There are numerous Pink Floyd tribute bands out there, but The Australian Pink Floyd Show holds a unique distinction.

It is on record as the only tribute band who has played before a member of the original Pink Floyd."We played (Pink Floyd guitarist David) Gilmour's 50th birthday party," said Jason Sawford, a member of the Australian Pink Floyd show.The Australian Pink Floyd Show makes a stop Thursday at Penn's Peak in Jim Thorpe as part of its U.S. tour.The concert starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $37 and $32.Sawford said he has been part of the Australian Pink Floyd Tour for 23 years.He said the band strives to recreate the look, feel and sound of Pink Floyd's world tours.Obviously playing at Gilmour's birthday party in London in 1996 was a highlight for him.The invitation to the party occurred after Gilmour attended an Australian Pink Floyd Show in 1994. Gilmour subsequently invited the band to attend a concert.Then, the party invite occurred.Sawford, in a phone interview from Canada, said he is thrilled to be back in the United States "and playing for the people and how enthusiastic they are here."Sawford is keyboard player for the Aussie band. He said his background is classical pianist but he always was into classic rock like the Beatles and Rolling Stones.Hearing the first Pink Floyd album got him hooked on the band.The Australian Pink Floyd show does over 100 concerts a year. "We still enjoy doing it," he said.He said he never tires of traveling "except it puts pressure on your family life."Also, "Traveling can be tedious at times," he admits. "I find flying very boring."While traveling, he spends a lot of time reading, mostly non-fiction like philosophy, history, and science.Of tomorrow's concert, Sawford said, "It's a Pink Floyd show with lot of lighting, inflatables, and lots and lots of Pink Floyd music."Another highlight of the band's career, he said, is when the Australian Pink Floyd show was in Malta for an international event."We made front page news," he said. "We met the prime minister and played before 15,000 people. It was probably the biggest audience we played for."He noted that there was a show in Montreal that was attended by 10,000 people.Floyd drummer Nick Mason has praised TAPFS as "Very good, probably better than we are."Other band members are Steve Mac (vocals/guitar), Colin Wilson (bass and vocals), David Domminney Fowler (guitar/vocals), Alex McNamara (vocals), Mike Kidson (saxophone), Paul Bonney (drums), Bianca Glynn (vocals), Emily Lynn (vocals), and Lara Smiles (vocals).TAPFS originally formed in 1988. Over the years, the group has played to wildly enthusiastic audiences worldwide (selling 3 million tickets in the process), and paying tribute to the group that issued such all-time classic albums as 'Dark Side of the Moon, 'Wish You Were Here,' and 'The Wall,' as well as the rock radio standards "Money," "Wish You Were Here," "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" and "Comfortably Numb."And the U.S. and Canada tour is proving to be something truly special, as TAPFS has created what promises to be their most ambitious and spectacular show ever, as it will see the debut of a new quadraphonic sound system, and represents (for the first time ever) that a live music production has used 3D stereographic technology.On top of this will be an awe-inspiring Floydian style laser and light show as well as a whole host of inflatables - including a gigantic pink kangaroo!Other concerts this weekend at Penn's Peak are:• Friday - Little River Band and special guest Ambrosia, 8 p.m. Tickets $34 and $29.• Saturday - Get the Led Out, 8 p.m. Tickets $33, $28, and $23.