What do you get when you cross Pink Floyd with the Talking Heads and Phish? An 8-track flashback courtesy of Pink Talking Fish, which takes the art of the mashup to new heights (or depths, ‘pending on your inclination) by melding those three and various other acts into seamless, if pointless, new arrangements. Formed as a side band by founding Particle bassist Eric Gould, it’s not unusual to see them mix Floyd’s “Have a Cigar” with the Heads’ “Once in a Lifetime,” although plenty of other acts have been known to turn up in jams seen on Youtube, including everyone from the Who to Queen, King Crimson, and David Bowie, along with psychedelic staples like the Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers. Such novelty can wear out its welcome after a few songs, especially when rendered in the studio, but the players’ studied virtuosity, and obvious fondness for even the silliest hippie-dippy material, keeps their concerts interesting and exciting in much the same manner as a re-read murder mystery or a re-watched episode of CSI: You kinda already know the drill and how it’s gonna end, but there’s almost always some entertaining surprises along the way.

They’ve even been known to perform Pink Floyd’s entire album The Wall, interspersed with oddly apropos bits from the Phish-Heads, but expect more of a greatest hits/audience request affair when they take the Belly Up stage October 24 for their third San Diego appearance in two years (both previous gigs took place closer to Deadhead central in OB, at Winstons). As always, tie-dyed and squinty eyed tapers are welcome to set up their recording equipment, as long as the gear neither blocks the view nor harshes the buzz of fellow dudes and dudettes in attendance.