Geoff Tate is a renowned American singer and musician, best known as the former lead vocalist of the influential progressive metal band Queensrÿche.

Tate is well known for his powerful operatic vocals, charismatic stage presence, and his ability to captivate audiences with his dramatic live performances, as seen recently at the Tally Ho Theater in Leesburg, Virginia.

On March 28, Geoff brought his latest band to the Tally Ho Theater to play his Big Rock Show hits for the large crowd of metal fans in attendance. The hits were some of the biggest songs from his days as the lead vocalist of Queensryche.

Tate’s multi-national band on this tour features a talented lineup of musicians who complement his iconic vocals. These are the key members:

1. James Brown (guitarist): James brought virtuosity to the stage, weaving intricate guitar melodies and solos. His chemistry with Geoff Tate added depth to the band’s sound.

2. Jack Ross (bassist): Jack held down the low end, providing the rhythmic foundation for the band. His grooves and bass lines resonated through the audience, anchoring the music.

3. Amaury Altmayer (guitarist): Altmayer’s guitar work added texture and layers to the band’s arrangements. Whether it was soaring leads or subtle harmonies, he effortlessly contributed to the overall sonic palette.

4. Dario Parente (guitarist): Dario partnered with Amaury, several times throughout the set, his beautiful and tasteful notes weaving in and out of Amaury’s intricate guitarwork.

5. Danny Laverde (drummer): Danny kept the heartbeat of the band steady. His precision and dynamic drumming elevated the live performance, and drove the energy of each song. Together, this ensemble created a cohesive and powerful musical experience!

Opening the show with “Empire” and the songs “Desert Dance” off 2003’s Tribe LP and “I Am I” from the album Promised Land, Geoff and the band were clearly having a great time rocking out with the fans who were singing along.

Geoff then picked up his saxophone and introduced the song “The Thin Line,” a moody song from Queensryche’s Empire album, that Geoff filled with powerful saxophone vibes and sexually evocative vocals.

The middle of the set was made up of three songs from Queensryche’s 1988 breakout album Operation: Mindcrime; the title track “Operation: Mindcrime,” “Breaking the Silence,” and “I Don’t Believe in Love” — along with “NM156” from The Warning and a couple from 1986’s Rage For Order (“Walk in the Shadows” and the driving, futuristic “Screaming in Digital”). These were followed by more tunes from 1990’s Empire, “Another Rainy Night Without You” and “Jet City Woman” with its rumbling bass intro.

Near the end of the show, Geoff told a story about meeting a self-proclaimed biggest fan while fueling up at a gas station, who claimed he had all of Geoff’s albums. When Geoff asked the fan which ones were his favorites, the fan could only name three and was very surprised when Geoff informed him that he had released many albums over the years!

Geoff then asked the fan what his favorite Queensryche song was and the fan responded with “That slow song, “Silent in Tennessee!” at which Geoff chuckled along with the audience and this led into Amaury playing the opening chords of “Silent Lucidity,” a former No. 1 song on the Billboard Rock Tracks chart.

After the final notes of the song had faded, Geoff and the band left the stage, only to return moments later for the three-song encore which started with a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Welcome to the Machine.” The band was joined by a fourth guitarist, Cillian Plummer, for the encore.

The Floyd song was followed by two very early Queensryche songs, “Take Hold of the Flame” and “Queen of the Reich,” both of which allowed Geoff to show off his vocal range to his appreciative fans.

The night’s performance then came to an end as the band gathered on the stage and bowed together and saluted the crowd good night.

BAND:
Geoff Tate (vocals)
Amary Altmayer (guitar)
Dario Parente (guitar)
James Brown (guitar)
Jack Ross (bass)
Danny Laverde (drums)
Cillian Plummer (guitar)

Setlist
1. Empire
2. Desert Dancev 3. I Am I
4. The Thin Line
5. Operation: Mindcrime
6. Breaking the Silence
7. I Don’t Believe in Love
8. NM156
9. Screaming in Digital
10. Walk in the Shadows
11. Another Rainy Night (Without You)
12. Jet City Woman
13. Silent Lucidity

Encore:
14. Welcome to the Machine (Pink Floyd cover)
15. Take Hold of The Flame
16. Queen of the Reich

Here are some photos of Geoff Tate and his band performing at Tally Ho Theater on March 28, 2024. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Michael Sprouse.

Opening the evening’s show, Geoff himself walked out on stage and introduced the band Fire & Water from Cork, Ireland.

They are a three-piece multi-instrumentalist group with a beautiful, lilting sound consisting of two guitars, a saxophone, and three singers.

The lovely Clodagh Kearney McCarthy sang and played the saxophone while her husband Tomas McCarthy sang lead and played guitar along with fellow guitarist Stephen Manning.

Their all too-short set consisted of beautiful songs of love and loss, friendship and more, and it was easy to see and hear why Geoff Tate himself asked them to open his solo tour across the country. Their music covers a variety of genres, from R & B and the blues to rock and even reggae-flavored songs.

The Tally Ho crowd was very enthusiastic and welcoming to the trio from Cork, and the band made many new fans!

Setlist

1. Help Me
2. Modern Day Cowboy
3. Battle My Way
4. Ballad of a Working Man
5. The Liar
6. Colours
7. Out on the Western Plans

Here are some photos of Fire & Water opening Geoff Tate at Tally Ho Theater on March 28, 2024. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Michael Sprouse.