Over one-thousand and, two hundred words are typed here.
I felt they were needed, though.
And honestly, I think the first part is a bit “Dry.”
Any-hoo, here we go:
My oldest Brother knows I love Pink Floyd. I always have.
In ’94, I was fortunate enough to see them live for their “Division Bell” tour.
I took my late Brother with me to that concert.
They sold out Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama, that night.
A “Cover Band,” or “Tribute Band,” as they are now getting called, is a band that covers the songs of other bands instead of their own original material.
There are many “Tribute Bands” out there that cover Pink Floyd.—Some good, and some not so good.
To cover Pink Floyd, you not only have to know how to play your instrument well, but you have to also have a great light show.
In fact, covering Pink Floyd properly costs a lot of money. —Money for all the equipment and money for the talent.
“Floyd Nation” is a well-known Pink Floyd Tribute Band.
They have an excellent reputation and are known as one of the best.
And when my oldest Brother learned that they were coming to play at the Alabama Theatre, he picked up the phone and called me to ask if I wanted to go.
Of course, I said, “Yep.”
My dad, being a Pink Floyd fan as well, also got in on the trip.
I went to Ticket Master to buy the tickets.
I carefully looked at the map of the Alabama Theatre to pick out seats that would give us the best “Pink Floyd Experience.”
And I wasn’t looking for front-row tickets, either.
For the best “Floyd experience,” you want to place yourself in the best spot to get the best sound and light experience. Both.
Plenty of seats were available up front when I began looking, but believe it or not, I picked the Balcony for our seats. That’s right.
The Alabama Theatre has three levels.
The bottom section, the middle section, and the upper balcony section.
I picked the first row of the upper Balcony.
First row, first three seats, right next to the aisle.—Next to the aisle for easily leaving to visit the restroom.
It’s one of the few times when I intentionally picked the Balcony.
Now, you know all the facts—the “Dry” part of the story.
I met up with my Brother and my dad at 5 PM.
We met at my Brother’s house.
The show was to start at 8.
We all climbed into my Brother’s vehicle and drove to “Dreamland BBQ” to eat ribs.
Dreamland has a good menu. It isn’t needed, though.
Everyone goes to Dreamland for Ribs.
You have to ask yourself if it’s better to get a half-a-slab of ribs or a whole slab.
If two or more people are getting a half-a-slab, then it’s better to get a whole slab of ribs and split it.
Here’s how it will all go down after you’ve ordered:
First, you’ll get your drink.
Then, you’ll get your ribs and slices of bread with Dreamland’s unique, extra-delicious, super-secret BBQ Sauce.
You’ll take some ribs and put them on your plate.
Then, you’ll grab a few slices of bread and put those on your plate.
You’ll pull the bread apart, dip it into the sauce, and eat it.
You’ll eat your ribs.
You’ll sip on your drink.
That’s it.
Manners at Dreamland:
Some people enjoy Chit Chatting while eating their ribs. Don’t invite those people to go to Dreamland with you. Yes, I said that.
I enjoy breaking bread and chatting with others as much as the next guy, but eating Dreamland Ribs is much different than your “typical” meal.
It’s customary to allow the others at the table time to get three or four ribs under their belt before speaking to them. Once that happens, three or four, you can begin to Chit Chat with the others.
—Remember your manners.
We split a whole slab of ribs between the three of us.
I know I got six ribs under my belt—Six ribs and probably a half-a-loaf of bread.
Their Sweet Tea was great.
Afterward, we headed to the “Alabama Theatre” for the show.
I had never before been to the Alabama Theatre, which sits across the street from the “Lyric Theatre.”
You may remember me posting about seeing Sean Dietrich and Three On A String at “Lyric Theatre.”
Security was great in numbers and checked each person as they walked through the door using their hands and a metal detector.
This is a personal experience for me—going through Security.
I don’t want to use the word “intimate,” but I think it might be the proper word to use in this instance.
It’s because I know this man is about to figure out that I have a Colostomy and a Urostomy and Medical supplies in every pocket.
I know that he will get confused before putting it together.
“Ahem,” I lean into the man’s ear, “Colostomy and Urostomy. I have Spina Bifida. Medical Supplies in every pocket.”
He figured out that what I said was true and waved me through.
We give each other a “nod of the head” and a small smile as I pass by.
We got our seats, and I was pleased with the decision I had made to get these seats.
The walkway did pass in front of us, though, and I didn’t realize that people would pass in front of us all night as they went to and from the bathroom.
That was minor, though.
I looked around at the audience and wondered how many had gone to see the real Pink Floyd when they came in ’94.
“This is like a reunion of that show,” I told my Brother. “We’re all twenty-nine years older now.”
The age of people there was very diverse.
In fact, my Brother said it was the most diverse group of fans he had ever seen at a Rock Show. Diverse in age, that is.
And he was right.
There were Great-Great-Grandparents there as well as their Great-Great-Grandchildren.
The ages ranged from ten to eighty.
I saw a great big Bell hanging up on the stage.
“You know what the bells for, don’t ya?” I ask my Brother.
“To ring,” He replied.
“Funny. It’s for the song, ‘The Division Bell,'” I said.
The house lights lowered, and the band took the stage.
There were seven members plus three female “harmony” singers.
They played every hit song I could think of, plus some songs that Pink Floyd themselves don’t often play.
One member, John Conrath, played eight different instruments throughout the night—even the good ol’ Cowbell.
I hollered, “We need more Cowbell!” —Some people laughed.
After a little over an hour, the band took an intermission, and the restrooms filled.
Once back on stage, they played for a little over an hour again.
The show was great.
Afterward, we met with some of my Brother’s friends out front and Chit Chatter for a bit before leaving.
Once we left, we headed back to my Brother’s house.
Once back at his home, I told everyone I loved them and got into my vehicle to head home. I arrived home at about midnight.
Overall, I’d say that Dad, my Brother, and I had a great night.
I’d even say that I’d do it again.
That’s all for now.
Love you,
–Lynn
