The Machine—Saenger Theatre—Mobile, AL—01/18/2014

Written and Edited by: Rosemary A.W. Roberts

Photos by: Clayton Roberts

As a lifelong fan of Pink Floyd, I often fondly recall the one time I got to see them in concert, at the Superdome in New Orleans in 1994. I was seventeen, but even at that young age I was enthralled by the magnitude of their sound, how it seemed to reach inside me and grab hold. But other than a singular performance by Pink Floyd at the Live 8 concert in 2005, and Roger Waters’ touring The Wall, seeing Pink Floyd is no longer possible. However, for those still craving a live stage performance of their incredible music, there is an alternative: welcome to The Machine, a band that has been performing the music of Pink Floyd for 25 years.

Brought to Mobile’s historic Saenger Theatre by HUKA Entertainment near the end of their southeastern USA tour, The Machine arrived onstage amidst smoky shadows, with a large round projection screen at center stage. A pulsing heartbeat, a distant scream, and we found ourselves in “Breathe”, and I had chills. The screen imagery was exactly as you’d expect to see at a Floyd show, and the multicolored lights were perfectly synched with the music. As “Time” followed, I was impressed with how Tahrah Cohen attacked the drums with precision, and also noted that guitaristRyan Ball played the solo note-for-note, on a red Fender that sounded much like David Gilmour’s guitar. Next came the gorgeous ballad “Coming Back To Life”, and it became obvious how similar bass player Adam Minkoff’s voice is to Gilmour’s. “Another Brick In the Wall, Part 2” was intense, with driving bass hits, audience assistance for the chorus, and a record-accurate guitar solo. But The Machine then brought us more, as the band slid into a jam, with all four musicians working together to show that they are in their own right a band. In a way, it’s the best of both worlds, as they deliver the beloved album-precise songs, and then diverge on their own path afterward. Keyboardist Scott Chasolen wove some graceful ambience into the intro to “Learning to Fly”, and next they played the lovely and obscure “Fat Old Sun” from Atom Heart Mother. “Welcome To The Machine” was well done, and Scott Chasolen provided expertly placed synthesizer effects. The first set ended with an excellent version of “Pigs (Three Different Ones)” that included a great outro jam.

After a brief intermission, The Machine returned for a second set, beginning with “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”, giving a sensation like being in the midst of a delicious dream. “Money” was… well, right on the money, down to the timing of the cash register’s clinking. The band did a great job highlighting all the facets of Pink Floyd’s career, including an otherworldly “Echoes”, a bass-funky “Young Lust”, a wistful “Wish You Were Here”, and the rocking instrumental “One of These Days”. The set closing “Comfortably Numb” included a surprise treat, when 92ZEW’s Gene Murrell joined the band onstage to add rhythm guitar to the mix; as for the sublime lead guitar solo, Ryan Ball absolutely nailed it, making for a righteous end of the show. The crowd showed much appreciation with a standing ovation, and The Machine returned to encore with “Run Like Hell”. It turned out to be quite a show, and you can check out their upcoming tour dates here: http://www.themachinelive.com/tour/ .

Mobile and The Saenger Theatre are fortunate to have HUKA Entertainment on their team, bringing great musical acts to our fine city. 2014 will find HUKA Entertainment presenting some amazing concerts at The Saenger, including:

*Gov’t Mule – 2/15

*Buddy Guy and Johnny Lang – 2/19

*Southern Soul Assembly (with Marc Broussard, Luther Dickinson, JJ Grey, and Anders Osborne) – 4/1

*Umphrey’s McGee – 4/3

If you’re in Mobile during those times, be sure to head downtown to the gorgeous Saenger Theatre to see what a great job HUKA Entertainment is doing, bringing musicians sure to stir your spirit!