Because of its synchronous rotation, no one will ever see the “dark side” of the moon from Earth. Even among astronauts, only a handful have seen the dark side from space. 

Fans of Pink Floyd, however, will get the chance to experience The Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety when local tribute band Pink Droyd celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic album and more at Sweetwater Performance Pavilion on Sept. 30.

Lighting up the night

Co-founder Daniel Fisher, who handles keyboards, synthesizers, theremin, and vocals for Pink Droyd, said the center of this full-production performance will be a laser light show worthy of the 50th anniversary celebration.

“One of our absolute favorite places to play is the pavilion because the lasers look so amazing bouncing off the white ceiling of the dome,” he said.

Fisher said every seat in the pavilion has a different view of the light show, and the lasers not only make “a painting in the air. They make a separate painting on the ceiling. They’re both fascinating to watch and they each behave differently.”

The first half of the show will be filled with fan favorites from other albums, and Fisher said most people recognize a lot more of the Pink Floyd repertoire than they think. 

With that, he unpacked the deeper meaning behind the band’s music, which he said has broad appeal to fans and casual listeners alike.

“Pink Floyd has always been about positive change,” he said. “When they talk about ‘us and them,’ they’re talking about all of the things that cause war and just looking at that stuff. Pink Floyd has always been about positive suggestions for humanity, or at least looking at problems that we’re having that hopefully would suggest some solutions.”

Love of Pink Floyd

Of course, each member of the band is a fan of Pink Floyd, Fisher said. This love of music drives the band to build a concert experience that does justice to Pink Floyd’s music and legacy. 

“It’s based on our love of Pink Floyd music, and not just the actual sound of it, but getting everything else right: the visuals, the props, the storylines, the lasers,” he said. “And then even the transition, the sound effects that connect each song to the next, we get all of that in a way that makes us happy.”

Fisher, a former staff sergeant in the Army, says his passion for Pink Floyd began at 11. 

“I played Pink Floyd on the piano at my home for my parents, and my parents would listen to me play Pink Floyd for hours,” he said. “They didn’t know anything about rock bands. All they knew was they really liked my piano arrangement. And when I finally got to (Berklee College in Boston), I started meeting people who were good enough to play the other part.”

Like-minded musicians

Fisher became a member of a Pink Floyd tribute band in Boston in the early 2000s before an opportunity at Sweetwater Sound brought him back to Fort Wayne. This move, however, initially left him without the opportunity or connections to perform his favorite music. 

“I really wanted to start another Pink Floyd tribute because I really enjoyed doing that,” he said. “Just coincidentally, a guy named Kevin Quandt was putting on a show with friends of his own. He was trying to do a Pink Floyd show, not a band, but just a single show.”

Quandt was able to track down and recruit Fisher for this one-off show. With that performance, the seed for Pink Droyd was planted and it’s been producing fruit since 2006.

Now, Fisher and Quandt (vocals/guitar) are joined by Jim Sizelove (drums), Trevor Krall (bass/vocals), Phil Schurger (lead guitar), Ash Morris (tenor sax), Evan Sturzenberger (vocals), Lisa McDavid (vocals), and Jill Jugloff (vocals).

“Not only do I enjoy it, but enjoying it while the lasers are shooting over the top of your head and the lights are going and videos are going and the background singers are going,” he said. “And the audience just loves hearing each of these songs. And I don’t have any delusions that they’re cheering for me. I know they’re not cheering for me. They’re cheering for those songs. But I love those songs, too.

“Our job is to just bring as much of the feeling that we got from actually seeing Floyd back in the day, and we’re trying to bring that exact feeling to the audience.”