Concert starts: 8pm

Rosemont Theatre, Chicago

Ticket scan - thanks to Adam Ooten

Address of venue: 5400 N. River Road, Rosemont, IL 60018. MAP

Website: www.rosemont.com/visiting/theatre.shtml

The first of two back-to-back shows in the Windy City, saw David and the band blow away the fans with a gust of fine music! (Sorry!) Another great show by the sound of it, with the band playing on top form at the moment. At this stage of the tour, all of the musicians will be very comfortable and relaxed with the material, and it is coming across in the quality of the musicianship.

The second night brought another great show - and the band seem to be, at this stage of the tour, performing two main versions of the setlist, alternately. The band now travel to Oakland, near San Francisco, for another two shows. If you are going, have a great time, and let us know your views!

Our thanks Paul Burgess and Robert Perry for the very quick submission of each night's set list.

SHOW REVIEW - April 12th

By BD contributor, Robert Perry

I awoke this morning with the images of last nights show still fresh in my mind and what a show. As usual, David did not let his fans down. The first half of the show was the usual "On An Island" segment with the setlist going as above.

Overall, A great show. David sounded fantastic as did everyone else. A bit of a funny moment as Dave went to play the lap guitar, he picked up the slide and dropped it on the floor. A brief moment as he touched his head as if to think "OH CRAP" as he had to reach down and around to find and pick it up. The beauty of it is he did so with such casualness that it was barely noticeable.

The lights show was phenomenal!!! I was blown away by the presentation, so simple yet very effective. The lasers add a great presence to the show. Echoes and Comfortably Numb were outstanding!

These small theaters are a great place for this show as the intimacy seems to have brought on a new level of relationship and appreciation for David Gilmour and the band. I saw Roger [Waters] here on his "In The Flesh" tour also.

My only complaint is not about the band or the show, but the audience. It amazes me how much money we spend on a ticket (not that I am complaining about the price, this show is well worth every penny) and some choose to chit chat during the whole show. Some people that may end up reading this, may be familiar with the "Concert Curse" as I call it. You know, where you always end up sitting/standing behind the tallest person in the place or someone near you tries to talk loudly to a friend?

I sadly had to sit in front of a woman that talked on her cell phone all night. The second half was the worst. She put her friend on speaker phone and I was constantly distracted with the sound of a walkie talkie type voice all the way up to "High Hopes". I finally turned to her with an evil look and gave her a 2 word statement which finally shut her and her cell phone up. At one point I even heard her say she wouldn't have sold her ticket for a million dollars which made me think she should because she wasn't paying any attention to the show anyway. Enough already.

SHOW REVIEW - April 12th

By BD contributor, Mike Carter

Loved the 4/12 show! Row J, center floor.

David played 7 different instruments if you count the various guitars, slides, banjo and sax. He was loose and looked like he enjoyed himself. Truly the master of making those strings talk.

Intense light show for such a small venue. Echoes was awesome...21 minutes of fun. Encores were predictable but well done.

Lots of knuckleheads moving through the aisles to shoot 10 second videos with their phones...steadily chased off by the ushers who were less forceful than they should have been.

Great span of ages in the crowd - teens to 70s. Way too many folks looked like the guy who owns the comics store on the Simpsons. Overall, a great show that made the new album sound better than it does on CD. Looking forward to a 5.1 surround version of the live show that should come out in the fall. The second set was well chosen and gave a great slice of David's career...well worth the steep price.

SHOW REVIEW - April 12th

By BD contributor, Sal Tesoro

What an absolutely fantastic show! The new material that comprised the first half of the show was excellently arranged. The lighting added to the music being played on stage. All the musicians were right on. David's guitar(s) sounded every bit as good as I remembered.

My wife and I last saw him at the Irwin Center in Austin, TX in 1987. Speaking of that show, I believe it was one of the last shows that featured "Echoes" in their set list.

The second half of the show was tremendous. The music was played with a little more intensity. I was very happy to see Rick Wright acknowledged by the crowd with a great ovation during the band intros. He was playing his keyboards with a lot of energy, something I don't recall in the Austin show. His vocals were right on. He and David sounded excellent in "Wot's...The Deal".

