7.15.17 QAL heads up to Montreal!! Plus, more reviews
Jul 15, 2017 0:45:26 GMT -5
Post by Q3 on Jul 15, 2017 0:45:26 GMT -5
Queen & Adam Lambert on top of the ‘World’ at the United Center
Music Reviews 07/14/2017, 08:51am
Brian May (left), drummer Roger Taylor (background) and Adam Lambert perform at the United Center on Thursday, July 13, 2017. | Santiago Covarrubias/For the Sun-Times
Jeff Elbel - For the Sun-Times
Three summers following their North American debut in Chicago, Queen + Adam Lambert returned to the United Center Thursday night for an encore performance that boosted the energy and spectacle to stellar heights. The concert helped to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Queen’s best-selling “News of the World” LP. The childlike-but-deadly giant robot from the album’s cover interacted with the band and crowd via a dazzling multimedia display, animatronics and an articulated stage.
“These are legends, you guys,” said Lambert as he introduced guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor, describing his joy in honoring the late Freddie Mercury’s memory onstage alongside the pair. “Every night, I’m like, oh my God. Is this the real life, or is this just fantasy?,” he added, cribbing from “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
“There will only be, for all of time, one Freddie Mercury,” Lambert proclaimed, making plain that he wasn’t trying to replace the irreplaceable. Still, it was easy to imagine Mercury smiling upon Lambert. The pop chart-topper and “American Idol” veteran put all of his considerable talent into bravura performances of songs like the spine-tingling “Who Wants to Live Forever.”
Singer Adam Lambert (left) and guitarist Brian May of Queen perform in concert at the United Center on Thursday, July 13, 2017. | Santiago Covarrubias/For the Sun-Times
A bevy of hits filled the set, and the band was ferocious from the jump with “Hammer to Fall.” Lambert and May stood shoulder-to-shoulder for the song’s climax, exhibiting an easy chemistry that was evident throughout the evening. The crowd responded with fever pitch for the close vocal harmony and Taylor’s drum intro to “Fat Bottomed Girls.” An extended solo by May allowed Lambert to make his first of many glam-tastic wardrobe changes. “Freddy was a fashionista,” said Lambert, emerging in an embroidered purple suit and high-heeled boots. “I’ve got to keep up.”
The band also catered to hardcore fans during the two-hour set, playing deep cuts including the manic “Don’t Stop Me Now” and psychedelic “Get Down, Make Love.”
Before playing a solo acoustic “Love of My Life,” May described his appreciation for Chicago’s musical legacy. It might not have seemed exotic to locals, May suggested, but hearing a blues record from Chicago was a lightning bolt for a kid in Middlesex, England. “It was one of the bibles we grew up with,” he said.
May introduced longtime associate Spike Edney, highlighting his hometown ties here. Edney added elegance on piano, and was also prominently featured during Lambert’s own current single “Two F–.” The song’s stuttering synth-pop and Lambert’s falsetto flight served as both a lighthearted romp and a self-assured statement of inner strength, as May sparked a note-perfect solo followed by majestic power chords. It was a natural fusion between the artists’ pop and art-rock palettes.
Lambert rode a pink delivery bike festooned with carnations that he tossed into the crowd during “Bicycle Race.” The hall became a sea of raised hands for the double-claps marking the chorus of “Radio Ga Ga.” Stadium anthems “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions” were fitting showstoppers, with thunderous singing from the audience.
The night’s cheeky and exuberant performance was testament to Queen’s tremendous staying power, while suggesting that new music with Lambert could be worthwhile and fun.
Jeff Elbel is a local freelance writer.
SET LIST
We Will Rock You (teaser)
Hammer to Fall
Stone Cold Crazy
Another One Bites the Dust
Fat Bottomed Girls
Killer Queen
Two F– (Adam Lambert single)
Don’t Stop Me Now
Bicycle Race
I’m in Love With My Car
Get Down, Make Love
I Want It All
Love of My Life
Somebody to Love
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Drum Battle
Under Pressure
I Want to Break Free
Who Wants to Live Forever
Guitar Solo
Radio Ga Ga
Bohemian Rhapsody
ENCORE:
We Will Rock You
We Are the Champions
Link: chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment/adam-lambert-queen-on-top-of-the-world-at-the-united-center/
Queen finds new king in singer and frontman Adam Lambert
Review: Performance offers the right mix of bombast, camp and rock with Lambert on the bill.
By Jon Bream Star Tribune
July 14, 2017 — 11:37pm
(12 photos here -- link below)
Anthony Souffle – Star Tribune
Gallery: Singer Adam Lambert, guitarist Brian May, and drummer Roger Taylor took the stage during Friday night's Queen performance at the Xcel Energy Center.
At the risk of sounding sacrilegious, God did not save Queen. But Adam did.
That's Adam Lambert, the "American Idol" runner-up from 2009. In 2012, he joined up with two surviving members of the British rock band Queen, which had pretty much disappeared after the 1991 death of singer Freddie Mercury, for some concerts. Now they have rebuilt the band to surprising heights, drawing more than 15,000 people to jam-packed Xcel Energy Center on Friday and filling arenas around the world.
In 2005, Queen tried a comeback with singer Paul Rodgers of Bad Company. His performances were workmanlike, the shows unexciting. The arrangement was short-lived.
Then along came Lambert, the best thing to happen to Queen since the 1992 film "Wayne's World" featured the band's "Bohemian Rhapsody," introducing its ambitious prog-rock to new generations.
On Friday, Queen + Adam Lambert, as the group is officially billed, was the right combination of bombast, camp and arena rock, with the kind of delicious excess to thrill Queen fans young and old.
