The Machine Shines On At Keswick Theatre Show

GLENSIDE, PA — If you closed your eyes for a minute, you were transported to another place and another time when a British band was in its heyday, making musical magic through experimentation and sometimes complication.

A stirring song captured the strength of this longtime cover band that recreates the classic and hardcore cuts of the legendary Pink Floyd.

During a two-night run on Friday and Saturday at the Keswick Theatre, The Machine brought Pink Floyd to life, showing why the group was a monster when it came to producing sounds and songs that could stretch the imagination and meld the mind with thoughts of the manic, the oppressive, the depressed, and the deranged.

Pink Floyd — with members Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Rick Wright, Nick Mason, and Syd Barrett — pioneered progressive rock, mixing psychedelic textures with loops of aggressive and progressive sound effects.

Sometimes this music was decorated with softness and sadness, but always with smoothness. And The Machine, during its annual Black Friday performance, was on top of its game.

After opening with a spirited "Learning to Fly," The Machine basically introduced itself with "Welcome to the Machine," a stirring song found on the now-expanded classic "Wish You Were Here."

That performance was a perfect recreation, especially if you closed your eyes.

The band mixed in a healthy dose of Floyd favorites during two sets with an intermission on Friday.

Every note and sound was practically perfect like "Welcome to the Machine," with several "Dark Side of the Moon" cuts like "Speak To Me," "Breathe (In The Air)," and "Time" serving as standouts. "Mother" and "Hey You" from "The Wall" were also showcased along with the riveting first-set closer "Sheep."

The second set cut deeper into Pink Floyd's legacy with hit versions of "Money," "Another Brick in the Wall," "Run Like Hell," and "Wish You Were Here," the title cut of an album now celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Pink Floyd cannot be repeated as an iconic late 1960s and 1970s group that is ranked among the best ever. But The Machine showed that it can come close — especially if you just close your eyes.