Roger Waters concert - If you are a fan, Go.

[RJT]

Disclaimer - I am not a very good critic, so this is more of a trip report. If you think it goes in OOT, that’s fine.

I went to the Roger Waters concert last night (Cleveland). It was phenomenal. If anyone is a fan and on the fence - make sure you catch the show.

My buddy owns a record store and always has good seats. I was wavering about going for the past few weeks. I never committed. (My concert days are winding down. Been there, down that and all. ) So yesterday, he still had a ticket. I got myself in gear and went with him, my brother and a few others. The seats were on the floor, dead center - maybe 35 rows back. (I refuse to go to any show anymore unless I am center with the stage. One misses too much sound if off to either side - same with theater. I’ll sacrifice distance for sound any day. )

Anyway, he does tracks from Pink Floyd, a few of his solo stuff and all of Dark Side of the Moon. He did Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Have a Cigar, Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun, quite a few tunes for the Wall, just to name a few songs - takes a 15 minute break and comes back and does the whole Dark Side album. He encored 3 songs - the final song being Comfortably Numb.

His backdrop is a big screen - which had some very cool visuals. The opening shots look 3-D. No idea how it looks so real.

Two things I want to highlight. His lead guitarist is incredible (can’t recall his name, but I am sure a search will net you that.) And the woman how does Doris Troy’s part in Great Gig in the Sky is amazing.

The whole band, including Roger, did a great job.

He got political on a new song of his - the song is about a trip to Lebanon he made when he was 17. He ties that trip into today’s world situation. (Btw, for other To Kill a Mockingbird fans - one of the lines in this song, he mentions Atticus Finch.)

Some of his other visuals were anti-war, too. Us and Them and some of the Wall stuff. By anti war, I mean now - Bush, etc. , not just general anti-war. I really think the anti-war stuff is a big reason he is even doing this tour. But, that is just a hunch on my part. Now don't get me wrong, it doesn’t get in the way of the music.


Fwiw, I missed Steely Dan a few weeks ago in Pittsburgh. (I leave about equal distance from Cle and Pitt). I regret that. So I thought, I might motivate any other fans who aren’t sure whether to make the effort or not. You will enjoy it.

[elvirto]

Cool. I've been on the fence about buying tix to the Seattle show (don't want nosebleeds, and scalpers want a fortune for them). Roger released a dvd a while back that you might want to pick up, i think it's just called "in the flesh".

os. it's Claire Tory, not Doris Troy on GGITS

[miajag]

I went to the Pittsburgh show on the 24th, great show. The new guitarist is sick. I also saw him in 99 and 2000 when he started touring again, and this show was significantly better. More Floyd stuff and less of his solo work.