This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
I spent all day at Usana Amphitheatre Monday following around United Concerts' production coordinator Rob Pierce for a future story about what it takes to put on a concert on in this day and age. (No one should steal this story — it's going to take me some time to write it ...)I, of course, also spent some time watching opening act Geoff Tate and a few songs of The Scorpions' headlining set before deciding that 14 hours of work was enough. Fourteen hours a day constitute slow days in the Coast Guard, but since I left that career, I am still catching up on all the sleep I missed. I realized I needed to write some informal notes on what I observed at the show, which drew between 6,000 and 8,000 people. By the way, it was a night with weather that you dream about all winter long.Earlier in the day, it was announced that Queensryche, the scheduled opening act, was being scratched, and in its place would be Queensryche's frontman Geoff Tate, with an acoustic band that he used earlier this year on his "Insania" solo tour. The announcement was:Some of the members of Queensryche could not make the show in West Valley City,Utah with the Scorpions for personal reasons. Although I would have reallyloved for all of us to play together, it wasn't possible for them. I couldn't missplaying for one of the best rock audiences in the world and opening for one ofmy all time favorite bands for anything. KBER has always been so generousand supportive to me throughout my career and I felt very strongly about playingsuch a great show supported by them. Thanks to my fans, the Scorpions andKBER for your continued support and I plan to rock Salt Lake City today at the show.- Geoff TateYou would think that the language was code was "We are breaking up" or "Going on a long, indefinite hiatus," but between seeing the band Queensryche without Tate and seeing Tate without the rest of Queensryche, I would choose Tate without question. While I have always thought Tate oversings far too much, he has arguably one of the best voices in rock music, and definitely in the prog-rock music world.I didn't have a lot of high expectations for Tate's set, but I found myself engaged in his performance that included two acoustic guitars, a stand-up bass and a synth player. At first, I though the synth player was too corny, but then I got over myself and realized that if you are in for a prog-rock show, you need a synth.Tate was tanned and with his black shades, black vest (without a shirt), goat, and shaven head, was unrecognizable from his MTV days when "Silent Lucidity" was on non-stop rotation. He carried around a goblet of wine rather than a bottle of Jack; when I talked to him a few weeks ago, we talked about his winery and wine-making business far more than music.Despite not moving around too much, the band showed a lot more kinetic energy than I expected from an acoustic band. The lead guitar player, whose name I didn't catch, was superb as he was obviously classically trained, but could still play the blues. He also possessed one of the best backing voices I have heard in a while. Someone — help me out with his name so I can give him some credit.Highlights of the set included a cover of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here," a rendition of Queensryche's "Around the World," and, of course, "Silent Lucidity," which closed the 50-minute performance. Tate, despite being 53, showed no evidence of losing the ability to hit impossibly high notes as well as the low ones, and his vibrato and charisma illustrated his control of the stage and the music. I even fantasized about seeing him audition for an opera some day — his voice was that impressive. Overall, the crowd was energized although the sun was still high in the sky, and Tate warmed up the crowd in what could have been an uncomfortable performance because of rumors about the future of Queensryche. There is no question that Tate's future, in wine-making and singing, is wide open.When the Scorpions came onstage, I was impressed with the set design, especially because I knew that only four trucks brought in all of the set pieces. (U2, in contrast, brought around 250 last year to Rice-Eccles, and Nickelback has 14 trucks for their Tuesday show at EnergySolutions Arena. The main thrust of the design included four "stingers" pointing out towards the crowd from the rafters, as well as five video screens and an incredibly high riser for drummer James Kottak.While I found the band amusing for the most part, it was apparent that lead singer Klaus Meine's tenor has decreased markedly in its intensity and ability. At moments, I heard notes that reminded me of his brilliance earlier in his career, but he was not in top form. Maybe once the band hits more dates the voice will return.As for the rest of the band, it was pleasant if you didn't mind cliches from the early 1980s, like seeing two guitar players side-by-side, rocking back and forth with their guitars, as well as videos that depict scantily clad women. (I, for the record, don't mind scantily clad women, but it's a tired display for a band out of ideas.) And seeing a vocoder used was laughable, especially after seeing Tate sing so beautifully.I do want to make it clear that I didn't see more than five or six songs, so the Scorpions could have improved as the night wore on. Hey — the set and lights looked great.As for more info about Queensryche, check out: http://ultimateclassicrock.com/queensryche-singer-geoff-tates-stepdaughter-tries-to-set-the-record-straight-on-band-issues/