|
Post by tinafea on Jul 6, 2017 23:43:44 GMT -5
Queen + Adam Lambert go through all the hits at Rogers Place Tom Murray Queen and Adam Lambert (R) in concert at Rogers Place in Edmonton, July 4, 2017. Ed Kaiser/Postmedia It's impossible to believe that Adam Lambert would kill a man. Other than that, the American Idol runner-up was perfectly acceptable as a Freddie Mercury replacement at Tuesday night's Queen + Adam Lambert performance. The now five-year-old project has provoked grumbles in some quarters as hardcore fans denounce Lambert's association with original members Brian May and Roger Taylor, but the fact is everyone involved seems energized by the collaboration. Most importantly, the audience at the nearly packed Rogers Place were completely won over. The two-and-a-half hour concert focused almost exclusively on the hits, more than you remember, with a a Lambert tune (Two Fux) and a rambling (some would say tedious) song/guitar solo off of Brian May's 1992 solo album Back to the Light thrown in for good measure. May was in good form on guitar and Taylor kept up the pace on drums while providing background vocals, taking over David Bowie's vocal part on Under Pressure. Lambert kept up his end of the bargain, not only hitting all the right notes but also strutting about in a number of different leather outfits, from fuchsia to sparkly black, taking all attention as his due while also graciously reflecting it back at the two original members. The set list hit on everything you would have wanted to hear; if there were any quibbles it was from occasional sound issues, like the murky bass on Another One Bites the Dust. May and Taylor were given their moments to shine, including a drum battle between Taylor and auxiliary percussionist Tyler Warren, and Freddie Mercury showed up in several video clips, though possibly one too many, if you have a distaste for duets from the grave. Homage can be a good thing in rock 'n' roll, but only in small doses. As with the classic, original lineup, Queen + Adam Lambert were at their best when they fell headlong into the bombast. Fat Bottomed Girls was as hilariously ridiculous as you'd expect, Crazy Little Thing Called Love and Killer Queen rocked, and I Want It All was a perfect statement of purpose for both singer and band. The short snippet of We Will Rock You that opened the night before Hammer to Fall (from 1984's The Works) was a Pavlovian exercise in audience salivation. Stage antics were kept to a minimum, with the exception of Lambert's sweet, three wheel ride, a perfect accessory for Bicycle Race. There was simply no topping Bohemian Rhapsody as a closer, though the band did go on to encore with four more songs; We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions are more chants than songs, but they do sound absolutely right echoing through a hockey arena, with thousands of fans screaming themselves hoarse along with Lambert and crew. To his credit Lambert was willing to address the elephant in the room, acknowledging that he's stepped into some fairly large shoes while cheekily claiming them as his own. This might be true, but both his talent and good humor make him a good stand in for Mercury; it might not be authentic enough for some, but as a separate entity Queen + Adam Lambert more than stand on their own. www.edmontonsun.com/2017/07/05/queen--adam-lambert-go-through-all-the-hits-at-rogers-placethe article was also published in the Edmonton Journal:Queen + Adam Lambert hit all the right notes at Rogers Placeedmontonjournal.com/entertainment/music/queen-adam-lambert-hit-all-the-right-notes-at-rogers-placeAdam Lambert on fronting Queen: ‘This is crazy. This is my life’By Kevin Coffey / World-Herald staff writer Adam Lambert says it's still surreal to be performing with Queen. "I'll run into friends and they're like, 'This is so weird, dude. You're, like, in Queen.'"Adam Lambert used to sing on cruise ships and small theater productions.
And then he auditioned for “American Idol.” By the end of that season, he had placed second, become a pop sensation and performed with members of Queen.
It led to a successful solo career as well as several festival and arena tours fronting Queen alongside original members Brian May and Roger Taylor.
Before Queen + Adam Lambert landed in Omaha on Saturday, we caught up with Lambert about the tour, his solo career, connecting with huge audiences and stepping into iconic frontman Freddie Mercury’s shoes.
Q. So what is it like standing behind the stage, ready to step out and front Queen? Do you think at all about how Freddie Mercury would do it?
A. When we first started working together, I was very intimidated by that idea. Immediately when this came together, I was honored. It was an opportunity I was never gonna pass up.
But it was scary. I mean, Freddie.
Over the past five years, we’ve seen that it worked and the audience loved it, and we’ve grown more connected as a band. We have a lot of fun together.
The music itself has gotten into my body like it is in their bodies.
Q. So you’re more comfortable with that now? You kind of got thrown into playing with the band right away.
A. The first show that we did was in the Ukraine. It was for like a quarter of a million people. It was huge. I had nine days of rehearsal to prep for that. It was a lot to wrap your head around. But I like being challenged as an artist. I think it was good for me and it taught me a lot and it has continued to.
