for our Pink Floyd fans: tour dates for THE MACHINE (Page 1 of 4)

I highly recommend these guys, they always put on a great show - they are fantastic, truly superb!!

I don't believe it...they're playing only 30 minutes away from me.  I've never seen them before but may have to check them out since they'll be so close!

@ Mindy:  If you're in Orange Co NY, you must be talking about the 3/7 Middletown NY show.  I guess that one is a slight possibility for me too... I've made it there in the past anyway, as my concert-recording friend Keith lives in Northeastern PA, about a half hour from Middletown.  But I am trying to cut back on shows this year (I saw them 19 times last year!), so we'll see.  If I do end up going, I'll contact you about possibly meeting up there. 

@ LynB:  They have toured Europe (mainly The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, maybe a couple other places) various times in years past, the last tour being in Dec of 2006, plus they flew over just to play the Rock of Ages Festival in Germany in July of 2007.  They wanted to go back to Europe these past couple years, and would still like to someday, but the problem has been the currency exchange rate.

And just a little side note here...  A few of us TM forum members had plans for a group trip to Amsterdam in Dec 2006, and I'd found a way to do it real cheap too, but my husband wouldn't let me.   Turns out their recent DVD release "Live In Amsterdam" is one of the two shows I would've attended, had I gone.  That DVD is EXCELLENT, by the way... if anyone is interested, here's a link to their Store page... the Unplugged CD is also HIGHLY recommended, especially if you like Syd material...
http://www.themachinelive.com/store/

@ Jane:  Come on, you can talk your hubby into The Machine for his birthday, especially if he loves Pink Floyd!  Tell him I feel the same way about Rams Head Live, but I guarantee it'll be worth it... seriously, it's the best gift he could give himself!   As for the Baltimore-based Floyd tribute... I'm assuming you're talking about Several Species, who only play like two shows a year.  I'd like to check them out, for "research sake", lol, but I hate to go the whole way to Baltimore to do it.  I've spoken to many people who have seen them though... sounds like they put on a nice show, even if they do need like 10 people on stage to get the sound right, lol... but the consensus is that The Machine is much better musically.

As for The Australian Pink Floyd Show (TAPFS)... yes, these are the guys with the big stage show and touring/marketing budget.  I've seen them once, a little over a year ago (and I flyered for The Machine in the parking lot, as they had a show coming up a couple weeks later, hehe).  A couple years ago TAPFS obtained the stage props from Pink Floyd's Division Bell tour, so it does feel reminiscent of a real Floyd show (I'm glad my son and husband went, as neither of them had ever experienced a real Floyd show), except it takes place in a theatre instead of a stadium... sometimes they can't even fit the whole inflatible pig on stage, only the front end of it.  And they have their inflatible kangaroo too... the whole kangaroo/aussie thing is complete overkill to me... they've modified all of PF's logos to include that damn kangaroo, which they flash up on their screen during the show... I find it quite gimmicky, especially considering the fact that the band relocated to the UK way back in 1993 and do not even TOUR in Australia!  In fact, only 2 of them are original members, one being the keyboardist, and I noticed he was the only one who spoke to the audience from the stage too, probably because he's one of the only ones with an Australian accent!  They also swap out band members depending on what part of the world they're touring and who is available... I can't put it any better than TM's Admin once did: "I personally prefer knowing the The Machine is a real band of great musicians and not just a "show" with interchangeable cast members. To me Floyd and the fans deserve no less than the best musically."  Musically speaking, TAPFS does a good job of exact note-for-note reproduction of the original material, but the result is a somewhat "sterile" performance, compared to The Machine... I mean if I wanted to hear that I could just pop in a CD and save myself a bunch of money (their tickets aren't cheap).  The Machine is also quite capable sounding exact, but they somehow do it with more feeling.  Then there are parts where they'll go off on their own jams, like in the places the real Pink Floyd would've jammed when playing live, especially back in the early days.  And TM knows just WHEN to sound exact (some Floyd just shouldn't be messed with) and WHEN to do their own thing.  Besides all four of them being excellent musicians, Joe can somehow match his voice to Roger, David, and Syd, which is another thing that sets them apart.  They do not have a fulltime sax player, but they use Norbert Stachel (from Roger Waters' In the Flesh tour) whenever he's available... they've used some other decent sax players too, but Norbert is the best I've seen.  They also do not have a fulltime female vocalist, but they use this awesome woman named Nina Setera when she's available (again, there have been others), and the way she sings Great Gig gives me goosebumps every time.  The Machine also has a great light show and they show cool videos up on Mr Screen when they can (some venues don't have room for Mr Screen), but their primary focus has always been on the MUSIC... everything else is just icing on the cake.  But anyway, back the the Aussies... if you're a Floyd fan and they come to your area, I'd recommend checking them out at least once... I mean they definitely don't suck.  But pretty much anyone who's ever seen The Machine prefers them over the Aussies.  There's a good thread about the subject here, for anyone who's interested:
http://www.themachinelive.com/forum/vie … t&sd=a

