7.13.19 And the show goes on....
Jul 13, 2019 13:09:42 GMT -5
Post by pi on Jul 13, 2019 13:09:42 GMT -5
THE SEATTLE TIMES
EntertainmentMusic
Review: Queen + Adam Lambert conquer Tacoma Dome with blockbuster panache on Rhapsody tour
It was a pairing that didn’t need to happen. Queen’s legacy as adventurous classic rock heroes was long cemented by the time its remaining members met Adam Lambert — then an unknown light opera singer who used to perform on cruise ships — on “American Idol” a decade ago.
But as the glammed-up Lambert, wearing a leather vest with streaming silver tassels, stomped his high-heel boots into the catwalk amid a booming rendition of “I Want It All,” fans who packed the Tacoma Dome on Friday night were glad this match made in reality TV heaven is rolling strong.
For Queen + Adam Lambert — a bona fide touring act since 2014 — it was the second night of their new Rhapsody tour. The 23-date run follows a resurgent interest in the band’s catalog thanks to the blockbusting “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which became one of the highest grossing music biopics of all time en route to winning four Oscars this year. The soundtrack to the film centered on Queen’s late frontman, Freddie Mercury, brought the band’s music back to the top of the charts more than 25 years after Mercury’s death.
Comparing Lambert to Mercury is as pointless as it is inevitable, a reality Lambert’s never hidden from. After nailing a camptastic version of the prancing “Killer Queen” — for which Lambert sat, legs crossed on a riser, waving a giant hand fan and pretending to lick his microphone like a Popsicle (sure, we’ll go with Popsicle) — the former “Idol” runner-up addressed the inescapable comparisons head on.
“I know what some of you must be thinking. I’m not Freddie,” he said. “Yeah, I [expletive] know. There’s no way I could be Freddie because there’s only one Freddie Mercury.”
They’re big shoes to fill and aping Mercury’s persona too closely could feel like a Vegas act that should have never left the strip. Instead, Lambert walks the tightrope with the confidence and vocal skill required to interpret the songs in his own way, but with enough reverence to avoid taking ill-advised liberties. A soft-rocked “Under Pressure” was cool and nimble, while Lambert brought more of a pop vocalist’s polish to “Another One Bites the Dust,” in contrast with the original version’s dark-alley-disco edge.
Read more..
www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/review-queen-adam-lambert-conquer-tacoma-dome-with-blockbuster-panache-on-rhapsody-tour/
EntertainmentMusic
Review: Queen + Adam Lambert conquer Tacoma Dome with blockbuster panache on Rhapsody tour
It was a pairing that didn’t need to happen. Queen’s legacy as adventurous classic rock heroes was long cemented by the time its remaining members met Adam Lambert — then an unknown light opera singer who used to perform on cruise ships — on “American Idol” a decade ago.
But as the glammed-up Lambert, wearing a leather vest with streaming silver tassels, stomped his high-heel boots into the catwalk amid a booming rendition of “I Want It All,” fans who packed the Tacoma Dome on Friday night were glad this match made in reality TV heaven is rolling strong.
For Queen + Adam Lambert — a bona fide touring act since 2014 — it was the second night of their new Rhapsody tour. The 23-date run follows a resurgent interest in the band’s catalog thanks to the blockbusting “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which became one of the highest grossing music biopics of all time en route to winning four Oscars this year. The soundtrack to the film centered on Queen’s late frontman, Freddie Mercury, brought the band’s music back to the top of the charts more than 25 years after Mercury’s death.
Comparing Lambert to Mercury is as pointless as it is inevitable, a reality Lambert’s never hidden from. After nailing a camptastic version of the prancing “Killer Queen” — for which Lambert sat, legs crossed on a riser, waving a giant hand fan and pretending to lick his microphone like a Popsicle (sure, we’ll go with Popsicle) — the former “Idol” runner-up addressed the inescapable comparisons head on.
“I know what some of you must be thinking. I’m not Freddie,” he said. “Yeah, I [expletive] know. There’s no way I could be Freddie because there’s only one Freddie Mercury.”
They’re big shoes to fill and aping Mercury’s persona too closely could feel like a Vegas act that should have never left the strip. Instead, Lambert walks the tightrope with the confidence and vocal skill required to interpret the songs in his own way, but with enough reverence to avoid taking ill-advised liberties. A soft-rocked “Under Pressure” was cool and nimble, while Lambert brought more of a pop vocalist’s polish to “Another One Bites the Dust,” in contrast with the original version’s dark-alley-disco edge.
Read more..
www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/review-queen-adam-lambert-conquer-tacoma-dome-with-blockbuster-panache-on-rhapsody-tour/