At first glance it seemed like Roger Waters’ Dark Side of the Moon tour would be little more than a nostalgic revisiting of Pink Floyd’s most enduring album. But for Waters, nothing could ever be that simple.

The show opened with a video depicting someone scanning the dials of a radio surrounded by just about every trope one can associate with Waters’ material: a bottle of scotch, an ashtray crammed with crushed-out cigarettes and a model World War II fighter plane. And just when you got comfortable watching the giant anonymous hand play with the radio, the screen faded to marching hammers and the stage exploded in a spray of sparks as the band crashed into the always abrasive “In The Flesh.” Now that Waters had our undivided attention, it was time to proceed.

                           The first set jumped all over the Pink Floyd and solo Waters’ map, from The Wall’s “Mother” to the early, dark psychedelia of “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun.” Waters also included an abridged version of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” in honor of Syd Barrett, something that he has done on all of his solo tours, but in light of Barrett’s recent passing this time in particular came across as more emotional than sentimental.

              The opening set also served as a forum for Roger’s blatant antiwar politics, as Bush, Cheney and Hussein were all equally inducted into “The Fletcher Memorial Home” through the backdrop visuals that depicted them amongst some of history’s most tyrannical leaders.

              “Perfect Sense,” a two-part song about war and capitalism, was another powerful moment. The song climaxed with an onstage explosion and the entire band singing the chorus with Waters evoking the audience to sing along. Waters introduced a new song, “Leaving Beirut,” by saying, “This is where we come to the controversial bit.” He went on to describe the song as a story about hitchhiking in the Middle East as a teenager and the kindness that a family there had shown him. Some in the New York audience booed at the mere mention of such as “Arab” or “Middle East,” but by the time he reached the lyrics, “Oh George, Oh George/ That Texas education must have fucked you up when you were very small” and “Don’t let the might of the Christian right fuck it up for you and the rest of the world,” the audience was cheering its approval.  

              Former Floyd band mate Nick Mason joined the group on drums for the second set, which consisted of Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety. The crowd erupted when Mason walked onstage, excited by the idea of even a 50 percent Pink Floyd reunion. The performance of Dark Side of the Moon proved that even a nostalgic trip down memory lane could be re-envisioned and vital. With his politics already in place, Waters applied the universal themes of Dark Side to the current status of society, making the songs about war, desperation and the pressures of life as meaningful today as they were when the album was released 33 years ago.   

              For the encore, the band was joined by a chorus from the New York Boys Club on “Happiest Days of Our Lives” and “Another Brick in the Wall Part 2.” “Vera,” a short but powerful song from The Wall, came next, followed by “Bring the Boys Back Home.” The night concluded with the always intense “Comfortably Numb.”    

              It seems that every time a member of Pink Floyd does a solo tour the same complaint always comes up: “Why can’t they just get back together and tour?” and people look for places to feel the absence of David Gilmour, Rick Wright and Nick Mason. But it’s important to acknowledge the contributions of Roger’s current band: No modern-day Roger Waters’ show would be complete without the soulful vocals of PP Arnold on “Perfect Sense” and Graham Broad’s high-energy drumming brings a whole new dimension to the songs. And even as comical as Dave Kilminster’s incessant hair flipping got to be, he won the crowd over with his feedback-heavy guitar solo during “Any Colour You Like.” Waters himself appears to be reinvigorated on this tour. Perhaps fueled by the controversy that his political statements are stirring up, his voice sounded stronger and his stage presence was much more energetic then on his previous tour.

              Waters’ performance at Madison Square Garden showed that he can hold his own live as a representative of the Pink Floyd legacy and make the material fresh enough for new generations to identify with it. It was also reaffirming to see a musician take an unapologetic political stance and not dilute his opinions through metaphor and allusion. Roger’s politics and music are what they are, take it or leave it. Even if you disagree with him, you can’t say you didn’t get your money’s worth. Rebecca Carter

Photo credit: Danny Clifford/FilmMagic.com