Pink Floyd Experience's "ANIMALS Live" Offers Nostalgia, Mesmerizes Purebred Fans

One of the most sought-after cover bands of our time made its way in to the heart of downtown St. Pete on Friday night. The Pink Floyd Experience has been storming stages since its birth in the late 1990s and has yet to slow down.

This group has reached superstar status as identity stealers and pulls it off quite nicely. Led by front man, Tom Quinn, the group puts on a nearly impeccable performance.

Inside the Mahaffey Theater, Floyd heads roamed, sporting vintage T-shirts dating back to the 1970s. Older fans did not just relive the past, they reinvented it: finally getting to experience the band they heard on LPs as teenagers.

It was a nostalgia trip and safe -- a rock n' roll trip without the danger, drugs and rebellion of that decade. Quaintness replaced the edginess the group exuded 30 and 40 years ago. And that was just fine with this crowd of well-heeled fans.

“I grew up listening to Pink Floyd,” fan Jason Willis said. “I drifted from their music as a teenager but rediscovered them later in life.”

Lights dimmed a little after eight, and an ornate arrangement of instrumentals enveloped the scene. A trance-like spell was cast on the crowd. Interpretive videos mesmerized the concert-goers. 

Six members complete the Floyd ensemble, which made their sound a force to be reckoned with. Far from karaoke, the musicianship was impeccable. This was rock n' roll theater performed by professionals. The band is both actor and musician. Multiple guitars, drums, keys and a saxophone would give these guys  an edge on any would-be competition.

Super fan Shannon Hilliard gushed that ANIMALS Live delivered what it promised and more, like a rendition of "Have a Cigar."

Jams like “Comfortably Numb” and “Dark Side of the Moon” satisfied every Floyd sense known to man and woman. Lighters and cell phone screens lined the Mahaffey Theater as the crowd yearned for more.

Even for not-so-fluent Pink Floyd fans, the night was a smashing success. Jill Woodson admitted to never really hearing the group before, but still enjoyed every moment. “Entertaining” she said. 

After an evening of a classically timeless rock show, The Pink Floyd Experience presented the audience with the famous flying pig, recalling the group's 1970s shows when it brought along giant helium-ballooned livestock after releasing its hit "Animals" album.

This high-tech inflatable had a Disney/Pixar-appeal, harnessed to a remote-controlled helicopter. Surreal as it was, there was a theme park quality to seeing and reliving the Pink Floyd experience. As the shiny, pink mascot made its way around the theater, the band performed an encore of “Another Brick in the Wall.”

Pink Floyd-- unlike many of their rocker contemporaries -- did not disappear for good. They are still around, which is an accomplishment, given the hard living of that era. Individual members still tour and try to recreate the glory days. But they lack the zest and self-discipline of this tribute band.

One cannot help but think that this faked reality not only fulfills Pink Floyd's sardonic view of the world but also manages to make it a lot of fun. That's an accomplishment.

Tune in to www.ThePinkFloydExperience.net to find out when they will be back in the Burg and to keep tabs on their many accomplishments.