STICK MEN play Baked Potato Jan. 24 & 25; The Coach House Jan. 26, Brick By Brick Jan. 27; photo Dion Ogust
So-Cal prog-rock fans rejoice! Stick Men are bringing their one-of-a-kind live show to The Baked Potato in Los Angeles on Jan 24 and 25, The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Jan 26, and Brick By Brick in San Diego on Jan 27.
Stick Men hold an interesting place in today’s modern rock landscape. The band has the unique distinction of being comprised of two members of King Crimson—Tony Levin since 1981 and Pat Mastelotto since 1994—and touch guitar progenitor, Markus Reuter, which is a combination that makes for some of the most adventurous instrumentation in rock.
Besides Reuter’s mastery of Touch Guitar, Mastelotto is a forerunner of electronic drumming, and Levin stands as one of the earliest virtuosos of the Chapman Stick—an uncommon instrument in the guitar family from which the band gets its name—which he’s been playing since the 70s with the likes of Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, and Yes.
Since forming in 2007, the group has recorded five studio albums, released two live albums, and toured the world—whenever the three members can catch their breath between tours with their other bands, that is. Their latest effort, Prog Noir, features more of the band’s signature compositions—mostly instrumentals—filled with heady time changes, distinctive rhythms, and equal parts dystopian, industrial chug, and imaginative, exploratory, musicianship. In other words, it’s everything you want from a prog-rock outfit.
STICK MEN; photo Anya Roz
As far as live performances go, the Stick Men’s three members are seasoned road dogs, and definitely know how to put on a show. The Stick that Levin plays has both bass and guitar strings, meaning he can play bass lines, melody lines, and chords simultaneously, resulting in the band sounding much bigger and more intricate than their trio setup would initially suggest. Expect lots of improv, a setlist comprised of selections spanning their discography—as well as some King Crimson selections, and unbelievable musicianship from all three Stick Men.