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Article and Photos by: Linda Carlson
Cincinnati, OH – The Taft Theatre: what a fitting venue for Geoff Tate’s Operation: Mindcrime – The Final Chapter Tour. A theater is where stories play out live on stage. How appropriate for this tour, where the 1988 Queensryche album Operation: Mindcrime, essentially itself a rock opera, is performed live from start to finish.
Operation Mindcrime broke all the rules of its time. The album tells the tragic story of Nikki, a lost drug addict who becomes the manipulated tool of Dr. X, molded to have a purpose, that of an assassin. There’s a romantic interest in Sister Mary woven into the tale. Those who know the story, embrace the story and its twists and turns, ups and downs.
Tate was joined on stage by James Brown (guitar), Amaury Altmayer (guitar), Dario Parente (guitar), Jimmy Wynen (bass), Robert Baker (drums) and Clodagh McCarthy (keyboards, vocals). Tate gave each musician appreciation and attention.
After completing the Operation: Mindcrime album, the band followed with several songs from the subsequent Operation: Mindcrime II album, as well as a few fan favorites. The audience, who could certainly enjoy the show from the comfort of their soft, velvet cushioned theater seats, chose instead to stand for the entire show.
Of note, Clodagh McCarthy, who graced the stage with husband Tomaz McCarthy as the opening act for the show, did double duty as keyboardist and vocalist/performer as the character of Sister Mary for the headlining performance. She is lovely and convincing, and quite talented. Her rendition of Sister Mary onstage with Tate was beautiful.
Tate and the band delivered an outstanding performance. Tate channeled rock, donning a black cowboy hat with the queen of spades tucked into the hatband, dark sunglasses, a black sleeveless vest, black jeans and plenty of chains. He was all rock ‘n roll, and gave a passionate performance.
The full setlist:
- Anarchy-X
- Revolution Calling
- Operation: Mindcrime
- Speak
- Spreading the Disease
- The Mission
- Suite Sister Mary
- The Needle Lies
- Electric Requiem
- Breaking the Silence
- I Don’t Believe in Love
- Waiting for 22
- My Empty Room
- Eyes of a Stranger
- I’m American
- The Chase
- Jet City Woman
- Murderer?
- If I Could Change It All
- Empire
- A Junkie’s Blues
- Silent Lucidity
Encore:
- Take Hold of the Flame
- Queen of the Reich
Irish singer-songwriter-storyteller Tomas McCarthy, along with his (aforementioned) wife Clodagh (saxophone, vocals) and James Keegan (guitar), opened the evening Irish style – acoustic and delightful storytelling. McCarthy extended special thanks to Tate for making the offer to join this tour at a time when McCarthy was evaluating the viability of the band’s future.
The tour continues through April, resuming in September. Check for a venue near you for an evening of rock and good fun.
Check out the carousel below for more photos from the evening’s performances.
