Adam Lambert Continues to Prove He's Queen's Ideal New Frontman at L.A. Show
6/27/2017 by Deborah Wilker
Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Miracle Productions LLP
Queen and Adam Lambert perform during the North American Tour kickoff at Gila River Arena on June 23, 2017 in Glendale, Ariz.
The Queen + Adam Lambert experiment -- which began tentatively in 2012, three years after the legendary U.K. band joined the American Idol finalist on stage during the showâs season finale, and has been touring the globe for much of the half-decade since -- has now been fine-tuned, to the point where it should really be a permanent partnership.
This isn't to say Lambert doesn't deserve his own career. But fronting Queen should probably be the pop star's full-time gig: Perhaps not since Mick Fleetwood stumbled upon the Buckingham-Nicks duo at Sound City 43 years ago -- leading to a lineup change that would turn Fleetwood Mac into one of the biggest bands of the late '70s -- has there been a more serendipitous fusion of two established recording acts.
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The story is not just that Queen, the â70s and â80s prog-rockers with one of the most unique catalogs in pop and rock, appear to have finally settled in with Lambert; in a way that carries the franchise forward, decades after the tragic 1991 death of frontman Freddie Mercury. Itâs that their new world tour, which launched in Arizona last week and arrived at the Hollywood Bowl for capacity shows on Monday and Tuesday (June 26 and 27), is a seamlessly executed Vegas assault -- a just-right balance of kitsch, classic rock and â70s excess. It's all there; the bombast, melodrama, the drum solos, the glitter, the great songs, a crazy light show, big power chords. Even Brian Mayâs power cape.
But most important is the tone. None of it takes itself too seriously -- crucial when a group is replacing a legendary member. If concert promoters need a primer on how to keep a band going after the unthinkable, Queen + Adam Lambert is a pretty good case study.
âThese two gentlemen are legends of rock n roll,â Lambert said on stage Monday night while introducing Queenâs founding members, drummer Roger Taylor, 67, and guitarist May, who will turn 70 next month. âEvery time I take the stage with them, it blows my mind at what an honor this is -- to be singing the music of Queen.â
This came about five songs in, after Lambert, 35 had ridden in on a 3-D skull (modeled after the sci-fi album cover of Queenâs '77 set News Of The World), singing a glorious âKiller Queen,â decked in a shiny pink suit and high-heels. The song was a showcase for his theatrically trained vocals, one of several during which he put his stamp on things in a way that was faithful to the bandâs past, but kept it all in the now.
These two gentlemen are legends of rock n roll,â Lambert said on stage Monday night while introducing Queenâs founding members, drummer Roger Taylor, 67, and guitarist May, who will turn 70 next month. âEvery time I take the stage with them, it blows my mind at what an honor this is -- to be singing the music of Queen.â
This came about five songs in, after Lambert, 35 had ridden in on a 3-D skull (modeled after the sci-fi album cover of Queenâs '77 set News Of The World), singing a glorious âKiller Queen,â decked in a shiny pink suit and high-heels. The song was a showcase for his theatrically trained vocals, one of several during which he put his stamp on things in a way that was faithful to the bandâs past, but kept it all in the now.
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âI know what some of you might be thinking -- he's no Freddie Mercury,â Lambert said, acknowledging the obvious. âI know guys, I know. Of course Iâm not Freddie. Iâm a fan, just like you.â
Lambertâs devotion to the catalog shows, not just on big numbers like âI Want It All,â "We Will Rock You" and âRadio Ga Ga,â but on trifles like âBicycle Race,â during which the saucy former reality star whipped out some perfect light-opera and couple of cute sight gags.
For his part May remains a marvel on guitar, racing around the multilevel stage, infusing the bandâs genre-busting catalog with every possible s-xistring flourish, and veering off into crunchy mini-jams like âFat Bottomed Girls,â during which Lambert dashed off for the first of five costume changes. May took a couple of acoustic moments center stage, notably on âLove of My Life.â He seemed to become emotional when a video of Mercury appeared. The duo finished the song in unison and then Taylor joined in on drums down stage with Lambert, to continue the acoustic segment with a buoyant rendition of 1980 Billboard Hot 100-topper âCrazy Little Thing Called Love.â
The all-ages crowd appeared particularly reverential during âUnder Pressureâ (featuring bassist Neil Fairclough) -- the Queen & David Bowie collaboration which re-charted on the Hot 100 after Bowieâs 2016 death. And of course there was âBohemian Rhapsody,â in all its strange and spectacular glory, synched to the 1975 music video splashed across five giant screens.