A couple more notes:  1) The Machine's Atlantic City show is on Sat 2/14, not 2/17 as my original post said (now edited), and 2) The Machine's 2/7 Baltimore show is a special "Dark Side of Oz" show... they'll be playing Dark Side of the Moon in it's entirety, synched to The Wizard of Oz film up on Mr Screen... and they do a very good job of keeping it synched too, stopping the film during the jams and resuming it again at the right moment.  A Dark Side show also should mean a guest sax player and guest female vocalist... I'm hoping for Norbert and Nina.  Of course Dark Side is just one set... the rest of the show will be mixed Floyd, and they usually try to cover all eras.  Anybody here going? 

--Vik

Yup that would be the one!  Let me know as I don't have anyone that is interested in going

Well The Machine just finished up their Southern tour, and you should see these setlists!   They've been bringing out all kinds of rare gems... many they haven't played in a long while or not very often, and some I've NEVER heard them play before, several of which I've been asking and waiting for FOREVER.  Here are some titles (some rarer than others): Obscured By Clouds, When You're In, Matilda Mother, San Tropez, Seamus, Fearless, Let There Be More Light, Wots...Uh the Deal, Fat Old Sun, The Nile Song, Bike, See Emily Play, Childhood's End, Lucifer Sam, Celestial Voices, Astronomy Domine, Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun, On the Turning Away, High Hopes, Keep Talking, When the Tigers Broke Free, Goodbye Cruel World.  And they played Echoes in its ENTIRETY, something a bunch of us had been asking for for a long time.  For anyone who doesn't recognize a lot of these titles, don't worry, they play all the Floyd staples too!

Anyway, I can hardly wait to hit some shows and hear some of these newly-resurrected songs!  I'll of course be at the Rams Head Live show in Baltimore this Sat 2/7... that's a Dark Side of Oz show (plus more)... will I see any of you there?  I'm currently being tempted into the Atlantic City show next Sat 2/14 too, but I'm not sure about that one yet.  Middletown NY on 3/7 is looking more and more promising all the time, yay.  And the Whitaker on 5/2 is a no-brainer for me.  Hoping to get some of you Floyd fans out to a Machine show, and better yet if I can meet you too!

Come check out The Machine's site at: http://www.themachinelive.com/

--Vik

The Machine has added more dates to their tour schedule since the last time I posted, including 2 dates in Colorado later this month, among others...

