Hudson Valley Mourning the Loss of The Machine’s Joe Pascarell

Fans of Pink Floyd tribute band The Machine are mourning the loss of the band's co-founder, singer/guitarist Joe Pascarell.

The Machine took to social media last week to break the news about Pascarell's passing. No cause of death has been announced as of yet.

The Machine is one of the most popular tribute bands to come out of the tribute scene, and one of the oldest Pink Floyd tributes in America. The band was formed in 1988 by Tahrah Cohen and Joe Pascarell, and they have performed all over the world. They started as a cover band that played gigs around the Rockland County, NY area and not exclusively Pink Floyd music. The band was approached by a talent agency about performing Pink Floyd music full time, and the band took off from there, gaining a huge following for their amazing live shows. I recall interviewing Joe over the phone one time back in my early days at WPDH, promoting one of the band's upcoming appearances at The Chance. I also remember a conversation with late Chance owner Frank Pallett discussing The Machine. He told me that they were without a doubt the most successful tribute band to play the venue, selling out multiple nights in a row back in the day. I have seen the band perform countless times over the years, and the musicianship in that band has always been top-notch. Check out photos below from one of The Machine's last shows at The Chance in Poughkeepsie on Sept. 29, 2017.

Fans around the Hudson Valley took to social media to express their condolences on Joe Pascarell's passing and to share their memories of seeing the band perform.

The passing of Joe Pascarell is a huge loss to the live music scene, and we send our sincere condolences out to Joe's family, friends, and fans, including the other members of The Machine. A tribute show honoring Joe is planned for this weekend in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Get more info here.