David Gilmour, Rick Wright, Nick Mason, Syd Barrett, Roger Waters. These men formed the foundation of experimental rock from the 1960s to the 1990s. These days, a tribute band is carrying Pink Floyd’s legacy to a new generation: The Machine.
The Machine is a New York-based band comprised of Neil Alexander, Ryan Ball, Todd Cohen, and Joe Pascarell. Praised by Rolling Stone and SPIN for playing both popular hits and obscure B-sides with “chilling accuracy,” the group has been touring for nearly 20 years.
A September 17 concert at Clifton Park’s Northern Lights proved The Machine to be worthy of flaunting the title “World’s Greatest Pink Floyd Tribute Band.” Although the concert-goers were beginning to become antsy due to the lack of an opening band, all tension melted away at the first chords of “Breathe/Time.”
The ethereal chords melted into the band’s signature song, “Welcome To The Machine,” and the crowd responded enthusiastically. In a somewhat dinner-theater setting, food and drinks were available to those at or around tables, ordered via one harried waitress. Standard pub fare was served.
While Northern Lights is a bar, the show’s 16-plus rating means that anyone over the age of 16 is allowed to come in to see the concert. This is common to many of the concerts at this venue. The main room is more spacious than it has been in the past, and remodeling is being done to expand facilities even further.
Meanwhile, The Machine show continued with an eclectic mix of old favorites, meandering jam sessions, and rare oddities. Joe Pascarell, the lead vocalist, announced the upcoming songs to include “something from The Wall and then something ... a little more recent.”
In a demonstration of the ease with which The Machine flows between the decades of Pink Floyd’s career, the next songs in the set were “Mother” (1979) and “Coming Back to Life” (1994).
According to fan message boards, available at The Machine’s website, “Coming Back to Life” is a new addition to the band’s repertoire. It sounds just as fantastic as the rest of the covers, and I join the more avid fans in my hope that it remains in regular rotation.
Despite drifting off slightly as the greasy bar food settled in my stomach, I was suddenly jerked awake by a chorus from the crowd: “All in all, you’re just another brick in the wall ... ” The enthusiastic participation from the crowd was startling, considering that, before the concert, the same crowd had been forced to wait without entertainment for two hours.
All in all, the concert was spectacular and I highly recommend any Pink Floyd fan to come see The Machine’s next local performance. I do, however, recommend taking Northern Lights’ show time listings with a grain of salt. They seem to sometimes operate on Central Standard Time.
