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Post by pi on Jul 17, 2017 6:33:53 GMT -5
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Post by pi on Jul 17, 2017 6:36:26 GMT -5
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Post by pi on Jul 17, 2017 6:40:19 GMT -5
twitter.com/thescreendoor/status/886916483648937984
antiMusic
Queen + Adam Lambert Live In ChicagoUnited Center- Chicago, IL on July 13, 2017
On July 13th, 1985 rock n' roll royalty took over Wembley Stadium in London, England for Live Aid. The charity event was watched by the world as nearly a hundred artists on both sides of the Atlantic performed in the name of poverty, specifically the Ethiopian famine. The show is one of the defining moments of the modern music era, but no act that day was more powerful, dominant or downright magnificent than Queen. Freddie Mercury, John Deacon, Brian May and Roger Taylor dominated for the twenty-minutes they were onstage. The world was left in awe at Queen's mastery of the crowd and despite standout sets by Davie Bowie and U2, no one gripped the crowd with an iron fist like Queen.
Thirty-two years to the day, Queen + Adam Lambert setup shop inside Chicago's United Center. Deacon retired many years ago and after a brief stint with Paul Rodgers a decade back, Queen has been touring with Adam Lambert, of American Idol fame. This incarnation of the band toured America for the first time in 2014 and they have returned to American shores for a blistering 2-hour show that covers their entire career showcasing their catalog in a different light.
With a teasing "We Will Rock You" to open the show, the intense workout went into overdrive with "Hammer To Fall" delivering a powerful blow in a masterful display of a band reaching for the audiences jugular. The furious "Stone Cold Crazy" was an exercise for May shaking then more muscular side of the band. "Metallica" covered this song back in 1990 and chose it as the b-side to "Enter Sandman" which is easy to forget. Critics who dismissed Queen for their softer side obviously never acknowledged the fury within, notably their influence on hard rock and metal.
Adam Lambert has always been a top-tier showman and he's truly the only artist to emerge from the last quarter century to not so much step into Freddie Mercury's shoes but embody his art. He acknowledged this early in the show, "There will only be for all of time...one Freddie Mercury". Lambert was surreal in 2014 and since then he has continue to grow by leaps and bounds. On "Another One Bites the Dust" Lambert strutted and seduced the 17,000 at the United Center. You could see Lambert in 2014 acclimating himself with the Queen catalog where he delicately attacked these songs. Make no mistake; his performance was entertaining but this time out, his confidence level shows. It doesn't feel like he's trying to replace Mercury as much as finding a way to ensure the audience embraces these songs and their history. With his high ruby red heels and red hair, Lambert delivered these two-dozen songs in the most fantastic and splashy manner possible, notably on "Killer Queen" where he rose from beneath the stage on top of a mechanical head from the News of the World album cover.
"Don't Stop Me Now" and "Fat Bottomed Girls" featured incredible harmonies from the entire band alongside untouchable performances. Queen has always been a force to be reckoned with that the indivisible talents may have been overshadowed. They may have been the single most talented four-piece band ever. All four members wrote number-one singles; a feat the Beatles didn't even accomplish as a band. Several of the shows highlights were from songs not necessarily available on any Greatest Hits collection but they were every bit as viable. Drummer Roger Taylor have his pipes an exercise as he tore through "I'm in Love With My Car" amidst smoke and dizzying lights while May and Taylor challenge each other musically pushing the song to extremes and to a spectacular climax. "Get Down, Make Love" from the underrated News of the World album was aggressive and a welcomed addition to the set. The staging and imagery tapped into the bands sixth album News throughout the show. The current tour was set to focus on the album with the inclusion of "It's Late" and "Spread Your Wings", but they had been replaced after the first few shows. American music fans of Queen have always had a unique relationship with the band. I personally am guilty of not being as intimately aware of the catalog as a whole and what I've heard over the last few tours has peaked my interest and thanks I continue to dive into the entire Queen catalog. Their discography is so much more than compilations but a sprawling and magnetic body of work. One can only hope they continue to dive deeper into the catalog on future tours.
Read more... www.antimusic.com/reviews/17/Queen_+_Adam_Lambert_Live_In_Chicago.shtml
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Post by satisfied on Jul 17, 2017 6:42:37 GMT -5
Cute! The last time that happened, Adam was all "WHO is at my ass?!" lol. Oh, the good old times... Good catch! Also, may I say it's never too early in the morning to watch WLL.
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Post by satisfied on Jul 17, 2017 6:50:57 GMT -5
Now that's a review. I wanted to highlight favourite passages but there are too many. So well written as well ("embody his art" is perfect). Thanks for bringing it over, pi!
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Post by pi on Jul 17, 2017 7:01:44 GMT -5
Now that's a review. I wanted to highlight favourite passages but there are too many. So well written as well ("embody his art" is perfect). Thanks for bringing it over, pi! You're welcome! It's a fabulous review by someone who really gets Queen + Adam. Loved all the great things he said about Adam, and he's one of the few reviewers to fully acknowledge and grasp what Adam does with WWTLF, saying "Lambert found a way to live within the song, express the underlying emotions and allow the arrangement to make the song into an emotional tour de force rarely seen at any show."
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Post by pi on Jul 17, 2017 7:13:14 GMT -5
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Post by bamafan on Jul 17, 2017 7:17:36 GMT -5
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Post by bamafan on Jul 17, 2017 7:18:23 GMT -5
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Post by pi on Jul 17, 2017 7:29:20 GMT -5
Clearly he has too much time on his hands.
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