Welcome Back, My Friends: Carl Palmer Time-Travels Through Progressive Rock Glory at The Parker

There are concerts you attend simply for entertainment, and then there are concerts that carry a lifelong emotional weight. For me, this show was the latter. I spoke about it with friends for weeks, because while I’ve been fortunate to attend countless performances thanks to my work, Emerson, Lake & Palmer was one band I had accepted I would never experience live—whether because of timing, age, or distance. I wondered if this new tour, promoted as “Welcome Back My Friends,” could truly offer an echo of that world in 2025. Memories of Carl Palmer’s 2016 Miami performance came to mind—an excellent show with Mark Stein, former Vanilla Fudge Keyboardist, and surprise appearances like Steve Hackett, Genesis guitar player. Truly amazing —but still, not ELP.  So yes, I arrived with doubts… but the answers would reveal themselves soon enough.

Front and center stood a magnificent silver Ludwig drum kit—double bass, two snare drums, two rack toms, two floor toms, brilliant Paiste cymbals, and two towering gongs ready for battle. It felt ceremonial, iconic. As the night progressed, those gongs would unleash a thunderous presence during a fiery, rock-infused rendition of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. With classical precision, timpani accents, and flawless control of tempo and dynamics, Palmer reminded us why he remains one of the greatest drummers in progressive rock. At 75, he plays with the energy of someone decades younger and the creativity of a musician who never stopped exploring.

Photo: Julisa Sandra Marquez

But first, the evening opened with the trio: Carl Palmer on drums, Paul Bielatowicz on guitar, and Simon Fitzpatrick on bass. And here came the first delightful surprise—they launched directly into Tarkus, channelling all the intensity, power, and architecture of the original composition. Bielatowicz stunned the audience by singing the vocal parts while simultaneously reproducing Keith Emerson’s synth lines through his guitar with absolute command. It was bold, unexpected, and electrifying.

As the show unfolded, its structure shifted in beautiful and emotional ways. At times Palmer stood alone onstage, framed by two large screens—Keith Emerson on one side, Greg Lake on the other—performing with their original live audio, perfectly synced to Palmer’s drumming. The effect was dramatic, nostalgic, and deeply respectful. In one especially tender moment, Palmer transitioned to bongos for “From the Beginning,” accompanying Lake’s voice and guitar as if sharing the stage once again. The theater held its breath.

Yet this wasn’t simply a night of memories. Fitzpatrick and Bielatowicz stepped in and out of the spotlight, giving the show its modern pulse. Bielatowicz delivered a delicate, beautifully articulate version of Debussy’s Arabesque No. 1, played with such grace that the venue fell silent. Fitzpatrick followed with a clever, virtuosic reinterpretation of Pictures at an Exhibition using the Chapman Stick, transforming sheet music into vivid sound. And then, in a completely different mood, Palmer had the audience laughing as he sang “Benny the Bouncer” with theatrical charm.

Photo: Julisa Sandra Marquez

The trio continued with Hoedown, Trilogy, Nutrocker, and other beloved pieces, all performed live without backing tracks. Fitzpatrick’s mastery of the Chapman Stick allowed him to brilliantly recreate the orchestral fullness of Emerson’s keyboards—a remarkable feat that replaced the absence of the Moog, modular racks, and vast ELP’s live electronic landscape with pure musicianship. The show moved between past and present, and that’s when I realized the answer to the question I carried into the theater. Carl Palmer’s vision is not to recreate ELP exactly as it was, but to take us through time—lifting the best of the past, shaping it with the present, and reminding us how futuristic music from half a century ago can still feel fresh today.

“Welcome Back My Friends” is more than a concert—it is an experience. It is a night that every admirer of ELP should witness, whether they had the chance to see the band in its original form or not, and a celebration that any lover of refined, high-caliber musicianship will truly appreciate. Carl Palmer delivered a remarkable tribute to virtuosity, artistry, and a lifetime of musical excellence. Beyond the performance itself, he connected with the audience through warmth and humor, sharing stories and offering heartfelt praise for his absent bandmates. You could feel the gratitude, the friendship, and the enduring love that binds together a lifetime devoted to music.