SCREAMING IN DIGITAL
                                       
The On-Line Queensryche Digest : Volume 193 - 29May95

  QUEENSRYCHE ON IRC - TUESDAY EVENING!
  
   "Futuristic 'Rychean discussion." - Michael Wilton
   "Quite entertaining to read." - Chris DeGarmo
   
   Produced in cooperation with the Queensryche Campaign fan club.
   Hosted by Internet Online Services, a division of IDT.
   Edited by Dan "Shag" Birchall
   
   Mail: qryche@ios.com
   FTP : ios.com, /pub/users/qryche
   WWW : http://www.ios.com/~qryche/
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
Screaming in Digital - Editor's Note

   Hello again, everyone! Happy Memorial Day to those in the USA who have
   the day off. This will be the last issue for this month, obviously. I
   have two quick notes.
   
   First, a reminder that Geoff Tate and Eddie Jackson will be fielding
   questions from fans on the Undernet, an IRC network. This event will
   begin at 9 PM east-coast time, 6 PM west-coast. For fans in Europe,
   it'll be early morning Wednesday, for fans in the far east, it'll be
   mid-day Wednesday. If you're unfamiliar with the Undernet, simply
   point your IRC client to the server undernet.org or consult the
   alt.irc.undernet newsgroup for more information about Undernet. The
   channel name will, of course, be #QRyche, and the guys are looking
   forward to chatting with as many fans as possible.
   
   Second, I'm glad to see several readers participating in the ongoing
   discussion of the proposed rec.music.artists.queensryche newsgroup on
   news.groups. I hope the participation will continue to be strong
   through the duration of the discussion period, and of course I hope
   everyone will exercise their right to vote when the group comes up for
   voting.
   
   That said, I'll get out of the way. :)
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
Contents

   New FAQ - Kevin
   Collector's Guide - Thomas
   Festivals in Germany - Hanna
   Queensryche on Hollywood Online - Richard
   Los Angeles Show - Eddie
   Los Angeles Show - Rebecca
   San Jose Show - Kevin
   Sacramento Show - Jen
   California Shows - Kinga
   California Shows - Deborah
   Gorge Show - Tim
   Disconnected - Martha
   Tickets - Thomas
   Attendance - Jonathan
   Opening Act - Doug
   Atlanta Show - Dave
   Charlotte Show - Vu
   Pittsburgh Show - Mike
   I Am I Single - Richard
   Comparing Tours - Torsten
   Disappointed - Joel
   Disappointed - Jeff
   Disappointed - Martha
   Mindcrime and Animation - Tracy
   Killing Words Lyrics - Dan
   Killing Words Lyrics - Deanna
   Meeting the Guys in Phoenix - Jim
   Dave and Brian's Rychean Adventure - Dave
   Meeting the Guys in California - Torsten
   Stereo DAT Bootleg Available - Tracy
   Rage Tour Video? - Thomas
   Bootleg Wanted - Bracken
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
Neue Regel - News & Reviews

   New FAQ - Kevin (laferrie@bashful.usmcs.maine.edu)
   
   I have created a new version of the FAQ. I blended in a couple of the
   older versions to get a new one. Please look at it, and if you see
   something that can be added - or deleted - e-mail me and let me know.
   This is my first attempt at this, so bear with me. You can get the FAQ
   2 ways. If you have web access, go to
   http://www.usmcs.maine.edu/~laferrie/music/qr/qr.html. If you don't
   have web access, e-mail me and I will send you the FAQ.
   