"Echoes" was the show stopper. If the concert had ended on that song, I would have been ecstatic. The music, the lighting all added to make it a great piece. The fact that they came back with "Wish You Were Here" and "Comfortably Numb" as an encore was just gravy.

After the show, the band lined up on stage and took a group bow. They acknowledged the crowd with waves and hung out for a little while after the lights went on. The show was excellent. The venue was a great place to see the show.

We were in the fourth to last row in the upper balcony, and the sound was excellent. My only complaint was the crowd itself. In the first half of the show, I never saw so many people get up and leave their seats - all throughout the first half. We had a group in front of us that played musical chairs with their six seats. Once they settled down, things improved. I hope the crowd tonight gets the same quality show we were lucky to enjoy.

SHOW REVIEW - April 12th

By BD contributor, Vassi

Great, great, great!!!These are simply the words to describe the first show in Chicago...The musicians from the band were on top of their abillities, and to see David and Rick together is not just rare, it's uplifting.

Very wisely chosen list of pieces with early delights such as "Wot's... the deal", "Fat Old Sun", "Echoes", "Wearing The Inside Out", and of course the eternal, timeless pieces from the "Dark Side", "Wish You Were Here", and "The Wall"...

THANK YOU, David for the magic of the GREAT music! And see you again...

SHOW REVIEW - April 12th

By BD contributor, Robert Cooper

David came out in Chicago with some serious hard-core, hard solo, attitude. I sat 2nd row center pit – had a great show with Guy Pratt, exchanging jokes most of the show. David was HOT, HOT, HOT the first set – mixing it up from the pre-arranged list to the bands surprise and then smiling and laughing pointing at them (including Richard) before the closing out of the set. Guy was so impressed with David’s early solos – he got tired toward the end of the first set – yawning twice during PFOS and Where We Start. FYI, this was the tightest and strongest guitar solo’s I have seen here to date on this tour.

Smile was a bit off since David bumped his slide of the guitar and had to shorten his first slide solo. It was worth it because he just laughed and put up his finger and mouthed hold on a minute to Guy, and proceeded to walk around the front slide guitar to pick up the slide…. Very fun moment for everyone!

Polly was near the stage for the second set taking lots of pictures of Richard during Wearing The Inside Out. She is beautiful! Makes me very happy for David and his cute family. I see where the inspiration is coming from for all the songs.

One thing I can tell you from Canada and Chicago, (not as much in New York where people can't stay in their seats for the life of them). Fans just can't shut up during some of his most intimate music performances! They sit and talk, talk, talk, then yell “We love you David” as he is singing SOYCD solo! It totally ruins the show. Maybe, I will tour Europe if there is a next time – because American fans are a bunch of freaking idiots!!!

Finally, again Davids PEAK PERFORMANCE came during the FOS guitar solo, AGAIN! It seems like that song slot (which he interchanges) is always where he goes nuts! Thanks for that – and I look forward to seeing that 5 more nights to come.

FYI – Guy is a freaking riot on stage. Everyone should be sure to check out how much fun he has on stage. I would love to have a cup of tea with him!!! Funny man.

SHOW REVIEW - April 12th

By BD contributor, John H Melick

I just got back a few minutes ago from Chicago where I saw David's Wednesday night show. It was incredible.

The new album worked very well live. I was blown away by it (I particularly love The Blue and Where We Start). The band was incredibly tight and David's voice was in fine shape. It translated very well into the live setting. My friend that I went with, who hadn't heard OAI, was somewhat underwhelmed; she enjoyed it, but said she thought it was too laid back (which, interestingly, is one of the reasons I like it a lot). I thoughtfully suggested she give it a second chance.

We both noted with some amusement, being former high school band geeks, that David puffs out his cheeks when playing sax, which generally is a no-no but looked really funny. Since he evidently plays well like that, I can't really gripe.

Comically, David dropped the slide for his lap steel on the ground during (I think) Then I Close My Eyes and gave a comical look of mock panic as he had to walk all the way around the instrument to retrieve it, missing several bars of the solo but picking up again flawlessly. Rick appeared to be very amused by all of this.

