It’s been a while since a true rock show has graced the stage at the Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda, NY. This past Friday, Queensryche broke that spell in a big way. The band, fronted by singer Todd LaTorre, took the stage to a near capacity crowd and gave a memorable performance.
On tour in support of their self titled release that came out in 2013, the band, in my opinion, hasn’t sounded this great in years. LaTorre’s energy and drive has propelled the band to new heights that haven’t been reached in quite some time. If you’re wondering how anyone can replace such an iconic voice in Geoff Tate, that question was answered loud and clear in North Tonawanda as LaTorre showed everyone what he can do. The band played a handful of tracks of off the new CD and LaTorre hit every note. Yes, EVERY note. His range and delivery was impeccable. Songs like “Nightrider” and especially the difficult “Queen of the Reich’ were nailed and maybe everyone, including me, took note that there’s a new sheriff in town. It wasn’t all power as Latorre was able to do the ballad “Silent Lucidity” with the efficiency and grace the song deserves.
The rest of the band remains intact and led by the powerful and underrated Scott Rockenfield on drums. His name should always be mentioned when talking about the greats like the Pearts and Portnoys of the world. Parker Lundgren and Michael Wilton complemented each other as they each took turns in the spotlight and played fluidly together when they needed to (The Needle Lies). Eddie Jackson is as steady as they come on bass guitar.
For the Riviera Theatre to have a show like this and having it be a well attended show, hopefully the door will be open to more rock shows playing there in the future. The new songs sounded amazing and LaTorre brushed off the classics and breathed new life into them. You will not be disappointed in fact, this show should be put on as a “must see” for 2014!
Setlist:
Nightrider
Breaking the Silence
Walk in the Shadows
The Whisper
En Force
Spore
Warning
Silent Lucidity
Where Dreams Go
A World Without
Guitar solos (Parker and Wilton)
The Needle Lies
NM 156
My Empty Room
Eyes of a Stranger
Empire
Encore:
Queen of the Reich
Jet City Woman
We would like to thank Ross Cat from Back 2 Back Entertainment for the credentials to cover the show.
