AUSTIN, TX- Replete with political commentary the performance began with a very special PSA; “Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. The show is about to begin. Before it does, two public announcements: Firstly, out of consideration for your fellow patrons, please turn off your cell phones. And secondly, if you’re one of those ‘I love Pink Floyd, but I can’t stand Roger’s politics’ people, you might do well to f— off to the bar right now. Thank you. Please sit back and enjoy the show.”
The British legend performed a 2 part immersive set starting with “Comfortably Numb” and a medley of “The Happiest Days of Our Lives”, “Another Brick In The Wall pt. II and III”. We were given a very short time for the latter 2 songs to take photographs and it felt like a blur. I shot the images and sang at the same time, completely overwhelmed by the experience and the opportunity of being so close to one of my most beloved artists.
There was no part of the arena with a poor vantage point; the set design and visuals were configured in a way that allowed the entire audience to fully dive into every element d and Waters performed in rotation to each different side of the arena
This wasn’t a show where you could lay back and forget about the world — we were painfully, loudly but beautifully reminded of the oppressed and persecuted, and the system that perpetuates the cruelty and brutality.
Through a set list dominated by Dark Side of The Moon (“Comfortably Numb” “Brain Damage”, “Any Colour You Like”, “Money”, “Us and them” among others), the show touched on some of the important titles in Pink Floyd’s discography including The Wall, Wish You Were Here and Animals.
Songs from Waters’ solo period included selections from his third studio album Amused to Death, Radio K.A.O.S, and his fourth and most recent solo studio album Is This the Life We Really Want?
The phenomenal performance was delivered with such grace and strength that Roger’s age (79) was a nonfactor as he vigorously worked the stage and led the band members for nearly two hours. Visual highlights included a large floating sheep, a floating pig, and Waters dressed as a WWII German officer mercilessly firing at the attendees. It was loud!
The coverage of subjects like occupation, Black Lives Matter, Trans Lives Matter, gun control, reproductive rights, police brutality, and Julian Assange were reminders of the overwhelming censorship and lack of basic human rights experienced by large members of the global population, But there was an aura of hope in the here and now I believe.
Waters closed the set honoring each member of the band with a visual display of each of them on the screens and walking each one of them out off the stage. Waters’ band consisted of Jonathan Wilson on guitars and vocals; Dave Kilminster on guitars and vocals; Jon Carin on keyboards, guitar and vocals; Gus Seyffert on bass and vocals; Robert Walter on keyboards; Joey Waronker on drums; Shanay Johnson on vocals; Amanda Belair on vocals and Seamus Blake on saxophone (who received a massive ovation)
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