The Floyd set was amazing. Shine On was a combination of the version from the Meltdown concert and the proper version, and it worked really well. I was glad to see David digging deeper into the Floyd catalogue for things like Fat Old Sun and Wots...Uh The Deal (the former was ended with an incredible jam over the fade out solo) rather than strictly play the obligatory Floyd standards; I'm willing to wager that Money, Run Like Hell, ABITW2, etc., don't appear at all during this tour.

Rick's presence was an excellent reason to play Wearing The Inside Out, which sounded a bit more bluesy than the original. Rick's voice was in great form, while David, Guy, and Phil provided the backing vocal. Breathe and Time represented Dark Side and most of the audience who had remained seated up to that point were suddenly on their feet (as I noted to my friend later, there are, after all, probably only about six people globally that don't own the album). High Hopes was excellent, and I think probably was better than the Meltdown version (amazing how the presence of Rick Wright can do that).

But the highlight of the show clearly was Echoes. Honestly, from things said by the band in recent years, I had never expected to hear this song again. A soon as that initial "ping" went off, it was all over for me. David and Rick played off of each other so well, it's tough to believe this song has barely reared its head since the seventies. All 23 minutes of it were absolutely blissful.

WYWH was very intimate, and being my friend's favorite song, was the one she most went nuts over. I'm a Comfortably Numb man, myself. CN is probably my favorite Floyd song, and it was very emotional for me to finally, at long last, see it live by its originators. I was still a bit too young when the DB tour was going around (that awkward age when you want to start going to concerts but really are too young to go). It absolutely pulverized me. I couldn't sing or anything else for that matter. By the time the solo hit, I just got incredibly caught up in it, standing for brief priods with my eyes closed and a huge idiotic-looking grin on my face that you couldn't have wiped off with a belt sander. Corny though it sounds, it really was something I'll never forget.

SHOW REVIEW - April 12th

By BD contributor, Travis from Bricks In The Wall tribute band

The wife and I flew in from Dallas that day. My wife had never seen David in concert, only the DVD from the Paris shows in 2000. She was completely blown away!

The lights went dark at 8pm and you can hear the intro to Castellorizon. Then David appears and the crowd goes nuts. He starts with the guitar and the rest of the band comes out. On an Island was one of the best songs of the night as well as Take a Breath. Incredible! The lights and guitar of that song. Hard, powerful and so much emotion. It is clear that David is very proud of this album.

Seeing Rick was just outstanding. He was really a key part in the band. Playing many of the piano and organ leads. At one point David introduced the band and of course Rick got a full standing ovation. He seemed very gracious about it too.

The second set opened with Shine On. Very cool rendition by mixing in some of the way he played it at the Paris show and then the studio version. It seemed much more personal. I have been following the reviews on Brain Damage so I knew Wots... Uh The Deal or Fat Old Sun would probably be played. Awesome to hear Wots.. Old songs I love and just never expected to hear. I think our band is going to add Wots to our play list!

Bottom line, every song was incredible. David's guitar playing is fantastic and his vocals were incredible. Never off pitch or did his voice ever seem tired. Harmonies were tight. Jon Carin is a fantastic musician. It is just mind blowing for a 60 year old man [David] to have the vocal range he does. Echoes was of course the highlight for me as it seems from the reviews it was for everyone else.

All in all a fantastic experience. And fortunately not my last show as we will be headed to London next month to catch the show at the Albert Hall!

SHOW REVIEW - April 12th

By BD contributor

I drove up to Chicago from Champaign for the show. Simply unbelievable. I can't belive he played Echoes. An absolute treat. I'm already desperately looking for a bootleg copy of the show. It wouldn't surprise me if that was the concert recording that was chosen for either a live cd release or a dvd.

I thought the first set was arranged better than how it appeared on the album. The second set was indescribable. David came through really well, Rick Wright's organs almost stole the show. With the hundreds of live recordings I've heard, the space that Wright can bring is nothing compared to seeing it live. It was something that the Floyd didn't have on their last tour. The Pink Floyd space sound was back and simply unbelievable.

This was just as a inspired performance as any I've ever heard on any bootleg. Whoever you are, stop what you're doing and go catch a show!

Everyone was so excited that there is no doubt in my mind that if an additional 150 shows were added, they would all sell out. There might be a bigger draw now for a world tour than ever before.