          Many thanks to Kevin for volunteering to take over maintenance
          of the FAQ! -sh
          
   
   
   Collector's Guide - Thomas (broglit@dial.eunet.ch)
   
   For all those who go crazy collecting Queensryche items, I'd like to
   recommend a called From Past to Present. It's a collector's guide for
   all diehard Queensryche fans and for those who are just becoming
   interesting in collecting. It lists nearly all releases - official,
   promotional and bootleg - on every format, including the rarest items.
   It's over 200 pages long, covers more than 430 different items and has
   about 280 photos. It was written by two German guys, in English, and
   they really did a brilliant job. If you want to order it, contact:
   
   Michael Bracke
   Emscherstrasse 212
   45329 Essen, Germany
   FAX: +49 201 356958
   
   Festivals in Germany - Hanna (clipclop@aol.com)
   
   Queensryche won't be playing the rock festivals in Germany at the
   beginning of June. Type O Negative might appear at the festivals, but
   Queensryche will be taking time off between tour legs.
   
   Queensryche on Hollywood Online - Richard (ggyc99a@prodigy.com)
   
   I feel sorry for those who missed the Hollywood Online event which
   featured 8 hours of Queensryche interviews, prize giveaways and
   chatting with fans. It was very much fun, and I even won a guitar pick
   and a t-shirt which all the band members autographed during the event.
   I got really lucky when I won it - the trivia question asked what the
   name of the upcoming CD-ROM was, and I guessed that it was Promised
   Land. I won a CD too, but they wouldn't let me have it because I'd
   won the "big one" and it was someone else's turn to win.
   
   They also answered 3 questions I asked - Scott said that his brother
   didn't actually design the tri-ryche symbol, just the cover for the
   LP.
   
          Then I guess Wes (Griz) Griswold must have done it? -sh
          
   
   
   Los Angeles Show - Eddie (edju@chaph.usc.edu)
   
   I went to the Los Angeles show on May 20 with a friend from college.
   We got there really late, and could hear Geoff singing Operation:
   Mindcrime when we got out of the car. Does anyone else who went want
   to fill me in on what I missed, besides Type O Negative? If they
   played any songs from Rage for Order, I missed them.
   
   During the Mindcrime part of the show, I thought, "Oh great, they're
   recycling the footage from the Building Empires tour. Now I really got
   my money's worth." Mind you, my favorite album is Mindcrime, and I
   loved the songs they played. However, I feel kind of ripped off since
   I already saw the whole thing - okay, My Empty Room was a different
   arrangement - on the last tour and bought the Livecrime set.
   
   I loved the new songs they played, though, especially Promised Land,
   although the mixing of Geoff's sax seemed to be screwed up and I
   couldn't hear it most of the time. I think Michael broke a string at
   one point during the show, and the way Geoff danced was really scaring
   my friend though. I am not sure if it's some kind of sick joke or what
   when Geoff came out with a magician's outfit for the last part of the
   show.
   
   Overall, I'd give them an A+ for creative presentations and a B-/C+
   for performance. Their playing seems to be at least a half beat slower
   than it used to be - I think everyone was playing with a click track,
   to stay in synch with the visuals, but I expected more from a
   "multimedia presentation."
   
   Los Angeles Show - Rebecca (rebecca.c.martinez@jpl.nasa.gov)
   
   I went to the concert in Los Angeles and it was great. I noticed that
   they didn't finish Screaming in Digital - I'd like to think it was
   sent out to all of us SiD readers, but chances are, it wasn't. I also
   noticed that they played Eyes of a Stranger with the Anarchy-Xtra
   segue found on Livecrime. During Empire, Geoff sang, "Nikki used to
   work after school," instead of "Johnny" - I guess this is in keeping
   with the whole Mindcrime storyline.
   
   San Jose Show - Kevin (kfrith@sparc1.castles.com)
   
   The San Jose show simply rocked. The concert was broadcast live over
   the radio and apparently the television too - if anyone has a copy off
   the television, please e-mail me. All in all, the concert was a very
   good one! I was only disappointed in two things - the inclusion of an
   electric guitar in Someone Else? and the tameness of the audience.
   They were pretty good about knowing Mindcrime stuff but any time a
   Promised Land song came up, they were dead. Anyway, the show was
   excellent, and I enjoyed myself. By the way, did anyone from San Jose
   get any of their autographs?
   
