Levin, Tony - Pittsburgh, PA

With perhaps a record attendance at Rosebud in Pittsburgh’s Strip District, The Tony Levin Band, which also features Jerry Marotta on drums, vocals, and guitar; Jesse Gress on guitars and vocals; and Larry Fast on synthesizer, embarked on an entertaining showcase of talent that lasted well over two hours.

After catching Tony Levin's performance, it seems a bit absurd to refer to this multi-talented and innovative musician as simply a bass player, even though he is arguably the best bass player in the world.

Utilizing his Chapman Stick, a unique and versatile instrument that looks like an elongated double fret board, Levin used a two-handed technique through most of his performance, as he created sounds that ranged from the whisper of and Italian inspired melody to the driving riff of Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog.” He also introduced a Ned Steinberger cello that he played with a bow, and a few more ordinary instruments that included an acoustic guitar and an electric bass.

The band featured several selections from their most recent release, Pieces of the Sun (Narada), including "Apollo," "The Fifth Man," and a Crimson inspired song called "Geronimo." A unique masterpiece from that release (that builds from the albums title) called "Ever the Sun Will Rise," offered a refreshing piano driven melody and violin-style stick performance that grew into a triumphant explosion.

Also noteworthy are a previously unreleased track that Levin had recorded with Peter Gabriel many years ago, which was updated for the Tony Levin Band's last album, "Dog One"; and the serene "Utopia," which concluded the band's two song encore.

Levin who is perhaps best known for his work with the likes of Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, and Robert Fripp, has also recorded with dozens of other famed musicians, and recently has collaborated with members of Dream Theater on the Liquid Tension Experiment albums, and Steve Stevens and Terry Bozzio for Bozzio Levin Stevens, both of which were released by Magna Carta.