Photo Credit: Lofty Views
On Saturday, the stars aligned to set Pink Talking Fish’s series closing performance at Pittsburgh’s Thunderbird Café & Music Hall on May 4–or Star Wars Day. Never the ones to shy from a good bit, PTF completed the second night of its two-show run in classic Star Wars fashion, ornamenting its classic medleys of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish with cosmic instrumentals and teases from the Star Wars franchise. Cheeky references abounded, including full Star Wars costumes under a giant “Better Call Maul” banner,
Pink Talking Fish started their festive show strong with the rousing, tongue-in-cheek “20th Century Fox Theme,” then continued into John Williams’ “Star Wars Main Theme.” In its grandiose style, the group went on to segue between standards from its three muses, including “Another Brick In The Wall Part 2,” “Psycho Killer” and “Wilson,” before returning to the theme with “The Imperial March” and switching the classic score back to “Wilson.” To conclude the first set, the band played The Phantom Menace’s “Duel Of The Fates,” which led into a mashup of “Carini” and “War Pigs,” featuring teases of “Cherub Rock” and “The Force Theme.”
Pink Talking Fish opened its second set with “Mandalorian Theme,” which led into a performance of “2001” with teases of “Star Wars Main Theme,” “Mandalorian Theme” and “Rebel Theme” as well as a Lightsaber Duel between Cal and Tiny Vader; watch a video of this definite highlight below. This duel flowed into “Cantina Song” and then “Cities,” which featured teases of both “Duel Of The Fates” and “Cantina Song.” With another “Duel Of The Fates” tease, the band then played a version of “Run Like Hell” that moved into “What’s The Use?,” “Leia’s Theme” and “What’s The Use?” once more. Later the group bridged classics by touching up “Run Like An Antelope” with teases of “Han And Leia Theme,” “The Force Theme,” “Duel Of The Fates” and “Imperial March.”
As the second set came to a close, Pink Talking Fish blended its cover of “Comfortably Numb” with “Leia’s Theme” before finishing with a combination of “Comfortably Numb” and “The Force Theme.” Returning to the stage for an encore, the band set up “A Day In The Life” and “Fight For Your Right,” which included the night’s final tease of the iconic “Main Theme Song.”
Get a look inside this sci-fi fan’s paradise with the photos below, courtesy of Lofty Views. Videos of the performance were taken by Davis Thurston. Read on for the evening’s complete setlist
For more information on Pink Talking Fish and its upcoming performances, visit pinktalkingfish.com.
Pink Talking Fish
May 4, 2024
Thunderbird Music Hall — Pittsburgh
Set I: 20th Century Fox Theme > Star Wars Main Theme > Happiest Days Of Our Lives > Another Brick In
The Wall Part 2 > Another Brick In The Wall Part 3 > Psycho Killer > Wilson > The Imperial March > Wilson, Dogs, Life During Wartime*, Duel Of The Fates > Carini/War Pigs Mashup**
Set II: Mandalorian Theme > 2001*** > Cantina Song > Cities^+, Run Like Hell^ > What’s The Use? > Leia’s Theme > What’s The Use?, Once In A Lifetime^^, Run Like An Antelope^^^, Comfortably Numb > Leia’s Theme > Comfortably Numb++
Encore: A Day In The Life, Fight For Your Right^^
Notes:
*w/ Great Gig In The Sky jam
**w/ Cherub Rock tease and The Force Theme
*** w/ Star Wars Main Theme, Mandalorian Theme and Rebel Theme teases; Cal vs Tiny Vader Lightsaber Duel
+w/ Cantina Song tease
++w/ The Force Theme
^ w/ Duel Of The Fates tease
^^ w/ Main Theme Song tease
^^^ w/ Han And Leia Theme, The Force Theme, Duel Of The Fates and Imperial March teases