   Sacramento Show - Jen (jenniebear@aol.com)
   
   Despite the disappointment of postponement, I was no longer
   disappointed after I saw the Queensryche show in Sacramento. This was
   my first Queensryche show, and I loved every minute of it! I happen to
   be a big fan of the Pink Floyd film The Wall, so I really appreciated
   the combination of music and visuals. I was impressed at how well the
   set list flowed and told a story. It reminded me of all the reasons
   why I like Queensryche so much - Not only does the band perform well,
   they write lyrics that make me think, and those are definitely
   qualities they exhibited on stage! So, the addition of the video
   footage, costuming, and various characters throughout the night - the
   nurse, a bartender - added that much more dimension to the music. I
   guess I'm still at a loss for words!
   
   I had hoped to pick up a sticker (for my car) that night, and
   unfortunately, there was none to be found. Does the fan club have
   them?
   
          Yes, the fanclub carries bumper stickers and a variety of other
          stickers and decals. Contact them for current prices. -sh
          
   
   
   California Shows - Kinga (kad@iris122.biosym.com)
   
   I finally had a chance to see my favorite band on stage twice, in Los
   Angeles and San Diego. The show exceeded my bravest expectations. The
   sound was excellent, the band was tight and showcased themselves as
   superb musicians, without the need for pointless 10 minutes long
   solos. Queensryche know they don't need to prove themselves this way,
   don't have huge egos, they just give the best live show on the planet.
   
   Personally, I was very happy to hear Promised Land, since it is one of
   my favorite Queensryche songs. I was very glad to see the video
   footage for Promised and Out Of Mind, with a very important social
   commentary. Lets face it, it takes a lot of guts to slam materialism,
   drunkenness and sexism among the rock'n roll crowd, and who cares
   about old and "different" people separated from the rest of us? I very
   much liked Eric's interpretation of the Promised Land theme in last
   week's digest. Queensryche are not afraid to play slower songs during
   their live show to try to make people aware and make them think about
   such topics. These are very well written songs showing their
   versatility, they are not just a rocking band, they are a lot more.
   
   A friend who went with me to the show in LA was very skeptical before
   the concert, I think she thought of them as another glam metal band,
   but soon realized how wrong she was, now she regards it as the best
   show she has ever seen. I'm so proud. Also, can anybody tell me, how
   you sing lying down with your head pulled back? Geoff is the most
   amazing frontman and the best vocalist that ever walked on earth -
   yes, I'm completely nuts about them.
   
   The so-called "tapers section" was located behind the soundboard at
   both shows, and was referred to as "obstructed view." After the San
   Diego show, we waited around hoping to get a glimpse of our fabulous
   entertainers. I was lucky enough to meet a couple of fellow SiD
   readers and Queensryche/Marillion lovers, Torsten and David, who were
   merciful to give me a ride back home in the middle of the night! After
   some waiting, we were able to see the guys from up close, get some
   autographs, shake hands and wave goodbye. We were all very pleasantly
   surprised how nice and humble they were, especially Geoff! I couldn't
   believe I was standing there and talking to my idol who turned out to
   be so personable and pleasant. He even asked for my name! He seemed to
   be very interested in the Internet and said he reads SiD every week,
   so watch what you're typing! ;)
   
   I hope after playing the second leg of the tour and Canada, they will
   do a couple more dates on the West Coast again, at least Los Angeles.
   I am terribly jealous of those of you who will have a chance to chat
   with the guys over IRC this Tuesday; unfortunately I will be a couple
   of thousand feet above the ground on that day, with no net access. I
   hate when that happens!
   
