Queensrÿche's "Cabaret" tour rocked through the Regency Ballroom this past Sunday night with a unique performance that was reminiscent of the Ryche's Mindcrime II
tour a few years ago. Without an opening act, the band kicked off with "Hit the Black" shortly after 8pm, and was soon joined on-stage with a performance troupe that numbered around 15 (mainly bikini clad) women who wove through the storyline of the night.
tour a few years ago. Without an opening act, the band kicked off with "Hit the Black" shortly after 8pm, and was soon joined on-stage with a performance troupe that numbered around 15 (mainly bikini clad) women who wove through the storyline of the night.For those who aren’t familiar with Queensrÿche, the band consists of Geoff Tate (vocals), Michael Wilton (lead guitar), Eddie Jackson (bass guitar), Scott Rockenfield (drums), and Parker Lundgren (rhythm guitar.) All but Lundgren are original members who have been with the band over the past 30 years.
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| Geoff Tate |
For those considering checking out the show, this is not your typical rock concert. The show lives up to its ‘Cabaret’ name and is largely a theatrical performance comprised of about twenty songs taken from their expansive 30 year catalog. As you may already know, several of their albums have been ‘concept’ albums with a consistent theme running through each (ie. Operation Mindcrime I
& II, American Soldier
.) So in this case, the ‘Cabaret’ tour has attempted to create a concept from disparate songs taken from about six or so of their albums – and for the most part, I think it worked. So when I wasn’t distracted by the burlesque dancers on stage, the overall storyline consisted of a guy looking for love and the various women he would encounter along his path. I won’t ruin the ending for you by letting you know if it ends happily ever after! If you’ve seen the show, I’d be interested to hear if you have a different interpretation of the performance, so be sure to leave a comment below!
& II, American Soldier.) So in this case, the ‘Cabaret’ tour has attempted to create a concept from disparate songs taken from about six or so of their albums – and for the most part, I think it worked. So when I wasn’t distracted by the burlesque dancers on stage, the overall storyline consisted of a guy looking for love and the various women he would encounter along his path. I won’t ruin the ending for you by letting you know if it ends happily ever after! If you’ve seen the show, I’d be interested to hear if you have a different interpretation of the performance, so be sure to leave a comment below!  |
| Eddie Jackson |
Be sure to check out Queensrÿche's tour page to see if they're coming through your town!
As for the specifics of the show, here's the setlist for the night:
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| Queensryche 'Cabaret' San Francisco Setlist |
Here's a clip of "I Am I":
Here's "Another Rainy Night (Without You)":
Here's a clip of "Desert Dance":
Here's "The Thin Line":
And "Lady Jane":
Fans of the band expecting a typical rock concert full of greatest hits will be disappointed. Although, what you'll find is truly a performance befitting the Vegas strip. As you can hear from the clips above, the band was tight throughout the night and Geoff's vocals were spot-on. Don't miss this show!
We had the chance to speak with Geoff a few weeks back as he discussed the Cabaret show and what it's been like to be part of the band over the past 30 years. Be sure to check out the interview here.
