Cheap DJ: Wish You Were Here

12/30/2012:Wish You Were Here

I was bummed that I did not get to sing… “One of these days I’m going to cut you into little pieces…”

Last night, I went to see The Machine, a Pink Floyd tribute band. Seeing a tribute band is a bit like going to a strip club. Both are attended mostly by aging men. Same basic context too: It’s a good time if you don’t think too hard about it. The Machine executes a fine simulacrum of the Floyd, even if they were way too noodle-y  — Pink were spacey, sure, but they rarely noodled. Sadly, only one concert goer remembered to flame his lighter and hold it aloft during “Wish You Were Here.”

But executing a pitch-perfect rendition of Pink Floyd singer Roger Waters’ aged warbling and gnarly voice is, however, at best, a mixed blessing. And the Machine didn’t recreate the full-stage Wall and tear it down again, like the original band did. I want my $10 back!

The show did rekindle an old mystery for me about the Pink Floyd set of songs “Shine on You Crazy Diamond.” In both parts of the song (which bookended the Wish You Were Here album), whenever Waters would sing “…rode on the steel breeze,” band would momentarily pause: