Of the Fripp-less King Crimson outgrowths, Stick Men is the most impressive. Consisting of German touch guitarist Markus Reuter, New York-based Chapman Stick virtuoso Tony Levin, and Wimberley-based drum god Pat Mastelotto, they tour the world with a dozen discs’ worth of challenging, mostly instrumental progressive rock that’s earned a faithful following through both the band’s stunning musicianship and their genial stage presence. The trio’s new LP Let’s THRAK Again salutes Crim’s Nineties masterpiece THRAK, on which Levin and Mastelotto played, via original music in the same experimental prog vein. The band always starts and ends runs in a member’s hometown, so come watch them blow the dust off with this tour-opening show. – Michael Toland