RAHWAY, NJ — Heroes for Ghosts has only been together for two years and already it has a great following. The band, a Pink Floyd tribute, will be debuting at the Union County Performing Arts Center on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 8 p.m.
Members are based in Essex County, and they came to know each other from various musical projects. The band is made up of Greg Mattison, keyboards and vocals; George Orlando, guitar and vocals; Matt Mongelli, bass and vocals; Miguel Rodriguez, drums and vocals; Dave Janowski, guitar; Connis Hynes Mattison, vocals; and Howard Freund, saxophone.
“We cherry picked the best ones,” said Mattison. “This is a good thing. Everybody really gelled and had a love for Pink Floyd.”
Mattison feels that Pink Floyd has such staying power because of their exploration of the human condition. He said, “Hypocrisies, insecurity, some of our sadness or confusion or joy. All of that is expressed from a genuine, personal place. Everybody has their own personal relationship to it. Pink Floyd is one of those bands people feel very deeply about. It’s not uncommon, people come to the shows, they bring memorabilia and albums. That’s so cool to be playing something and the band means so much to people.”
And as a fan himself, Mattison thinks it’s so neat that, after listening to a band for 30 years, different things are still revealing themselves to him lyrically.
Of Pink Floyd’s vast collection of work, Mattison favors the “Animals” album. He said, “There’s a kind of groove and musicality that’s more relaxed and open that I really enjoy.”
During the live shows, Heroes for Ghosts centers on Pink Floyd’s popular albums, but also tries to get into their earlier catalogue. “Miguel really loves the early Floyd,” said Mattison.
While Heroes for Ghosts likes to honor the original music as closely as it can, the band also tries to leave some room to honor the creativity of Pink Floyd. “We do melodies of things, as opposed to playing perfect album tracks,” said Mattison. “We try to keep it fresh, and we try to keep it original. When you come to see us, you’ll see us smiling. We’re genuinely enjoying ourselves. We do dance around. We jump around. We bring a little more energy and playfulness. We’re an energetic group of performers.”
Some of the challenges of being in a Pink Floyd tribute band have a lot to do with production. “It’s hard to do Pink Floyd and travel light,” said Mattison. “As a group of middle-aged musicians, a lot of production is the most challenging aspect. The playing of the music is the fun part.”
When Heroes for Ghosts started playing two years ago, it played to full houses. And every show it has played since has been to full capacity.
“We’re really looking forward to playing at the Union County Performing Arts Center. We’re looking forward to playing in the historic place,” said Mattison.
To purchase tickets to see Heroes for Ghosts at Union County Performing Arts Center, visit https://ucpac.org/event/heroes-for-ghosts/.
To learn more about Heroes for Ghosts, visit https://heroesforghosts.com/.
Photo Courtesy of Heroes for Ghosts
