Queensrÿche and Armored Saint kicked off their tour in Anaheim at the House of Blues. This was a packed show and there was no opening band. Not gonna lie, for us older people only having the two bands was nice! I’ve grown up with these bands and the amazing thing is looking around and seeing the Gen Xers with their kids. Of course, I especially love seeing moms with their daughters. Piper, 17, in her battle vest on the rail with her mom, Ally, behind her. You know we mosh pit girls, turn into mosh pit mama bears (No pit for this show, btw). We may be older but we still love it and are proud mamas when our kids jump in. We were standing next to a family where the father/daughter went straight to the middle and the mom stayed back with a perfect viewing spot on the stairs. Yes, there were cell phone videoing, but it seemed minimal like we were back in the days when The Warning was released and just being in the moment.
We were so excited for this show because the last time we Queensrÿche and Armored Saint together was in November 2016 in San Diego.
That summer was a rough one for our family losing my dad to cancer. I hadn’t spent much time with Kaiya since I was caring for my dad, so she was down to go to this metal show with me. When we got to the box office, my dad must’ve slipped an extra photo pass in my envelope. I had two cameras so I handed one to Kaiya. She was just 14 at the time, I gave her a quick run down on photo pit etiquette, set her camera and she has the eye! With Phil Sandoval (Armored Saint) and Michael Wilten (Queensryche) right in front of her, two amazing rock guitar legends, she said “Now, I get why you love this so much!” That reignited her love for old-school metal and here we are 7 years later with our own mother/daughter metal magazine.
Armored Saint started with “End of the Attention Span” from their last studio album, Punching the Sky, released in 2020. If you want to be surprised, don’t check their setlist online. They’re playing a song they haven’t played live since 1987. I’ll admit, I didn’t follow them much in the 80s, but I’ve seen them many times in the last ten years. I love their live shows, they’ve been together a long time and they’re still up there having fun and sounding incredible. I remember Phil Sandoval talking about (not sure where, maybe Facebook, Megacruise Q & A) what to wear on stage, to dress the part and he always does! Looking sharp in his black flare pants and glasses, I love his look! They are playing a headlining show on May 22 in Los Angeles. Grab your tickets!
Queensrÿche performed their first EP and The Warning in its entirety.
Todd LaTorre came out in a long gorgeous black leather coat singing “Queen of the Reich”. If you have been to a Queensrÿche show, you’ve heard a few songs off those albums, but the album in its entirety was quite a magical experience. Mike Stone is back in the band! I know I’m a little late, he came back in 2021, but it was my first time seeing him. Michael Wilton (guitar) and Eddie Jackson (bass, backing vocals) are the two original members with the amazing Casey Grillo (drums). They are the one and ONLY Queensrÿche. If you are an old-school fan, this is a must-see show. If you are a newer fan, this is a must-see show. We go to a lot of shows and these two bands take you back to a different era. They are selling out shows so get your tickets now!
Remaining tour dates:
4/5 – Ameristar Casino & Hotel * – Kansas City, MO (no Armored Saint)
4/6 – Del3/Hall – St Louis, MO
4/7 – Paramount Theatre – Cedar Rapids, MI
4/9 – Coronado Theatre – Rockford, IL
4/10 – Peoria Civic Center – Peoria, IL
4/12 – The Vogue – Indianapolis, IN
4/13 – State Theatre – Kalamazoo, MI
4/14 – Majestic Theatre – Detroit, MI
4/16 – Bogart’s – Cincinnati, OH
4/17 – House of Blues – Cleveland, OH
4/19 – Phoenix Theatre – Toronto, CAN
4/20 – Théâtre Beanfield – Montreal, CAN
4/21 – Elements – Kitchener, CAN
4/24 – Roxian Theatre – Pittsburgh, PA
4/26 – Empire Live – Albany, NY
4/27 – Palladium – Worcester, MA
4/28 – Toad’s – New Haven, CT
4/30 – Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ
5/1 – Keswick Theatre – Glenside, PA
5/3 – The Paramount – Huntington, NY
5/5 – The Fillmore – Charlotte, NC
5/7 – Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
5/9 – Jannus Live – St. Petersburg, FL
5/10 – The Plaza Live – Orlando, FL
5/11 – Culture Room – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
5/12 – The Ranch – Ft. Meyers, FL
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