On Saturday night former Queensryche frontman Geoff Tate returned to Jergels on the US leg of his “Big Rock Show Hits” tour. It was one of those weeks when it felt more appropriate to have pitched a tent a Jergels than drive home (especially with bridge painting, single lanes, and rainy day construction on I-79) but we were sure to arrive early to catch Mark Daly and The Ravens in support of Geoff Tate again.
Irish rocker Mark Daly kicked the night off around 8pm with an eclectic blend of energetic live rock music. Performing under the name Mark Daly & The Ravens, the band while electric and riveting still gave off a singer/songwriter vibe, especially when Mark brought out the acoustic guitar. The Ravens, who you may recognize from Geoff Tate’s band, are James Brown and Cillian Plummer on guitar, Jack Ross on bass, and Danny Laverde on drums.
If you want to check out his new maxi-single “Drop Dead,” it is now available and in follow-up to his successful EP Nothing to Lose. Get the scoop at https://markdalyofficial.com.
Geoff Tate’s past few tours have focused on album anniversaries, but in this case, he brought the “Big Rock Show Hits,” which offered up a killer set list with favorites spanning his career with Queensryche. And when he said “Big,” it wasn’t just the set list that was over the top. The light show was phenomenal and Tate introduced four guitar players by the end of the night!
The show started with one of Queensryche’s biggest hits, “Empire,” during which I had the pleasure of shooting the charismatic Tate as he conducted the crowd from the east to the west. The set also included other favorites from the Empire album like “The Thin Line” and “Jet City Woman,” as well as the hit ballad “Silent Lucidity.”
And as expected, and much appreciated we got a heavy dose of Operation: Mindcrime. A triple shot to be precise, with “Operation Mind Crime,” “Breaking the Silence,” and “I Don’t Believe in Love,” in rapid succession.
Tate included cuts from albums we rarely hear live like Dedicated to Chaos and Q2K as well, and made long-time fans very happy with the inclusion of “Screaming in Digital,” and other classics like “Take Hold of the Flame” and “Queen of the Ryche,” which closed the set after a uniquely dark cover of Pink Floyd’s “Welcome to the Machine.”
Geoff Tate was joined by his international band featuring guitarists James Brown and Cillian Plummer from Ireland, Dario Parente from Italy, and Amaury Altmayer from France (who added a fourth guitar to the mix during the band’s encore), along with long-time bass player Jack Ross from Scotland, drummer Danny Laverde from Cincinnati, Ohio, and keyboardist Bruno Sa from Brazil.
Having seen many versions of Geoff Tate’s band and various solo performances both acoustic and electric, this was perhaps the best show we’ve seen live, and the crowd seemed to be in agreement as they packed the room and sang every hit at the top of their lungs in unison.
The fall tour will continue into October, and Geoff Tate will return to the states this winter for a co-headlined tour with Vandenberg, featuring former Whitesnake guitarist Adrian Vandenberg in February and March.
Sep. 26 – Columbus, OH @ The King of Clubs
Sep. 27 – Wyandotte, MI @ District 142
Sep. 28 – St Charles, IL @ Arcada Theatre
Sep. 29 – Iowa City, IA @ First Avenue Club
Oct. 01 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
Oct. 03 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
Oct. 05 – San Juan Capistrano, CA @ The Coach House
Oct. 06 – Montclair, CA @ The Canyon Club
Oct. 07 – Agoura Hills, CA @ The Canyon Club
Oct. 08 – Umatilla, OR @ Rock The Locks Music Festival
Follow us @ThePureRockShop for lots more captures show recaps, news, and interviews from of local and regional concerts and festivals including, Bowling For Soup, Kurt Deimer, Buckcherry, Skid Row, The Guess Who and Glenn Hughes this month.
Live Photos by Editor and founder Kara Marie Uhrlen for The Pure Rock Shop. Posted on 9/25/2023.
