With The Machine, who covers the music of Pink Floyd, opening up the Music at McClellan concert series, many look for attendance to be more diverse than in the past. Music at McClellan is an outdoor concert series held each summer at Longleaf Park.
"This is the first time they have picked someone that covers a broad spectrum of folks," Carl Lackey, owner of Cosmic Debris, said. "There will be fans of all ages and lifestyles in the crowd."
A new generation of fans will have an opportunity to enjoy the concert with fans that grew up with Pink Floyd.
Pink Floyd is an English band that formed in the 1960s and has earned recognition for their psychedelic and, in later years, progressive rock music.
Their album The Dark Side of the Moon is on the list of top 25 bestselling albums of all time. Some of their most popular songs include "Money", "Welcome to the Machine", "Another Brick in the Wall", "Shine on You Crazy Diamond", and "Wish You Were Here."
"There are two types of Pink Floyd fans you will see on Saturday," Lackey said. "Fans of the band from the '70s who are now middle-aged professionals with a mortgage and 2.5 kids, or fans who didn't grow up with the band but have been introduced to the music ..."
In years past, crowds gathered to listen to the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, which has performed every year of the concert series. Last year the Swedish tribute band Waterloo performed "Abba: The Hits," with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra.
The series aims to be family-friendly, attracting crowds who want to enjoy a picnic on the open fields near the stage.
"I think everyone will be into it, even the people that usually just come out for the symphony," Robby Eichman, local guitarist with Rockit Sauce said. "It's just going to be a different experience for them."
Eichman believes that having a Pink Floyd cover band and others like it will increase attendance as well as diversity for the concert series.
"Pink Floyd is a timeless band and it will show at the concert with just one look at the crowd." Eichman said.
It is still hard to tell what the advance ticket sales are with so many locations selling tickets, according to Josephine Ayers, co-chairwoman of Music at McClellan. Ayers expects there to be a good turnout for Saturday's concert.
"We are not impervious to the rhythms of Pink Floyd," Ayers said when asked how the usual crowd will react to Saturday's performance.
Tickets will be available at the gate for $30 on the evening of the performance. A discounted price is available to those who buy their tickets in advance. Tickets may be purchased by calling the box office at (256) 310-0852, or online at www.musicatmcclellan.org.
The concert series will continue with American Idol winner Ruben Studdard on June 6. The Alabama Symphony Orchestra will anchor the series with the annual "Firing of the Cannon" on June 13.