To be honest, Lambert is not a great rock singer. He's not a natural. But he is adept at acting like a rock star, singing with power but not consistent passion. He seldom got lost in his songs the way the great rock singers do. And the one new number, "Two Fux" from his upcoming solo album, was a misguided dud.
www.startribune.com/queen-finds-new-king-in-singer-and-frontman-adam-lambert/434612273/#1
Anthony Souffle, Star Tribune
Singer Adam Lambert and guitarist Brian May stood in front of drummer Roger Taylor on stage during Friday night's Queen performance at the Xcel Energy Center.
At times on Friday, Lambert didn't quite know how to move (it could have been the platform shoes that hindered him) or to work the entire guitar-shaped stage, including the runway (which was the guitar's neck). Plus, too often he was fiddling with his ear monitors and their control knobs in his back pocket.
But the hopelessly theatrical Lambert was campy and hammy enough to add the right kind of vibe to suggest Mercury. He wore seven different outfits, ranging from a fuchsia suit to black leather with red gloves, sunglasses and boots (channeling an edgier George Michael).
Early on, Lambert articulated the issue at hand: "Some of you are thinking: 'He's no Freddie Mercury.' I know. The man is a god. And there will only be one Freddie. I'm a fan just like you guys. I'm lucky to be singing these songs."
Not only was the specter of Mercury in the arena, but he appeared via videotape a few times, singing "Day Oh," a little bit of "Bohemian Rhapsody" and at the end of "Love of My Life," which Queen guitarist Brian May was singing. That number seemed to turn the show around halfway through.
Heretofore the pomp and over-the-topness of Queen had been missing. Suddenly Lambert summoned newfound passion on "Somebody to Love" and camped it up Elvis-like on "Crazy Little Thing Called Love." The singer found his shining moment on "Who Wants to Live Forever," the kind of power ballad that made him such a sensation on "American Idol."
Drummer Roger Taylor, 67, and guitarist May, who turns 70 next week, also had their moments in the spotlight on instrumentals. May, who earned a Ph.D. in astrophysics in his spare time, even bought into the kitsch of Queen by donning a silver cape. His mountain of silver curls provided quite a contrast to Lambert's flaming red hair.
Queen + Adam Lambert had opened the evening by promising "We Will Rock You." They did, for the most part, ending deservedly with "We Are the Champions," with Lambert prancing around in a silver outfit with a cheesy crown amid shiny gold confetti.
Link: www.startribune.com/queen-finds-new-king-in-singer-and-frontman-adam-lambert/434612273/#1
Queen triumphs at St. Paul’s X with assist from Adam Lambert
Queen + Adam Lambert perform onstage during the North American Tour kickoff at Gila River Arena on June 23, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Miracle Productions LLP)
By Ross Raihala | rraihala@pioneerpress.com | Pioneer Press
July 14, 2017 at 11:13 pm
The late Freddie Mercury is one tough act to follow, and no one knows that better than Adam Lambert, the guy currently filling Mercury’s shoes in Queen.
The “American Idol” vet admitted it himself during Queen + Adam Lambert’s sold-out concert Friday night at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center: “There are a couple of you out there who are, like, ‘Pffft. He’s no Freddie Mercury. Who’s this guy?’
“I know.”
And yet, Lambert proved to be a fine foil for guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor, and kept the crowd of more than 15,000 cheering with two hours of some of rock music’s most rousing and flamboyant anthems, opening with a tease of “We Will Rock You” and revisiting it in full during the encore with “We Are the Champions.”
May and Taylor clearly wanted to continue playing Queen songs after Mercury’s death in 1991, and in the time since have recorded and performed live with a handful of replacement vocalists, including everyone from Luciano Pavarotti to Elton John. Bad Company’s Paul Rodgers even spent the latter half of the ’00s on the road with the duo. (Bassist John Deacon retired in 1997.)
Lambert may well be the best match of them all. Friday night, he didn’t do a full-out Mercury impression, like Arnel Pineda does of Steve Perry in Journey. At times, he certainly sounded like Mercury, but Lambert brought his own flair to the songs. He also conjured up some of the campy, playful sexiness of Mercury, who showed up on film during several key moments of the show, including the end of a monstrous “Bohemian Rhapsody” that closed the main set.
“Freddie Mercury is a god, and there will only be one Freddie,” the animated Lambert told the audience. “I’m a fan just like you guys, and I am so lucky and honored to be up here every night.”
It sounded like Lambert meant it. He obviously enjoyed himself on stage and indulged in several costume changes, from tight black leather trousers to an embroidered purple suit jacket. “(Mercury) was a fashionista,” he said. “I’m doing my best to keep up. What do you think?” At the end of a terrific run through “Get Down, Make Love,” Lambert cooed: “Was it good for you? I got twins. Twin Cities tonight. Two’s better than one, right?”
May took to the tip of the massive, guitar-shaped stage midway through the show, and gently crooned “Love of My Life” accompanied by acoustic guitar while urging the crowd to sing along. He also took his usual, overlong and indulgent guitar solo later in the set. Taylor was responsible for another dull moment when he sang lead on the dreary “I’m in Love with My Car.”
Beyond that, though, it was an evening full of championship moments, with Lambert nailing several key Queen classics — “I Want It All,” “Killer Queen,” “Somebody to Love” — that Rodgers didn’t dare attempt when he played the X with Queen in March 2006. Once again, Adam Lambert is no Freddie Mercury, but Friday night he proved he’ll do.
Link: www.twincities.com/2017/07/14/queen-triumphs-at-st-pauls-x-with-assist-from-adam-lambert/
QAL 2017 Tour Schedule
North American Tour
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