When it was over Lambert and May embraced, walking arm in arm toward the other band-members (including Spike Edney on keyboards and Tyler Warren on percussion) for their final bows. The moment was one of many during which the two men appeared happy and very connected on stage. A classic guitarist and his muse, carrying on.
www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/7849099/queen-adam-lambert-live-concert-frontmanSong Review: Adam Lambertâs âTwo FuxâShirley Halperin
Executive Editor, Music
@shirleyhalperin
Adam LambertREX/SHUTTERSTOCK
JUNE 27, 2017 | 04:59PM PT
Mere days after debuting a new song with Queen, Adam Lambertâs âTwo Fuxâ has an official release date â June 30. And for fans of The âAmerican Idolâ season eight runner-up, Friday couldnât come soon enough.
Lambertâs last recording for Warner Bros. Records was the 2015 album âThe Original High,â which yielded the radio hit, âGhost Town.â A dance-heavy collection recorded mostly in the dead of winter in Sweden, the music had a darkness about it, both lyrically and sonically, which Lambert credited to feeling vulnerable â and likely c0ld â at the time it was written (Max Martin and Shellback served as executive producers).
For âTwo Fux,â the singer comes back around to his sweet spot â vocal falsettos and mid-tempo pop hooks â with the confidence of someone who seems, musically, at least, finally content with his life. Or at least that what the line âNamaste right hereâ suggests.
Itâs a pride song, appropriately released during Gay Pride month, in which the lyrics confess: âNo one gets me but myself / Iâve been this way since I was 12.â They also deadpan: âPeople think that Iâm from Mars / Whatever,â Lambert sings. âGot that magic called ADD / Rep for them aliens / Different like me,â he later snaps as part of the overall theme of not giving âtwo fux.â
Production credits have yet to be revealed yet, but as far as the music is concerned, the cheeky title sits comfortably among a waltz-like clicking piano that drives the melody. And hat-tip to the guitar solo two-thirds of the way through. Might it be Queenâs Brian May, who played the part on âJimmy Kimmel Live!â last week? Weâll update as soon as more info is available.
In the meantime, watch fan video of Lambert performing the song on June 22.
variety.com/2017/music/news/adam-lambert-two-fux-single-review-1202480279/NEW SNIPPETADAM LAMBERTâ @adamlambert
#TwoFux in 3 days!!
NEW Franz Szony Photoshoot Photo
franzszonyYes Queen! @adamlambert as a royal bust, sculpted in Indian clay. Hair & makeup by @jonlieckfeltbeauty, @sugarpill, sculpting @marlomeekins. #adamlambert #queen #royal #ginger #portrait @hasselblad
http://instagr.am/p/BV3evEGFKL1
QAL 2017 Tour ScheduleNorth American TourJune 23rd Phoenix, AZ - Gila River Arena
June 24th Las Vegas, NV - T-Mobile Arena
June 26th Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood BowlJune 27th Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood BowlJune 29th San Jose, CA - SAP Center
July 1st Seattle, WA - Key Arena
July 2nd Vancouver, BC - Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena
July 4th Edmonton, AB - Rogers Place
July 6th Denver, CO - Pepsi Center Arena
July 8th Omaha, NE - CenturyLink Arena
July 9th Kansas City, MO - Sprint Centre
July 13th Chicago, IL - United Center
July 14th St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
July 17th Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
July 18th Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre
July 20th Detroit, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills
July 21st Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
July 23rd Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
July 25th Boston, MA - TD Garden
July 26th Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
July 28th New York, NY - Barclays Center
July 30th Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
July 31st Washington D.C. - Verizon Center
August 2nd Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena
August 4th Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
August 5th Houston, TX - Toyota Center
European and UK TourNovember 1st - Prague, Czech Republic, O2 Arena
November 2nd - Munich, Germany, Olympiahalle
November 4th - Budapest, Hungary, Sportarena
November 6th - Lodz, Poland, Atlas Arena
November 8th - Vienna, Austria, Stadhalle
November 10th - Bologna, Italy, Unipol Arena
November 12th - Luxembourg, Amneville Galaxie
November 13th - Amsterdam, Netherlands, Ziggo Dome
November 17th - Kaunas, Lithuania, Zalgiris Arena
November 19th - Hartwell Arena, Helsinki, Finland
November 21st - Friends Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
November 22nd - Royal Arena, Copenhagen, Denmark
November 25th - Dublin, 3 Arena
November 26th - Belfast, SSE Arena- BUY TICKETS
November 28th - Liverpool, Echo Arena
November 30th - Birmingham, Barclaycard Arena
December 1st - Newcastle, Metro Radio Arena
December 3rd - Glasgow, The SSE Hydro
December 5th - Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
December 6th - Leeds, First Direct Arena
December 8th - Sheffield Arena
December 9th - Manchester, Arena
December 12th - London, 02 Arena
December 13th - London, 02 Arena
December 15th - London, The SSE Arena, Wembley
December 16th - Birmingham, Barclaycard Arena