Capacity: 20,000

Concert starts: 8pm

Address of venue: 9993 Alleghany Road, Darien Center, NY 14040.  MAP

Website: www.godarienlake.com

Tickets for this concert went go on sale on March 24th, through the venue, Ticketmaster, and other normal agents. The venue itself is part of the Parc Management's group of Amusement Parks (and was formerly Six Flags), so concertgoers could spend a day on the rollercoasters before heading for the Dark Side of the Moon! More details on the park can be found at www.godarienlake.com.

The date of this concert changed late on June 6th, from July 13th to July 12th. This was due to "logistical difficulties in getting to Canada in time to perform the following day in Toronto", according to promoters Live Nation. 

WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD!

Do not read on if you don't want surprises to be spoilt, regarding what the band played!

No big surprises with this show, but as the final US show of the tour the band apparently played their socks off to the delight of the hugely enthusiastic audience! Just the one show left now - north of the border, in Toronto, Canada on Saturday night.

One local review which you can read over at the Buffalo News website...

CONCERT REVIEW - by BD contributer, Mike Leo

I was fortunate enough to attend this show front row center with my 21 year old budding musician son. Dynamic and overwhelming does not give this show the justice it deserves!

As the final US show of the tour, they truly did “play their socks off” that resulted in one of the most responsive audiences I have seen in many years. From the sound, the visuals, the effects, even to the pyro and the pig, perfection ruled. And as always, Snowy White and Andy Fairweather-Low performances were right-on! While I went in disappointed with the lack of Doyle Bramhall II, Dave Kilminster certainly carried his weight. Graham’s percussion was right in the groove as always, and PP’s Perfect Sense vocal was tear jerking!

Will there be an eventual DVD of the 2007 tour as rumored? I certainly hope so!

BD note: Mike has set up a special photo gallery for this show (or click the picture below!)

CONCERT REVIEW - by BD contributer, Paul Brogden

I saw Roger at this same place in 1999. Of course, I enjoyed it then but this current show made that one seem like a rehearsal. It was a very moving show and it felt great to be in an audience that definitely got it. It was easily the best audience I've ever been in. The entire crowd stood for the whole show.

Roger looked to be completely into it and he and the band were perfect as far as I could tell. Sheep was a highlight for me. It was a very powerful performance. A real suprise was Bring the Boys Back Home. That was very moving.

My only knock against the show was a few times, some of the stuff on tape was so loud that it was just completely distorted. The global anthem bit in Perfect Sense almost destroyed my ears!

Overall, just an amazing show. I loved it.

CONCERT REVIEW and PICTURES - by BD contributer, Mike C

There isn't much to say, beyond FANTASTIC! Roger was in prime form, energetic and really into the show; the band was great; the weather (besides some brief rain that came and went with the intermission) was great. The Darien Lake PAC was packed, and the crowd was really excited, with a palpable energy in the air when the show started.

Roger did a nice rendition of Set the Controls, to an ecstatic applause from the old fans like me, and particularly touching was SOYCD accompanied by images of Syd on the big screen.

Obviously a great highlight of the show was Dark Side of the Moon, played straight through - I'm pretty sure the album ran 43 minutes, but at the show it seemed to last 5 minutes!

An excellent show throughout, and sincere appreciation to Roger and the band.

CONCERT PICTURES - by BD contributer, Christopher

CONCERT REVIEW and PICTURES - by BD contributer, Rick Barrett

My girlfriend Christine and I enjoyed a nature-filled 75-minute ride out in the Western New York countryside until we reached Darien Lake. Parking was in a huge field, and after we went through the turnstiles we proceeded directly to the large merchandise stand. I bought a black embroidered polo shirt, a baseball hat for Chris, a program, a Dark Side of the Moon coffee cup, and a 2007 Tour poster. A couple people were ecstatic to see my black crossed hammers “Wall” shirt as we made our way to the lawn of the amphitheatre. While taking in the crowd, we saw young tie dye adorned teens, adults with faded t-shirts of tours past, and a fan with numerous Pink Floyd emblems tattooed all over his body. There were parents with kids, each there to see the epic performance of one of rock’s most legendary artists and albums.

We had assigned seats under the amphitheatre’s overhang, which was perfect. I learned at my first Waters concert in 1985 that sitting a little bit back from the stage is actually the best place to be, as you can enjoy Roger yet also see the fullness and expanse of the amazing graphics in all their enormity. The tickets said “An Evening With Roger Waters: 8PM Sharp”; I imagine the sold out crowd and late traffic jam was the reason for the start of the concert visuals at 8:15. A scene of a whiskey bottle, glass, half filled ashtray, and old time radio receiver (with a toy airplane on top of it) engulfed the screen behind the stage.

