As the lights were coming down at AT&T Friday night, I was filled with awe at the sheer size and scope of the stage set before me. There was an enormous white brick wall spanning the entire outfield. There were tall and ominous lighting effects towers scattered throughout the infield. One might expect such a showcase to be part of a gaudy production like Cirque Du Soleil, but this was not a show with any actors or guest appearances. This was going to be “The Wall.”  My first truly great rock opera concert with Roger Waters — and I was stoked and excited!

We happily sat in the 2nd base lower section as the first rumblings of sound started petering out of the massive speaker array. These noises were met by another set of sounds emanating from the center of the grandstands behind home plate. I soon realized this show was going to have full-on theatrical surround sound!  We stood there riveted and amazed by the clarity of the sound and eye-popping visual effects!

Then… in the flesh there was Roger Waters in a leather trench coat embossed with his shiny black Britania hammers, belting out the first few lines much as a dictator would, heaping a hefty dose of doom onto this subjects. The band didn’t miss a note, and the pyrotechnics were incredible. Sparks flew, hammers marched, banners unfurled and, at the end of the song a prop plane descended from a zip line with a burst of fire and flames and at this moment I stared to see how much of the wall would be used as a projection screen for the rest of the show. The wall became a broad canvas to showcase the most brilliant and perfectly edited music video imaginable. And it was all in HD. And it was amazing!!

It then descends into the bleak blackness of “The Thin Ice” (my favorite songs on Disc 1).  Soon we found ourselves listening to the first notes of “Another Brick In The Wall Pt. 1″ and watching a gorgeous video on the large screen. It looked as though we were flying just above a red ocean while images of soldiers and young boys flashed across the screens and outfield.

The stage was soon joined by a group of young children who helped chant the most famous line of the entire album, “We don’t need no education.” Most fans knew every verse and you could tell they were not disappointed as they all sung along in unison. The whole stadium was rocking; and Roger Water stood in stage center with his hands above his head reveling in the synergy he had created. Then Mr. Waters proceeded to explain that he was going to play a video clip from a live performance of The Wall from Earl’s Court inLondonin 1980. And not only would he play the entire clip, he would sing along with his younger self! I witnessed a near 70 year old man singing a duet with his 40 year old self. It was beautiful, and no holograms necessary: sorry Tupac.

The white wall itself, which had started out missing its middle section so as to reveal the band playing on stage, had slowly been re-built during the first set. Each song brought with it new bricks that eventually blocked out the band entirely, creating one large expansive white wall. It was very pleasing to watch, and gave an organic feel to the progression of the show. “Goodbye Blue Sky” and “Empty Spaces” featured some excellent animation across the white wall… until eventully it faded to black!  INTERMISSION!!  Then I heard “Hey You” “STAND STILL LADDY!”, “Is There Anybody Out There?,” “Nobody Home,” “Vera,” and “Bring The Boys Back Home” — all held very true to the original album and were accompanied by imagery from The Wall: The Movie.  And of course there was gratuitous politicizing and lecturing from Mr. Waters; the occasional “fuck the government” flashing across the white wall, or a naked woman rubbing oil on her breasts (not that my husband minded). After all, Roger Waters is not known to be subtle but you could tell he was having a great time.  My juices started flowing again after the 6 minute lull following “Comfortably Numb” as we watched slimy red tendrils crept all over the white wall, life-like at first and then morphing into cartoons.

I have a special place in my heart for the album and movie “The Wall” and to see it on such a large scale was very moving. The white wall played the same animations from The Wall: The Movie and added a few new tricks of its own.  But, what happened next? Should I give it away? Ok, yes the wall blew up to smithereens.  Soon the entire band standing with their brass instruments and began to play the final piece, “some hand in hand and some gathered together in bands.”

The concert was over and I was gripped with a desire to hit rewind, or reset the record, or replay it on my iPod, and do it all over again.  The Wall Live is a once in a lifetime opportunity – absolutely amazing.  We’ve been to several live concerts but this show was an absolute standout!  Well done Roger, well done!!