For those that somehow missed the memo that Roger Waters isn’t ashamed to express exactly how he feels about practically any hot button topic, there was a warning for those who turned up at the United Center before a single note was played.
“If you’re here because you like Pink Floyd but you can’t stand Roger Waters’ politics, fuck off to the bar,” flashed on the screen above, which was not a surprise to anyone who’s actually listened to his lyrics, but may have caught more oblivious listeners off guard.
Nonetheless, for every visual promoting refugee or reproductive rights, championing the Black Lives Matter movement and calling out what he referred to as the war crimes of all the American presidents from Ronald Reagan to Joe Biden (who was cited as “just getting started”), there were astounding in-the-round theatrics that made practically any seat pretty decent, the requisite lasers, and of course, a pig that flew.
It all began with a dirge-like version “Comfortably Numb,” perhaps the most appropriate choice coming out of the COVID-era, especially considering the entirely new “This Is Not A Drill” Tour was repeatedly put on ice.
The fact that it finally happened in the flesh was enough to signal his second song, “The Happiest Days of Our Lives,” which alongside an exceptional supporting cast, quickly propelled the first act of the more than two-hour evening forward.
Though Waters isn’t explicitly advertising it as such, this may as well be a farewell for the 78-year-old singer/songwriter and bassist/piano player, though at no point did that advancing age even remotely diminish from his extraordinary abilities on any level.
If anything, they helped bring additional perspective to the solo “The Powers That Be” and “The Bravery Of Being Out Of Range,” plus Pink Floyd favorites “Wish You Were Here” and the multiple parts of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond.”
Yet Waters continues to be a seasoned craftsman, debuting the yet-to-be-released “The Bar,” alongside a few true-to-form takes from his prior long player, Is This The Life We Really Want?.
However, he was also quite generous when it came to the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers’ classic catalogue, such as “Run Like Hell,” accompanied by all the iconic imagery from “The Wall,” and the entire back half from The Dark Side Of The Moon in all its psychedelic splendor.
In spite of the varying opinions on what he had to say surrounding the songs themselves, everyone could absolutely agree they were in the presence of a true legend whose vast body of work will be his definitive legacy long after the latest attention-grabbing headline.
