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Queens Of The Stone Age brought The Catacombs Tour to the Wang Theatre on October 8th. The limited run of special shows, restricted to a curated selection of historic theaters across the country, was inspired by the band’s recent live recordings deep in the catacombs of Paris.

The concert began with Paris. Paris Jackson, that is. Consistent with the alternative nature of the tour, she performed a seated solo acoustic set in lieu of her usual full-band production. She debuted some of her upcoming work, though she remarked on the drastic changes from the studio recordings to her acoustic rendition by commenting after a song, “believe it or not, that’s one of the ones I’m screaming with a full band.” In a show of support, a demonstrative guttural scream emanated from the catacombs of the balcony.

Queens Of The Stone Age began their set at the front of the stage with the curtains closed behind them. Frontman Josh Homme meandered across the stage, lit only by a handheld lamp as he entered into the first act of the three-act performance. With the addition of a small string section, the band performed the whole of their Alive in the Catacombs EP, front to back. The EP was the fulfilment of a decades-long dream of Homme’s to record live in the Catacombs in Paris. It features all-new arrangements of five songs spanning across Lullabies to Paralyze through In Times New Roman… to suit the setting. The re-worked music departed from the hard rock sound that QOTSA are best known for in favor of a softer, more orchestral interpretation.

Upon completion of Alive in the Catacombs and the first Act, the curtains opened to reveal a larger ensemble for Acts 2 and 3. The remainder of the evening was a showcase of the completely re-imagined Queens Of The Stone Age, with transformed arrangements crafted specifically for The Catacombs Tour. Fans were elated to hear new versions of deep cut QOTSA tracks, but nevertheless Josh Homme made a point of thanking the audience for indulging his long-held wishes. He mused, “I know we’re always asking you to do weird shit, but I do think weird shit is the key to not being fucking bored.” True to the theory, the audience that Homme described as possibly “the rowdiest yet” was far from bored. That was hardly surprising however; fans who made it out to the Wang Theatre on October 8th understood their luck to catch a one-of-a-kind Queens Of The Stone Age experience.

Check out all of Greg’s photos from the show below.