It’s been thirty years since Queensryche released their triple-platinum selling album Empire.  The Seattle based band has gone through many changes over the years. Geoff Tate, who possesses one of the best voices in the business, is now a solo artist.  He and his new backing band are out celebrating this anniversary by not only playing Empire in its entirety, but also Queensryche’s Rage For Order from start to finish.

 

Tate and his crew made a stop at the Beachland Ballroom on Thursday night to a packed house. 

 

Opening the show with “Walk In The Shadows,” Tate and company tore through Rage For Order pretty quickly.  The sixty-one year old Tate hit the stage sporting a cleanly shaved head and red and black smoking jacket.  Yet he still had the black eyeliner like he used to wear back in the day.

 

There wasn’t much banter between the songs, letting those deep album cuts speak for themselves.  Tate noted that people ask him why he is playing Rage For Order from start to finish? He quipped, “Because I can.”

 

Halfway through the set, Tate did mention that “Surgical Strike” was about a subject that was very un-rock ‘n roll, GPS.  Then, thinking back to 1984 when the song was written, most people didn’t know what GPS was. He then said “It’s a good thing we have it today or half of us would be driving around Cleveland trying to find this fucking place!”

 

He wasn’t wrong. 

 

After finishing up “I Will Remember,” the last song on Rage, Tate and his band took a quick fifteen minute break and then came back to the familiar sound of “Best I Can” the opening track to Empire. 

 

Tate strapped on a saxophone for “The Thin Line” and continued to plow through the 1990 album.

 

Everyone was singing along to “Jet City Woman,” “Another Rainy Night (Without you)” and of course the title track.  However, the entire crowd sang the chorus to the Grammy Award winning song “Silent Lucidity.”  

 

Ending the Empire set was the rhetorical question “Is There Anybody Listening?”  After thirty years, yes Geoff, we are still listening and you are sounding great. 

 

The band came back to encore with “Last Time In Paris,” a tune that didn’t make the Empire record but did manage to get on the Adventures of Ford Fairlane movie soundtrack.  

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It was great hearing two classic albums played from start to finish in a live setting. 

 

Irish band Mark Daley and The Ravens warmed up the audience with their brand of Irish rock with an acoustic twist.

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Review and photos by Greg Drugan