Geoff Tate’s Operation: Mindcrime made a stop at the Bourbon Theatre in Lincoln, Nebraska, on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. [Photo credit: Peter Amisano]
PETER AMISANO | Go Venue Magazine
Geoff Tate‘s Operation: Mindcrime – The Final Chapter, at Lincoln’s Bourbon Theatre on May 5, 2026, billed as one of the final opportunities to experience the iconic 1988 Queensrÿche concept album performed in its entirety, it delivered an evening of amazing musicianship, atmosphere reminiscent of the 80’s scene.
With two Irish opening acts, James Keegan & Tomas McCarthy, the evening provided a mix of Irish acoustic, folk/rock music and classic metal.
James Keegan started off the evening with his acoustic guitar and a voice with hints of John Mayer. His music has influences of his Irish heritage, with a mix of American country music. He has the harmonica around his neck for one song, and the set included a cover of Van Morison’s Astral Weeks. The crowd was accepting of the extreme opposites in musical genres and surprisingly fit perfectly with the night’s mood.
Next was Tomas McCarthy, joined by his wife, Codagh McCarthy on vocals and saxophone. The pair was also joined by James Keegan on acoustic guitar, adding a bit of percussion with the palms of his hands on the body of his guitar. Tomas McCarthy’s vocal range is that of a standard Irish folk singer, but has deep tonal qualities of a digeridoo, very unique aspect of his voice. His wife, Codagh McCarthy, sang an Irish folk song, sung it it’s native tongue, it was a beautiful song. Tomas’ style has more of a rock feel to it, so better prepared the crowd for what was to come.
Geoff Tate then took the stage, joined by Codagh McCarthy on keyboards and vocals. The band consisted of three guitar players, keyboards, bass and drums portrayed, from start to finish, the Operation: Mindcrime album to near perfection. The sound, the feel, the atmosphere, the show, all phenomenal!
A nice surprise was a song from the upcoming Operation: Mindcrime III album, but the best part of the show, in my opinion, was the hits that followed the Mindcrime set. Songs like Empire, Jet City Woman and Take Hold of the Flame brought me back to my younger days when the hair metal scene was thriving.
The evening closed with Silent Lucidity and finally Queen of the Reich, the song from the original EP that put Geoff Tate on the map as one of the greatest metal vocalists of his time. I had high hopes for this show, and it delivered. Geoff Tate has still got it and surrounded himself with extremely talented musicians from around the world and it showed. Geoff Tate’s Operation: Mindcrime – The Final Chapter is a show to make a priority for 2026!
Geoff Tate Tomas McCarthy James Keegan All photos by Peter AmisanoFollow our socials, only take a second and is free by finding us on:
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