After a string of canceled concerts, keyboardist Keith Emerson and guitarist/vocalist Greg Lake showed up in the city that never sleeps on April 8, 2010, to perform some of their classic songs in the intimate setting of the Nokia Theater in Times Square. With the stage decorated like their original recording studio, Manticore Hall, the two Brit 
musicians provided ample hearty banter about how certains songs came to be and witty jabs about the good ol' days of creating their music mojo.
They started out the night with their wistful "From the Beginning," a beautiful tune with prescient lyrics and a soothing tempo. In honor of King Crimson, of which Greg Lake was a founding member, (Emerson had been a part of vanguard prog rock group The Nice), they did a touching rendition of "I Talk to the Wind," with Emerson fully utilizing his souped-up synthesizer, adding to the yesteryear feel. They performed two sets, with a short intermission, giving the evening a supperclub feel with their relaxed vibe and reminiscing. During the second set, they took questions from the rapt, middle-aged audience that had a few inappropriately obnoxious members. One of the most interesting questions came from a young lady in the audience who said she used to sleep with her older brother's copy of Tarkus and dreamt of one day lying beneath Emerson's piano as he played. Well, her dreams came true. The bafflingly young-looking 65 year-old Emerson escorted the blushing fan onstage, playing an upbeat melody while she reclined under the piano, giddy with music bliss. After she returned to her seat on wobbly
legs, the purveyors of prog rock answered a question about what their favorite songs are of their own material. Lake named the Trilogy album for its conceptual journey and groundbreaking material. Emerson said Tarkus, as well as jokingly mentioning "Benny the Bouncer," a short little slice of an Americana-like ditty, which they had just performed with aplomb. One of the more weighty questions concerned the duo reuniting with their third member, drummer Carl Palmer, this summer and whether a world tour would ensue from this. While the wisened musicians stated they hoped so, that remains to be seen with the current sketchy track record of just these two original members of Emerson, Lake and Palmer touring together this year.
Though there has been speculation about Emerson possibly suffering from arthritis and Lake battling laryngitis, there were certainly no signs of these ailments Thursday night. The seasoned musicians jammed through their signature tunes as if riding on air, with Emerson at one point playing the keyboard from the opposite side. With a definitive sound that melds classical, jazz, and progressive rock, they were in top form in the comfortable environment; it was easy to detect Emerson's Dave Brubeck influences and Lake's folk touches as they played their respective instruments. Promising to make up the previous canceled dates to ticektbuyers in various cities, the duo seemed set on pleasing their fans. With Emerson Lake & Palmer: A Time and a Place, a four-disc compilation of never-before-released live tracks, currently available for purchase (ShoutFactory.com/ELP) and no end in sight for touring, these original rockers seem to live up to the name of the last song they performed for the night, the simple but soulful "Lucky Man." Guess we're lucky, too, to still have such gifted musicians still willing to share their illustrious catalog of resonant, timeless tunes.
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