Live Review: Geoff Tate + Ogma + Tomas McCarthy @ Center Stage, Atlanta - February 4th, 2026

Chris Collett
1 day ago
3 min read

Updated: 4 hours ago

Singer in a cowboy hat passionately performing on stage, hand raised, vibrant lights and band in the background, energetic mood. — Geoff Tate photo by Chris Collett

Center Stage Atlanta had that rare “this is a big one” energy on February 4, 2026, and it was not hard to understand why. Geoff Tate bringing Operation: Mindcrime to life in full is already a bucket list kind of show. Add in the “Final Chapter” framing, and the whole night carried a little extra weight. People were not just there to hear songs. They were there to step back into a story that helped shape a lot of our musical DNA.

Before the main event, Tomas McCarthy kicked things off around 8:00 PM with a set that felt intentional and intimate, the kind that wins over a room without begging for it. It was focused, melodic, and warm, and it set the tone nicely without trying to compete with what was coming later.

Musicians perform energetically on stage with instruments under purple and green lights. "Operation: mindcrime" is visible in the background. — Tomas McCarthy photo by Chris Collett

Then OGMA came out swinging. They are a newer Irish hard rock outfit, but they played like a band that has already done the miles. Their set had a fun mix of covers and originals, and the energy jumped up immediately. This is also where the night started to connect dots in a cool way, because OGMA’s guitarist James Brown would later return as part of Tate’s touring band.

Two guitarists in cowboy hats perform energetically on stage under red lights, with a drum set and banners in the background. — Ogma photo by Chris Collett

Once the Operation: Mindcrime backdrop lit up and the band took their places, the room snapped into full attention. They opened with the album’s intro “I Remember Now” into “Anarchy-X,” and from there it felt less like a typical concert and more like rock theatre done the right way. Tate moved through the story like an actor returning to a role he still believes in. His voice carried weight and drama without sounding tired, and the crowd hung on every line.

And musically, this band came to work. The guitar approach was especially fun because it was not a single “lead guy” moment all night. James Brown brought sharp, clean precision. Kieran Robertson (yes, also on guitar, and known for Faster Pussycat) added grit and attitude that gave the songs extra bite live. Then add Dario Parente as the third guitar in the mix, and you get this massive wall of sound that still stayed articulate and controlled.

Down in the engine room, Jack Ross on bass kept everything grounded. Mindcrime is not a simple album to execute cleanly, and the rhythm section has to be locked the entire time for the story to land. It did. Even the quieter, more cinematic moments like “Suite Sister Mary” carried real tension.

By the time “Eyes of a Stranger” closed the full album run, it felt like the whole room exhaled together. That is the power of a concept record when it is performed with intention. And Tate did not stop there. He and the band followed it up with key favorites like “Empire” and “Jet City Woman,” then brought the main set home with “Take Hold of the Flame.”

The encore was the emotional one-two punch it needed to be: “Silent Lucidity” gave everyone that communal, hands-in-the-air moment, and “Queen of the Reich” slammed the door shut with a grin.

This was not just a band running a legacy album because it sells tickets. It felt deliberate, dramatic, and respectful to why Operation: Mindcrime still matters. If this really is one of the last times Tate tours it this way, Atlanta got a special night.