   California Shows - Deborah (redryche1@aol.com)
   
   I was fortunate enough to see Queensryche three nights in a row, and
   was awestruck. Even though the set list didn't vary and the
   between-song patter only varied a little, the shows never felt
   over-rehearsed or stale. I tend to expect too much of most bands when
   I go to a concert; this time, my expectations were not only met, but
   exceeded. Of course, Geoff was the center of attention. His voice has
   gotten better with each album, and seemed to actually improve with
   each show! He has always been a magnetic performer, and he's showing
   himself to be a very good actor. After him, Scott stole most of my
   attention - practically perfect in every way. I've always suspected he
   didn't care to be stuck behind those chains - now Plexiglass - all
   night, and the way he played the crowd in the Promised Land scene
   proved it. As usual, Chris and Michael were always tight and precise,
   even when mugging at the audience - which they did quite a bit. Ed
   played wonderfully and took advantage of his chances to shine - though
   he never smiled, and often appeared downright annoyed!
   
   The Sacramento show was general admission, so the crowd was really
   into it, particularly down front. The extra nine day wait after being
   rained out probably had a little to do with it. The Concord audience
   was having a blast, except for a section down front which just sat
   there and stared. Geoff played to them like crazy for the first few
   numbers and then seemed to give up and concentrate on the rest of the
   crowd. After seeing the band for the first time in San Jose in 1989,
   with much stage diving and slam dancing, I expected a pretty intense
   audience - no such luck. They were enjoying it, but seemed almost
   apathetic at times. Both Sacramento and Concord seemed well sold, but
   the San Jose arena was barely a third full. Granted, it was by far the
   largest of the three venues. It was also the only indoor venue, which
   worked much better with the stage show. If you can only see them once
   on this tour and you have a choice, see them indoors. There are some
   things they didn't do at the outdoor shows because of the wind, and
   the lighting was far more effective inside. I highly recommend seeing
   at least two shows - if you can - because there is so much going on
   both on the stage and the screens, that there's no way to catch it all
   the first time. I was still seeing new things at the San Jose show on
   the 24th. If you haven't seen Queensryche yet - go! I'm still debating
   in my mind whether or not these were the best concerts I've seen, but
   they most definitely rank way up there. I just wish I could see them
   again.
   
   The only negatives were the small crowds and Type O. Their music is
   fine, but they prove that there's no way to make playing heavy metal
   keyboards look cool. ;) The lead singer seemed to get progressively
   more annoyed with the audiences with each passing show. When they
   finished their set on the 24th, he simply said, "Whether you loved us
   or hated us, you've already paid us." At least they have a sense of
   humor. At the Concord show he held up the infamous "69" shirt and gave
   a rather clinical description of its design. The band was not allowed
   to sell it there because the city of Concord has an obscenity law.
   
   Gorge Show - Tim (altman@sfu.ca)
   
   I made the long drive from Vancouver, British Columbia to George,
   Washington for the Queensryche show at the Gorge. When we left, we
   didn't know how far away it really was - we thought it was outside of
   Seattle a bit, maybe three and a half or four hours from Vancouver, at
   most. It turned out to be a six-hour drive! We got there late, missing
   the first four songs, found a scalper, and got third-row seats for $30
   each - what a deal!
   
   It was one of the best shows I've ever seen, and I've seen many.
   Everyone was in top form. Geoff's voice was great - a little weak at
   times, I thought, but way better than I remember him on the Building
   Empires tour. Seeing them perform up close for 2 hours was well worth
   the 12 hours of driving we did. I wanted to stay behind after the
   show, but I was just too worn out - I didn't get home 'til 6 AM. :)
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
Speak - Comments & Questions

   Disconnected - Martha (mcaciopp@colybrand.com)
   
   We here in Detroit fortunately don't have to request Disconnected from
   radio stations - ZRock comes through yet again! They are playing tons
   of Queensryche, from years past through the new stuff. It's a
   Queensryche festival here. Unfortunately, ZRock is the only station in
   town that will play them.
   
