Feb 16 2014 – One of our most recommended shows of 2013 is back for another go in 2014. If you like Pink Floyd (and if you don’t you are on the wrong site) then we have a treat for you. A clear entry in our Must See Concerts of 2014 Guide we are happy to announce that Comfortably Numb is back for a couple of shows in Kingston and Toronto.
How good are they? Check out our review from last year’s show at The Opera House where we concluded… “Verdict: 5+ out of 5. It sounds silly to give more than maximum marks but that is how good this show is. The surreal journey that Comfortably Numb took us on was emotional, raw and rewarding. AK is a machine and if Nick Mason and Roger Waters ever needed a guitarist to play with them AK will be the prime candidate.”
We also saw them at Safari Niagara in the summer in an epic outdoor concert which we reviewed here.
Comfortably Numb will present ‘the hits’ and some rare tracks as they were presented in the 70’s during Pink Floyd’s most experimental and creative phase. Although songs will have the “70’s live concert feel”, they will still have the structure that fans of Pink Floyd expect with the raw emotion that the 70’s tours produced.
Comfortably Numb’s The Complete Retrospective Show is a must see performance that will give fans a unique experience to hear Pink Floyd songs performed live in concert as song concepts that even the most die-hard fan will enjoy!
“We think this is going to be our best and unique tour concept to date” explains AK, Founder, Lead Guitars & Vocals and Executive Producer for Comfortably Numb.
“From the songs selections and their re-worked 70’s concepts, to our light and sound production, fans will be able to experience a psychedelic 70’s Pink Floyd concert”.
“Remember musically, the mood and feel of our show is very different than what Pink Floyd toured with during the ‘Delicate Sound Of Thunder’ and ‘Pulse’ Tours as the early 70’s shows included all four members of Pink Floyd who had an approach to the music that was exciting and new – not simply replicating it but giving it new life each and every show. Even though technology in the 70’s was very different at that time we will still have a state-of-the-art show. The band and production team have been working feverishly hard to get this right, we are looking forward to performing” says AK.
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Thursday March 6th 2014
The Grand Theatre – Kingston, ON
Doors 7:30pm
All Tickets Through Grand Theatre Box Office – https://secure1.tixhub.com/kingston/Procurement/lindexfmk.asp?cboEvent=964
ALL AGES SHOW – Floor Seating $40 Taxes & service charges included
Balcony Seating $35 Taxes and service charges included
FM96 Classic Rock Presentation / Sponsored by KROCK 105.7
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Saturday March 15th 2014
The Opera House, Toronto 4pm & 9pm shows
Doors 3:00pm / Doors 7:30pm
19+ Tickets – $30.64 Taxes Included + Surcharge Included
Under 18 – $24.98 Taxes Included + Surcharge Included
ALL AGES SHOW – http://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/449891
19+ Evening Show – http://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/449907
Q107FM & Y108FM Presentation
In honor of the upcoming shows we asked AK about the shows and here is what he had to say about Comfortably Numb Pink Floyd Tribute.
1) AK thanks for the time, tell us what can we expect in the upcoming show?
AK: Thank you. We have a great show lined up with amazing new lights and lasers added and of course great songs. The goal is always to deliver the best show we can to honor the music of Pink Floyd. We always want to connect with the audience and have the show tell a story that one can relate to. I have never wanted to put on a clone show, or an acted show, there are no wigs, replica’s etc etc so you get what we feel is an honest show with 5 people who simply love this music and want to share it in a unique way. We don’t take liberties and restructure any of the songs but we do use live/bootleg material to re-create the ultimate 70’s Floyd experience in a way we feel best represents that period of magic, and do so respectfully combining the best of the live performances and studio albums – each and every show we do is extremely important as we know how special and revered this music is.
2) Any new tunes making the setlist that we haven’t heard in a while from you?
AK: Comfortably Numb has always been a band that focuses on the music of Pink Floyd c. ’69 – ’83 ONLY, as this is what I feel is the highlight of their career when all members were present, including the days with Syd Barrett which led the creation of some truly beautiful and haunting music. It is safe to say that even though Comfortably Numb have been together for well over 20 years, the desire to perform this amazing and inspirational music has not diminished in the least. Our constant sold out shows and the amazing fans of the music of Pink Floyd are truly a driving factor – we are not interested in anything BUT sharing our love of the music with others – period.
For songs on this tour, there are staple songs I always include in the shows which are Floyd fan favorites – in general songs are chosen that try to appeal to the entire audience. Each show we may add other songs I feel will add yet another dimension, for example at these shows coming up we will also be including Astronomy Domine – a personal favorite of the band plus 2 songs from Animals! Our shows always clock in around 2 1/2 – 3 hrs each, and we have done many complete album nights where we have performed all of The Wall, Animals, Wish you Were Here, Dark Side Of The Moon etc, for this tour we are focusing on the favorites in general – this will be a cross-section of highlights from many of the fan favorite albums.
3) You have been busy making a new CD, tell us a bit about it and when/where can people buy it?
AK: The new CD from THE AK PROJECT called ‘A Thunderous Exchange Of Silence‘ will be available on March 6th, which also happens to be David Gilmour’s birthday and the start of our first Comfortably Numb show tour date for 2014 in Kingston, ON at the Grand Theatre. This will be the second time Comfortably Numb have played in this amazing venue.
The Cd will be available at all Numb shows and will be available online and through CD Warehouse and other avenues.
The CD has been a labor of love and has taken a while to get here since the last album. This album has Solveig on lead vocals and myself as well as Matt Babineau on Drums (drummer also for Comfortably Numb) and Ahenk Ozakpinar on some of the bass tracks (bassist also for Comfortably Numb). I play all guitars, keyboards, bass on a number of tracks and did all arrangements and drum/bass edits etc. The songs were written by me and Solveig wrote lyrics and melody for some of the songs. For those that enjoy Solveig’s vocal, will really like hearing her sing these tunes, as her performance is truly outstanding!
The album is a concept based on the lack of communication that occurs between people and within one’s self – the silence is deafening and yet nothing is said out loud…like when you are in a room and there is that awkward silence between people that have issues with each other and yet not a word was spoken — but you just know.
These days we rarely ‘speak’ to each other anymore, it’s all text and email and the use of ‘hello’, ‘thank you’ etc. seem to be a thing of the past . We don’t have ‘time’ to say these things or anything courteous – as such we have disconnected slowly but surely, and as a result certain negative emotions take over, anger, frustration etc. As we move further away from each other we lose our self inside the silence so to speak.
The new music is very different than the last album and is quite heavy in places but it has all the elements that make The AK Project what it is. it’s a nice blend I feel of rock, prog and acoustic. Solveig and I take on the characters of emotion and express these emotions via the lyrics and music.
The fans on Facebook and twitter have been truly amazing and so so supportive – thank you!!
We will be doing some giveaways at each show and are really excited ! We’ll being performing the entire album this year at a major CD release showcase so stay tuned!!