SHOW REVIEW - April 12th & 13th

By BD contributor, Rodrigo A. Fernandez

Buenos dias Brain Damage,

I’m a Pink Floyd Mexican fan, and had the opportunity to travel from Mexico City to Chicago for attending the two gigs at the Rosemont Theater. Amazing experience, the proximity and intimacy between the members of the band and the crowd was great. David reconfirmed once again that he was (is) and has been the real musical engine of Pink Floyd, and if he counts with the second brain behind the PF music the experience is outstanding. Thank you Richard! Echoes was the best song by far, followed by the classics WYWH, Comfortably Numb, the dark side beautiful songs, and the older ones Fat Old Son, and the Barret song Dominoes. A special mentioned is deserved for the On an Island new songs. Most of them are great, and makes me remember the old Pink Floyd era mixed with great solo guitars and excellent keyboards.

SHOW REVIEW - April 13th

By BD contributor, Robert Perry

Fully enjoyed night 2 at the Rosemont Theater. I don't know if it was because I had a different location or not but I think the second night was better than the first. Over all, David sounded much better vocally, much stronger and the music was right on, a flawless performance. It was like they were "in the zone". The audience was much more behaved but still very appreciative. Even at points where the music faded out slowly, The audience would clap and then stop when they realize the song wasn't yet over, and then they waited until it was, not to make that mistake again. It was wonderful.

The sound of the band was very well defined and very impressive. Each instrument came through very clearly without drowning each other out. I must say that Rick sounded fantastic and made a great presence in the band. Especially during "Echoes", Rick's element and contribution was outstanding. When David and Rick switched off musically during Echoes", it had the same sonic impact as it does on studio version. Each member acted and sounded like they have been playing together for many years.

David's selection of songs for this tour were a very good choice in my opinion. I'm glad he is playing all the songs from "On An Island". Some of the songs needed to be played live for better definition where as others are just really good songs. All were great to hear live.

"Shine On" has been renewed with a fresh new sound and it was very refreshing. "Wots...Uh The Deal", "Dominoes", "Fat Old Sun" and "Echoes" fit great into the set list and makes me wonder why he never used these on earlier tours. I know "Echoes" was dropped early from the MLOR tour.

"Coming Back to Life", "Breathe/Time/Breathe (Reprise)", "High Hopes", "Wish You Were Here" and "Comfortably Numb" sound great in the intimate settings of this small theater and "Wearing The Inside Out" lets Rick shine and he shines like anew. I am glad he swapped out songs like "Money" and "Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2" for these songs. It's not that I don't like them, I just think they get over played. And I think it because of these elements that makes this show work so well.

I hope we don't have to wait another decade or so to see another tour by David and/or Floyd, although it seems the latter to be less likely to happen at all. I enjoyed these shows greatly.

SHOW REVIEW - April 13th

By BD contributor, John Taft

Saw the second show in Chicago at the Rosemont Theater. I believe the seventh time to see Mr. Gilmour, and I think his playing was the best of all these shows, though they go back to the DSOM tour in 1973, so memory may be a bit spotty - back then saw the St. Louis show which opened with Echoes. What a bookend.

I think last night's version had to be superior - it was magnificent in rendition while pushing many of the key movements to more intense levels. 33 years ago, the show I saw was on David's birthday in early March and the sound was pretty awful at times - I believe they had blown things out in Detroit the night before. Last night, the sound was perfect. However, there are bad seats - as usual for virtually all shows (PF and the About Face tour), I have been in the last row, or awkwardly off to an extreme side. My original seat was against the wall and I could not see Manzanera, the drummer, or Guy Pratt. I moved and stood in the back.

One of the true delights for me was the playing of Wots the Deal. I don't think they ever played this live before this tour - its a great ballad and seemed timely given the theme of the lyrics. Very nice (co-written with Mr. Waters). It would have been something to stretch it into Mudmen (co-written with Mr. Wright). I was disappointed not to get to hear, finally, Wearing the Inside Out. For me, I find this Wright tune to be one of the best on Division Bell and was pleased to see it on the set list. But, evidently, it is not played every night.

