September 23, 2025 – The Floyd

I was browsing the farther regions of the Internet the other day and came across a quote that I’d like to share. It was used to caption an AI-looking image, and I’d love to give proper credit, but I couldn’t find an author name anywhere. All I can say is, I’m not the one who wrote this.

“Pink Floyd doesn’t guide you. It dismantles what you thought was true.”

https://www.facebook.com/groups/536832636423273/posts/23933676249645582

Ain’t that the truth? At least for me, that is. Pink Floyd, the mighty Floyd, or just, the Floyd, have been my #1 favorite band since summer 2009. I’ve discovered countless artists between now and then, and every time I think there’s a chance a band or artist may finally make a stronger impression on me than they did, I end up wrong. Every single time. I’m lucky to say that I have seen all three surviving members of the band perform live. Each time I revisit their music, be it via studio album or concert, I’m reminded that there’s no way any band can surpass them. Like I said, I love a lot of bands, all of my musical discoveries, friendships, and travels, all stem form their influence. It started at a tiny music store in Simi Valley, and now here I am, 16 years later, still claiming them my #1 band, and “Comfortably Numb” my number one song.

Part of what made me want to write today’s entry about the mighty Floyd was the fact that I had the honor to attend a screening of David Gilmour’s new concert movie, Live at the Circus Maximus. It was a wonderful trip down memory lane, as it brought back beautiful memories of being at the Hollywood Bowl for 3 of the 4 shows he played there. The setlist was as I had remembered it, a two-set show that was mainly dedicated to performing songs from his latest album. Luck and Strange. The expected Pink Floyd classics like “Wish You Were Here” and “Comfortably Numb” were featured too. There’s talk of another album being in the works, which I am eager to hear. I will always be eager to hear new content from David.

Going back to the quote, it made me think about the ways the Floyd both guided me in my musical journey and introduced me to the wider reality of the human experience. I didn’t know a lot when I was 12, but a core lesson I picked up from listening to the Floyd (and soon, from many other prog bands) was that music was so much more than chords and love letters. It could challenge you, scare you, inspire you, even. I think a critical reason why the level of influence they had on me can’t be replicated is because it happened at, what some might consider to be, a critical point in child development. I was 12, just out of elementary school, right on the cusp of my teen years and middle school. Those years come with the works: hormones, existential crises as you inch toward adulthood, and the realization that life is more complicated than you thought. Some people make those discoveries sooner, but that’s when it happened for me. Perfect time to experience a musical awakening, if you ask me. I had the lyrics of “The Wall” and “Dark Side of the Moon” to nudge me during my many hormone-powered episodes of feeling like the world was crashing in on me. Life made no sense, and I needed to know why. For all the times I felt alone, the words of Roger Waters, and the ever-inspiring guitar solos from David Gilmour, allowed me, even for the briefest moment, to think that, maybe, the world wasn’t coming to an end.