On Sunday, February 8, 2026 Geoff Tate arrived at Houston’s House of Blues with a clear mission: present Operation: Mindcrime exactly as it was intended. On Sunday night, the former Queensr˙che frontman delivered the landmark album in its entirety and in proper sequence, transforming the venue into a tightly wound rock theater where story and sound were inseparable.

    Before the curtain rose on Mindcrime, the evening opened with an intimate and unexpected tone. James Keegan, an acoustic solo artist from Ireland, set the mood with a stripped-down six song set that emphasized emotion over volume. His warm delivery and storytelling instincts quickly won over the crowd, creating a quiet intensity that contrasted beautifully with the sonic weight to come.

    The second supporting set expanded that atmosphere. Fellow Irish acoustic artist Tomás McCarthy took the stage accompanied by his wife Clodah, providing vocals and saxophone along with James Keegan on guitar. Their performance felt organic and fluid, blending folk textures with soulful undertones and setting a reflective foundation for the night’s main event.

“The acoustic openers didn’t warm up the room - they focused it.”

    As the lights dimmed, the ominous pulse of “Anarchy-X” signaled the beginning of Operation: Mindcrime, pulling the audience into its dystopian narrative. “Revolution Calling” erupted next, its rebellious chorus still biting decades later. Geoff Tate moved deliberately through the album’s chapters, flowing seamlessly from “Operation: Mindcrime” and “Speak” into the sharpened urgency of “Spreading the Disease” and “The Mission.”

    Visually the stage was anything but sparse. Tate stood at the center of a crowded, kinetic setup anchored by a three-guitar attack from James Brown, Dario Parente and Kieran Robertson, whose layered tones gave Mindcrime its sharp edges and sweeping depth. Sharing the stage were bassist Jack Ross, a hard-hitting drummer, a keyboardist and an unexpected but essential string section featuring both cello and violin. The result was a constantly shifting soundscape, heavy when it needed to be and cinematic when the story demanded space. This reinforced the album’s operatic ambition and making the House of Blues stage feel almost overflowing with movement and sound.

    One of the evening’s most unforgettable moments arrived during “Suite Sister Mary.” As the song unfolded, Clodagh McCarthy returned to the stage, stepping into the role of Mary with a stunning, emotionally charged performance. Her voice intertwined with Tate’s masterfully, adding a haunting dimension that elevated the song’s dramatic weight. The interplay between the two vocalists was gripping, a rare moment where the story felt fully realized in real time.

“Clodagh McCarthy’s voice brought ‘Suite Sister Mary’ to life in a way that stopped the room cold.”

    The tension escalated through “The Needle Lies,” before surging into “Electric Requiem” and “Breaking the Silence.” Emotion took center stage during “I Don’t Believe in Love,” followed by the introspective pairing of “Waiting for 22” and “My Empty Room.” The album concluded with “Eyes of a Stranger,” its final notes met with a thunderous ovation as the story reached its powerful resolution.

“This wasn’t a greatest-hits show - it was Operation: Mindcrime performed as a complete rock opera.”

    Only after completing the final chapter of Operation: Mindcrime did Tate shift gears, launching into a set of additional Queensr˙che classics that felt like a release after the album’s intensity. “Empire” hit with arena-sized confidence, while “Screaming in Digital” injected sharp-edged aggression. “Jet City Woman” softened the mood and drew heartfelt cheers, before “Blood” and “Take Hold of the Flame” reignited the room with soaring melodies and fists-in-the-air energy.

    The encore brought the night to a triumphant close. “Silent Lucidity” transformed the House of Blues into a glowing sea of phone lights and shared harmonies and “Queen of the Reich” sealed the evening with raw power, a reminder of the fire that helped establish Queensr˙che as progressive metal pioneers.

    Born Jeffrey Wayne Tate, Geoff Tate rose to prominence as the unmistakable voice behind Queensr˙che’s most influential era, pushing heavy metal into more ambitious, emotionally driven territory. While his path has since diverged from the band itself, performances like this reinforce his enduring connection to its most important work.

“At the House of Blues, Geoff Tate didn’t just revisit his legacy - he reaffirmed it.”

    By the time the final notes faded and the crowd spilled out onto the Houston sidewalk, the House of Blues felt less like a venue and more like a shared memory. Conversations buzzed about favorite moments, voices still hoarse from singing along, while merch bags and setlist debates trailed into the night air. It was the kind of evening where time seemed suspended, where an album written decades ago felt urgent again and a room full of strangers left feeling bonded by the same story. On this February night the House of Blues didn’t just host a concert; it became the stage for a living, breathing chapter of rock history.

Geoff Tate Setlist:
Anarchy-X
Revolution Calling
Operation: Mindcrime
Speak
Spreading the Disease
The Mission
Suite Sister Mary
The Needle Lies
Electric Requiem
Breaking the Silence
I Don't Believe in Love
Waiting for 22
My Empty Room
Eyes of a Stranger
Empire
Screaming in Digital
Jet City Woman
Blood
Take Hold of the Flame
Encore:
Silent Lucidity
Queen of the Reich