The new material is lovely, played well and appreciated by the crowd. David did seem to hit one clunker on the song High Hopes at the end when he picked up the acoustic for an otherwise nice ending, but that was the only one heard my these ears. I had found Comfortably Numb in recent years to be a bit tiresome at times, but last night - like Echoes before it - brought new intensity with a particularly fine rendition. A stunningly good performance all around and one that truly moved me and the audience. Perhaps one last time.

SHOW REVIEW - April 13th

By BD contributor, Ted Hill

Just got back from the Rosemont. I flew all the way in from Houston to see this show, and it was worth every penny and every mile. The traffic from my sister's house in Palatine was awful, so I walked in during "The Blue" and sat down as GIlmour was playing sax, which was quite nice.

Everyone around me was very polite during the "On an Island" set. Not a lot of talking and getting up, and those that did were very discreet about it. Everyone was receptive around me during the first half, and during intermission I met some friendly people, including a couple of guys from Lithuania who shared their binoculars with me. Another gentleman in front shared his also, and we all shared stories of how we got into the band, past shows we've seen, how we look forward to Waters' tour later this year, and the hope of at least one final full band tour just for the sake of closure. The Live 8 dvd is nice, but to experience more than 20 minutes of the full lineup one last time on a major tour would be the best way to do it.

The second set was phenomenal. I thought the light show was breath taking, and as the early space rock Floyd is my favorite period, "Echoes" absolutely killed. No tribute band can capture the real thing, let alone what half the band pulled off tonight.

I understand why Waters (and now Gilmour for that matter) were and are so opposed to playing large stadiums. A Floyd show is something to be experienced indoors with an appreciative crowd who are, as Waters once said, not just "there for the beer". Although I had to help up one gentleman who almost didnt make it to his cab.

I seemed to get an overall theme of the sea from the entire show. The smoke reminded me of fog, and even the watery lyrics of Echoes fit in nicely with the "On An Island" theme.

Thanks to everyone at the show for being so friendly. Being from Houston, Texas it was quite a nice way to get to know the hospitality of Chicago area Floyd freaks and Rosemont police. If anyone remembers, I was one of a black guy was sporting a King Crimson "Lark's Tongues in Aspic" tshirt. Write me if you want to share music and experiences: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

And thanks to David, Richard, and the rest of the band for putting on a spectacular show!

SHOW REVIEW - April 13th

By BD contributor, Daniel Vogel

Midnight in Chicago. Just back from the second Chicago Gilmour gig, this Thursday April 14th.

The set listed for the 13th was not the same as the 14th. Gilmour also sang a Barrett song [Dominoes]. For many fans, including myself, there was clearly a feeling of profound awe at listening to these songs being performed by Gilmour for possibly the last time in our lives.

It was like being at a Floyd gig, laser lightshow and all. I am so glad that David provided us with lengthy psychedelic creations, allowing us to imagine what it might have been like to experience a Floyd show in the early 70s. In my fantasy, I profoundly wished that the gig had ended with a very loud and obnoxious Bike finale. It didn't, but it was still one of those shows I will never forget.

As the songs progressed, fortunately without the dominance of Dark Side songs that used to play central stage in prior shows, I couldn't help but recall what a major role Gilmour played in rock'n'roll. Even his guitar parts were never excessive solos, but sensitive wails that complemented the overall sound and remained inventive to the end. Gilmour managed to preserve but also transform the psychedelic spirit of the early Floyd in a new direction that was to seriously influence electronic and experimental rock of the next few decades.

Fans at the gig tonight lit cigarette lighters in homage. The concert was simply very moving, and very excellently played, music. It was a great treat to experience Wright on keyboards, and also to hear him singing some of his old parts. It was fantastic as well to enjoy Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music, another classic 70s band, on guitar, and realize what a top-notch guitarist he really is. Not to mention Dick Parry the original saxophonist from Dark Side of the Moon.

So overall, a truly fantastic concert never to be forgotten.

SHOW REVIEW - April 13th

By BD contributor, Mike Smith

The concert stated promptly at 8pm. The first half was all On An Island material. Gilmour introduced the band before the third song, with the loudest ovation for Rick Wright and Dick Parry.

I'm not familiar with the On An Island song titles - David Gilmour did talk between each song but the sound of his voice was so muddied by a low bass in the pa, it was difficult to hear what he was saying. He did switch a lot on instruments, even during songs, at one point playing sax, then guitar.

