Dark Side of the Moon

 

Did you ever wonder what the dark side of the moon looks like? Roger Waters did and produced a 1973 album by that name with his band "Pink Floyd". That was quite a while ago and now he is back on tour at the ripe old age of 79. Recently, I was fortunate to see him perform at the Allegiance Stadium in Las Vegas with a crowd of blue-jeaned baby boomers in black T-Shirts at his concert. My husband actually saw him perform in 1972 in Denver, Colorado. I didn’t know what to expect, but Waters worked his magic again. He managed to keep the stadium crowd entertained for three full hours. Clearly, he thrives on writing and sharing his music. 

Roger grew up in Surrey, England where I lived many years ago. Waters started his band, Pink Floyd, in 1965 and was named after two blues musicians. His controversial politics have appeared in the press over the years. We didn’t know what to expect until the concert began with a personal message displayed on the stage screen. Waters basically wrote that if you don’t agree with his politics, then feel free to leave now and go to the bar instead. The result was a collective laugh in the concert hall. However, as the three-hour concert evolved, it became clear that Waters believes in equal rights worldwide without world leaders getting in the way. Waters showed a slide show of war-torn countries while he sang and encouraged us to support worldwide human rights. By the encore, I had changed my mind about Water’s politics. I'm glad I didn't go to the bar.

Waters shared the story of meeting his fifth wife at a concert rehearsal. She is a much younger African American woman who lives in New York City. They met when her job was to drive Waters daily from the concert parking lot to his rehearsal in a golf cart. It was love at first sight! Waters has three children and is a grandpa who clearly enjoys his family. He seems like a nice guy who loves to perform his music. The final song was endless and he could have played all night. For the finale, Waters introduced his 100-plus stage crew and musicians as they paraded around the stage to applause. This concert is clearly another brick in the wall for Roger Waters. He loves to write and share his music. Will we see him perform again before he reaches the Dark Side of the Moon? I hope so!