It proved to be the beginning of what you might call a “concept flick” which appeared on and off at pertinent moments throughout the night. Imagine then seeing the scene suddenly come to life when the equivalent of a movie projector’s Pause button got released. As that occurred, a hand appeared to pour a drink and then peruse the stations on the tuner to check out the various musical selections. Audio of various DJ’s, song snippets, and commercials accented the screen’s visuals, as did the dry ice on stage that complimented the cigarette smoke appearing in the film. Songs eventually settled on and played in their entirety were the jazz standard “My Funny Valentine” and Elvis Presley’s “Hound Dog”; once these raised the crowd’s levels of curiosity and anticipation sufficiently, Roger and his band made their way onstage.

The dramatic beginning of “In The Flesh” started off the first set, with Waters belting out in his best fascist German “Eins, svei, drei, alle!” The opening bar with “So ya thought you might like to go to the show” engaged the crowd in a way that would keep it connected and entranced virtually the entire night. Various indictments by The Wall’s front man included the well-recognized satirical  “That one looks Jewish! And that one’s a coon! There’s one smoking a joint and another with spots!” followed by the incredulous “If I had my way, I’d have all of you shot!” This perennial Pink Floyd standard is wildly impactful each time I’ve seen it performed, including twice in 1980 when “The Wall” was staged only in Los Angeles and New York.

The first offering segued nicely into “Mother”, the number is about an overprotective parent who helps build walls around her son. During this song there was an especially mind-blowing up close image of Waters on the video screen seems permanently embedded in my brain. After the lyric “Mother should I trust the government?”, Roger glared sternly towards the camera, shook his head, and mouthed the words “No fuckin’ way!”. Waters at his best...

A trip back to 1968 was next as psychedelic red, white, and blue oil and water inspired visuals were projected overhead during the stellar “Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun”. The three talented backup singers adopted lotus stances during the classic gem.

This was followed by “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” which paid homage to Pink Floyd’s co-founder Syd Barrett who was nudged out of the group in 1968 due to severe mental problems. Numerous early images of the scattered musical genius appeared behind the band, including a 20 second film showing Syd from behind, walking toward the ethos.

Waters’ passion was already evident, as was mine for his late friend; I found myself with tears unexpectedly running down my cheeks due to their connection as well as my gratitude for simply being there that night. It was the fourth time on four U.S. solo tours that I’ve seen Roger; I said after my first show in 1985 that I would never miss another Waters tour no matter where I had to travel. And this jaunt to Buffalo on the very last night of this American tour fulfilled my ongoing intention.

Two more including the title track from the album “Wish You Were Here” came next, including “Have A Cigar”, that tribute to greedy record company executives everywhere. Waters then sat down to sing “Southampton Dock”; I love the angst that is so deeply emoted in the last Pink Floyd studio album. “The Final Cut” visuals of the soldier in the field and the poppy plant flashed behind him, followed by extremely fitting images illustrating the next song “The Fletcher Memorial Home (for incurable tyrants)”. Tattered framed pictures of Begin, Reagan, Stalin, Hitler, Thatcher, and Saddam were hung on the paint peeling walls of the assisted living centre for former rulers. Plus throughout the night, without fail, every time an image of George W. Bush appeared, boos and middle fingers cascaded from the crowd.

The theme of greedy, ruthless governments and massive corporate influences continued as Roger put down his guitar and strolled emphatically across the stage with microphone in hand while performing “Perfect Sense, Parts 1 & 2”. During the climax of the song’s chorus, Waters thrust his arms out to his sides as he howled “It all makes perfect sense, expressed in dollars and cents!”. Roger’s global social conscience and peaceful world activist leanings became even more apparent to any who were not aware of them by this time when he introduced his newest song “Leaving Beirut”. He told the story of when as teenagers, he and a friend were welcomed into the home of a Lebanese couple after Roger’s car had broken down on a summer trip. His gratitude and surprise that this couple of limited means would share everything they had with two young foreigners has formed the foundation of a beautiful vision of world peace reminiscent of John Lennon’s “Imagine”. After more than 40 years the generosity and love of their hosts occupies a place in Waters’ heart from where his humanness continues to spring forth. Terrific animated panels illustrated the memorable trip which touched Roger so much, and this selection concluded with a current time plea for America to please rise up and be the leader we could and used to be.

The “Animals” album was well represented with “Sheep”, the last song of the first set. It reflected the masses proceeding blindly as they follow others and simply go with the flow without questioning, engaging others, or seeking answers to formulate ideas for themselves. “Sheep” was absolutely massive in every way; it was made up of the fullness, bigness, and tightness of the band, the outrageous visuals on the incredibly huge screen behind them, and stunning pyrotechnics which punctuated the musical bombardment.

As if all of this was not enough to thoroughly infatuate those in attendance, a giant inflatable pig flew welcomingly just above the audience. The crowd marvelled at its aura, as well as the numerous graffiti splashed slogans scattered all over it’s body like “Torture shames us all” and “Habeas corpus matters”. It’s probably no coincidence that the “Impeach George Bush Now” one was placed strategically near the giant porker’s asshole.

