Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy live in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, USA, 1 March 2025

Stephen Mazikewich

Probably the greatest honor in life is leaving behind some sort of legacy. Many examples of this exist throughout history. It could range from something as big as the great pyramids to something as common as raising children. Most of us experience the latter. One of the most enduring forms is within the arts whether it being visual or auditory. You may have guessed this review is in regard to the auditory side of things, namely Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy.

This isn't my first experience with Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy. In June 2019 Carl Palmer toured as part of the Royal Affair tour with Yes, Asia, and John Lodge. Palmer had Arthur Brown in tow as a special guest since they were both in the Crazy World Of Arthur Brown in the late 60s. I distinctly remember Arthur Brown dancing around on stage in full face paint singing Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression, Part 2 like it was part of some sort of fever dream. I can't say I didn't enjoy it, but it was something I wouldn't have come up with in my wildest prog fantasy.

This time around, Carl brought along Keith Emerson and Greg Lake in addition to long-time band members, guitarist Paul Bielatowicz and bass player Simon Fitzpatrick. In 2022, Palmer began incorporating video performances of Keith Emerson and Greg Lake from a 1992 show calling it A Night With Emerson Lake And Palmer. This was meant to be a 50th anniversary celebration for the formation of ELP in 1970, but it was delayed a couple of years because of that thing that happened in 2020.

Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy's 2025 tour is called Welcome Back My Friends - An Evening with Emerson, Lake & Palmer. It kicked off in Derry, New Hampshire, on February 27th, which hopefully marks the end of what already has been a long cold winter in northeastern United States. The show this particular review examines is the March 1st concert at Penn's Peak in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. Penn's Peak is a mountaintop entertainment venue that can accommodate up to 1,800 people. Personally this was the first time I had visited this venue. Jim Thorpe itself is a very quaint beautiful town located in the eastern side of central Pennsylvania. It is named after one of the greatest American athletes of all time.

Before the concert started attendees were greeted with a looping video displayed on three screens of a short documentary on Carl Palmer's career. At 20:00h, Carl cut in on the middle screen for a heartfelt dedication to Keith Emerson and Greg Lake. This was followed by pop culture references with humorous mentions of Emerson Lake and Palmer in television shows like Cheers and The Simpsons. And then the synths from Abadden's Bolero filled room segueing into the very recognizable synth intro to Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression, Part 2 blaring through the speakers as the band took the stage with Carl Palmer in the center on drums atop a riser, Paul Bielatowicz to the left, and Simon Fitzpatrick to the right from the perspective of the audience. This certainly set the tone for the show. The audience was in for a high energy concert reminiscent of the live spectacular that was Emerson Lake and Palmer.

Not only were the three musicians on stage, but they were joined by Emerson and Lake on the right and left screens showing footage from the Royal Albert hall concert recorded in 1992, released on CD in 1993, and later released on video in 1996. Lake and Bielatowicz traded off on vocals for the opener letting us know the legacy of ELP was very much alive and well. The heavy hitting instrumental Hoedown followed keeping the energy high with Emerson and Lake returning on screen for Knife Edge.

At this point, and frequently throughout out the show, Palmer would step down from his drum set to a microphone at the front of the stage to address the crowd. This gave Carl an opportunity to introduce the next song as well as share anecdotes about the history of ELP. Carl could have spoken to the crowd from behind his drums, but standing in front of the audience made it feel more personal. This was a slight inconvenience to Carl, but it was a very thoughtful gesture to connect with the audience without any barriers thus showing class and professionalism from a seasoned musician.

You cannot have an Emerson Lake and Palmer show without Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibition. Excerpts from the epic song was cleverly and expertly played on Chapman Stick by Simon Fitzpatrick. From the opening notes of Promenade to The Great Gates Of Kiev, Fitzpatrick captured the magic of one of the first songs ELP ever played live in 1970.

There were many surprises throughout the night including Carl singing Benny The Bouncer in his best cockney accent and a full rendition of Tarkus complete with cgi animated visuals of a certain menacing armadillo tank hybrid.

Paul Bielatowicz's solo contribution started out in the form of the song Trilogy and quickly transitioned into Debussy's Arabesque No. 1. Paul's rendition was beautiful and nothing short of awe-inspiring. His classical background fits perfectly into the essence of ELP, but he can transition into rock and metal seamlessly. Not only is his style of play crucial for what this band accomplishes, but also the tone. Paul's emulation of organ and synthesizer sounds will have people in the audience looking for a hidden keyboardist. I know I was the first time I saw him live.

The setlist was a great mix for the casual ELP fan with recognizable songs to deep cuts for the diehards. Also appropriate use of peaks and valleys, an essential quality for any great prog epic. In fact the entire concert was so well paced it was devoid of an intermission so there was never a break in the momentum. This was welcomed unless you really had to use a bathroom.

Greg Lake's acoustic hits like Lucky Man and From The Beginning were effectively used for everyone to catch their breath. Lucky Man was sung by Lake himself joined by Emerson's famous Moog flourishes at the end of the song. Carl played bongos accompanying Greg for From The Beginning.

Of course the moment everyone was waiting for is Carl Palmer's drum solo. It is universally understood that Carl is one of the most skilled prog drummers so there is no need to get into the nuances of his performance. He was certainly having the most fun in the room playing everything from gongs to just the two drum sticks off each other. Carl plays with such a childlike wonder reminding us all that everyone has their own fountain of youth. Carl just happened to find his behind a drum kit. The drum solo could have gone on for another 5 minutes. No one would have minded.

The finale was a medley consisting of Fanfare For The Common Man, America, and Rondo. Carl was left alone on stage joined on screen by Keith and Greg from Live At The Royal Albert Hall. This could be perceived as Carl just playing along with a video, but it was definitely much more than that. This showcased what this band was all about — rocking the classics and bringing the house down. A shockwave of nostalgia was sent through the audience, but perhaps to no one more than Carl himself, once again joined by his bandmates. There was no encore as there was nothing left on the table leaving everyone satisfied.

This concert wasn't about mourning two great musicians, it was a celebration of what they created and how they changed the music industry. Emerson Lake And Palmer set out to preserve the legacy of classical composers for the modern music listener. Now it is their turn for the ELP legacy to be honored as it is well deserved. I think everyone will agree it is in very capable hands.

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