Fri 3/6 -- Music Hall, Portsmouth, NH
Sat 3/7 -- Paramount Theatre, Middletown, NY
Fri 3/20 -- Toad's Place, New Haven, CT
Fri 3/27 -- Cervantes' Ballroom, Denver, CO
Sat 3/28 -- Belly Up, Aspen, CO

Fri 4/3 -- Mr. Smalls Ballroom, Pittsburgh, PA
Sat 4/4 -- New York State Fairgrounds/Center of Progress Building, Syracuse, NY
Sat 4/18 -- Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield, MA
Fri 4/24 -- Higher Ground, Burlington, VT
Sat 4/25 -- Showcase Live, Foxborough, MA

Fri 5/1 -- Symphony Space, New York City, NY (performing Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety + hits & deep cuts, backed by the 100-piece Bergen Youth Orchestra Symphony)
Sat 5/2 -- Whitaker Center, Harrisburg, PA
Sat 5/9 -- Sececa Niagara Casino, Niagara Falls, NY

Fri 6/12 -- Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA (performing Wish You Were Here, Animals, and Dark Side of the Moon + Echoes in its entirety)

Thurs 7/2 -- TBA, Akron, OH
7/9-7/19 -- Southern Tour -- details to follow

I can hardly wait for the Middletown NY show tomorrow... there's gonna be a BUNCH of us posters at this one.  And I just now remembered our own MINDY... messaging you next...

The other ones I'll be attending are the 5/1 NYC symphony show, the 5/2 Whitaker show, and the 6/12 Keswick show (which is a special one, see description above).

Any Floyd fans here gonna hit at any of these shows?  If anyone will be at any of the 4 I'm attending, let's try to hook up.

--Vik

Great show!  I had a really fun time, and it was wonderful meeting you Vikki, hope you had a smooth ride home!  And we'll definitely have to do it again!

It's been a while since I bumped this thread with an updated tour schedule, so here it is:

TONIGHT! -- Rhythm & Brews, Chattanooga, TN
Sat 5/30 -- Music At McClellan, Longleaf Park, Anniston, AL

Fri 6/12 -- Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA (performing Wish You Were Here, Animals, and Dark Side of the Moon + Echoes in its entirety)
Sat 6/13 -- Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD (UNPLUGGED!)
Fri 6/19 -- Sherman Theater, Stroudsburg, PA
Sat 6/20 -- Tags Summerstage, Big Flats, NY
Wed 6/24 -- Seminole Hard Rock Casino, Hollywood, FL (includes laser show)
Fri 6/26 -- Rocks Off Concert Cruise, New York City, NY
Sat 6/27 -- Joey Harrison's Surf Club, Ortley Beach, NJ

Thurs 7/2 -- Locke 3 Amphitheatre, Akron, OH (FREE SHOW!)
Fri 7/10 -- Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh, PA (performing Dark Side of the Moon + other classics, backed by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)
Sat 7/11 -- TBA, VA
Fri 7/17 -- The NorVa, Norfolk, VA
Sat 7/18 -- The State Theatre, Falls Church, VA
Sun 7/19 -- Heritage Festival @ Pierce Stadium, E. Providence, RI (only $5!)
Thurs 7/23 -- Gathering of the Vibes Music Festival, Bridgeport, CT (performing on the late night stage at 1:30am)

Sat 8/8 -- Paramount Theatre, Rutland, VT
Tues 8/11 -- ArtPark, Lewiston, NY (FREE SHOW! Includes laser show)

http://www.themachinelive.com/tour/

I personally will be at the 6/12 Keswick 3-album+echoes show, the 6/13 Annapolis acoustic show, the 6/19 Stroudsburg show, and probably the 6/26 Rocks Off Cruise.  If anyone here will be attending any of these shows and would like to meet-up, there's usually a pre-show gathering and you're welcome to join us.  In fact, for the 6/19 Stroudsburg show, there's also gonna be a POST-show party, 2 blocks away from the Sherman Theater at the Front Row, where the George Wesley Band (reggae) will be jamming til closing at 2:00... gonna be a fun night all around...

Also, at the end of my previous post, I included links to download or just listen to one of Keith's Machine recordings, if anyone wants to check it out.  And their MySpace link is in there too.

--Vik