{"id":1353,"date":"2022-09-22T05:01:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-22T05:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/?p=1353"},"modified":"2024-04-12T05:02:15","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T05:02:15","slug":"sonic-review-roger-waters-drills-sacramento-on-the-unreality-of-our-current-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/?p=1353","title":{"rendered":"Sonic review: Roger Waters drills Sacramento on the unreality of our current reality"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roger Waters performing at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. Photograph by Sugarwolf<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After being stalled by the Covid pandemic and logistics issues for over two years, Roger Waters\u2019 \u2018This Is Not A Drill\u2019 show finally made good to patient yet hungry fans by descending on Sacramento\u2019s Golden 1 Center last Tuesday night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aided by a high-tech video wall, a few well-placed flying projectile animals (including a sheep and a graffiti covered pig), and a minimalist stage with four joining sections, this in-the-round experience proved just as impressive as it was thought-provoking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the strange, purposely sterile opening etude of Pink Floyd\u2019s \u201cComfortably Numb\u201d \u2013 both reworked and shortened without guitar solos \u2013 to the full band playing \u201cThe Happiest Days Of Our Lives,\u201d Waters\u2019 slow, somber transition to an all-hands-on-deck arena rock show totally delivered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Roger Waters wowing a Sacramento crowd. Photography by Sugarwolf<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And while the legend\u2019s song choices from his solo records may have fallen on deaf ears with some of his newer fans, longtime followers couldn\u2019t have been more pleased hearing an excerpt of \u201cThe Bar\u201d and a beautifully reworked version of \u201cThe Bravery Of Being Out Of Range.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Highlights included a revved-up version of \u201cHave A Cigar,\u201d with a soaring and searing lead guitar solo courtesy of Dave Kilminster. His work on the six-string during the night was nothing short of mind-blowing. Another crowd favorite, \u201cWish You Were Here,\u201d served as a tribute to Syd Barrett, the late co-founder of Pink Floyd and Waters\u2019 best friend; and included vintage band visuals few in attendance had seen before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also worthy of mention was \u201cShine On You Crazy Diamond\u201d which started during the song\u2019s instrumental section with great effect, instead of playing the entire piece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Waters continues to use music to probe dark currents in world history. Photograph by Sugarwolf.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the greatest spectacle, though, was the inclusion of the song \u201cSheep\u201d from the \u2018Animals\u2019 record. Inspired by the works of both George Orwell and Aldous Huxley, the song used menacing animal and human images to remind fans that powerful \u2013 some would say \u2018evil\u2019 \u2013 forces continue to rule the current landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second half of the set was led by even more selections from \u2018The Wall\u2019 record, before going headlong into the reflective Waters\u2019 solo numbers, \u2018Deja Vu\u201d and \u201cIs This Really What We Want.\u201d Throughout it all, his set showed thoughtful transitioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it was the handful of songs culled from Pink Floyd\u2019s \u2018Dark Side Of The Moon\u2019 that really struck a chord with the near-capacity crowd. Of particular note was the inclusion of \u201cUs and Them,\u201d which launched into the gorgeous instrumental \u201cAny Colour You Like\u201d without much ado from his able backing performers. The arraignment also highlighted the patient and tasty grooves of drummer Joey Waronker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Roger Waters brings the moon\u2019s dark, disorienting shadows to the Capital City. Photograph by Sugarwolf.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And, while at times, Roger\u2019s visuals laden with a heavy-handed vocal delivery seemed overwhelming \u2013 especially during a scathing war criminals section \u2013 all was not lost on his adoring fans. His many visuals, in effect, served as a makeshift history lesson and highlighted where we\u2019ve failed as a society and to ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u2018This Is Not A Drill\u2019 tour was all at once a statement about our mortality (life is anything but a dress rehearsal), a well-oiled arena tour, a sweeping, wide selection of songs from different records \u2013 and a call to trying to live your best life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Give yourself a pat on the back, Roger. You made a rock show as entertaining as it is life-affirming and educational. Not an easy task. But if anyone was up to the challenge, I\u2019d put my money on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roger Waters for president in 2024. Just do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(SN&R)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Roger Waters performing at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. Photograph by Sugarwolf After being stalled by the Covid pandemic and logistics issues for over two years, Roger Waters\u2019 \u2018This Is Not A Drill\u2019 show finally made good to patient yet hungry fans by descending on Sacramento\u2019s Golden 1 Center last Tuesday night. Aided by a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1353","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1353","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1353"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1353\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1354,"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1353\/revisions\/1354"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1353"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1353"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1353"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}