Wednesday, November 10, 2010

The Wall - November 9th, 2010 - Wells Fargo Center

***SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW SPECIFICS READ THIS REVIEW AFTER ATTENDING. I DON'T WANT TO RUIN IT FOR YOU!***


Last night I got a chance to witness the traveling spectacle that is The Wall Tour 2010. Luck was not on our side as David Gilmour didn't return his favor to Roger on night two of three in Philadelphia. That didn't stop the band from delivering a fantastic performance.The show must go on...I made a conscious effort to avoid any type of review given the theatrical nature of the performance. I've seen the old footage from the original tour, but wanted to go in fresh.

It's hard to forget a quintessential album like The Wall. Every note of the album is so ingrained into memories that it's hard to disassociate the actual music from personal experiences. Roger didn't hide the fact this potential farewell tour carried an anti-war agenda. It was apparent from pre-show house music that included songs by Lennon, Dylan, and Mayfield.

The Wall was used as the soundtrack to portray it's message on current affairs. This message focused on a quote by Dwight Eisenhower, "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed." It was nailed home at the peak moment of Vera/Bring The Boys Back Home.

Roger Waters requested pictures, letters and home movies of all troops prior to the tour. This could be anything personal about service men and women. He incorporated all walks of armed services into the show including some of his father who died in World War II. The video during Vera didn't leave a dry eye in the house.

The band delivered, the effects were amazing and the sound was some of the best I've ever heard. It was well worth the hefty price of admission. It was noticeable that Roger put an incredible amount of effort into the overall production and performance. Here's a couple crappy cell phone pictures that actually look decent for a change:

















If you've made it this far and now consider going, do it! He's still here Thursday night. But if it's not in the budget a little birdie dropped off this. Enjoy and remember to thank our service men and women on Veteran's Day for all the sacrifices they make.

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