9.22.13 The Reviews Are In -- Adam can sing!! :)

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iheartradio#AdamLambert strikes a pose before his performance at the #iheartradio Music Festival Photo: @pauloctavious for iHeartRadio

My Recap of the iHeartRadio Music Festival
9.22.13 by Q3

Adam Lambert's "Who Wants to Live Forever" is the best live vocal I have ever heard. There is not much else to say but of course I can’t stop “talking” about this show.

***

It was the end of a very, very long day. I barely slept the night before and got up at 4:00AM EDT to fly to Las Vegas. After hours of traveling, two flights, a 50-minute wait to check in, $20 donated to Las Vegas casinos, dinner and drinks with a few ATop friends, another long line to get into the arena, and 5 hours of opening acts…

Second biggest surprise of the night

The second biggest surprise of the night for me was how great Elton John is live. I have never seen him live before and I was blown away! I was expecting a typical “icon performs” event – I would watch with respect and remember what he used to be like, and then clap politely thinking “I’ll be old and irrelevant someday too.” But Elton brought so much talent, joy, energy and sheer showmanship to his performance (along with a killer band) that it was not an icon performing, it was an iconic performance.

****

As the time approached for the Queen + Adam Lambert, the Katy Perry iHR video promo included a great compliment of Adam.

I was so lucky. For starters I had a floor seat on the center right aisle – no complaints. But I got even luckier because right before Adam took the stage I got asked if I wanted to move up a few rows, and I said yes. I ended up in the center, a few rows in front of the catwalk. My dream location!!

Then as the time approached, this video was played on the big screen. Adam was the polite, nice Adam we all know so well.

youtu.be/6vbwu4cMVqI

It was time….a bit past midnight, Adam and Queen took the stage. It is etched in my mind, like a dream movie. You know like when you wake up dreaming and it is as if it was full 3D technicolor and you can replay the memory frame-by-frame.

The big surprise

Mario Lopez said, “Please welcome Queen featuring Adam Lambert…” The crowd roars. I can see people walking out to take their places on the stage and Adam, in black and looking very, very tall, walks to the end of the catwalk. I noticed his feet are sparkly! Disco-ball boots? WTF?

Adam sang the beginning of Bohemian Rhapsody – flawlessly. The crowd became really quiet.

The big surprise came as he turned and walked to the center of the stage took the mike and sang part of “Another One Bites the Dust with a confidence and stage command and power I have never seen before. Yes, there were hints of this earlier this year at Pittsburgh Pride and Paso Robles. But here was Queen and Adam Lambert, and everyone in the venue was looking at Adam. [Check out Adam at the end of ABTD signaling to the sound guy -- I hope someone got video of this.] 

By the third song Adam morphed into his full Elvis, doing “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, and he had the audience completely in his power. When he did the head shake after right before Brian’s guitar break, I just about fainted. And when this song ended with a full-on Lambert vocal and a shimmy-shake, I knew this was Adam’s show.

Then the moment I will never forget. Never.

Adam approached the mike stand. Queen started to play – “OMG it can’t be. They are playing “Who Wants to Live Forever”!!!” And Adam started to sing. I can still hear it…note for note.

There's no time for us,
There's no place for us,
What is this thing that builds our dreams,
yet slips away from us.…

Calmly, slowly, at the iHeartRadio Music Festival, the biggest pop music circus of the year, Adam commanded the full attention of the entire crowd with an operatic ballad! By the time he sang “What is this thing that builds our dreams yet slips away
from us.”, everyone in the entire MGM Grand arena was in the palm of his hand.

“Who wants to live forever? Who wants to live forever…”

Well, Adam we all do because then we might have a chance to hear you perform this song again. It was one of those vocal moments for the ages, and I was there. Standing there.

There was a break in the Adam show (sorry, but I was there for Adam) for a nice, crowd-pleasing performance of “Somebody to Love” with the “gentlemen of fun” and then Adam returned for “Fat Bottom Girls” with Queen and fun. It was indeed fun. Nate looked like a kid who got to meet and sing with his heroes. Adam and Nate looked like they really enjoyed singing together. It was one of the nicest moments of the whole night’s concert when Nate and Adam do a bro-hug at the end.

I have only one other comment about Nate. He must have a lot of guts because that is what it took to walk onto that stage after Adam had sung WWTLF.

Then Adam took over. And he took over. He literally prowled down the catwalk with “Dragon Attack”. They closed up the show with the three most famous Queen hits, a reprise of “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “We Will Rock You”, and “We Are the Champions”.

On that night, for that performance, Adam seemed to sing the WRTC lyrics with so much conviction and understanding that it seemed to sum up the past 10 years of his life.