   Tickets - Thomas (thomas_j._koszelak@hud.gov)
   
   A few issues ago, an updated tour date list was published for the
   second leg of the tour. One of the stops was Buffalo, NY on July 15th
   at the Darien Lake Amphitheater. I called the local rock station to
   see what the story was on this, and the DJ said that the date was only
   tentative, and that things had to be worked out between the promoters
   and Darien Lake.
   
   Does anyone have any insight as to why there could be problems, and
   did other cities experience the same situation? Tickets are already on
   sale for the Jones Beach show, and that's after Buffalo. I was unable
   to catch the Building Empires tour, and I don't want to miss this one.
   
          I know the Jones Beach folks jumped the gun a little bit, and
          started selling tickets before the tour itinerary was
          finalized. You may want to check with the folks at Darien Lake.
          -sh
          
   
   
   Attendance - Jonathan (st92kjd3@dunx1.ocs.drexel.edu)
   
   There has been some talk on the digest about the size of crowds
   showing up at the shows lately. It's not that it really surprises me,
   but it is not something I wanted to see.
   
   The band has undoubtedly evolved from album to album and let
   themselves expand, but it's apparent to me that this is not the
   problem. The problem is that the state of music and taste dictates
   that intricate heavy metal style guitar solos, along with the vocal
   harmonies of metal, are a thing of the past to be frowned upon. That
   isn't to say that 10 years from now the three-chord wonder boys of
   today won't be laughed at, but the simple fact is that there are fewer
   people who *want* to listen to Queensryche because of their uncool
   namesake and their uncool musical structure. I know that I can only
   speak for myself, but don't listen to *any* other material from the
   genre. I own a single Dream Theater album, but it doesn't get played
   too often. I listen to all sorts of stuff now. When Empire came out, I
   listened to exclusively metalloid stuff, but that was a different
   time.
   
   Queensryche's days may be numbered, if this continues. They are just
   losing their audience - not only their current audience, but their
   potential audience. Bands fill venues when the average teeny bopper
   thinks highly of them, not when only diehard fans show up.
   Undoubtedly, the shows are filled with true Queensryche fans, but that
   may not be enough to keep the band viable for much longer.
   
          It could be argued that Queensryche are performing at a level
          where they have already achieved a sufficiently large long-term
          core audience to not really have to be concerned with the
          little twists and turns that popular music may take. Look at it
          this way - in 1983, there were probably more than 30,000
          releases by various artists. How many are in your collection,
          and of the bands that released them, how many are still around?
          This might be an interesting question to pose on IRC. -sh
          
   
   
   Opening Act - Doug (merrell@nu.cs.fsu.edu)
   
   I'm curious why the band chose Type O Negative to open for this tour.
   I was hoping for a more musically talented band like Dream Theater, or
   even a show without an opener. I am looking forward to seeing the
   show, but if they perform like they sound, I'll find the beginning
   boring. Who in the band selected them, and what other bands were
   considered?
   
   
          
          I believe Geoff Tate likes Type O Negative. -sh
          
   
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
Roads to Madness - Tours & Shows

   Atlanta Show - Dave (ccoprdr@prism.gatech.edu)
   
   The Atlanta show is finally coming up on June 28th - it's about time!
   Tickets went on sale this past Saturday at noon. By visiting my
   favorite place for tickets - no, I won't tell you where it is - I was
   able to secure sixth-row seats. It should be a good show! I was
   wondering if anyone else out here is going to attend the Atlanta show,
   and if they'd like to get together beforehand.
   
   Charlotte Show - Vu (vnguyen@clemson.edu)
   
   Is anyone else going to the show in Charlotte July first? I am heading
   up with five others from Charleston, South Carolina. This will be my
   first Queensryche concert, but I have an idea of what it's going to be
   like, because I saw a bootleg video. I've seen mixed reviews of
   Promised Land, and didn't like it when I first heard it, but now it
   is one of my favorites, and Queensryche is my absolute favorite band.
   I can't wait to see them! Does anyone know how to find out where
   Queensryche will be after the concert? I'd like to meet them and get
   pictures and autographs - you know, the necessities in life.
   
