Photos by: Shane K Gardner AKA Rock and Roll Socialite

On the second day of the Maryland M3 Festival Empire Extreme got to sit down and talk to Queensrÿche Guitarist Michael Wilton and singer Todd la Torre before they took the stage that night.

Empire: Are you excited about playing the M3 Festival?

Micheal: Oh yeah!

Todd: Always fun.

EE: How’s it feel to do have been doing 30 plus years for Queensrÿche?

M: For me, it’s a whirlwind. It’s something that I could never possibly dream of. I’m just happy that people still like our music and still want to hear us play live. I’ll keep doing it for as long as I can.

EE: You have a new album releasing soon?

T: Yeah, we have a new album that we are finishing up. Its pretty close to being done. We don’t have a release date yet, but we are a few months from mixing, but yeah we’ve been hard working in the studio.

EE: What’s been your favorite album out of the Queensrÿche catalog?

M: Right now we are really excited about this new one, we put together these songs very organically. Everyone’s really excited about this album.

EE: Playing anything off of it tonight?

M: Not tonight, but later on this year we will.

EE: What’s been your favorite tour so far?

M: Probably the Metallica “…And Justice For All” tour. That was an exciting tour. A lot of fun things happened. A lot of great experiences for me. I’m a big fan of Metallica as well, so that was a great tour.

T: We did a Scorpions tour a couple years ago. That was great to play sold out arenas. I remember growing up and every band here was selling out arenas, so that was memorable and being with those guys. We will be doing some more shows in September with them.

EE: With all the bands reuniting, what band would you like to see reunite?

M: I’ve always been a fan of Stone Temple Pilots so like to see what they are doing with the new singer now. I’m curious about that.

T: I don’t have any that I can think off the top of my head. All the bands that I like are together regardless of the line up.

EE: Any newer bands that you’ve been listening to lately?

M: Describe newer ( Laughs) I’ve been listening to Gojira.

T: I like Rival Sons a lot. It’s different from the heavy stuff I listen to but really into them.

M: I also like Mastodon.

T: They just won a Grammy.

EE: If you can bring back one dead musician who would it be?

T: Hendrix

M: John Lennon

T: That’s a good one, I’ll stay with Hendrix (both laugh)

EE: Anything you like to say to the fans before you’re set?

T: Not to sound cliché but want to thankful for headlining this festival and that people still come out and do the meet and greets and still support us.

M: Yeah support live music.

It was great meeting both of these musicians and seeing them interact with fans on and off the stage. Truly passionate about what they do and without all the rockstar baggage. Queensrÿche put on an intriguing and captivating show and by the end of the night we the fans still wanted more.

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Ron

Ron has keen eye for new talent, a love for the underground, and a tremendous passion for music of any genera. You’ll probably bump into him at a horror convention or some seedy club checking out the next need-to-know band.

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