Concert Review: Wish You Were Here – A Pink Floyd tribute

Images via facebook.com

Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd Tribute band played an unforgettable performance Jan. 7 at the House of Blues in Cleveland, Ohio. This was their 13th annual Holiday show, and as usual, the show was completely sold out.

Native to Cleveland, Wish You Were Here is internationally known as the recreation of Pink Floyd. This group was established in 1987 and first known as Tie-Dye Harvest. In 1995 they decided to change their group name to Wish You Were Here because they were exclusively playing Pink Floyd jams. This group is made up of Mark Brennan on lead guitar and vocals, Eroc Sosinski on bass and vocals, Jim Tigue on guitar and vocals, Bob Gerhard on keyboard, and accompanied by two female backup singers. The group also employs a professional light and sound crew that are crucial to delivering the Pink Floyd experience. Wish You Were Here has performed the most elaborate and visual experiences of ‘Dark Side of the Moon’, ‘The Wall’, ‘Animals’, and ‘Wish You Were Here’.

Wish You Were Here band play a concert. Image via Wish You Were Here facebook page

The group kicked off the night with with “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” followed by “Empty Spaces” leading into “Young Lust”. The performance of these first three songs really proved their replication of Pink Floyd; every single element sounded identical to the original group.

My favorite song of the night was “Breathe” from Dark Side of the Moon album. This song was the first to play after they took a short break, and came back to stage. I took particular interest in this track because it is already one of my favorite Pink Floyd songs due to the symbolism it holds. Wish You Were Here did an exceptional job at performing it, as they did with the rest of their set list. The experience they brought to the crowd was absolutely mind-numbing; the music combined with the laser show really made the mind wander and feel the energies of the performers, as well as the crowd.

Wish You Were Here is a regular performer at the House of Blues in Cleveland and the group holds the “sell-out and attendance record” at this venue. Their holiday show is one of their most popular performances, so the venue was absolutely packed about an hour before the show even started; it was almost impossible to breathe in there. Although it was uncomfortably swamped with people, the fact that the crowd was full of people ranging from children to adults and seniors is extraordinary. People of all ages, gathered for the purpose to vibe to the ultimate experience of Pink Floyd, is an absolutely beautiful concept; Music really brings people together.