Roger Waters Keeps Breaking The Wall

Luis Roca
Fort Lauderdale
November 14

Roger Waters was back in town. Yes, the legendary Pink Floyd member, author of many of the most famous songs of the epic band. Roger Waters, the living legend of a band that has transcended time, nationalities, languages and even age. I don’t say it only because I love his music, or because I am aware of the millions of albums sold by his band, but mostly I say it because I presence, for second time, what his music can accomplish from a stage.
This time the Bank Atlantic Center in Fort Lauderdale had the honored to receive the 67-year-old musician and his band performing The Wall Tour for first time in two decades.

“It’s there anybody out there,” Waters shout at the beginning of the concert creating the delirium of the crowd in that cool Saturday night.
Just like a few years ago, when he performed in West Palm Beach, the venue was sold-out, and crowded with such a diverse group that it could had been the show of any type of band. This is not a surprise, since South Florida is quite a mix, but still picturesque to see how similar and different at the same time we can be when it comes to music.
Diego Alonso, a Peruvian native, told me, “The music got no flags. I didn’t even know what the lyrics were saying when I started listening to Pink Floyd, but still I got the idea and the feeling trough the awesome music.”
Davis Samons, an Indiana-born-man in his 40s told me, “This is eternal, I brought my son that is 13 and he loves “The Wall,” I love Pink Floyd all the way and it’s incredible to be in the same page with mi kid.”
It sure was amazing to see how moved the spectators were.
How a real size replica of a First World War plane flew over the arena firing lights into the public.
How a gigantic pig with no strings float over the astonished audience.
How the images of a real soldier reencountering his daughter made more than a few let go some tears down.
Or how an army of red and black hammers marched along the famous wall.
But if there was a moment that capture the scene of music transcending time, ages and nationalities, that was the moment when Waters perform The Wall Part 2.
A group of 16 Broward students joined the musicians in the stage to shout out the everlasting chorus “Hey teacher leave the kids along…” And they sure brought down a 20-feet- high- malicious-teacher-puppet that was creeping out from side to side in the boards.
The two hours of unforgettable music was accompany by a great show of lights and the projection of intense images in a huge wall that was built brick by brick all throughout the show.
At the end, the wall was brought down, the multicolor rain of victory felt over the stage, the band hugged and Waters said, “Thank you Fort Lauderdale.” The public gave him and the band a long standing ovation that extended all the way into the parking lot with shouts of “Hey Ho Let’s go!”