Let me start off by saying that Geoff Tate is a legend.  That is not an opinion but a fact.  While you may or may not like some of the albums that he has helmed, there has always been a level of quality with each release.  I know I may sound a little over the top but I have literally been a fan since the QUEENSRYCHE E.P in 1983.  So when this latest tour rolled through Texas for a few dates that were near where I live, I jumped at the chance at seeing him in my new hometown of Houston and making the 3 hour trek to San Antonio (where he performed at the beautiful Aztec Theatre).  As an added bonus, VANDENBERG was also on the bill as support which sweetened the pot even more.

If you are like me, you probably didn’t get a chance to see VANDENBERG in the early 80s before David Coverdale recruited namesake guitarist Adrian Vandenberg for WHITESNAKE.  From my recollection, they didn’t tour much in the Chicagoland area (I’m originally from Illinois) so I always had to make do with just their records.  The fact that VANDENBERG is touring again in the states is cause for celebration as he has always been a favorite guitarist of mine. 

The theme from the movie Jaws started the show right before the band hit us with the appropriately titled “Hit the Ground Running” from their newest “Sin” album.  It was the perfect opener for the show and set the stage for an hour of classic music.  Although Adrian Vandenberg didn’t write many of the WHITESNAKE songs performed on those two nights, he has played them hundreds of times during his tenure with David Coverdale.  Songs like “Fool For Your Loving”, “Give Me All Your Love”, and “Crying in the Rain” all sounded great thanks to Mats Leven’s vocals.  He channeled Coverdale’s vocal delivery but still left a little room for his own voice to be heard.

Other highlights from the VANDENBERG catalogue that were performed were “Freight Train” from the 2020 album and “Your Love is in Vain” and “Burning Heart” from the self-titled debut.  According to Adrian Vandenberg, the latter was a big hit in San Antonio back in the day and based on the crowd reception to that track, he was telling the truth.  While Vandenberg was in WHITESNAKE, he did have a hand in writing some great tunes so I was happy the band played “Judgement Day” and “Sailing Ships”.  While it may not be a huge hit here in the states, “Sailing Ships” is one of the best songs from the WHITESNAKE catalogue and the band performed it acoustically which brought a different element to their show.

VANDENBERG finished off their set with “Still of the Night” and “Here I Go Again”.  Both tracks went down a storm at both venues with the San Antonio crowd being especially vocal during the sing-along chorus of “Here I Go Again”.  I was surprised at how many people knew the band VANDENBERG and their material which gives me hope that the band will come back and tour playing more of their own material.

After a quick set change, Geoff Tate and company came out in a great dramatic fashion.  The intro music and blue lighting set the mood and the band started with a slightly reworked version of “Empire”.  The moment Geoff Tate came out on stage and uttered the first lyrics of the song, the crowd gave him a hero’s welcome.  Previously, Tate toured either celebrating the anniversary of "Operation: Mindcrime" or some of the other QUEENSRYCHE catalogue but for this tour, he playing a number of songs from many ‘RYCHE albums.  While there are songs that I knew he would perform, there were a few that surprised even me.  For instance, the second song of the set was “Desert Dance” from the "Tribe" record.  The only time I had seen him play music from that release was on that tour back in the early 2000s.  Another deep cut was “I am I” off the criminally overlooked "Promised Land" album.  The crowd’s reaction to those two tracks tells me that many of those attending were true Geoff Tate fans who enjoy more than just the “hits”.

The record that did get the most airplay during the shows was "Empire" with almost half of that disk being performed.  Aside from the title track (their set opener), they played “The Thin Line” (complete with Geoff Tate on saxophone), “Another Rainy Night (Without You)”, “Jet City Woman” and set closer “Silent Lucidity”.  Tate had a funny story before the latter tune where he was approached by a fan who told him that the songs meant so much to him but he called it “Silence of Tennessee”.

You know that Geoff Tate would not be able to leave the building if he didn’t play at least parts of the "Operation: Mindcrime" record and he did not disappoint with the title track, “Breaking the Silence” and “I Don’t Believe in Love”.  All three sounded just as good in 2024 as they did when I saw him perform in 1988.  Delving a little deeper, they pulled out “NM 156” and “Surgical Strike” from the earlier QUEENSRYCHE catalogue for us old-time fans.  Not only were they older tunes but they were certainly deeper cuts that don’t often get played in a live setting.  Add in “Walk In the Shadows” and you have a pretty awesome diverse set from Geoff Tate’s history.

Tate and company did not leave us hanging too long as they came out for their three song encore.  Speaking of three, the band consisted of three guitarists, along with a bassist and drummer.  For the encore, they brought out another guitarist (from Ireland) to create a very full four guitar assault.  The biggest surprise of the evening for me was the inclusion of “Welcome to the Machine” to start the encore.  I haven’t seen him perform that PINK FLOYD cover song since the "Take Cover" tour.  The lighting and fog really gave the track a very dramatic feel and although it’s not a song he wrote, I felt it was one of the highlights of the show.  The encore finished off with “Take Hold of the Flame” and “Queen of the Reich” which ended the show with a track from where it all began.

The set lists were the same at both shows but I didn’t mind one bit.  Not only was the song selection perfect for the fans that want the hear the “hits” but it was also great for us fans that like to get some deep cuts and songs that are played less often.  It was a good mix of material and judging by the crowd reaction, no one left disappointed.  I have to also give a special mention to Geoff Tate’s performance as he sounded amazing.  I know he went through a medical issue not long ago but he sounds better now than he did five years ago (and he was great back then).  As I mentioned earlier, Geoff Tate is a legend and these two shows proved my point.