I've paid my dues
Time after time
I've done my sentence
But committed no crime
And bad mistakes
I've made a few
I've had my share of sand
Kicked in my face
But I've come through

And we mean to go on and on and on and on

We are the champions - my friends
And we'll keep on fighting
Till the end
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers
'Cause we are the champions of the World
Adam added I think: Of the whole human race and I ain’t got a love

We are the champions – my friends
And we'll keep on fighting
Till the end
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers
'Cause we are the champions of the World

(Vocal improvisation by Adam)

On Friday night, Adam secured his spot as a great rock vocalist. Not a pop vocalist, but a rock vocalist. No doubt, no question. And he did it in front of some of the most important people in music in the world.

I am so glad that I was there to see it.

I have read a few comments about Adam not being himself and his boots causing him problems. Trust me, don’t overanalyze this performance, because it was great. Beyond great. And that was because Adam was great and the Queen catalog contains some beyond awesome songs that he was born to sing.

Who wants to live forever
Who wants to live forever

Ooh
Who dares to love forever
Oh oo woh, when love must die

But touch my tears with your lips
Touch my world with your fingertips
And we can have forever
And we can love forever
Forever is our today


A few additional stray thoughts….

I gather the live stream was missing bits here and there throughout the entire show. The QAL + bit of fun. performance was not choppy at all.

I watched the second night’s concert on the Yahoo Music livestream and noticed it was a very different experience. For example, the confetti only fell on the front of the floor section, not on the back of the floor section because this is a TV program. And the elevated DJ stage was not so exciting live because it was above most of the audience’s heads.

The crowd was not a typical concert crowd because it was part TV audience, part mega promotional event, part major sponsorship opportunity. Everything from the hotel door hangers to the ushers were sponsored.

Post script: I have not watched the videos of this concert yet. I did my best to recall what actually happened but if I have Adamnesia, I am sorry. And I am not sure exactly what the line was Adam added to We are the Champions. So if I blew it, sorry but it was something like what I wrote above.

A couple questions for our Queen experts

Has Queen ever broken up Bohemian Rhapsody like that before?

I believe Adam threw in that line about the whole human race in WRTC. Am I correct?











I Heart Radio interview with Queen



Uploaded by Victoria Melody

Published on Sep 21, 2013
Source: media.ccomrcdn.com/media/ccrd/...





Adam Lambert ‏@adamlambert
#eltonjohn #duckface ... His Vegas show is soooo good. instagram.com/p/ejOIEfuNFt/



Elton John, Queen with Adam Lambert rule
at 3rd annual iHeartRadio music festival in Las Vegas
By Associated Press, Published: September 21

LAS VEGAS — Elton John may not have a current hit on the radio, but he earned the most cheers at the iHeartRadio music festival.

John was one of top performers Friday night at the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Katy Perry, Chris Brown and Robin Thicke and others also hit the stage.

But John was the crowd’s favorite — he earned a standing ovation after his third song.

Adam Lambert was equally as enduring when he performed with Queen. Pop-rock trio fun. also sang with iconic rock band.

Other performers during the five-hour concert included Keith Urban, Muse and J. Cole — acts who also impressed the crowd.

Justin Timberlake, Paul McCartney and Bruno Mars will close the 2-day iHeartRadio festival Saturday, but here’s a breakdown of day one:
____

HE STOLE THE NIGHT

From the moment Elton John went from playing the piano while sitting to sitting on top of the piano to singing, he captured the entire audience at the MGM Garden Arena.

The 66-year-old was fiery on his red piano, belting tunes like “Tiny Dancer” and “Bennie and the Jets.”

“Good evening, Vegas!” he yelled, sporting a dark glittery blazer.

John, who recently had surgery to remove his appendix, didn’t show any signs of slowing down during his five-song set. He was vocally loud and clear, and he even made a new song, “Home Again,” feel classic. (John will release a new album, “The Diving Board,” on Tuesday).

Fittingly, the icon closed with “I’m Still Standing.”

____

LAMBERT IS READY FOR THE THRONE

Adam Lambert is no Freddie Mercury, but he’s a scary good stand-in.

The “American Idol” alum electrified the crowd with his perfect high notes on songs like “We Are the Champions” and “Who Wants to Live Forever.” He had the right energy and sang a handful of songs with an ease that proved this is only the beginning for the 31-year-old.

Pop-rock trio fun. also sang with Queen, and lead singer Nate Ruess had hard shoes to fill following Lambert. But the singer held his own during “Somebody to Love.”

“Thank you to Queen for making this dream come true,” Ruess told the crowd.

Lambert came back onstage and the musicians closed the night with “We Are the Champions,” as fun.’s Jack Antonoff playfully strung the guitar next to Brian May.

….