   Pittsburgh Show - Mike (mikeb@cs.brandeis.edu)
   
   Tickets went on sale this morning for the July 5 Pittsburgh show, and
   I got front-row tickets from TicketMaster, without paying an extra
   hundred dollars. :)
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
Spreading the Disease - Info & Resources

   I Am I Single - Richard (ggyc99a@prodigy.com)
   
   I recently got the I Am I single with Real World, Dirty Lil' Secret
   and the full band version of Someone Else?, and I love it. Real World
   is an excellent song which only Geoff Tate could possibly sing. He
   puts so much feel into the song. Dirty Lil' Secret has a sort of
   different sound or feel to it. It's not as dark as the rest of their
   stuff, but it's a good song too. I love the full band version of
   Someone Else? and I think they should have put it on the album. It
   sort of reminds me of Anybody Listening? in that it has heavier areas
   along with a ballad-like touch. I'd recommend this single to everyone.
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
The Whisper - Discussion

   Comparing Tours - Torsten (torsten@cs.ucr.edu)
   
   Am I the only one who thinks the Building Empires tour was even
   better? The 7 or so Queensryche concerts I've seen are my favorite
   shows by far, but I did not get into this year's show as completely as
   I did the previous two tours. Maybe it's just that I just really like
   Mindcrime, and they played more of it before, but it seems like an
   up-tempo tune, like Jet City Woman, would have fit well in the
   extensive slow section near the end of the show. I actually had time
   to cool down after working up a sweat during the Mindcrime songs! That
   should never happen. The sound also seemed poor from seats that
   weren't near the soundboard - I wish they had turned up Geoff's mike
   just a little bit more. But hey, I'm arguing over how to make an
   excellent show just a little better. Overall, they were great shows,
   an absolute must for all fans.
   
   Disappointed - Joel (tryryche@aol.com)
   
   I was a bit confused by Jay's comments in issue 191. He stated that I
   Am I is the only song which has any edge, but in my opinion, both
   Damaged and Disconnected have at least as much edge, in the hard
   punchy sense. And as to lyrical edge, it's an integral part of
   Queensryche's music - you'd be hard-pressed not to find it. Musically,
   I think this album surpasses anything they've done before.
   
   I was delighted with the attention that Promised Land got at the
   concert. Obviously a tremendous amount of forethought was put into the
   stage setup, choreography and visuals. I didn't find the ending at all
   anti-climactic, and was physically and emotionally drained by the
   two-hour assault on my senses.
   
   Disappointed - Jeff (trekman930@aol.com)
   
   I went to the San Diego show, and came away disappointed with the
   sound, video and lights. Most of the video was the same as on the last
   tour, and I thought the light show was really lacking. I like
   Queensryche and all their music, but in my opinion this show wasn't
   even as good as when they opened for Kiss in the mid-80's.
   
   Disappointed - Martha (mcaciopp@colybrand.com)
   
   I don't understand the antagonistic approach some people have toward
   Promised Land, especially Someone Else?, which has become my
   favorite Queensryche song. Filled with emotion and power, it's
   overwhelming. The album is depressing, obviously - they should pass
   out razor blades with the CD - but it's also brilliant. And haven't we
   all wondered if "this is all there is?" I agree that I Am I and
   Damaged are terrific, but so are the others - they don't need
   wailing guitars in the background to be good. With Chris on Piano and
   Geoff's strong, clear voice, Someone Else? was an absolute kicker at
   the show. Promised Land is completely different than their previous
   albums. The guys have grown, matured and learned, as have we all. I am
   please that I have found a band which refuses to be typecast and
   enjoys trying new ideas and techniques.
   
