QUEENSRYCHE
House of Blues;
Hollywood, CA; 06/09/00
Queensryche haven't been getting much respect lately. Their latest CD, "Q2K," sold rather weakly
and the critical response was chilly. (Even our own Christopher J. Kelter only gave the band a
less than lukewarm review). Yet when the band headed out on tour lately, they quickly sold out
three nights at the House of Blues here in Hollywood. And, despite what the critics say (sorry,
Christopher - I liked "Q2K") the fans were anxious to hear Queensryche live and Queensryche truly
delivered.
With Geoff Tate on vocals, Michael Wilton and Kelly Grey on guitars, Eddie Jackson on bass and
Scott Rockenfield on drums, Queensryche took the stage at Hollywood's fantastic House of Blues venue and literally ripped the roof off the place. Playing a
cross-section of their long career, Queensryche had the audience at the House of Blues eating out of their hands. And yet, as
charismatic and energetic as their performance was, one could not help but still be wowed by the
band's technical prowess.
Of course, the older "big hit" stuff got the best response. Fans wanted to hear material from "The
Warning," "Empire," and "Operation Mindcrime" and they got the opportunity. But material from "Promised Land" and "Q2K" was well-received at all.
From the resounding response that especially the "Q2K" material received, one has to wonder why sales were lackluster.
Maybe this tour is exactly what Queensryche needs to get their new material to the fans. Maybe, just maybe, this tour will bring
the music to the people and maybe - just maybe - bring the people to the music. I'm just not convinced that a band as talented as Queensryche is over and done with - and neither was the entire audience there at the House of Blues that evening.
If you're a fan of Queensryche, do not miss them on this tour. If you're someone who's just
familiar with the band - do yourself a favor and get out there and check them out. I think you'll
like what you see and hear.
Back to RoughEdge.com Home Page
Copyright © 2000 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 06 Oct 2019 11:48:56 -0400.