The second half: Shine On You Crazy Diamond (mostly the guitar playing on this one, not the band, though I must point out Dick Parry used two saxes, an alto and a tenor, switching them, for the end solo), and the other tracks as shown in the set list.

Fat Old Sun wasnt played, neither was any material off his first or second solo albums. A ton of lights, but I didn't see any backdrop footage. Overall excellent show.

SHOW REVIEW - April 13th

By BD contributor, Robert Morse

I am certainly glad that I made the 300 mile trip from Detroit to Chicago to see the second show at the Rosemont theater. The first thing I noticed upon entering the venue was the amount of smoke they had filled the building with. Even the lobby was fogged up creating a nice Floydian atmosphere. My seat was near the back, but I don't think there was a bad seat in the house.

The show started right on time with the entire On An Island album. Pretty mellow overall, but seeing it preformed live is quite an amazing experience. I was quite happy to see David play that odd stringed instrument that sounds like a banjo.

High points for this fan included On an Island, the guitar work during The Blue, Take a Breath, This Heaven, and my favorite, Smile. I noticed a lot of people streaming out during Where We Start. Going back to get a head start in the booze line presumably.

The second half seemed to go by very quickly being that every song was so enjoyable. I didn't think he'd play Wot's...The Deal having done it the night before, but he did. It was nice to see Rick play the piano on that one.

Echoes was EASILY the best song of the night. All of the magic comes together on this one. Every element of the Pink Floyd experience is there from the ethereal atmosphere created by that first harmonic piano note, to the mental images invoked while David and Rick harmonize about distant times, laberinthine coral caves, and the empathy strangers feel while passing on the street. Not to mention the way the music and lights played off of one another. In my opinion, this is what people paid to see. It lasted a good twenty to twenty-five minutes, but for me it could have been longer. Well done!

The audience was pretty well behaved overall. There was quite a bit of shouting during some of the quiet parts making it hard to hear the music, but I've suffered through much worse.

A perfect evening and I hope he brings the show back around again sometime in the near future. I am also looking forward to seeing the DVD when it comes out.

SHOW REVIEW - April 13th

By BD contributor

It was my first Pink Floyd related experience, and I was in danger of being late for the show. We had left at 3 pm from northeast Wisconsin and didn’t even hit I-190 yet when we approached the back of the traffic jam. My dad and I worried about making the show on time. After enduring the pile-up, we made it to the parking lot relatively quickly. Once parked, we walked very fast towards the doors.

The first set of ticket scans was easy enough. Only a few people had yet to get in at that point. I could already see that the lobby was filled with smoke. What a great atmosphere! The actual theater door, however, was not as easy when we got our tickets checked. We got there right as the lights went out in the theater and the announcer said “Ladies and gentlemen…”. We were stopped by an older employee. She stopped us and said that she couldn’t let us in and that she had to close the doors. What was she thinking? My dad tried to reason with her by explaining that we had tickets. There were about ten people packed in tight next to her in the same situation, so I just brushed past her and we found the nearest usher. Our seats were right by the doors of Section 107. We were in Row W, Seats 3 and 4. Finally!

We sat down about 15 seconds before Castellorizon started. As far as I’m concerned, nobody should be allowed to complain about the 8:05 start! When David plucked those first few notes, it sunk in. I can definitely appreciate that song better, as well as the rest of the new album, now that I’ve heard it live.

At some point during the first few songs (it happened so fast!), we could clearly smell some peace pipe exhaust coming from our right. Later on during the first set, during a quiet part of the set when almost no one was standing, I saw an older man wearing a red shirt stand up and have a conversation with an imaginary person. He might have just been singing along with the song while making weird hand gestures with his hands. It’s hard to tell though. He was a few rows in front of us, to the very right of Section 107. It was one of the funnier moments of the show. Later, my dad said he heard the loudspeaker announce that there was no smoking shortly after this.

The show had its fair share of surprises. First off, David plays a mean banjo. He was rocking that thing like crazy. The energy level of Take a Breath was astonishing (A little less strobe lights maybe?). This live version has been praised before, but it really can’t be said enough. Rick Wright got a huge ovation after his introduction. Every band member was given their fair share of volume too, and as my dad commented, they still managed to keep it very CLEAN. Of course, the sound is always better in the back, but I can only remember a couple of times when it was distorted. In particular, there was a high note in the final solo of CN that started to break up and there was some distortion in Echoes (I thought it was a nice touch).

