Pinky (x4!) at Downtown Bozeman’s Rialto
Pinky and the Floyd is pleased to present its 8th Annual Spring Production to be held at the newly remodeled Rialto theater in Downtown Bozeman, Friday and Saturday, April 13th–14th. The two-night run will feature four completely different shows, each with its own full-album performance and bonus decade spotlight. All in all, the band will perform over 60 songs with zero repeats, with every show offering something totally unique.
In anticipation of their upcoming performance(s), The Rolling Zone sat down with lead guitarist, vocalist, and founding member Luke Flansburg talk the longtime tribute’s latest (and likely greatest) endeavor.
RZ: Pinky is going all out for its 8th annual spring production. Tell us how these performances will differ from those in years past, as well as what they’ll retain for fans of the band.
LF: We did a soft opening for the Rialto [in] January and were kind of deciding what we were going to do for our big Spring show. A couple of us were out talking and were like, ‘wouldn’t it be cool if we did two nights and four shows?’ That would be incredible – our biggest undertaking. We were able to get a couple good dates at the Rialto and it snowballed from there. We love performing Animals, we love performing Wish You Were Here and Dark Side of the Moon, but we’ve never played Meddle. [That was] the album right before Dark Side, right before Pink Floyd really hit their big stride. It was made famous by Live at Pompeii with “Echoes.” I generally write the shows and figure out what we’re going to play, so when I started piecing these together it was like, ‘Man, we could do this whole thing without repeating a song.’ That would be really, really cool to play 60-plus songs and not repeat a single one. There’s only going to be about five or six new songs to learn, and maybe another ten to really brush up on. Let’s do it.
RZ: Along with performing these Pink Floyd albums, you’re putting a ‘decade’ spin on these shows.
LF: Little decade vignettes. This is big for the fact that you get to see the majority of the Pink Floyd catalog over four shows. The ‘80s is going to be Momentary Lapse of Reason and The Final Cut, the ‘90s is strictly just Division Bell, the ‘70s is going to be a little bit of The Wall and there’s another album called Obscured by Clouds that came out in the very beginning of the ‘70s that we’re going to throw a couple tunes in from. The ‘60s is kind of loose in the fact there’s stuff from 1970-71 that creeps in there, but I’d classify it as early Floyd, really early Syd Barrett stuff. You’ll get to see the gamut of the whole thing. It’s really cool.
RZ: Pinky’s performances showcase music whose original releases spanned decades and whose enjoyment certainly cannot be confined to any one generation of listener. What’s your sell to a person who maybe isn’t particularly familiar with Pink Floyd but loves an awesome live show?
LF: If you’re new to Pink Floyd’s music, pick something like Dark Side of the Moon that’s paired with The Wall and you’re going to get a lot of hits you’ve probably heard before. The thing is, so many people know the catalog and so many people know and embrace the music, it’s hard to find somebody in a stone’s throw who doesn’t know Pink Floyd. But even the young kids and younger generations, their parents are turning them onto Pink Floyd or they’re finding it on their own. And these shows are all ages, so that’s pretty cool. There’s also an early show, so if you have a family and you can only get a babysitter from 6–10, you can still come out and see the show.
RZ: Pinky’s got an expansive lineup of performers, as well as plenty of folks behind the scenes. From lighting design to rehearsals to everything else, what goes into a production like this?
LF: Thank goodness we know a lot of the people at the Rialto. Drew Fleming, our drummer, is one of the stage managers, so he’s one of the major guys behind the scenes already. The lighting designer, Chris Cundy, played organ with us for about five or six years and knows the music really well. Their videographer, the other lighting designer, has been on tour with us for three or four years. We’ll bring our own sound guy in, Chuck Goodwin, who’s been doing sound for us for the last 10 years. For this particular show, the Rialto is nice because it’s all built in. All the stuff behind the scenes is very conveniently in place and we don’t have to do too much. But we’re starting our rehearsals tonight. We’re ramping in and we’re going for it.
RZ: Pinky’s members are independent musicians in their own right, also lending their talents to other groups as well. What does it mean for area artists to have this fantastic new space in the arsenal, as both performers and lovers of live music?
LF: It’s incredible. We played the soft opening and I saw The Motet last week. That was my first show as a listener. Being a musician and a listener, it’s doing so much for our community. It’s a place designed so we can just show up, set up and play knowing the sound is going to be fantastic, that the lights, front of house stuff, and security is all going to be taken care of. As a performer, we’ve got a nice cushy area that we can just go and create. We can be ourselves and create our art and do our music. The sound and the acoustics spared no expense. It’s amazing. You can walk in there, experience a show and you’re not auditorily drained afterward. You’re not like ‘I just went to a show and I got beat-up.’ The sound’s nice, you can sit and talk in the back if you like, and if you want to go up front and get into the mix, it’s up there too. For our community, it’s going to bring a whole other level of music appreciation for concertgoers because it’s a venue designed for this. It’s not in a bar, it’s not centered around drinking — it’s centered around the performance.
