Tahrah Cohen, a founding member of the Pink Floyd tribute band The Machine, said that the band has about 100 songs in their repertoire and keeps records of their set lists from each show – so that they can give the audience a unique experience every time.
“We know what we did last time, we know what we did the time before last and we keep the songs in rotation,” Cohen said. “We do a unique show every time we play. We’re not just going off of a programmed set list because of this or that reason….We want the fans to hear something that they haven’t heard us play.
“Maybe we haven’t been to a venue in a year, so they haven’t heard us play something from Obscured by Clouds in two years. So we want to give the audience the opportunity to hear a really deep cut that they haven’t heard, so that’s why we keep records – to keep it interesting for the band and the fans.”
The Machine are coming to Falls Church tomorrow night, March 27, to play a unique combo of Pink Floyd cuts at The State Theatre. Cohen said the group is really happy to play at State, which they’ve done several times.
“We love playing The State Theatre. It’s a great time. The energy of the crowd is always fantastic,” Cohen said. “I think they way they set up the venue is perfect. There’s general admission so as a performer you get the energy from the fans and then there’s seating for the older demographic that want to sit down and relax. I think it feels good to know that everyone is accommodated.”
Cohen said that fans of The Machine are “a zealous group of people,” always wanting to share their memories of the legendary 1970s rock band to which Cohen and her group regularly pay tribute.
“They’re very passionate about the music, so everyone wants to share with you when they saw Pink Floyd in the ‘70s or the ‘80s, or when they saw Roger Waters on his last tour,” she said. “So everybody really wants to share their experiences with the band members.”
The Machine includes Cohen, who plays drums, Ryan Ball, who’s played guitar for the group for 17 years, keyboardist Scott Chasolen, who’s played with the group for seven years, and Adam Minkoff, the group’s lead vocalist and bass player who joined up in 2013. Cohen said that Minkoff is “amazing.”
“He’s one of the most talented musicians I’ve ever met. He can really do a lot, it’s outstanding what he can do,” Cohen said. “He’s a great singer, he’s a great musician, and the fans really embraced his entry into the band immediately. He’s wonderful.”
Obviously, Cohen counts herself as one of Pink Floyd’s legion of fans – The Machine started out of common respect for Waters and his band in 1988. Her favorite albums to play songs are all from the era preceding Waters’ exit from the band in 1985, but she favors Dark Side of the Moon in particular.
“I love playing Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety. It’s just one beautiful composition. That’s the way I look at it. Just one seamless song and it’s incredible,” Cohen said. “It’s timeless, it’s beautiful, it’s such an [strong] amalgamation of art. Lyrically it’s beautiful, musically it’s beautiful, conceptually it’s so profound and that still reveals itself to me in [different] ways.”
• For more information about The Machine, visit themachinelive.com.