   Mindcrime and Animation - Tracy (tracy.magnum@m.cc.utah.edu)
   
   Does anyone else out there think that when Nikki answers the phone
   before the song Operation: Mindcrime, he sounds a lot like Butthead?
   It makes an already fascinating story a little more bizarre. I'd like
   to see a feature-length animated film of Operation: Mindcrime. Part of
   it's already been done.
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
The Killing Words - Interpretation

   Killing Words Lyrics - Dan (danobr@delphi.com)
   
   I listened to The Killing Words from the Bridge single, which sounds
   the clearest, and ran it through a DBX decilinear expander, which
   expands the sound, and allows me to choose which bandwidth to expand.
   I got the following:
   
   Now the wireless in my hand is ringing,
   The distance of our lives keeps spreading,
   The pounding - I hear - in my heart, Im not listening,
   Your voice from far away is screaming: it's over.
   
   Killing Words Lyrics - Deanna (triryche2@aol.com)
   
   We can put it to rest, finally. On AOL's Hollywood Online, a group of
   us were talking to Geoff. At the end of his answer session, the host
   asked if he had anything to say, in parting, to his fans. He replied:
   "Yes..." followed by a pause, then the words:
   
   "Now the wireless in my hand keeps ringing
   The distance of our lives keeps spreading
   The pounding, I hear my heart, now I'm not listening
   Your voice from far away is screaming it's over."
   
   I had to smile - it was a typical Geoff response.
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
Gonna Get Close to You - Meetings

   Meeting the Guys in Phoenix - Jim (ford@hermes1.sps.mot.com)
   
   I won the EMI recording contest for Phoenix, the prize for which
   entailed watching the sound check, free tickets to the show - tenth
   row center - and a meet and greet with the band. If you hear about
   this contest in your town, enter! it wasn't advertised here at all;
   they put a notice in one of the concert ads and that was it.
   
   The soundcheck turned out to be great; they took us in and sat us down
   in the third row - the roadies were moving the first row to set up
   barriers. At first it was my girlfriend and I, then three other people
   who won from Tower Records came over to watch, so there were 5 of us
   in the whole pavilion, watching the roadies run around and test
   instruments for about 20 minutes. Then Geoff, in shorts and a t-shirt
   with messed-up hair, walked across the stage, grabbed his saxophone
   and started playing it. He played for about 5 minutes, then did
   incredible things with his voice - his warmup sounds better than
   anyone else's singing. Then Eddie strolled out, played some bass
   licks, and started warming up his voice - I didn't know this, but he
   does all the high note background vocals. He has an incredible range,
   and could probably sing in another band. Then Chris came out, and
   began tuning and jamming on his tri-ryche guitar. We were all
   speechless - it's like Queensryche playing your birthday party, only
   with fewer people and more space. We figured they'd do this for a
   while and leave, but then Chris started playing Damaged, and Geoff
   started singing! Eddie stopped it after a minute and called a roadie
   over to check his headgear, apparently he dropped it backstage and it
   got messed up. While they fixed it, Geoff talked to us - "Did you guys
   win a contest, what one? Why are you sitting here? You should be out
   playing the lottery if you're this lucky." When Eddie was ready to go
   again, they played Della Brown, Bridge, part of The Killing Words and
   I Am I - Geoff was walking around sipping his coffee and belting out
   the song. Then came Someone Else and parts of Screaming in Digital.
   The guys must be fans of U2, because Scott played the intro to Bullet
   the Blue Sky and Eddie sang a few verses of With or Without You - he
   sounded great, by the way. They had some problems with the video, and
   Chris explained, "Now we all sit here while we wait for our expensive
   shit to work." The soundcheck lasted about an hour and a half, and
   they were on stage for over an hour. I guess they normally take about
   25 minutes, but the difficulties held them up - their loss was our
   gain. It was incredible to have them playing to us. They smiled and
   talked to us constantly during the soundcheck - it was great to see
   them in this type of setting, just playing and having fun without fan
   pressure.
   