Q. How do you stay true to the original while making it your own thing?
A. It’s a really interesting process. I don’t try to overthink it. And I don’t try to imitate Freddie. That would be a cop out. I also try not to take it too far from the original either. That would be sort of sacrilegious. It’s also a case of taking a second of thinking of what the intention of the song was. Why was it written? What was the story behind it?
When I get that story behind each song, I know what I want to get out of it.
Q. Is it still a little surreal to be onstage with Queen?
A. We’ll do a certain song and I don’t know. The connection with each other and the audience all at once. There’s quite an energy that can happen. It’s hard to predict when it’s gonna hit me. Oh my god, this is crazy. This is my life.
I’ll run into friends and they’re like, “This is so weird, dude. You’re, like, in Queen.”
Q. What’s it like doing this tour compared to your solo tours? It’s obviously on a different scale.
A. The budgets are slightly different. (laughs) Yeah, it’s fun. It’s a huge show. We’re selling out everywhere. It’s a success.
I was lucky enough to sell out my dates on my solo tour, but they were much smaller.
I think it’s gonna be really fun. I think audiences are gonna love the show. If you saw us the first time around, don’t let that be a deterrent to coming back. It’s gonna feel different.
I’m gonna have new outfits. That’s arguably the most important part. (laughs) I love putting a new outfit together. I’m like a kid on Halloween.
Q. How is what you’re doing with Queen different from what you’re doing on your own? Generally speaking, I don’t think the pop landscape is as open as it was.
A. Everyone would agree with that. That’s the thing about top 40 and pop music. It’s always evolving and changing. One of the things I’m noticing and I love is that anything goes stylistically. A lot of different genres are being explored.
The underlying similarity is ... a good song being a good song. That’s why theirs has stood the test of time. It’s got heart, it’s got great melody and it’s performed with passion. Those things will never go out of style. People always respond to those three ingredients.
Q. So how about you? Do you have any new music coming?
A. I’ve been working on stuff for the past six months. I have some great songs. I don’t actually know yet when I’m going to unveil them. It’s been great to be working on my own stuff during this hiatus. It’s been good. I’m excited to. I never like to repeat myself. It’s definitely a different sound from my last project. I’m excited to be doing something different.
Read more... www.omaha.com/go/music/adam-lambert-on-fronting-queen-this-is-crazy-this-is/article_c4755813-3d7f-50a5-90ea-e01c82d0158d.html
QAL 2017 Tour Schedule
North American Tour
June 23rd Phoenix, AZ - Gila River Arena June 24th Las Vegas, NV - T-Mobile Arena June 26th Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl June 27th Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl June 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 Tour November 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
|
|
|
Post by adamrocks on Jul 7, 2017 0:06:30 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Q3 on Jul 7, 2017 0:52:52 GMT -5
I totally approve of the new shirt and the setlist shuffle.
****
The reviewer from Edmonton really nailed my only two quibbles with this new show....
The set list hit on everything you would have wanted to hear; if there were any quibbles it was from occasional sound issues, like the murky bass on Another One Bites the Dust. May and Taylor were given their moments to shine, including a drum battle between Taylor and auxiliary percussionist Tyler Warren, and Freddie Mercury showed up in several video clips, though possibly one too many, if you have a distaste for duets from the grave. Homage can be a good thing in rock 'n' roll, but only in small doses.
I am mystified by the persistent sound issues on this tour. Every show there is something a bit off -- and often it is that murky bass sound. I hope they work it out.
I also agree that Freddie pops up one time too often. The LOML Brian segment is beautiful and the Freddie in BoRhap makes sense (although I think it is unnecessary). But if I was the boss of Queen, I would cut the Freddie call and response segment which just adds nothing.
They have no much band video -- why not a band montage? And no, I am not hating on Freddie, but I think Q+AL is something in its own right and should be allowed to develop and shine without so much looking back. But if they are going to look back make it fun, interesting, new -- not a video every real Queen fans knows by heart.