The rest of the review….www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/elton-john-queen-with-adam-lambert-rule-at-3rd-annual-iheartradio-music-festival-in-las-vegas/2013/09/21/e9674596-2299-11e3-ad1a-1a919f2ed890_story.html




Queen and Adam Lambert Dominate Night One of iHeartRadio
Muse, Elton John, Tiesto, Katy Perry and more kick off the eclectic festival



By Steve Baltin
September 21, 2013 3:16 PM ET

In an age where large-scale music festivals seem to take place every weekend, iHeartRadio, the annual gathering of superstars from all genres in Las Vegas, manages to stand out by packing a wildly diverse roster of acts onto one stage. True to form, iHeartRadio opened its first night this year with Katy Perry and J Cole sharing the same stage as Tiesto and Keith Urban.

"I can’t think of any event other than Live Aid that has a lineup like this, in terms of such an eclectic mix," Muse’s Matt Bellamy told Rolling Stone backstage. "I suppose it’s really the best of every sort of genre that’s out there, as well as these amazing historic acts." Those historic acts this year included Elton John and Queen, who were fronted by Adam Lambert and joined by Fun for a stunning collaboration on "Somebody To Love" and "Fat Bottomed Girls."

John opened with a stellar one-two punch of "The Bitch Is Back" and "Bennie and the Jets" that got the entire arena on its feet. He also dug into his new album, The Diving Board, though the upbeat classics like "I’m Still Standing" proved the crowd favorites.

Katy Perry also generated an audience frenzy with familiar radio hits like "Teenage Daydream" and "I Kissed A Girl," closing to an equal level of fervor with her current single, "Roar."

Following Perry came the most anticipated act of the night: Queen with Lambert. Before their set, Queen’s Taylor and Brian May spoke to Rolling Stone about why Lambert is such a great fit for their music.

"He does bring his own approach and he has this amazing range, a gymnastic, beautiful tone and he really fits our material so well," Taylor said of Lambert. "He has all the elements – he has the passion, he has the humor, a little bit of camp. And when the shots are down, he has the power. It’s incredible," May added.

Lambert astounded the audience on songs like "We Will Rock You" and the closing "We Are The Champions" and "A Crazy Little Thing Called Love." He frequently worked in unison with May, the two sharing the front of the stage as the guitarist reminded everyone of his considerable prowess by bringing his parts in "Bohemian Rhapsody" to life.

Fun’s Nate Ruess took over vocals on "Somebody To Love." He then brought Lambert back out (praising him as "one of the best singers I know") for the supergroup combo on the rollicking "Fat Bottomed Girls." The night ended appropriately with a triumphant "We Are The Champions."

Read more: www.rollingstone.com/music/news/queen-and-adam-lambert-dominate-night-one-of-iheartradio-20130921#ixzz2fanRS1Vs


Nice review quotes……

All Access Music: “The night ended with QUEEN and ADAM LAMBERT introduced by KBIG (1043 MY FM)/LOS ANGELES night personality and syndicated radio and TV star MARIO LOPEZ. The first song was "Bohemian Rhapsody" and if you didn't know it was ADAM you'd swear it was FREDDY MERCURY that was singing.” www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/122541/iheartradio-music-festival-2013-rocks-it-on-friday

Pop Crush: “The ‘American Idol‘ alum can hit all of Mercury’s high notes, though clearly their actual voices — save for their multi-octave ranges — are unique. The ‘Trespassing’ singer shined particularly brightly on ‘Who Wants to Live Forever.’” popcrush.com/adam-lambert-queen-fun-2013-iheart-radio-music-festival-video/

Contact Music: “American Idol star Adam lambert, must have felt like a child on Christmas morning as he got to play a set with rock legends Queen. Lambert impressed the Vegas crowd by holding his own when performing songs classic hits ‘We Are the Champions’ and ‘Who Wants to Live Forever’.'' www.contactmusic.com/article/iheartradio-fest-las-vegas_3876219

Night #2 – from The Hollywood Reporter
8. Justin Timberlake’s Saturday headlining slot brought Adam Lambert back to the Grand Arena after closing out the previous night with Queen. Watching from a VIP platform, it seemed Lambert was spotted by Timberlake when the singer made his way to stage left for a close-up and the two practically fist-bumped.
9. Speaking of Lambert, the American Idol alum confirmed to THR that the shoes he wore the previous night were by Christian Louboutin. “They hurt like hell,” Lambert said with a laugh as he exited the venue following Timberlake’s set. www.hollywoodreporter.com/earshot/iheartradio-fest-10-things-seen-633985


Irishgal719 ‏@irishgal719 
This in my Sunday morning paper :-) pic.twitter.com/xxLgo7OtHg






Fun with Vine Videos!

Terrance D. S*&@^#r ‏@lovemrs*&@^#r
Oh shit Vegas vine.co/v/hr7n00BDttT
Retweeted by Adam Lambert


negativeneil's Vine:

Galya Chernikova•published on Sep 22, 2013
vine.co/v/hr7vILLhuEe
To Terrance

youtu.be/MgJbZgs1X-s






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September 26, 2013 Glee Season 5 premieres on on FOX.

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