With a name like theirs, one would expect the Machine to be a Pink Floyd cover band focused primarily on the classic rock titans’ later work. But this tribute band smartly takes their song selection seriously, with an emphasis on Floyd’s more psychedelic efforts (one of the Machine’s live CDs features a 15-minute version of “Echoes” and a storming take on “Astronomy Domine”) as well as hits like “Money” and, yes, “Welcome to the Machine.” Equally misleading about the group’s name: Their approach is anything but mechanical. Highlighting Pink Floyd’s roots as an exploratory, improvisational group, the Machine is prone to flights of fancy that are skillfully played and effective in their own right.
First appeared in the Jan. 17, 2008 issue of Orlando Weekly.