   At the "meet and greet" before the show, there were about 100 people
   from radio stations, record stores, et cetera. I was thinking there
   would be a table and a sign and the typical "move to the next guy"
   thing. But they put us on a lawn backstage and brought the guys out.
   We were right in the front, and Chris came right to us when he came
   out. We talked and got autographs - all the guys signed whatever we
   wanted. After about 12 minutes, most people got their signatures and
   stopped mobbing Geoff, who was surrounded the whole time. I looked
   over and Chris was all alone, so I walked over and we talked for about
   ten minutes. He's a fantastic guy, very down to earth and friendly.
   Geoff was a little aloof - one girl asked him if it was true he taught
   himself to sing and he said, "Let's see, today is Friday, uh... the
   shower story." He's cynical, but I can understand it as he's mobbed
   the most by fans. Michael seems shy - even on stage - and Scott and
   Eddie are both friendly.
   
   The show was phenomenal - after seeing them play crowds of about 6000
   in Las Vegas and Tucson, I think the band had a better time at this
   show - maybe because they were playing to 20,000 people! When they
   first put the lights on the crowd, they looked shocked to see so many
   people. Not only were all the seats full, the lawn seating was packed
   too.
   
   Dave and Brian's Rychean Adventure - Dave (dwb4025@acs.tamu.edu)
   
   Brian and I went on a one-week trip to the Promised Land. We saw the
   shows in Tucson, Albuquerque, and Phoenix - they were all incredible,
   well worth the drive and the money. We got to meet the band in Tucson
   and Phoenix, and they were all very kind to the fans, just like they
   were on the Building Empires tour. Michael and Chris both dispelled
   the idea that Real World might have been discarded Mindcrime which
   would have been part of a double LP. They said that the song was
   written for the movie after they were approached by Michael Kamen. I
   got to ask Geoff about his New York umbrella design idea - he said
   he's working on a book on umbrella etiquette.
   
          New York umbrella design? Umbrella etiquette? What? -sh
          
   
   
   Meeting the Guys in California - Torsten (torsten@cs.ucr.edu)
   
   I saw the band in Los Angeles and San Diego, and had the good fortune
   of meeting the guys after the show, as they were boarding the bus. We
   met some other SiD and Freaks members there, too - Hi Kinga! I have to
   say, I am still on cloud nine about that encounter. It's good to see
   that they are so real, and it seemed that they weren't letting stardom
   get to them the same way that other bands have. I'm sure touring is a
   pretty emotionally draining experience, and they still took the time,
   and seemed very patient with us. I'm really psyched about that. Both
   Geoff and Michael, I think, said they read SiD every week - pretty
   cool, that. Hi Geoff!
   
   
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Anybody Listening? - Advertisements

   Stereo DAT Bootleg Available - Tracy (tracy.magnum@m.cc.utah.edu)
   
   I got a DAT recording of the show in Salt Lake, recorded in stereo -
   e-mail me if you're interested. The show ranked right up there with
   Rush as the best concert I've attended. Go see them in concert, and
   tell Scott that Plexiglass is cool.
   
   Rage Tour Video? - Thomas (thomas_j._koszelak@hud.gov)
   
   A friend of mine is looking for a video bootleg of the Rage for Order
   tour. If anyone out there has one, please e-mail me the specifics and
   I'll pass them on to him.
   
   Bootleg Wanted - Bracken (brax@lamar.colostate.edu>
   
   I'm interested in getting a bootleg copy of one of the stops on this
   tour on tape. Has anyone been able to get tapers tickets and get a
   good tape? I'm interested in the Denver show in particular, since I
   was there, but any stop would be great as long as the sound quality is
   good. I can trade for a tape of a couple Dream Theater bootlegs I
   have, or just for blanks. Let me know.
   
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   Next week - reports from IRC, and a review of up-and-coming progmetal
   band "Inferno v2.0". See you all then!
   
   'Ryche on,
          -Shag