Nick Mason @ Shea’s PAC Buffalo, NY 4-11-19

When a performance by one of the best selling and critically acclaimed artists in music history comes to town, you don’t miss it. Such was the case when Nick Mason, drummer for Pink Floyd, brought his “Saucerful of Secrets” Tour to Shea’s Performing Art Center in Buffalo NY this past Thursday. This tour showcases many Pink Floyd songs rarely ever played live. The pre “Dark Side of the Moon” Pink Floyd catalog contains some of the first psychedelic rock ever recorded.  Mason was there from the very beginning. A founding member of the band with Syd Barrett, Richard Wright, and Roger Waters, Mason is the only member to appear on all their studio recordings and has been a constant since 1965.

The night promised to be full of surprises and secrets. Setting the tone were two instrumental tunes, “Interstellar Overdrive” and “Astronomy Domine.” From the opening notes it was clear this band came to play. Long-time friends filled the stage. Guy Pratt on bass, Gary Kemp and Lee Harris on guitars, and Dom Beken on keyboards. The guys played like they lived these songs. Mason introduced them between songs with great admiration and respect.

A group of very early Pink Floyd singles followed starting with with “Lucifer Sam” and ending with “Vegetable Man.” Mason took the mic and acknowledged Syd Barrett in a heartfelt moment. An appreciative crowd joined the tribute with a extended round of applause.  “If” and the complete “Atom Heart Mother Suite” then followed. The light show was as good as any 60’s rock show could offer. The combination of music, lights, and effects made you feel as if this could be a show right out of 1969. The time travel continued with “Green Is The Color” expertly played to a set bathed in green swirling lights. The night turned into a special trip with “Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun.” Mason, a steady drummer as there ever was, dug in and led the band on the colorful journey through the song, smiling happily until the final notes. The peak of the night was reached with the powerful “One of These Days” with the band in total sync. As the song ended, you could feel a group exhale as the crowd was transported to a different time, and back again.

An encore of “A Saucerful Of Secrets” and “Point Me At the Sky” took off to a time when we all were much younger and we listened to this music with feverish attention, hanging on every note. Mason thanked the crowd and exited the stage with his bandmates with hands held high. It was a dignified end to a spectacular show. The Gentleman Mason and his crew took everyone in the room for a ride back in time and returned everyone safe and sound. As the crowd filed out, one could hear people saying that iconic line we all know, “That was a trip!”

We would like to thank Ashley Ball from Livenation for her assistance in getting the credentials so BA could review the show.