Think: EXP’s Beyond the Wall Pink Floyd Experience is an immersive entertainment experience like none other. Taking over the Wisdome in downtown Los Angele’s Art District since November 2018 as one of the most majestic live concert experiences you will ever see.
Featuring saxophone artist Scott Page and Roberta Freeman on vocals (both who toured with Pink Floyd), Yolanda Thomas, and Carol Hatchett (Bette Midler), Kenny Olson (Kid Rock) on guitar, Eric Mayron on keys (Dr.Dre), Stephen Perkins on drums (Janes Addiction), Jon Stankorb on vocals and Tony Franklin (The Firm) on bass. Their newest addition includes Derek Day whose impressive vocal range can reach high octaves like Jeff or Tim Buckley could while slaying the guitar with attitude not heard since the legendary days of Link Wray.
On Saturday, July 27th, at 10:00 PM the live concert began. As usual, with a stellar line up of players to perform the sold-out master dome.
Upon one’s entry of the dome you feel like you’ve entered a psychedelic spacecraft and you’re about to take flight escaping reality for a few hours to enjoy some fine psychedelic space rock with visuals that are upwards and outwards.
As soon as those in attendance feel the power of the first notes reverberating out from the amps, the sounds quickly take on lives of their own. Let me tell you… this is as impressive to see as it was to hear! It is truly a one-of-a-kind experience.
Think: EXP is an epic onslaught on the senses that is absolutely brilliant and surreal to witness live. Performing such classics Syd Barret and the original members of Pink Floyd created like ‘Wish You Were Here’, ‘Money’, and ‘Comfortably Numb,’ and with a formula designed to take us all far out. THINK: EXP dazzles its viewers and listeners with an opiate-like effect on mind, body, and soul and delivers with ingredients that dreams are made of. It’s a hallucinogens heaven, but no drugs or booze are needed, the trip is that intense!
Jerk Of All Trades met up with Scott Page to gain some perceptions as to the inner thoughts behind this exploding underground visual art and music project.
“Think: EXP is an immersive entertainment company,” he begins. “Our first Think: EXP is a Think Floyd Experience, which we’re doing right now in this 360 dome here at Wisdome.LA. We’ve done 20 something shows now and have had great attendance at all of them, it’s really been incredible. Our goal is to do a Think: Floyd, Think: Bowie, Think: Hendrix, and so on, so this is our first run.
Intelligence is getting built-in through everything, so we’re bringing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and all these types of things together. The goal is not to let the technology drive, it’s really about the artistry of the musicians coming together and letting the technology capture surround. We want to make it low tech from capturing that spirit in the moment while at the same time using the most advanced technology to create an experience that people can experience with us. When we look up we see the same thing that everyone else sees, so we’re kind of part of the show together. So the idea is to bring the audience and the people together.
Wisdome is here for three years and we performed our first one November 17th here. We do roughly one weekend every three weeks. We haven’t booked our dates yet for the next ones coming after this, tomorrow we’re flying to Budapest where we’re doing a festival and mashing EDM and Floyd together. We’re also going to be the only live music act. We’ve got some ideas for new shows and we’re going to start adding all this new stuff when we return.”
Jon Stankorb– “The goal of this project is to take the timeless music of Pink Floyd and expand the perimeters of what it might be able to do with the addition of the visuals. The boundaries of the songs are being extended with different arrangements of things, and interpretation is the focal part of the show. Having a different vocalist on the songs, expanding the solo section, it’s just a way of making it unique. We’re serving the visual rather than the visual serving us. We’re trying to be an accompanist to the visuals. Making our sound as dynamic and freeform as the video is. It’s very deep. There’s a lot of nostalgia and longing in the lyrics. People who come to the shows are having a very visceral experience with the lights but also an emotional connection.”
Eric Mayron– “It is a huge thrill for me to be playing in such a well-oiled band. This is such an exciting show to be a part of! The people come out of here like they’ve had a religious experience. One person said to me after last night’s show she was brought to tears three times during our performance. It makes me feel like all the work we put into this was deeply worth it. That’s the effect we want to have. Like you’re hitting people in the right place, that’s the right place.”
Stephen Perkins– “For me, I get to be a cast member and an audience member. I’m experiencing what they’re experiencing and that’s the way I liked it back when Jane’s started we used to have random people do random things in the audience for us and with us, to make this experience. Like I say, we’re all for it together. We want to turn the key here a little what it takes to get the visual, the audial, and the social and glue them together. I love the fact not everybody is looking at the band, they’re just tripping on their own experience with what’s above them, which I do as well. So we get to move on away from the song and go into a more personal experience each time we play. Aside from the visuals, you have this great band, there’s a lot of conversations going on. Like an MC Escher painting, the steps upside, backward, ones going up ones going down, that’s how the band is. No matter how you turn it or look at it and that’s what I think is so cool about it!”
Kenny Olson– “Tonight was awesome, it was definitely very spiritual and I felt like we took it to another place. The crowd was all very into it too. We can feel what people are feeling and what you’re putting out into the universe, and that’s very special. We’re going to Budapest tomorrow. It’s a great feeling to be out here doing what I love to do.”
Jimmy Ovadia– “It’s been an epic honor getting to vibe with everyone. My position has been to fill-in for the great Storm Thorgenson who was well known for doing so many album covers and most of the album art for Pink Floyd. I create a piece from beginning of the set to the end, which is signed by the band at the end of their performance and then auctioned off to help benefit Harold Robinson Foundation, a charity involving music and children that Flea and Norwood put together.”
Jerk Of All Trades met up with Orange County resident Crystal Husband, who has attended seven performance concerts with Think: EXP. “Each time they mix it up a little so it’s never the same show. Every song literally takes you on another journey with all of your senses active at the same time. The experience is really magical.”
Between you and I, Think:EXP assures us they’ve got some great ideas for new shows when they return home from the Ozora EDM Festival in Budapest. Performing Pink Floyd Beyond The Wall as the only live music act, with Kitten Kuroi on vocals and the incredibly talented Norwood Fisher (founding member of Fishbone) on bass.
Article and photographs by Maggie St.Thomas
Article and Photographs: Maggie St.Thomas
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