Geoff Tate Brings OPERATION: MINDCRIME to Life at the Virgin Theater!

Geoff Tate played the Theater at the Virgin Hotel and Casino on Friday, November 7, 2025, with support act Tomas McCarthy and Indio Downey.

When they came on the scene in the 1980s, Queensryche quickly became the thinking man’s metal band, with shockingly relevant themes in their music, and a great combination of the melodic and the heavy. Vocalist Geoff Tate left a major stamp on these songs with his unique singing style, with 1988’s concept record OPERATION: MINDCRIME becoming the work the group would be forever associated with.

Several years later, Mr. Tate is no longer in Queensryche; that band is now fronted by ex-Crimson Glory vocalist Todd La Torre, and has put out several albums with their new frontman. Mr. Tate has kept busy with his own band lineups, including a concept album trilogy released over the past decade. Part of the legal agreement between Tate and the current Queensryche is that only Tate’s band is allowed to perform the classic OPERATION: MINDCRIME album in its entirety. This is something he’s certainly taken advantage of on live stages around the world, with Tate billing his latest tour as OPERATION: MINDCRIME – THE FINAL CHAPTER, supposedly being the final time he’ll be performing the classic concept record as a coherent whole.

When Mr. Tate hits the road, he usually brings along some quality support acts, including some eclectic and unusual but no less excellent choices. This evening at the Virgin kicked off with Irish singer-songwriter Tomas McCarthy, who leads a folk trio with his wife Clodagh and their friend and fellow musician James Keegan. This same trio (at the time using the name Fire and Water) opened for Tate at his Vamp’d gig last year, and while they’re certainly completely the opposite end of the spectrum from what someone would expect opening for Geoff Tate, I personally thought this was a nice contrast. The musicians alternate instruments and vocals, covering a surprisingly wide array of sounds despite being a trio with minimal instruments. One of the true highlights of the set was hearing Clodagh perform lead vocals on a traditional Irish song in the Gaelic language, beautifully demonstrating how diverse and musical a trio this is. And even though the audience was clearly composed of headbangers who came out to rock with Geoff Tate, they gave this trio a warm welcome. I look forward to seeing them the next time they return to Sin City from Ireland!

The second of the two opening acts was Indio Downey. This was the one act of the evening I was unfamiliar with, but upon doing research, was astonished to learn that he’s, in fact, the son of famed actor Robert Downey, Jr.! Downey the Younger was born in 1993 and has been honing his craft over the years, including recently releasing an EP entitled CIGARETTES IN BED, and even opening for Keanu Reeves’ band Dogstar. Right from the get-go, this set was an immediate throwback to 90s alternative rock in all the best ways imaginable. With influences that clearly range from the grunge boom of that decade to more pop-punk driven sounds, Downey clearly knows his craft, and made his performance one of the pleasant surprises of the evening. One of my personal favorite parts of the set was his trio covering the 1993 Nirvana classic “Heart Shaped Box” from their classic IN UTERO record, to a surprisingly enthusiastic crowd. I’ll be keeping my eye on this young man, who I hope will soon return to Vegas!

Between sets, one of the biggest changes was that many more seats in the venue were filled, and as soon as Mr. Tate’s musicians began taking the stage, not too many people were sitting down. The former Queensryche frontman wasted no time getting down to business with that band’s most legendary album, with his vocals on “Revolution Calling” and the title cut getting the attention of the crowd very quickly. Countless folks in the audience, including ones clearly younger than myself (and I was only three-and-a-half years old when the album came out) were singing along to every word! The theatrical lighting and other atmospheric elements truly brough the story to life.

While I didn’t know who any of Tate’s band members were coming on, one of the pleasant surprises of the evening was seeing Clodagh McCarthy from the opening band playing keyboards, and also donning nun’s attire for some theatrical moments and duets during a section of the MINDCRIME suite that required them. For me, this was one of the highlights of the gig, beautifully demonstrating Mrs. McCarthy’s versatility as a musician and Tate’s ability to have chemistry with anyone he shares a stage with.

The MINDCRIME set continued, with other classic cuts like “I Don’t Believe in Love,” and the epic closer “Eyes of a Stranger.” From start to finish, it’s a record that’s stood the test of time with shockingly prolific and relevant themes, and nearly 40 years after its release, Mr. Tate still knows how to bring it to life. Following the MINDCRIME set, Tate and company played a handful of additional Ryche classics, and even a few deeper cuts, including “I’m American.” From start to finish, there wasn’t a dull moment on the stage at Virgin. Geoff Tate remains a rock god on any stage he plays on, with one of the most distinct voices in the business, and thankfully, one that’s held up surprisingly well!

I’ll never get tired of listening to Geoff Tate do his thing, whether it’s on a live stage or an album. This evening resurrected one of Queensryche’s best albums for what is presumably the last time, but if that’s the case, he’s certainly gone out with a bang. The opening sets ran the gamut from Irish folk music to 90s-inspired alternative rock, and I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on Tomas McCarthy and Indio Downey in the coming years. Don’t pass up an opportunity to catch Mr. Tate live on stage on this tour – he’s still got it.

PHOTO CREDIT: Live photos by Courtney Ware for ZRockR Magazine – (c) 2025 – All Rights Reserved.