Queensryche - House of Blues 9/23/06

On September 23, 2006, Queensryche took the stage at the House of Blues in Atlantic City, NJ and performed both Operation: Mindcrime albums back to back. As expected, the room went dark and the screen behind the stage began playing a cartoon that should be more than familiar to all Queensryche fans. Enter a whistling nurse walking down a hospital hallway and entering Nikki's room. The place went nuts as the band began playing Anarchy-X. Geoff Tate came out on stage wearing a leather jacket displaying the Mindcrime symbol and performed well, as I expected. His voice sounded great and he was hitting every note. He didn't scream as much as on the album, but when he did, it was spot on.

There was an actor portraying a young Nikki running around the stage with a bullhorn screaming, "HEY!! HEY!! LISTEN TO ME!!!" just as the band began playing "Speak". Mary (Pamela Moore) also was on stage dressed in a skimpy, black leather dress and began dancing around the stage seductively during "spreading the Disease". The video the shows Nikki walking into a church, a priest turning around just as he is shot. Nikki then slowly walks out to meet Mary. During "Suite Sister Mary", Geoff and Pamela (as Nikki and Mary) were singing to each other, acting out their emotions for everyone. Just before "The Needle Lies" began, young Nikki was back on stage speaking with Dr. X on the phone arguing and then eventually screaming, "I've had enough and I want out!!", with Dr. X's reply of, "You can't walk away now...............*evil laugh".

Then just before "Electric Requiem" began Mary was on stage alone. He phone rings and DR. X is on the other line. The crowd was a little loud at this point, so I couldn't hear everything clearly, but it sounded like Dr. X told Mary that Nikki was dead. She screams out how that can't be true. Then He tells her to go into a box that she has, take out the gun, put it in her mouth, and shoot herself. She does so, reluctantly, but with Nikki supposedly dead, she is distraught and pulls the trigger. Nikki shows up and finds her lying on the floor in her apartment and screams "Don't leave me.............here!" He hovers over her body momentarily, then grabs a bottle of alcohol, drinks some, pours the rest all over her, and lights the place on fire. This was a surprise to me as I thought Dr. X killed Mary himself, and never thought that Nikki burned her body!

Nikki then leaves and feels lost without knowing what to do. The screen shows the cops picking him up and begin interrogating him about the murders as the band plays "Breaking the Silence". Then "I Don't Believe in Love" is played the screen shows video of Nikki and Mary walking the streets together, just enjoying each other's company. The stage goes dark and Geoff sits on a sofa as "Waiting for 22" and "My Empty Room" plays in the background. He stand and screams just as the video for "Eyes of a Stranger" begins playing. A doctor and a nurse rush out on stage as Geoff is freaking out to put him in a straight jacket. He sings the whole song and out come the hospital staff again to put him in a wheel chair and push him off stage to the crowd going nuts.

*if anyone wants to take a bathroom break at this point, it might be a good idea*

After a 15 minute intermission, the band returns to perform Operation: Mindcrime II. There was much more theatrics the second half, with a lot of video playing on the screen. Beginning with Nikki (now always being played by Geoff) being released from prison. He then comes out on stage to perform "I'm American"& "One Foot in Hell". As "Hostage" begins, the screen displays "18 years earlier..........." and a judge and lawyers appear on stage and act out the courtroom battle that takes place in the song.

Nikki then walks around the streets of almost 20 years ago with a picture of Dr. X, asking people where they can find him. Finally, he knows where Dr. X is and the debate of what to do while"Speed of Light", "Signs Say Go" and "Re-Arrange You" are played ensues. Geoff exits the stage as the band plays "The Chase". The screen shows a semi transparent face of Ronnie James Dio singing his parts over what is a chase scene that involves Nikki on a motorcycle chasing Dr. X's limo around the city. The song ends with Nikki crashing is bike into the limo at full speed (which was a little unrealistic). Nikki then drags Dr. X down the street back to an apartment. Nikki is tortured as to what to do as he has Dr. X tied to a chair during "Murderer?" and he finally shoots him, to the delight of the crowd. The balance of the performance was Nikki not knowing what to do with his life now with Dr. X and Mary both dead. He debates killing himself in many different ways. Finally during "Fear City Slide", Geoff (Nikki) sits on the sofa, ties his arm off, sticks a needle in his vein and od's. Mary appears again during "All the Promises" and Nikki greets he on a stairway. The two embrace, happy that they are finally together, and coming to the realization that all they needed was each other and that their lives would have had a purpose if they were alive and together.

The band came out for a two song encore, which began with "Take Hold of the Flame" and ended with "Jet City Woman". You could tell that everyone wanted more, but the band bowed and departed to a screaming crowd. Overall it was a great show, but I had to wonder whether the rest of the band was really into the whole theatrical part of the show as much as Geoff was. Either way, as a Queensryche fan, I would recommend seeing this tour. It's something that probably won't happen again. For pictures and a review of the Nokia Theater Show, check out Theodore over at Metal Mixtape.