After a sold-out show featuring live renditions of Radiohead showcased at the Price Center last year, award-winning violinist Will Taylor is back with an ensemble of strings and keys featuring the haunting yet classic sounds of legendary rock band Pink Floyd. Due to high ticket demand the musicians added a second date so one can catch the experience Saturday, Jan. 31 at 7 or 8:45 p.m. or Sunday, Feb. 1. at 6 or 7:30 p.m.
The Dark Side of the Moon fans can rejoice and immerse themselves in an experience that takes them through the album in its entirety plus fan favorites from other Pink Floyd albums such as Wish You Were Here, Comfortably Numb, and Mother along with original music The event will access multiple senses, starting with a traditional tea and cacao ceremony. Lights are lowered and candles are lit as guests are invited to bring a yoga mat and blanket to lie down and let the live music wash over them. Chairs are available as well.
The experience brings together the talents of long-time musicians Will Taylor on violin, Tony Rogers on cello, and Dave Madden on piano and vocals. Taylor has been organizing these concerts in the dark with incredible attention to detail and a focus on the complete experience.
“It’s very important to me that I find a very suitable space to kind of match the experience,” Taylor said.
The event started at a yoga studio in Austin which had tall ceilings, giving the place this sense of space and healing.
“What appeals to me is historical spaces. You kind of feel like you’re going back in time, getting to escape from the noise and the dizziness of the modern world,” Taylor said. “The Price Center is over a century old and has beautiful wood floors and tall ceilings, it gives you that sense of leaving one world and entering another, since it’s a very immersive experience.”
Above, the previous concert in the dark series at the Price Center. Below, Will Taylor Photo courtesy of Will Taylor
Taylor keeps the shows intimate, with limited tickets and a cozy space, the audience can feel close to the musicians and develop a connection to the music that flows from their instruments.
“There’s that intimacy with all of us, feeling that we’re in the room together, I think that really increases the value of the experience; it’s not just the music but a shared community,” Taylor said.
Taylor has been creating music for over three decades in the Austin area and around the world. The concerts in the dark series was a way to experiment and recreate himself as an artist, allowing the project to align with his ideal musical experience. He created a show that focused on the experience of the musicians, allowing them the space to explore and transform classic songs through their instrumental language.
“I want to make it this juicy and luscious experience for the musicians so they look forward to it and they’re going to have an ecstatic experience,” Taylor said.
By designing the performance this way he invites the audience to be a part of an ensemble of excited and engaged musicians who collaborate and align to transform and deliver a connected experience.
Pink Floyd was a strategic choice, while of course loving the music himself, Taylor chose a band that connects to people and has for decades.
“I think that great songs, great music, can translate into other formats [such as] chamber music or acoustic,” Taylor said.
Visit the ticket website at eventbrite. com/e/pink-floyd-concert-inthe- dark-with-award-winning-violin-ist san-marcos-tickets-1978933297765 to experience the immersion yourself.
Will and Tony Photo courtesy of Will Taylor
Dave Madden at keys Photo courtesy of Will Taylor
