(Sanctuary)

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I might not have realized how awesome Tribe is if I hadn’t heard it here first. This DVD showcases (the first leg of) the “Tribe” tour, which they co-headlined with Dream Theater last year.

The DVD is richly shot in black and white, although at times it calls to mind the sepia-tone style from the dawn of photography. While it is certainly a beautiful concert film to look at, it is somewhat light on “the classics,” but not short on surprises.

Geoff Tate, Michael Wilton, Scott Rockenfeld, Eddie Jackson and Mike Stone perform with dexterity and sincerity throughout. The band looks good and sounds it. The two onstage video-screens behind them are used to enhance the live act. The Art Of Live nicely pairs the band onstage with crowd shots to capture that feeling of “being there,” without the reality of having drunken freaks in front of you shouting, “Do ‘Mindcrime!’” If more concert videos were like this, I would stay home.

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Geoff Tate sports sunglasses, jeans and a t-shirt, and a long wallet-chain. He looks like he always does, in that Pacific Northwest Ramones kind of way that he has. However, his head is clean-shaven, and seeing him totally bald is slightly jarring at first. Also, as he’s a little heavier here than usual, and in his Far Eastern shirt he looks a little more like a yoga instructor and a lot less like the man who flawlessly belts out beautiful songs with the effortlessness of an opera singer. That observation aside -- he is still Mister Geoff Tate -- the man with Golden Pipes. Have no fear: those pipes are in fine form here, as always.

Dream Theater, with whom Queensryche co-headlined on this tour, joins the band for a compelling version of “Comfortably Numb” and a rollicking version of “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” Granted, Queensryche doesn’t need Mike Portnoy and company to pull off these songs… but it’s a nice treat for fans of both bands.

Highlights of the bonus footage include an acoustic performance for a radio station, and a 6AM Morning TV Show that even seems to have the band perplexed (although they turn in an inspired performance considering the time of day). Broken-up interviews with Paul Gargano of Metal Edge are interesting, especially as Geoff Tate (now with hair) tries to recall the name of a DJ from KNAC; and there is an interesting aside about what beverages go out on tour for certain members…

Also included are some video-stills, which will make nice screen-savers.

Definitely a must for Queensryche fans (and Dream Theater fans). Casual fans would be better served picking up Tribe and seeing them on tour.

The tracklisting on the DVD includes: “Tribe,” “Sign Of The Times,” “Losing Myself,” “Desert Dance,” “The Great Divide,” “Rhythm Of Hope,” “My Global Mind,” “Roads To Madness,” “Della Brown,” “Breaking The Silence,” “The Needle Lies,” “Best I Can” -- and with Dream Theater: “Comfortably Numb” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”

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