans piled in, to imbibe ProjeKCt 3's sonic mayhem. The little wooden box of the Cactus Cafe and the 200 sweaty fans were the perfect acoustic sound chamber for the assault of sound and ideas wrangled Fripp & Co. Here we were treated to a symphony of electronically treated guitars, drums & samples that the MASTERS Fripp/Gunn/Mastelotto could wrench out of their musically fervent minds. Imagine the rock monstrosity that the Lark's Tongue In Aspic is and cram it through Fripp's mind, a bank of computer/samplers, and then stir well with improvised musical chops and the nuance of KCs legacy...oh yeah, and did I mention that all this prog greatness took place 3 feet away!?! Fripp was RIGHT IN IN FRONT OF ME! Never thought I'd enjoy that!

If you like KC's music in anyway and desire more of this sonic adventure, you won't be sorry with this set. I got it from the original ProjeKCts box set, but want the whole set now. This is music performed by interdimensionally-minded virtuosos with their latest toys and then AMPED UP TO 11 by an enthusiastic crowd all up in Fripp & Co's face...GET IT NOW!