Entertainment Features

Pink Floyd Niagara Strips Down to Get Psychedelic

Pink Floyd Niagara Strips Down to Get Psychedelic

By David DeRocco dave@gobeweekly.com  https://twitter.com/?lang=en 

No chicks. No sax. No projection screens. For fans of Niagara’s definitive Pink Floyd tribute, the next show’s all about the music.

“Through the years and the shows, we’ve always had people, whether it was a complaint or an observation, say how come you’re not doing any of the psychedelic stuff,” explained Larry Swiercz, de facto artistic director for the musical collective known as PINK FLOYD NIAGARA. “The Syd Barrett stuff, or more Animals. That was always kind of a goal with the project. I always wanted to have two versions, one for the big shows and one for smaller stages. This project is for the smaller stage.”

June 22nd at The Warehouse in St. Catharines, a stripped-down five-piece version of Pink Floyd Niagara will take the stage, opting for a brand new set list of material they’ve rarely played over their usual effort recreating a particular tour or complete album.

“We’re taking a bit of liberty here, and not doing a complete album,” said Swiercz, long-time keyboardist for the popular Floyd tribute. “This time, you’re not going to hear just The Wall or Dark Side or Animals. Instead, we’re tapping into the psychedelic era stuff with three or four songs, like “See Emily Play,” “Arnold Layne,” or “Astronomy Domine.” This will feature a whole range of Floyd stuff from beginning to end, with an Animals segment, a kind of medley of “Pigs,” “Dogs,” and “Sheep.” It lets us concentrate on different material than what we're used to doing with the big show.”

The “big show,” as Swiercz calls it, was an ambitious production-heavy recreation of classic Floyd albums and tours, including the legendary 1994 Division Bell tour that included a full-scale performance of Dark Side of the Moon after intermission. That production enjoyed a long and healthy run in Niagara Falls, before Pink Floyd Niagara decided to pack it in for a while.

In addition to The Warehouse show, fans of Pink Floyd Niagara will be happy to know there are some “big shows” on the horizon, including a Concerts on the Canal performance in Welland August 30th and a big show to close out the Niagara Grape and Wine Festival September 29th in Montebello Park, St. Catharines.

“The Caverners did it for years and years. It was also kind of a goal to play the final night of Grape and Wine on the big stage, and the opportunity presented itself.”

Tickets for The Warehouse show are on-sale now.

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