|
|
|
Post by stampsgal on Jul 7, 2017 1:06:24 GMT -5
My Edmonton Recap ---stressed with real life trying to get this done ---and here it winds up late but lucky enough it fits the thread title ---Edmonton reviews (Long--scroll is one's best friend.) Everything relates to Adam and Queen
I start my car and pull out of my local service station ready to begin my 4 hour drive to Edmonton and my radio is playing the last bit of Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Well …I thought …how fortuitous! I went solo…as my Atop buddy has moved out of province and attended the Vancouver concert, and friends had family commitments with it being the tail end of July 1st here. Later in the day as I bought a take-out burger from the bar ---what is playing, Another One Bites The Dust! Hey hey! Alright Edmonton has the spirit. Leaving Edmonton, I am pulling out of a service station and an Edmonton female DJ is asking “ well everyone…how was that Queen and Adam Lambert concert last night? And I am going to play a Queen song in a bit”. She takes a call, and it is positive, but did not give the fella enough time between all her questions to expand on his thoughts. The man got in a few things--- I saw them the last time they were here…thought it was a great show, but a quiet crowd. Quiet why? Most likely due to the demographics being all ages/a lot of young people, and not as many “grey hairs” as the last time-- was his thought. The DJ commented on the younger generations attending, saying…I guess we are educating them well! I thought that was a very astute comment then she throws in, she has been to many Glass Tiger concerts and no one is quiet there (well she started nice enough--boo to her!) Then she goes to commercial and the program comes back with Fat Bottom Girls playing. (she redeemed herself ---a bit) I thought how cool that my start, the middle and the end of my journey had referencing to QAL/Q.
With so many amazing recaps I can hardly do justice to the superlatives/feeling/emotions that some were able to put to into words. I thought I could share a few specific moments that are stuck in my mind, and the logistics of the concert that made it an awesome concert night for me. To start--it is the one and only concert I am attending. And it was Brilliant! Here we go---As I shared yesterday in a post, I checked out the venue and all the information the receptionist shared with me that I posted in the thread was wrong…SORRY! The gates opened at 7 not 6:30, and you could access the floor through any gate…not just 15 as I was told. Needless to say, I had a lot of time to kill as the concert started closer to 8:40. I should have taken a nap!! Anyway…I bought my program from one of the fellas standing in the almost vacant concourse by the merchandise. I have enough t-shirts. Too bad as there literally was no line-up. I headed to aisle 15 and found my seat, as barely anyone was in the arena. The seats were numbered differently than the Ticketmaster image so I was 2 seats further from the fret than I expected but the seat position was still awesome. And it never mattered anyway. No one came for the two seats on either side of me. The people to my right in the direction of the side of the fret stage--- were short! In front of me--my height! Yay!! An unobstructed view. And I thought –crap- the two vacant seats on the stage side were going to get filled with 6”4” guys. Never happened! As soon as the second bursting of smoke appeared. (first was a false alarm or a test), the lady at the end of my row jumped up to the barricade. When people around us saw her move there was a surge to the barrier. I was one of them. I became row two as being my polite self I could have had a spot but it might have involved a slight body check to the lady who ducked under as I reached for the barrier rail. She apologized right away, and offered me the spot. I thought too late for that. I did tell her that Adam would be coming around so be prepared. What a nut I am, I ”shoulda” been just as pushy! Oh well…she was shorter than me, and a Queen fan. But honestly it was only an extra 1.5 feet from the barrier position for the whole night! The same gal let me in for the Adam/GAGA hand touch. My hand was missed…but I sure saw him up close. (Adam likes his stage make-up –holy moly...I have to say it makes him look great on the big screens.) I have to say Brian and Roger look very fresh in real life. Those were the best seats I have purchased for a concert in terms of being able to visually see the show, plus see: faces and full bodies on both the big and little stage and the runway action. Being 8 feet away even though from the side ---well my eyes were glued to them when they came to the little stage. When performing they looked in our direction more than the other side… happy girl here! I locked eyes once with Adam. I know it! His eyes/head did a little stop check - then he carried on. I cannot even remember which song…think SYW…he was wearing the silver suit. Adam and Brian surveyed our little group/area on several occasions. Excitement plus, outstretched arms and smiles and cheers galore! Brian kinda pauses and looks but it seems more like wonderful scan, versus specific people. The selfie moment captured my white jacket arms up in the air. I went back to retrieve my water that I left behind under my chair, but made the arms up just in time. It is not in Dr. Bri’s but in another picture of the selfie. In Dr. Bri’s I am hidden behind one of those lights on the fret stage. Now for just a few highlights/memories:
