The color pink never sounded so good.
On Saturday night, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra lended their musical talents to perform a noteworthy selection of the psychedelic songs of Pink Floyd.
The BPO, along with Berklee-trained guest conductor Brent Havens and vocalist Randy Jackson, lead singer of rock band, Zebra, joined forces to give the crowd at Kleinhans a show that would make Roger Waters crack an approving smile.
Accompanying the orchestra was a full rock band including a lead guitarist, bass guitarist, drummer, sax player, keyboardist, lead vocalist and background vocals.
The crowd was a comical amalgam of different sorts, ranging from those sporting torn jeans to sophisticates dressed in suits to young teens text messaging on their cell phones to gray haired old time rockers from the '70s.
The BPO opened the night with a dark, mysterious stage setting and rhythmic drumbeat, producing a trancelike aura that lead the crowd into "Time." The spot-on performance let the crowd know what to expect for the rest of the night. Reminiscent of the Floyd concerts of the '70s and '80's, the light show and fog machine made one feel as though they were actually there.
"I never had the privilege to see Pink Floyd in live concert and this was a great opportunity to hear something as close to the real thing," said Peter Bier, 43 of Tonawanda.
The next familiar song was "Wish You Were Here," which began with a soothing duet of the principal flutist and acoustic guitar. The group brought out the typical hoots and hollers from the overzealous crowd, making it feel like a typical Darien Lake rock concert and reminding everyone that you didn't need to press your pants to come to Kleinhans that night.
Brent Havens, conductor and arranger, tried to encompass everything that people would want to hear while also exploring some oddities that would be fun for the group to play.
"I don't think these songs could have been performed any better unless this was the '70s and Pink Floyd was here live," said Mary Malone, an original Floyd fan from North Tonawanda.
Extending into the evening, the orchestra explored a full catalogue of Pink Floyd's music including songs like "Nobody Home," "Money," "Another Brick in the Wall," and "Us and Them." The encore, "Run Like Hell" brought the audience to its feet in enthusiastic applause and appreciation.
With crowd reaction from this diverse audience, the BPO and guest rockers certainly netted a successful evening at Kleinhans with a full house of Floyd fanatics and perfectly arranged and performed songs. It's productions like these that bring around those who might normally not attend a BPO performance. Fans found it nice to see Pink Floyd still broadening horizons after all these years.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
