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 QUEENSRYCHE07.10.03 PNC ARTS CENTER I was told they had a 7:50 start time. And at 7:50 on the nose the lights dim and the band takes the stage. Exactness. Like every other Queensryche performance before this one, I've arrived wondering two things. What will Geoff Tate's hair look like and can he still bring it? Bald and yes. _______________ Tate looks great; shaved head, sunglasses, dark clothes. More Rutger Hauer meets Morpheus than 80's rock icon. He's smiling... a lot. Exuding a look-you-in-the-eyes confidence, he appears more comfortable on stage than, perhaps, anyone I can remember seeing. There is no wasted motion, no extraneous movement. Efficiency. Never once does it seem forced. Tate looks like a man who is enjoying the shit out of his evening. He's in control, switching the set list up, removing a new song to play "The Lady Wore Black." And the gesture is appreciated. This is a show for the fans, the bandwagoners vanished years ago. There will be no "Silent Lucidity" tonight. _______________ And here's all you really need to know about Queensryche's performance that night. The best concert I've been to in recent memory; they played with a near-surgical precision, their set the very definition of professionalism. The music was clean, the sound crisp, the notes distinct. And the voice... Has there ever been a voice like this in rock music? Tate's voice isn't just a tool, it's an instrument. And the production value? Seamless, hitchless, errorless... The lighting director and sound engineer as tight as the band itself. The set should be required viewing in Live Performance 101. "Take notes, there'll be a quiz." _______________ Queensryche has always been a relevant band, metal for smart people. Though times have changed, this description has not. This is not a band trying to hold on to some former glory, yearning for years gone by. This is a band that understands the climate in which they play and has adapted accordingly. Fifteen songs deep, the only issue I take with the entire evening is that Dream Theater felt the need to take the stage... I would have been more than happy with fifteen more. review by scott sisti |