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QUEENSYRYCHE
USA July 2003

We jumped out to the lobby to grab a beer and hit the bathroom and were out there maybe 15 minutes and Queensryche kicked off. DAMN!! So, we high tailed it back to our seats and had missed the opening song. Fastest time between bands I have ever seen. The reason for this was due to both bands equipment being setup on stage side by side so they didn't have to move anything around. (This comes into play later).

Anyhow, I am a HUGE Queensryche fan as some of you may already know and I thought they were fantastic. They played the old, the new and a couple obscure classics. They were very tight, Geoff Tate's voice was in perfect order and they just kicked ass. In my opinion, probably the best Ryche show I have seen since the mid 90's. As did Dream Theatre, Queensryche came to play. No talking between songs, just song after song. Both bands took full use of the two video screens on stage and in particular, at times, Queensryche had videos playing in-sync with Geoff Tate's vocals that were really cool.

Queensryche played about 80 minutes and ended their show with the encore "Take Hold of the Flame", a classic track from the Warning Album. I was pretty much toast after that. To our surprise however, the show was far from over. After a few minutes of stage shuffling, the crowd roared as both Queensryche and Dream Theatre came back on stage together. And, I have to tell you, this was an awesome thing to watch and listen too. They played 3 songs together using all of the members from each band, complete with both drum sets. They played Real World, a Queensryche song from the Last Action Hero soundtrack and then a Dream Theatre song called The Spirit Carries On from the Metropolis Album. The highlight however was the jam that ensued, by all the guitarists, during the Pink Floyd cover of Comfortably Numb. What a cool thing to watch and listen too.

The drumming during all 3 songs was way cool to watch. Scott Rockenfeld, from Queensryche, is a great drummer in his own right, and having him along side Mike Portnoy was incredible. During Comfortably Numb, they both sat at Portnoy's drumset and played the same drumbeats in unison on different drums as if they were one person. Way too cool. A lot of times you see other musicians or singers banging away on the drums during shows, but I have never seen anything like that before. After the show ended, Phantizy and I were in sort of a dazed kind of state. We were almost overwhelmed by the amount of music we had just absorbed in 3 ½ hours. And, it was only 40 bucks!!!!!

Having both of these bands tour together was a dream come true for me. They both have similar music styles and compliment each other very very well. The 3-song ending was just over the top in my book. This was one of the best complete shows I have ever been too. We rocked our bodies to pieces. Sure wish we were heading on to the next show in Boise to see it again. Unfortunately you rockers won't get to see this show as there are only 3 more dates on the tour and they are all West Coast shows. The recently announced Queensryche shows will not include Dream Theatre.

Queensryche Setlist:

Open (new song off Tribe) NM156 Jet City Woman Silent Lucidity Desert Dance (new song off Tribe) Remember Now - With cartoon video from the hospital. Anarchy- X Revolution Operation Mindcrime Speak I Don't Believe in Love I Dream in Infrared Screaming in Digital Best I can Empire I am I Take Hold of the Flame Real World (with DT) The Spirit Carries On (with DT) Comfortably Numb (with DT)

Text © 2003 The Commish