I've never seen a show before that I knew would give me nightmares.
But after Roger Waters' The Wall Live tour at Washington's Verizon Center, with its fears and insecurities, claustrophobia and twisted animation ... I'm supposed to go to sleep on this?
The show was everything I'd expected: A two-and-a-half hour spectacle (intermission included) with gripping special effects and sturdy musicianship. Waters put together a crack band of players -- including former "Saturday Night Live" band leader G.E. Smith -- for this tour.
The show had to follow the album's narrative: A rock star builds a metaphorical wall to protect himself from the world but winds up in close quarters with his worst demons. Live, Waters erected a real wall brick by brick (the wall doubled as the projection screen), and tore it down at the end. The animation, which had clips from the movie as well as pieces by graffiti artist Banksy, was chilling.
Unlike other classic rock icons such as the Eagles, Waters didn't reproduce the album note for note. He let the tracks breathe, gave Smith some extra solos and stretched out a few songs here and there.
It's hard to believe Waters is pushing 70. He still hits all the high, maniacal notes like he's half his age. See more Roger Waters photos from the show.
While "Another Brick in the Wall Part 2" bordered on plodding and overburdened, "Mother" was as poignant as ever. "Comfortably Numb" lulled the crowd into a haze until the pair of searing guitar solos jarred everyone awake again. And "Bring the Boys Back Home" set my spine tingling. The songs on "The Wall" make great use of silence and space, and the music was crystal clear in the Verizon Center last night. It was the best sound rig I've experienced yet at that venue.
The sight of a giant, inflatable, twisted grade school teacher dancing on stage is going to be burned in my brain for a while. Ditto for the huge wife/praying mantis and the villainous mother figure which rose at stage right for (you guessed it) "Mother."
"The Wall" is against more than it's for; it's anti-war and anti-religion. At one point, there was video of a plane dropping crosses and Stars of David on a town. Waters, who is famous for his sermonizing, kept tight-lipped, letting the show convey its message. Though heavy-handed at times, "The Wall" felt just as relevant today as it was when Waters first penned it some 30 years ago.
-- Sam Sessa
(Photos by Josh Sisk/Special to The Sun)