Queensrÿche is rolling into North Las Vegas this weekend, bringing four decades of heavy riffs and soaring vocals to a decidedly local stage. The progressive metal pioneers, who have sold more than 20 million albums worldwide, take over Cannery Casino Hotel on Saturday, September 5, with tickets to the intimate show starting at just $29.95.
The band has influenced the progressive metal genre for more than four decades, and as reported by KSNV, Saturday's set will span the group's entire career, mixing heavy guitar riffs with the soaring vocal style that made the band a staple of arena rock radio. Fans can expect a run through catalog staples including “Silent Lucidity,” “Jet City Woman” and “Eyes of a Stranger,” according to the station's report. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster, at cannery.boydgaming.com, or in person at the Cannery gift shop or any other Boyd property retail gift shop, the outlet notes.
Concertgoers expecting to see the band's most recognizable lineup should know Queensrÿche's touring roster today centers on founding members Michael Wilton on guitar and Eddie Jackson on bass, alongside lead vocalist Todd La Torre, guitarist Mike Stone and drummer Casey Grillo, according to Wikipedia. La Torre joined in 2012 after original singer Geoff Tate's publicized departure, and the band underwent significant lineup and legal restructuring between 2012 and 2014 before settling ownership of the Queensrÿche trademark.
A Catalog Built on Platinum Records
The band's history stretches back to 1980, when it formed in Bellevue, Washington, under the names Cross+Fire and then The Mob before settling on Queensrÿche in 1982 for its self-titled debut EP, per Wikipedia. That early independent release earned international distribution through EMI Records in 1983, launching a Pacific Northwest act toward global recognition.
Queensrÿche's commercial and critical peak came with two landmark releases. The 1988 concept album *Operation: Mindcrime* — which tells the story of a disillusioned recovering addict manipulated into political assassinations — was certified Platinum by the RIAA in 1991 and is still cited by outlets like *Kerrang!* as one of the greatest heavy metal concept albums ever made, according to Best Classic Bands. Two years later, 1990's *Empire* climbed to No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and was certified 3x Multi-Platinum by the RIAA for U.S. shipments topping 3 million copies, making it the best-selling album in the band's four-decade discography, per Wikipedia's entry on the record.
The Ballad That Crossed Over to the Mainstream
*Empire* also produced “Silent Lucidity,” the 1991 power ballad written by original guitarist Chris DeGarmo and inspired by Patricia Garfield's 1974 book *Creative Dreaming*. The song peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, cementing its place as a rock radio staple. Its music video won the Viewers' Choice Award at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards, a boost that helped push the band from theater headliners into major arena draws during the height of MTV's cultural reach, according to the band's own account on Queensrÿche Official.
That crossover success also brought industry recognition. The Recording Academy nominated Queensrÿche for two Grammy Awards in 1992 for “Silent Lucidity,” for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group, following an earlier 1990 nomination for “I Don't Believe in Love” in the Best Metal Performance category, per the Recording Academy. Despite the three career nominations, the band has never taken home a Grammy.
Still Recording New Material
While casual fans may still associate Queensrÿche primarily with Geoff Tate and its early catalog, the band has continued releasing new studio albums under La Torre's leadership. Its 16th studio album, *Digital Noise Alliance*, arrived on October 7, 2022, through Century Media Records, produced by longtime collaborator Chris “Zeuss” Harris — marking the group's fourth studio recording with La Torre on vocals, according to Wikipedia's entry on the album.
Inside the Venue
Saturday's show unfolds at The Club, a 5,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor space inside Cannery Casino Hotel featuring bleacher seating, dual indoor and outdoor bars, and a retractable door design used to expand capacity for live concerts, according to LasVegasLocalsReviews. The venue caters largely to local residents and regular regional casino visitors rather than Strip tourists.
Cannery Casino Hotel opened in North Las Vegas in 2003 with 72,000 square feet of gaming space and was later folded into Boyd Gaming Corporation's portfolio through a $380 million acquisition of Cannery Casino Resorts assets in 2016, as Hoodline has previously reported. That same 2016 deal brought Boyd Gaming the now-shuttered Eastside Cannery on Boulder Highway, which the company has since moved to demolish and redevelop for residential use.
.jpg){kind=link}