"Peace" was the last word Queensryche's lead singer threw at the audience after bouncing up and down the stage for three action-filled hours that included all the necessary rock 'n' roll ingredients such as loud yet melodious tunes, a breathtaking light show and a mini-rock opera.
Oh, before we forget, the opening act was Warrior Soul, which occasionally appears on MTV's Head Bangers' Ball. It seemed the group's basic mission was to puzzle the few people who gathered in the suspiciously half-empty Salt Palace at the beginning of the show, and nobody was banging heads as far as we could see.Except for a couple of guys behind us who thought Warrior Soul's music was fit for a little fist fight. But that didn't last very long since Salt Palace security agents were hovering all over the place and soon escorted the two hot-heads and their girlfriends out. They were still better off than one female concertgoer who, according to our police reporter Amy Donaldson, was having a baby.
Back to the music, though. Warrior Soul made an astonishing statement, and that statement was more political and social than musical: There's something wrong in America because young people have to go to war, yet when they come back they're still not old enough to go to a bar.
As profound as that may strike some of you, the band was a tough act to watch because it seemed to suffer from the old rock musicians' disease called "I-don't-want-to-look-too-happy-because-my-guitar-is-too-heavy-and-I've-got-t o-concentrate-on-the-beat."
Queensryche, however, immediately ignited its own empire with "Best I Can," which basically reflected the band's optimistic attitude toward life, an attitude that is generally lacking in the heavy-metal scene.
Lead singer Geoff Tate was sporting his hoop and treadmill with a barrage of costumes and video bylines. The drape of the empire symbol, at the back of the stage, was dropped to reveal two huge video screens, and led to the first video clip of "Jet City Woman," which helped explain the Seattle-based band's next song, "Another Rainy Night (Without You)" - a reference to the consistently wet environment of the Northwest.
Then the loyal followers of the band leaped about two feet off the floor upon realizing that the band was performing Operation: mindcrime, its 1988 release. In this series of 15 songs, the band tells the story of Nikki, a street kid who fights subliminal manipulation but eventually fights back and becomes himself. The rock opera kicked off with an animated video, and eventually Geoff quizzed the audience on the continuing saga.
After taking bows and pretending to go partying in the Salt Palace's basement, Queensryche returned to finish the show with the dream-provoking, colorful "Silent Lucidity."
At times it seemed Geoff and the rest of the crew - Chris DeGarmo, lead guitar; and Michael Wilton and the other guitars; Eddie Jackson, bass; and Scott Rockenfield, drums - were running for political office. They promoted anti-war messages, denounced manipulative politicians and urged the audience to live life consciously.
Overall, Queensryche put on a spectacular show, one of the best in years to hit Salt Lake City. Why? Because Queensryche's clean metal sound was pleasingly consistent during live cuts. (And they didn't swear, either.) A refreshing aspect of the concert was an intelligently entertaining lead singer whose main concern was to entertain the audience, not simply himself and his stage buddies.