Brit Floyd lived up to its name as “The World’s Greatest Pink Floyd Show” Thursday night by giving audience members a nostalgic taste of Pink Floyd’s musical library.

An older generation donned in Pink Floyd memorabilia filled the H. Ric Luhr’s Performing Arts Center. Faithful fans such as these provide an obstacle for tribute bands. They are challenged to not only be musically talented, but also capture the soul of the band being covered. 

Because of this, Brit Floyd had to do more than play a show — they had to create a Pink Floyd experience.

The performance opened with the iconic Pink Floyd lyric, “Is there anybody out there?” resonating throughout the auditorium. Other sound effects from Pink Floyd’s music followed, such as the beeping phone from “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” and the chiming cash register from “Money.”

Brit Floyd suddenly broke into their opening song “What Do You Want From Me,” as dozens of multicolored lights danced over the crowd.

Video and light effects played a key role in Brit Floyd’s performance. A giant screen displayed images and videos mimicking the 1982 movie “The Wall,” which follows the story of Pink Floyd’s album sharing the same name. 

Multicolored lights danced over the audience as well, extending the stage into the entire auditorium.

Brit Floyd’s musical talent paired perfectly with their theatrics to create a true “Immersion” experience, which is an essential theme in the “Brit Floyd Immersion World Tour.” The guitar solos for “Comfortably Numb” and “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” were excellently replicated, and the saxophone solo in “Money” was one of the biggest highlights of the show. 

Brit Floyd went beyond simply playing the notes and clearly focused on imitating the exact tone and style of Pink Floyd’s music. Even with slight deviations from the original songs, such as adding backup vocals to the chorus of “Wish You Were Here,” Brit Floyd stayed true to Pink Floyd’s sound while adding their own flair.

Brit Floyd also paid special tribute to Pink Floyd’s song “Dogs.” Unsettling scenes from the 1982 animated film “The Plague Dogs” flashed on-screen to provide the perfect sinister, yet thought provoking backdrop for the number.

The performance could be easily judged by the overwhelmingly elated audience reaction. Cheers, whistles and shouts rang out between songs, and multiple standing ovations erupted throughout the show.

The show peaked with astounding performances of “Wish You Were Here” and “Comfortably Numb.” An encore of “Not Now John” and “Run Like Hell” ended the night with a final standing ovation and overwhelming cheering from the audience. 

Brit Floyd created a true immersion experience by entwining outstanding musical talent with theatrics akin to Pink Floyd’s live performances. They expressed the political and social ideologies that inspired Pink Floyd’s music while adding their own occasional twists that fit perfectly into place.

Brit Floyd took audience members back to the first time they put a Pink Floyd vinyl on their record player. Their musical talent and soul reminded fans how Pink Floyd’s songs are more than just music and lyrics — they are other-worldly audio experiences.

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