Overall, I’ll never forget the all-encompassing experience of this performance of this song as it’s colossal size captivated my inner and outer senses. The explosive shower of sparks, which came at song’s end, was an amazing conclusion to an absolutely incredible set.

The band left the stage with Roger promising their return in 15 minutes. There was a mad rush for the restrooms and concession stands even though it had started raining. The frenzy reminded me about the heartiness of Buffalo crowds (which I hadn’t been a part of in 30 years), and how hard they enjoy themselves; Western New Yorkers definitely party with exuberance...

The pulsating entry into “The Dark Side Of The Moon” had people scurrying to their seats so they’d not miss a single beat or backdrop. The Waters-inspired creation had Roger alternately leading and stepping into the background as his band brilliantly performed various parts of the meandering masterpiece. The soft and soothing vocals of “Breath, breath in the air” was the first of many stirring lines, which set the mood throughout the second set. The visuals appropriately went crazy with quick moving colours, psychedelic images, and stark photographs during “On The Run”, which then segued into the loud chiming of clocks that began “Time”.

Each number seemed to top the previous one in some way while a certain harmony and ebb and flow reigned within the piece; frantic paces were wonderfully balanced out by beautiful slow movements. “The Great Gig In The Sky”’s clean, simple, and melodic progression peaked at perfection when the incredible female vocals kicked in. All eyes were on vocalist Carol Kenyon as the wailing sounds she created rose and fell again and again while she moved closer to her musical orgasmic explosion that inferred a complete loss of control. As the strains of her contribution were rewarded with one of the loudest cheers of the night, the sounds of cash registers in the background teed up “Money”. Fans sang along knowingly with the anthem, which has been a huge staple on FM radio for nearly 35 years. Some of the same imagery from previous tours was used during this song, yet the film was shown in a monotone olive colour rather than full spectrum. This small touch indicates that Waters is aware of what his show portrays and that he’s always tinkering with even the most familial of pieces.

Next came “Us And Them”. The soft expression with the eerie vocals and mellow brass sounds built to a magnificent crescendo with emphatic sax solos that recoiled into bliss at song’s end. Shortly after, the patter of disturbed laughter was heard from the four corners of the amphitheatre; it was wild listening to the giddiness coming from all around you. Roger’s presence and performance allowed all of us there to enjoy that lunatic in our heads, as we have countless times since we first heard this timeless music.

The various perspectives of the moon shown on the screen throughout the set merged into an awesome closing visual during “Eclipse”. As the lasting words of “Dark Side” faded, up came the bass-like pulse of a heartbeat, which lead to a prolonged eruption of cheers and adulation for Waters and the band.

Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side Of The Moon” is one of the most enjoyed, most often played, most well known, and highest selling albums of all time. It is recognized virtually all over the world, and its immortal themes and nature have already touched several generations since its release. There is no question that this magnum opus will continue to inspire future listeners for many decades to come, and maybe more. Having the opportunity to enjoy it performed live in its entirety is an experience that I’ll always remember. Like attending “The Wall” in 1980, I had a sense that I was very fortunate to be seeing musical history right in front of my eyes, and that’s something that I’ll always treasure.

After the performers took their bows, they returned a few minutes later for the encore, which began with the sweet sounds of “The Happiest Days Of Our Lives”. Once it morphed into “Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2”, the crowd was in a frenzy while singing in unison “We don’t need no education”. It actually was more like unabashed shouting, as the rock anthem crested with “Hey teacher! Leave those kids alone!”. The enthusiasm of “All in all we’re just another brick in the wall” was the best and most exuberant concert sing along I’ve ever enjoyed.

Vera Lynn’s face appeared on screen during the next song, which was named after the 40’s British sweetheart. Her career as a singer flourished during World War II, and the reminiscing of those war years brought Roger to the brink when he aptly blared “Bring the boys back home”, which also mirrored his stance on present day matters.

In a handful of spots here and there throughout the evening, the introductory scene of our on-screen host played out further. By the final song of the night we’d not only seen our subject and the disarray of his dishevelled dwelling, yet we came to see that his drug induced stupor had made him “Comfortably Numb”, the name of the final song of the night. He zoned out behind Waters and the band while one of Pink Floyd’s most popular and well-known pieces closed the show. To me, the thin white vertical columns of light in front of him looked like bars, symbolizing a dead end prison of despair our video star found himself in.

Flash pots exploded and several huge columns of sparks shot up as the evening came to a fantastic finish. Final cheers from the crowd were met with waves, thank you’s, and bows from Roger and his mates and they called it a night. Waters had again delivered without question a night to remember for years to come. He proved that his astounding risks, stage command, and musical legacy are held in a world of admiration and continues to grow with time.