The Greatest Concert of All-Time

I have been very fortunate to have seen more concerts than I can count over the years.

I sat in the front row for the Rolling Stones at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham.

I watched U2 from the soundboard during their "Pop" tour and have seen them on each tour since.

I stared in amazement as Paul McCartney plowed through three hours worth of solo, Beatles, and Wings hits.

I saw The Greatest Concert of All-Time, however, in Oakland, California on December 3, 2010 and the very same tour is coming to PNC Arena on July 9, 2012 - it is Roger Waters performing "The Wall".

First, disclosure of non-bias.  I like Pink Floyd a great deal and "The Wall" is easily my favorite Floyd album.  BUT...they are not in my top 10.  I didn't start getting into Pink Floyd's music until college, which is when the band was embarking on what would become their final tour, for "The Division Bell".  I did not get to see that show, and Waters was long gone from the lineup at that point.  So, I viewed the chance to see Waters' performance of "The Wall" as my last chance and made an extra effort to get to Oakland to see the show with my mother.  (I know - going to see a concert with my mother featuring an album that Waters wrote in part about his dysfunctional relationship with his mother....ironic, huh?)

So....what makes Roger Waters - The Wall Live the greatest concert ever?  Let me count the ways:

• The sound is perfect.  Always a staple of Pink Floyd shows, Waters takes great care to ensure that the music is crystal clear in surround sound.  The typical arena "echo" is non-existent and you will never hear a better concert in a space like this.
• The visuals will literally floor you.  Some have said this production of "The Wall" is more like seeing a Broadway musical than a rock concert and that's somewhat accurate.  Not one moment of this show goes by without an accompanying visual that complements the song.
• The band is really, really good.  See, what happens when you play the exact same setlist, night after night for two years straight, is you get ridiculously good at it.  
• It's emotional.  Extremely emotional.  Things you remember forever have something in common - they made you feel something.  It could be ecstasy, despair, or a range of emotions in between, but most concerts don't leave you with feelings like this.  It's on a different level entirely.

I hope you get the chance to see Roger Waters at PNC Arena in Raleigh on July 9th.  I loved it so much (as you can tell), that I'm going again.  If you do get the chance to attend, please let me know what you think. I can't wait!

Foster

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