The Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville was a den of iniquity on the night of April 14th, 2023. The air was thick with the scent of sweat, beer, and something altogether more illicit. I had come to see Queensryche, the legendary heavy metal band, and what I witnessed that night will stay with me until the end of my days.
The opening act for Queensryche, led by the legendary guitarist Marty Friedman, roared onto the stage like a pack of wild animals. With the lightning-fast guitar skills of Naoki Morioka, the thunderous bass of Wakazaemon, and the precise drumming of Chargeeeeee, they created a sonic hurricane that left the crowd dazed and bewildered.
From the first notes of ‘Stigmata Addiction’, it was clear that this was no ordinary opening act. Friedman and Morioka traded licks like gunslingers in a spaghetti western, their fingers moving so fast they were a blur. Meanwhile, Wakazaemon and Chargeeeeee provided a rhythm section that was so tight it felt like the ground was shaking beneath our feet.
But it was their performance of ‘Dragon Mistress’ that truly set the crowd ablaze. As Friedman unleashed his blistering guitar skills, Morioka, Wakazaemon, and Chargeeeeee built a wall of sound that threatened to engulf the audience. It was a primal, almost savage experience, and one that left us all gasping for air.
As they left the stage to thunderous applause, it was clear that Marty Friedman and his band had left an indelible mark on the crowd. Their performance was a testament to their technical brilliance and their ability to create a raw, powerful energy that few other bands could match.
Queensryche took the stage to a roar of applause, their instruments blaring like the horns of some demonic army. There was Todd La Torre, his voice a primal scream that rattled the very bones of the crowd. And there were the guitarists, Michael Wilton and Mike Stone, their fingers dancing across the frets like they were possessed by some ancient demon. Casey Grillo’s drumming was a thing of beauty and terror, like the pounding of some colossal, mechanical heart. And let’s not forget Eddie Jackson on bass, holding down the fort with a steady hand as the madness raged around him.
The setlist was a tour de force of their latest album, Digital Noise Alliance. ‘Behind the Walls’ kicked things off with a ferocity that left me gasping for air. ‘Forest’, ‘In Extremis’, and ‘Sicdeth’ followed, each one a sonic assault on the senses that left the crowd reeling.
But it was the closing number, ‘Eyes of a Stranger’, that truly sent us over the edge. The crowd was a seething mass of bodies, each one singing along with every word as if their very lives depended on it. I felt myself swept up in the madness, my own voice blending with theirs until I was no longer an individual, but a part of some greater whole.
And then, just when I thought it was over, Queensryche returned for an encore that left me breathless. ‘Deliverance’, ‘Queen of the Reich’, and ‘Roads to Madness’ were like a triple shot of adrenaline straight to the heart. By the time it was all over, I was left staggering out of the Brooklyn Bowl like a human reborn.
In the end, there are no words to truly capture the madness that was the Queensryche concert in Nashville. It was a thing of beauty and terror, a moment of transcendence that will stay with me forever. All I can say is this: if you ever get the chance to see them live, do not hesitate. It may just change your life.