My eyes were so busy watching, my brain sometimes did not remember exactly which song, which moment. I do however have a few major memories, the first one I will share was in the song CTLCL. Adam was on pause while Roger and Brian played their parts. Adam was goofing around doing these Elvis leg and hip moves near the front of the fret. Then he moved back closer to Roger and continued to go totally over the top with more Elvis moves. He went on and on--more hip/more knees/more on his toe lifts then he was looking downward and to the side, shoulders hunched/bent at the waist, head cocked to one side (my side) and then he added in all those Elvis lips and face moves. He was having a ball! It was like he got totally carried away being goofy thinking how many of these moves can I do while Brian is playing. Whoops now I have to get back to the program at hand! I laughed to myself thinking, how many hours as a little kid, did he stand in front of a mirror trying out those impersonations. While others had the lead, I cannot forget Adam in the muted red light glow mimicking Making Love/humping on all fours. It was over in a flash. He then moved near Roger, quite enjoying performing his risqué liberating moves, such as bending over waving his butt and hand. What a guy. I had not seen full videos of that song. I had no idea what he was getting up to in the background while the others were performing. I guess his part was bringing the erotic to the Queen show. (Great fun to see what is not always on the screen.) Being Up close: I really was able to see how his body prepares to belt out those big notes. Leaning forward/bent knees, then rising up and the tongue coming out and literally vibrating, or going in and out while going for it. Yet, other times a long note or words/sounds would build and one would never know how he is preparing as externally there was little change --he was already standing tall/head up and that ability would just overwhelm me. Also --Close enough to see spit flying out. (just twice) Close enough to see his furry chest and his left furry knee cap (peeking from under the silver pants unzipped at the knee while seated singing Spread Your Wings). Close enough to really see the clothes, (love his choices for this tour---the best!) the shoes, the realllly RED freakin hair…no wonder he wears a hat when off the stage (he commented it was fine for the stage, not so much real life—no kidding). Dr. May’s striped shirt was actually shimmery. Logistics:Leaning on the shoulder height stage for my first real Adam tour (GNT Boise) I rarely focused on anything other than staring at Adam. He stared back too! It was a super experience but since then I know --I want to see Adam, AND I also want to see the SHOW/ dancers/lights etc. I do not go to a zillion shows each tour, just one or two so I need to really think about location and making the most of the experience. Last night was perfect for me. Visually I saw all of the production, lights, platform lifts, etc. I rarely concentrated on the screens except for viewing Roger and Freddie clips, and when the visuals behind were “the show”. Seeing all that creative production and lighting in person was spectacular. I am so glad the lasers worked. I was beginning to wonder but they used them extensively in the later portion of the concert---just not the first part of the show. I can see why some do not want to look at videos. I knew kinda what to expect through some on/off periscopes but if I had never seen the bigger picture …it would have been even more-- WOW/ captivating/attention grabbing. On the other side of that coin was knowing what is coming, to mentally prepare for special moments I did not want to miss. I am so glad Kryptoman reminded me about ear plugs. I dug them out and thank gosh I did. When the plugs are in the voices/singing is crystal clear, and the music a bit muted. No chipmunk effect, and no concert after effect on my ears. After trying to get a pic or two, in previous concerts I found I missed things by trying to look into my camera or iphone and the pictures were terrible. I was not going to take pictures but I just had to as I was so close. After a few shots, I realized by watching those around me I could have my eyes up to watch Adam/Brian/Roger and video by having my elbows in and having my iphone by my chin or by my shoulder. This time I could just press video and let it run as I was so close there was little need to zoom in. They may not be perfect vids…but a good decision for me. I have my memories a tap away on my iphone, and in my brain. (I wonder which will last longer!!) The fellas and whole QAL team did themselves proud. I am so thrilled Adam has an outlet for his amazing talents and it has allowed me to feel and see that talent.
It is like he really is a "real person", when I see him close up like this. This is not photo shopped. Like the concert, everything is live.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Location:
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2017 1:41:15 GMT -5
I totally approve of the new shirt and the setlist shuffle. **** The reviewer from Edmonton really nailed my only two quibbles with this new show.... The set list hit on everything you would have wanted to hear; if there were any quibbles it was from occasional sound issues, like the murky bass on Another One Bites the Dust. May and Taylor were given their moments to shine, including a drum battle between Taylor and auxiliary percussionist Tyler Warren, and Freddie Mercury showed up in several video clips, though possibly one too many, if you have a distaste for duets from the grave. Homage can be a good thing in rock 'n' roll, but only in small doses.I am mystified by the persistent sound issues on this tour. Every show there is something a bit off -- and often it is that murky bass sound. I hope they work it out. I also agree that Freddie pops up one time too often. The LOML Brian segment is beautiful and the Freddie in BoRhap makes sense (although I think it is unnecessary). But if I was the boss of Queen, I would cut the Freddie call and response segment which just adds nothing. They have no much band video -- why not a band montage? And no, I am not hating on Freddie, but I think Q+AL is something in its own right and should be allowed to develop and shine without so much looking back. But if they are going to look back make it fun, interesting, new -- not a video every real Queen fans knows by heart. Agree and I'll add one more quibble. At the end of WWTLF I would like to see a clear pause that allows the song to clearly end and receive its due applause before Brian's solo starts.
|
|
|
Post by pi on Jul 7, 2017 1:42:21 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by pi on Jul 7, 2017 1:43:15 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by pi on Jul 7, 2017 1:44:09 GMT -5
|
|