QUEENSRŸCHE AT STARLAND BALLROOM IN SAYREVILLE
2020 is the year I decided to step out of my comfort zone and take any and all opportunities that come at me. When I found out I would be filling in for someone on our team for a band I’ve never listened to, let alone heard of, I was excited and nervous. Queensrÿche was the perfect show to do this. Bringing “The World Verdict Tour” to Starland Ballroom was truly an experience for their fans.
Opening the show was John 5, who many might know as Marilyn Manson’s guitarist from 1998-2004, or Rob Zombie’s guitarist from 2005 to now. As everyone waited for John and the band, I could see a bunch of Halloween inflatables on stage and I knew I’d need to be ready for something wild. That’s really the best way to describe John 5’s solo performance if you’ve never heard of him – wild, unpredictable. Going into it having no idea what to expect was the perfect way to experience it. He came on stage dressed in this crazy getup with stripes and full face makeup. He shredded his way through his set, impressively showing off his skill as a guitarist. Every time I turned away and looked back, something different was happening on stage: his head slumped and drooling onto the stage while performing, a random character dressed up to accompany him, a banjo (yeah that’s right a freakin’ BANJO). By the end of his set, he played the national anthem with his teeth. He also called out to Peter Criss, the original drummer from Kiss who had come to watch the show this night. This performance certainly left a mark in my brain.
Taking the stage to headline after John 5 was Queensrÿche. I also went into this performance completely blind, figuring that it was the best way to experience a band for the first time and to really take everything in without any preconceived notions. While the music itself isn’t really something I would turn to put on out of the blue, it turned out to feel really sentimental for me; reminding me of cruising around in the car with my dad as a kid while he put his 80s rock music on the radio (and my mom being tired of it because it was the 90s). The band was formed back in the 80s and they certainly give you that nostalgic 80s feeling. Queensrÿche is clearly very comfortable on the stage and gave a performance that had the audience singing along the entire time. They had a really awesome setup on stage that included LED bass drum heads that had their logo lit up on it, and a couple other LED screens, most notably one on the bottom of the drum platform that frequently showed the band’s name in different designs. Vocalist, Todd La Torre, has an incredible vibrato and a fantastic range that really sticks out in my mind, and the band had such a solid performance as well.
While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, I think it’s important sometimes as music lovers to make sure we don’t box ourselves in to one specific genre or style of music. It’s always fun when you can experience something new and get the chance to talk about it with other people around you who also share in a love for music. If you get the chance, consider checking out this Queensrÿche tour. You never know what new musical door it might open for you.
Nicole DiBenedetto is a photographer based out of New Jersey. She likes making new friends and meeting new people so catch her out in the pit and say hi!