LIVE AT THE OHIO THEATRE The Polka Floyd Show (Static)
First, blasphemy: Pink Floyd is kind of boring.
Cutting a vast swath across Pink’s entire discography, the band injects the late great classic rock band’s music with much-needed fun. This live album recorded at the Ohio Theatre on Lagrange Street perfectly captures the group’s sound, thanks to a killer set list and the overall vibe you get by combining spacey music, scorched-earth guitar, and a polka beat delivered by an air-tight band.
Equally cool is Polka Floyd’s willingness to plumb the depths of Pink Floyd’s archive, serving up odd tunes like “Seamus” from “Meddle” or weird tracks from the Syd Barrett days like “Jugband Blues,” followed by fierce renditions of more familiar songs like “Metal Machine Music,” “Pigs” (with Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” seamlessly worked into the mix), and “Comfortably Numb.”
Any discussion of the Polka Floyd Show requires a caveat to ensure the
uninitiated that the band’s raison d’etre — polkafied versions of Pink
Floyd — is not schtick. The band doesn’t take itself too seriously, but
it also never sells the music short. Crank this up loud and perhaps for
the first time in your life, you’ll actually dance to Floyd’s music.
The band is having a CD release party Friday at Culture Clash Records at 7 p.m. and at Mickey Finn’s Pub at 10 p.m.
— ROD LOCKWOOD
