Queensryche fans started lining up to see the free show at Mohegan Sun Casino’s Wolf Den around noon. The doors opened at 6:30 pm and the fans filed in to belly up to the stage and get their spot. I was unsure if the venue would be packed due to the fact that Motley Crue was playing in the casino’s main venue, the arena, which also started at 8:00 pm. It is a rare occurrence that the casino has 2 bands of the same genre on the same night starting at the same time. Queensryche proved that they have a solid following as the Wolf Den was nearly full before they started playing.
Pantera‘s “Walk” began to play as the intro music for the band and just like last year when they played here, the set started with “Behind the Walls”, off of their most recent album, Digital Noise Alliance. This set was a big change from when they played at Toad’s Place in April on their Origin’s Tour where they played their EP and The Warning in their entirety. At this show, they hit on songs from seven of their 16 releases, including all of the fan favorites.
Todd LaTorre’s vocals are proven night after night. If you are one of those people who haven’t given him a chance, you are really missing out. Queensryche always sounds spot-on, from Michael “Whip” Wilton’s searing leads, to the super-tight rhythm section of Eddie Jackson on bass, and Mike Stone on guitar. Although Casey’s drum kit was less expensive than the last time I saw them, it was still difficult to find a spot to get a clear photo of him through the cymbals.
Throughout the entire set, they bounced around from album to album playing fan favorites and a few that only true followers of the band would know. The album they played the most songs off of was Operation: Mindcrime, which happens to be my favorite, next to Empire. During the song “Empire”, Todd jokingly switches the lyric “Johnny used to work after school, on the set of a show”, with Eddie’s name which gives him a chuckle. They finished the normal part of their set with “Empire”, and that would have been ending on a high note, however, they came back with an encore set to blow you away.
The encore began with their Grammy-nominated and MTV Video viewers’ choice award-winning song, “Silent Lucidity”. The fans were singing along throughout the entire song. Next up were “Screaming in Digital”, and “My Empty Room”. The night ended with one of my favorite songs to sing along to, “Eyes of a Stranger”. I love how Todd vocalizes the screams at the beginning of the song, as well as how it showcases his range. I feel sorry for whoever is driving next to me while I am singing along to this song, or any other for that matter.
Queensryche always puts on a stellar show, and this was no exception. Although I was happy to have them play a selection of songs from many of their albums, those of you who missed the Origin’s Tour featuring “The Warning” and the “EP’ in their entirety can catch part 2 this fall beginning in South Carolina in October and ending in Alabama in November. They then head overseas for a Europe/UK tour before landing on The Monsters of Rock Cruise in March.
Queensryche is:
Todd LaTorre – Lead vocals
Michael Wilton – Lead guitar, backing vocals
Mike Stone – Rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Casey Grillo – Drums
Eddie Jackson – Bass, backing vocals
Setlist:
1. Behind The Walls
2. Nightrider
3. The Needle Lies
4. I Don’t Believe in Love
5. Walk In the Shadows
6. The Whisper
7. Damaged
8. I Am I
9. NM 156
10. Take Hold of the Flame
11. Jet City Woman
12. Operation: Mindcrime
13. Empire
Encore
14. Silent Lucidity
15. Screaming in Digital
16. My Empty Room
17. Eyes of a Stranger
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