Review: Pink Floyd Lives Again in The Machine
 Keith 'Muzikman' Hannaleck gives The Machine five out of five stars. |
Going to a cover-band show takes some thought before proceeding; many doubts come to mind, the biggest being "Will it be anything close to the originator?"
Once again, I was totally taken aback by the end result when I attended the recent performance by Pink Floyd-cover band The Machine at the Colonial theater in Pittsfield. It is worth mentioning that every show I have been to at the Colonial since it opened has been outstanding.
The Machine is from New York City. They have been together for 21 years now and I found out what that kind of consistency can do for a band covering such difficult music.
The music of Pink Floyd is very complex, progressive and, to be quite frank, very strange at times. Think of music from people like Frank Zappa and you may know what to expect attending a concert of Pink Floyd music. The originators of that band such as the brilliant Roger Waters, Syd Barrett and David Gilmour are now icons of music for their work.
With all of those things pointing to the very core of the presentation, you figure the odds would be against anyone attempting to duplicate this incredible music. That would be a miscalculation when it comes to the abilities of The Machine.
Joe Pascarell (guitar, lead vocals), Todd Cohen (drums), Ryan Ball (bass, backing vocals) and Scott Chasolen (keyboards) are The Machine, or I should say a "music machine." These four individuals proved to be all of that and more. Each member is an accomplished musician with the skills to perform at the highest level.
The Machine kicked of their night in Pittsfield in glorious fashion, opening the show with some classics from the legendary "Dark Side of The Moon" album. In back of the drummer was big round canvas supported by metal bars, looking like a suspended trampoline. The entire stage and theater were pitch black when the pulsating images appeared on the canvas and finally some lighting came on stage to reveal the band. They then launched into "Breathe," followed by "Time," much to the delight of the full house.
Many more great renditions of Pink Floyd classics came our way as the night wore on: "Have A Cigar" from the "Wish You Were Here" album and several selections from "The Wall," such as "Another Brick In The Wall (Part II)," the cinematic and animated "The Trial" and the one everyone loves, "Comfortably Numb," which they so smartly saved for their encore.
The lighting was exceptional considering the size of theater and the capabilities that are available. Many wonderful media treats came and went as the band led us through every song with clarity and precisionlike workmanship. At times it was hard to focus just on the performers with classic footage from the Pink Floyd archives playing on the large canvas, psychedelic lighting, and images moving from the stage into the crowd then up to the ceiling.
This was an essential part of the show and most appreciated by anyone looking for that complete Pink Floyd experience. While it could not hold a candle to the sophisticated laser equipped stadiums the original band played in, it was very enjoyable and got the job the done.
One song that really was a treat and a surprise was "Money." The Machine not only convinced us that this was Pink Floyd, they added some Zappaesque jazz-rock-fusion breaks to spice it up and make it more interesting. So not only did they impress with their spot-on performance of the original band they added some of their own music to the mix.
After the concluding number came to a close and they walked offstage, the audience jumped to their feet and gave a resounding applause followed by stomping of feet and rhythmic clapping to bring the boys back out for some more. They obliged us and noted how everyone was so nice to them here in Pittsfield and how much they appreciated the audience before launching into their encore. I had never witnessed such an energetic encore at the Colonial before.
The Machine played two full sets and an encore that included two songs. The evening started at 8 with a 20-minute break in between sets then ended at around 11:15. Many folks where walking out talking about how incredibly good the concert was.
This performance more than met my expectations; it exceeded them beyond anything I could have imagined. I would not hesitate to go to see The Machine again.
Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck of Adams offers up his best-listening bets as a regular contributor to iBerkshires. For more reviews, www.muzikreviews.com. For questions or comments on this review, drop me a line at info@muzikreviews.com.