Guy Pratt was particularly fun to watch during this song. He would do high jumping kicks for the last note of each scale. During Comfortably Numb, Marc Brickman had a horizontal layer of green lasers shoot out just over David’s head and past the heads of the audience. This added to the feeling that we were on the same plane with David as he played his solo. As if that song needed an extra edge! I was also surprised that they played Wot’s…Uh the Deal two nights in a row.

Wearing the Inside Out was given a break for a night and was replaced by Coming Back to Life. It was easy for me to take for granted that for many of my fellow Floyd fans, this song had come to represent all the memories from the last time they were able to see them on tour (which, according to David, was indeed the last tour). I’m 19, so I was still a little young when the Division Bell tour happened, so I was stunned by the crowd response. There was so much energy between the crowd and the band on this song.

For a lot of people, Time was the highlight of the show. Everyone was singing along for this number. This was also the second time we could smell that all-too-distinctive aroma. Echoes was a treat. Gilmour and Rick Wright were great during their dueling solos, especially Rick. He was all over the board and it looked like he was having fun. David was dancing around more than I had seen on previous concert videos. As the solos alternated, the spotlights alternated with them. Brickman clearly understands the nooks and crannies of Pink Floyd’s catalogue I never knew that Gilmour made all those whale sounds. What excellent stuff that was.

Immediately after Echoes, the lighters and cell phones quickly went up. The crowd was going ape shit. The lights and the band came back up, and they started Wish You Were Here. Nobody really stopped singing along from the start of the second set. We were even scat singing with David on Wish You Were Here.

For the most part, people were well behaved. There was some young guy about 10 rows in front of us that stood and danced like an idiot the entire time. He had a drink in one hand and was pointing at the stage with the other. Recently, much has been written on a certain popular Gilmour blog about “those guys” and how they are “supposed” to act in the presence of Floyd fans. Personally, I thought it was funny as all hell, but I can see why it would tick people off. You have to have a little fun sometimes, and this guy was feeling it! He was an awful dancer though. The whole balcony was screaming and yelling too. It was a great energy and a great way to show approval. The crowd is always going to be either mildly annoying or callous and unreactive, and I’ll take the former. Of course, we completely butchered Shine On, even though a lot of people singing along knew ahead of time that it was going to be performed differently.

That was it. It was over. We got a shirt and a program and left for the parking lot. We decided to see if we could catch David outside at the back of the building. Some stoners began to harass the cops with unimaginative insults when they pulled up the vans to block our view. Sure enough, he came out waving after a half hour. He was really cool about it. He continued to wave to the crowd even as they pulled away in the van, which was perfectly lit inside for David and Polly (Rick ended up in the same van too). Gilmour is a class act. I can’t wait for the next one, if there is a next one.

SHOW REVIEW - April 13th

By BD contributor, Dan Stewart

I truly enjoyed the David Gilmour concert at the Rosemont in Chicago on Thurday the 13th.

The crown was quite quiet during the first set as he played his new solo material. I feel it sounded better live than on the CD BIG TIME!!! More energy!

The true gems of the evening during the second set were Wish You Were Here and VERY MUCH Comfortable Numb. David must have heard my desperate request to blow it and tear it up like he did during the 9/87 Milwaukee WI gig. It was pure bliss.

I watched much of the evening through binoculars and watched Richard wave to the crowd one final time like eh "OK!! already! I'm oughta here bah" He looked very unenthusiastic. But, I must say he gave it hell during Echoes. My first treat of that live in person. So thanks for that.

The funny part of my evening was watching my LDS wife hold her jacket over her mouth in an attempt to filter out all the eh poisonous marijuana smoke surrounding us during 10% of the first set and 90% of the 2nd set. COUGH. Smelled like top of the line bud......... but I wouldn't know about that..... ahem. It's been a long long time.

GREAT light show too. Great sound!

Sorry I can't relay more, but my short term memory was certainly comprimised with the smoke belowing through the upper deck.

Ah the good old days.