RZ: Last time we spoke, you said you were partial to Floyd’s ‘70s, Dark Side of the Moon era. Does that still hold true? What’s the draw for you?
LF: I am. That’s when they were writing and creating some of their best music, some of the most influential and some of their most poignant. Going back and listening, I do have a love affair for The Division Bell, the ‘90s Floyd. Being a big David Gilmour fan, I thought that’s when David was really hitting his stride as an artist. He created something that stands alone as a Pink Floyd masterpiece, the new Pink Floyd away from the Roger Waters era.
RZ: Say you bumped into one of the, obviously living, Pink Floyd members in an airport somewhere and had a chance to chat. What would you say?
LF: First off, thank you. Thank you for your music — would you like to come play a show with us? [laughs] Aside from being awestruck and dumb, I would probably make a fool out of myself and be a little bit of a fanboy. I would thank either Roger or David or Nick for their music and their contribution to rock n’ roll, and for being one of my major influences and main drive to create. They gave me a whole different palette of colors to work with and a couple different brushstrokes I can take away and make into my own art. I’d thank them for that.
RZ: Pinky continues to recreate itself and grows in popularity with each passing year.
LF: It’s amazing. This is actually ten years. There’s three original members left — myself, Dustin Tucker (guitar), and Joe Kirchner (keyboard). The three of us have been in it now ten years. I can’t believe it’s gone on this long and continues to be this popular. Who knew.
RZ: Based on the catalog it borrows from, it seems like there’d be limitations to what this long-standing tribute can offer its audiences.
LF: Of course. We seem to kind of redo it and put our own spin on it. We did a show down in Jackson Hole and one of the guys helping set up the show was a pyrotechnics guy for Brit Floyd. He said he really enjoyed our music because we weren’t afraid to play the music. Other tribute bands are so worried about hitting it note-for-note, spot-on – sounds, lights, visuals – almost recreating that Pink Floyd experience to a T. We get to have some fun with it, take a few liberties, and aren’t afraid to give it our own flavor. I think that’s a big thing that people really like. Not only do we play Pink Floyd’s good music, but we aren’t afraid to be ourselves.
RZ: This Rialto spectacular is likely the focus right now, but can we look forward to any summer concerts and/or special events down the line?
LF: I can announce we’re going to play the last set of Rockin’ the Rivers, we’re going to do Music in the Mountains in Big Sky, we’re going to do a Pine Creek show, and we’ll be back at the Wilma in October. Those are the big ones on the horizon.
RZ: Well we can’t wait for those and the Spring production. Final thoughts before we go?
LF: Again, this is ten years for us. Who knew it could last this long and keep going and still have buildup by just playing Pink Floyd’s music. I’m extremely honored and thankful. I can’t express how much it means that people come back over and over and over again to see our shows. We’re growing the name of our band, our brand, and also the love of Pink Floyd’s music.
Friday, April 13th – Early Show
Pinky will perform Pink Floyd’s 9th studio album, the 1975 classic Wish You Were Here, in its entirety with a bonus set of songs from ‘60s-era Pink Floyd including selections from Piper at the Gates of Dawn, A Saucerful of Secrets, and Atom Heart Mother.
Doors: 5pm / Show: 6pm
Friday, April 13th – Late Show
Pinky will perform Pink Floyd’s 1977 concept album, Animals, in its entirety, followed by a set of ‘90s-era Floyd focused on Pulse and The Division Bell.
Doors: 9pm / Show: 10pm
Saturday, April 14th – Early Show
For the first time ever, Pinky will perform Pink Floyd’s 1971 full album, Meddle, featuring hits like, “One of These Days,” “Fearless,” and “Echoes.” Meddle has been regarded as one of Pink Floyd’s best albums! This show will also feature a collection of songs from ‘80s-era Floyd including selections from Momentary Lapse of Reason and The Final Cut.
Doors: 5pm / Show: 6pm
Saturday, April 14th – Late Show
For the final show, Pinky will perform Dark Side of the Moon. The band has tackled this album on numerous occasions – each with its own special moments, but as an encore to a momentous weekend, this rendition promises to pack a punch! This show will also feature a spotlight of ‘70s Floyd mainly focused on The Wall and Obscured by Clouds.
Doors: 9pm / Show: 10pm
Each show will be uniquely different musically, but as you’ve come to expect from Pinky, each will feature state of the art lights, visuals, and sound! Don’t miss this massive undertaking from “Montana’s Most Electrifying Live Experience.”
Advance tickets for these all ages shows range $25–$40 (seated or standing) and are available in advance at www.ticketfly.com (search “Pinky”) and in store at Cactus Records. Limited tickets available for each show — pick your pleasure or collect them all!
Check out Pinky and the Floyd at www.pinkyandthefloyd.com or find them on Facebook for future band announcements, @pinkyandthefloyd. •
