slateblog

I saw Queensrÿche three times: in 2000, 2003 and again in 2005. And when Geoff Tate and the band split, I was firmly a member of the QR camp. The divorce was ugly and neither side looked good, however, I never really enjoyed Tate’s solo material and as the years passed, even the band’s continuation failed to inspire much passion. I was fine ending my journey with all of it, especially considering I’d seen all of Operation: Mindcrime during the last of my three concerts.

Now, it should be said that I don’t have a full recollection of that evening, with Doug fully to blame. And as Tate announced a goodbye to one of my top-20 albums ever, playing the entire record, I felt no hesitation plunking down a few bucks and driving yet again up to Silver Spring. Before we get to this night, however, I’d like to reminisce some decades.

I walked all the way to Looney Tunes to purchase Operation: Mindcrime and another record (maybe an Anthrax tape). The two-mile walk, which Google tells me takes 45 minutes, was a common occurrance in subsequent years, but at the time, I was a mere 12 years old. On the way back, I stopped at my school and some kid stole my money. What odd memories we retain. And as it came out before I was 16, I still remember a majority of the lyrics. Thus, tonight, I sang much far more than normal. I was not alone. Even the taped intros had the crowd reciting from memory, “Dr. Hamilton, Dr. J. Hamilton.” “Sleep well, you bastard.”

The band has its own light system and immediately I was impressed by the absolute clarity of things. They sounded utterly fantastic. All three (!) guitarists played rhythms, leads and interludes perfectly – almost astonishingly so. The production was reminiscent of Def Leppard or Ghost, virtually-perfect recreations of the studio creations. Unfortunately, it loses all that punch that I love about live shows and it felt manufactured – meticulously crafted for authenticity and not the gritty live performance. Tate’s vocals were phenomenal, but often buried lower in the mix with loud backing vocals lifting it all up. It’s hardly dismissive, it’s far better than some of the botch jobs I’ve seen online by Jon Bon Jovi or David Lee Roth, etc. We’re all getting older, but he did a remarkable job.

Spying on t-shirts from recent tours and it’s evident: this band plays a LOT of shows. I estimated about 100 in 2024 alone. City upon city. Geoff Tate mentioned he’s played in 66 countries. Say what you will, but that’s dedication.

He kept the between-song banter limited and played the role as frontman well, sporting a no-sleeved jacket, black cowboy hat and his trademark, thick-framed glasses. It almost felt like Mindcrime was rushed through, and Tate appeared to enjoy the Mindcrime 2 songs more, the three chosen truly showcased his skills, perhaps more than them being the best selections. But make no mistake, seeing a great rendition of the concept album that shaped my youth was just awesome.

The two songs with keyboardist/vocalist were fantastic, and the entire choreographed evening did what it intended: offer a strong sense of nostalgia presented in a lengthy and highly-curated package.

There were three songs from Mindcrime’s sequel, another trio from Empire and a pair of classics rounded out the night. None hit the highs of the main draw. The sound of Empire felt more than ever like that transitional, early ’90s time period. The classics were solid and the evening as a whole was fun. Unless Queensrÿche comes back with something worth seeing – and with a more-authentic live experience – I’m happy closing this chapter of my top-20 record…a mere 37 years after I first got into the band.

After his landmark solo records of the late 1990s, I haven’t been quite as enamored with Bruce Dickinson’s last two albums. Each had its own highlights, but I’ll always go back to Accident and Chemical if given a choice.

Despite my less-enthusiastic take on these efforts, Bruce hasn’t done a US tour since I (saw him in 1998) and going tonight was a bit of a no-brainer. I got to the venue with time to spare, had a beverage and headed in, getting comfortably close, but not as near as I normally would like. The aging crowd didn’t move altogether too much, so where I landed is about where I stayed for the duration. During my half-hour wait, I gazed upon the crowd curiously; spying all the tropes of metal fandom.

With the instrumental intro beginning things, he kicked off into Accident Of Birth, a spectacular start. There are pockets of unfamiliarity in his catalogue, and though these selections were pretty good, it also meant diminished enthusiasm for sections. It didn’t help that things were generally quite slow. Even Laughing In The Hiding Bush, never my favorite, felt weak.

The air-conditioned venue was actually quite cold, never an issue for me, but Bruce was not fond and he commented on it several times, in addition to a few subdued political jabs. Nothing too forceful, but they garnered a smirk from many.

Chemical, Flash Of The Blade and the killer cover of Frankenstein were highlights from the middle of the evening. The first sounded beautiful and Bruce’s voice was as strong as ever. The sole Maiden cover would’ve been a great surprise had it not been spoiled – but the solo section in the middle was just spectacular as was Frankenstein. The band was having fun and I loved every minute of it.

Wrapping things up, we got three hits from my favorite two albums and this represented the best part of the evening. All were just awesome even if they were slower and packed less of a punch than most metal shows. Things were clear and all musicians were top notch.

Following a brief moment backstage, we were treated to the expected Tears Of The Dragon complete with an enthusiastic sing-along. I was unfamiliar with the next Balls To Picasso song, to my dismay, but this led into the finale. Bruce spoke about recording the next album and thanked the crowd before diving into The Tower, one of his best and a suitable closing to a wonderful evening. I zipped out swiftly and Google routed me on what seemed a long, out-of-the-way path home. I woke not feeling terrible the next day, can’t complain about that!!! Setlist and photos/videos to follow.

1. Intro: Toltec 7 Arrival
2. Accident Of Birth
3. Abduction
4. Laughing In The Hiding Bush
5. Shadow Of The Gods
6. Chemical Wedding
7. Flash Of The Blade
8. Resurrection Men
9. Rain On The Graves
10. Frankenstein
11. The Alchemist
12. Book Of Thel
13. Road To Hell
14. E: Tears Of The Dragon
15. E: Gods Of War
16. E: The Tower