Queensryche delivers bombastic show 
Michael Senft
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 16, 2005 12:00 AM 
Queensryche gave Valley fans a heavy dose of '80s nostalgia on 
Tuesday night. The Seattle-based band played two blistering 
sets of metal before a sold out crowd at the Celebrity Theatre 
on Tuesday night.


Although 'Ryche has recorded and toured steadily throughout 
the '90s, the bulk of the show concentrated on the band's 
first four albums. The first set opened with The Whisper, from 
1986's Rage for Order and closed with the Pink Floyd-esque 
smash Silent Lucidity, from 1990's Empire. That breakthrough 
album dominated the first set, with the band playing all of 
the radio and chart hits from it, including Jet City Woman, 
Another Rainy Night Without You and the title track. They even 
threw in the rarity Last Night in Paris, originally a b-side, 
to sate the hardcore fans who have followed the band for 20+ 
years.


Throughout the first set the band was relaxed and loose, 
playing a casual set for old friends. Singer Geoff Tate seemed 
nostalgic and even a little maudlin while talking about the 
band's history and his life as a parent in Seattle. But his 
voice hasn't lost any of its power since 'Ryche's late '80s 
heyday, it still soared on the anthemic Take Hold of the 
Flame. advertisement





But the reason for the sold-out crowd was the second set, when 
Queensryche performed its heavy metal rock opera Operation: 
Mindcrime for the first time in 14 years. The 1988 epic is 
still the best distillation of Queensryche's bombastic sound 
and recognized as one of the great metal albums of the Reagan 
era. 


Through 15 songs and several costume changes the band 
delivered its masterpiece of government corruption and tragic 
love with intensity and aplomb. With video screens flashing 
images of corrupt politicians, televangelists and scenes from 
the albums story, an actor playing the role of Nikki, the 
drug-addicted assassin and singer Pamela Moore reprising her 
role as the good-hearted but doomed prostitute Mary, the show 
was almost too big for the intimate Celebrity Theatre.


The set started abruptly while the local concert promoter was 
announcing upcoming shows and Nikki ran onstage, screaming 
about revolution and government corruption. The lights dimmed 
as he was being carried off, the video screens lit up and the 
band launched into the opening instrumental Anarchy-X. Tate 
quickly emerged, relishing the role of heavy-metal frontman to 
sing Revolution Calling. The band added a few musical 
interludes to the hour-long epic, stretching it to almost 90 
minutes and fleshing out the story. But the climax was Tate 
singing the album closing hit Eyes of a Stranger while 
strapped in a straightjacket as Nikki was carted away to the 
insane asylum.


After taking its bows, Queensryche eschewed an encore, instead 
giving the fans another treat, a video for the new song 
Hostage, which will be on 'Ryche's upcoming sequel to 
Mindcrime.


Maybe next year they'll perform both Mindcrime and Mindcrime 
II.


Set One:


The Whisper


Empire


Another Rainy Night Without You


Open


Take Hold of the Flame


When the Rain Comes


Jet City Woman


Last Night in Paris


Silent Lucidity


Set Two:


Operation:Mindcrime