Jan 25, 2024 By Stephanie Kalina-Metzger 4 min read

Pink Floyd fans will be in their element on Feb. 27 when Windborne’s The Music of Pink Floyd: A Rock Symphony comes to Pittsburgh’s Heinz Hall.

Randy Jackson, frontman of the rock band Zebra and head of a Pink Floyd tribute band, will join the Grammy award-winning Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra to celebrate the music of the iconic, chart-topping rock band which hails from London.

For those who have thralled to the soaring vocals of “That Great Gig in the Sky,” or perked up when hearing those familiar “Money” lyrics: “New car, caviar, four-star, daydream, think I’ll buy me a football team,” the upcoming performance is an experience to behold.

Creator Brett Havens, a Berklee-trained arranger/conductor and president of Windborne Productions, Inc., will take the stage as the guest conductor.

“My concept for The Music of Pink Floyd was to take it as close to the originals as we could and then add some color to enhance what the group had done. Having an orchestra behind them gives the music a richness, a whole different feel and a unique sense of depth,” he said.

Havens has introduced audiences to similar shows celebrating the music of Queen, Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones.

“When we first started doing these, they were fairly new, but soon people started asking for more,” he said, adding that by merging classic rock with a full orchestra, he hoped to attract a whole new audience, and he has succeeded.

Those who have seen Pink Floyd in concert may expect strobes and lasers. Havens is careful to point out that it’s more about celebrating the music, than over-the-top laser shows.

“It’s a rock show with an orchestra and a band and singers,” he said, adding that fans of the album “Dark Side of the Moon” will not be disappointed.

“The entire first half of the show is from that album,” he said.

Jackson lends his vocals to the effort. The lead singer also plays in the band Zebra, which was launched in 1975 in New Orleans.

“The Beatles started me on my journey, and I played music all through high school,” said Jackson, adding that the band is celebrating its 50 anniversary this year.

One of the highlights of the show, according to Jackson, is the opening when the crowd hears the heartbeat.

“They go crazy because they know what’s next,” said Jackson, referring to the unique introduction to the songs on ‘The Dark Side of the Moon.’

The popular album was released in 1973, was certified 14 times platinum in the United Kingdom and topped the U.S. Billboard Top LPs chart where it charted for an impressive 987 weeks. The album has sold over 45 million copies worldwide and has been recognized as the fourth best-selling album in history.

According to Havens, the second half of the two-hour show will feature songs from “The Wall,” which was released in 1979 and followed by “The Wall” movie in 1982. According to Havens, the audience can expect to hear approximately 17 Pink Floyd tunes, including “Money,” “Learning to Fly,” and “Comfortably Numb.”

Havens said that when he’s choosing pieces for the show, he gets input from Jackson and looks through the catalog for gems that he thinks the audience will enjoy.

“‘Dark Side of the Moon’ is how I got into Pink Floyd,” said Jackson, adding that he’d be hard-pressed to pick a favorite from that album.

“The entire album is my favorite,” he said.

Havens said that the audience can also expect some interaction.

“Randy is great being out front and keeping the audience entertained,” he said, adding that bringing folks onstage to sing and conduct the orchestra is also a highlight of the evening.

“The orchestra, the band and the singers are all part of this big production-one big entity and it’s a symbiotic relationship that any fan of Pink Floyd will find extremely entertaining,” said Havens.

If you go:

Windborne’s The Music of Pink Floyd: A Rock Symphony

Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts, 600 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh

February 27, 2024

7:30 p.m.

To learn more, visit pittsburghsymphony.org