LIVE REVIEW AND PHOTOS: GEOFF TATE

Tupelo Music Hall in Londonderry, NH, played host to the legendary voice of Queensryche, Geoff Tate. With a very intimate setting at a capacity of about 200 people this was the perfect venue for Tate’s acoustic appearance. Tupelo, which is scheduled to get a new address and over triple the seating capacity in March of this year, is extremely unique as it is literally a made over barn of an old New England farmhouse. If you were not fortunate enough to catch a show here, then you missed out and with the byob policy it gives one the feeling of hanging out at a house party – just with the live music of international stars. Check out Tupelo’s website for a listing of great upcoming shows and new venue information: http://www.tupelohalllondonderry.com/. Now on to the show!

Let me start off by saying a couple things; first, I’m not a big fan of rock music receiving the acoustic treatment. Second, I had heard that Geoff Tate, over recent years, had lost some vocal ability, which at the age of 58 would be expected. Judging from the sold-out crowd, others had different thoughts. The great thing about this evening is that it was all about Geoff Tate, no opening act – just the main event. As 8 pm approached, Geoff’s backing band consisting of 2 acoustic guitarists, a percussionist, and violinist made their way to the stage. Shortly after, Mr. Tate followed. Sporting a flat cap, a suit vest, tie and beard, he looked older and much more distinguished from the days of supporting Metallica back in the late 80’s, the first time I had seen Queensryche.

From the opening chords of Queensryche’s “Walk in the Shadows” to the final note of “Around the World,” Tate provided a two-hour set spanning his entire career. The audience, full of hardcore Tate fans, fully participated from start to finish. And with a forum similar to that of VH1’s Storytellers, Geoff would engage the crowd, telling stories of writing Queensryche’s first hit, “The Lady Wore Black” or the time he recorded in Nashville to be star struck after the hotel front desk recommended he check out the Pancake Pantry for breakfast, finding himself surrounded by legends including Johnny Cash. The entire evening was full of great stories and changed my perspective on acoustic shows. The energy from Tate and his band was powerful and fed those in attendance. As for the rumors I heard about Geoff maybe losing an octave or two over the years, I’m not a professional vocalist, but as a music fan I can tell you he absolutely killed it and sounded fucking fantastic! I was honestly blown away by the whole experience, as were my two-hundred friends at the Tupelo Music Hall that evening. Not only that, he gave us New Englanders something special, a cover of the Dropkick Murphy’s “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” that took everyone to their feet in a singalong; it was quite awesome. This evening far exceeded my expectations and an experience I highly recommend not missing, and I can guarantee you the sold-out crowd that was with me that evening would give the same advice. Be sure not to miss Geoff Tate live! For a list of upcoming dates visit http://geofftate.com/.

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