Queen + Adam Lambert, The Tale of Three Cities, part 1
wp.me/p1WvwG-8l Here is my Edmonton portion, mostly pics. Some have been posted here already but there are also several new ones.
If any of you are on twitter my handle is @whosravennow.
Tomorrow I am off to Calgary. So the links for remaining portion of this story will be posted in Calgary and the main feed.
Ohmigosh, popalock, your pictures are gorgeous! Thank you for the link to your blog!
I was in the crowd with you last night. Man, what a crowd -- I got such a kick out of the many ways they kept trying to lure the band out onto the stage as we waited the 45 minutes past the original start time for the show (my family had driven up to Edmonton from Calgary that day and I hadn't checked Adamtopia all day or I'd have known the start time was pushed back -- silly me to go a day without Atop!).
First, the crowd tried whoops and calls, then applause. "C'mon guys, you're entertainers, you like this, right? C'mon out, we'll give you more ..." Nope.
Then it was the wave, repeatedly (I'm not a sports fan and had never been in one before ... it's like suddenly realizing your species can move as an organism, cooperatively -- cool!), and finally the WWRY stomp-stomp CLAP. Nope. The place was packed to the rafters, energy was high and I was a little concerned it might turn on a dime, but it stayed positive and then the opening music started and the speakers began pumping out sound you could feel as well as hear. As popalock said, the crowd was on its feet from the first blasts of sound and light from "Now I'm Here" and it stayed there -- at least the whole floor and the first three rows of the 100 section where my daughter and I were -- intermittent standing behind us, but unremitting enthusiasm in all directions. Thrilling, and the band knew exactly what to do with that energy-- it was like they leaned into it, and we leaned back into their sound.
I keep saying "the band" and that was what I feel like I saw. Not, "Queen" and "Adam," but a BAND. The close-up video of "CLTCL" shows it best -- Adam having the time of his life, collaborating with some of the best musicians on the planet, and all of them having a blast doing what they love at an insanely high level. How can seeing that not make you happy?
The crowd was ferociously responsive to Adam's vocals, but when Brian came down the catwalk to set up for "Love of My Life,' the place got even louder, and then suddenly much quieter, holding Brian and the moment very tenderly. Brian's not usually a showy performer (except for his ridiculously virtuouso playing and, of course, the Sleeves!) and sometimes I have trouble believing that this soft-spoken, kind and humane person could DO the things he's done, have lived the life he's lived, have written Fat-Bottomed Girls, for heaven's sake! But the way he thanked the crowd for their reception, I completely got it that whatever else he is, he's a performer, too, and he gets that reciprocal energy flow from the audience that Adam talks about. Later in the show, this 66-year-old man who not so long ago had knee surgery absolutely galloped onto the stage, leaping over the catwalk as the recorded operatic portion of BR segued into the live rock portion -- talk about "you made me live again"!
And his guitar solo was amazing. I'll admit to being a philistine when it comes to long guitar solos -- when they're recorded or on livestream, I tend to go get a cup of tea. But live, man, it was fascinating and Talon, thank you for educating me enough about Brian and how he approaches feedback and reverb to create a multi-layered sound with variations on a theme ... I swear Mozart would be doing this sort of thing if he lived today. (Hmm, Brian kinda has the hair-do, doesn't he?)
Drum solo, ditto. Tons of fun, and I loved Roger's voice on "Those Were the Days of Our Lives". Wonderful when he started tapping on Neil's double-bass strings, too, and Neil's short solo was great. I have to say that Neil is making "Another One Bites the Dust" even funkier live!
And Spike rocked that piano hard -- hard enough that I thought, "Jerry Lee Lewis" at one point, but also had wonderful lyricism when that was required, too.
And, oh, the "new boy" ... yeah, he can stay as long as he likes. When Brian asked the crowd what they thought of the new boy, the stadium erupted with a deafening ovation which both thrilled and surprised me because the crowd seemed heavily Queen and classic rock fans.
I thought Adam tried more nuancing with some of the vocals -- his BR solo has always been gorgeous, but the tenderness and regret in last night's "Mama, just killed a man" really touched me. I adore the way he rocks the rockin' stuff and then struts down the runway in his shiny gold platform high-heeled boots and fierce fringe and camps it up on his purple couch. He did pull back on some of the big notes, but he delivered on far more, and again, when he powered it out his voice filled the place and you could lean into that, too.
Oh, and I thought the leopard suit looked better live, or may have been tailored.
Can't wait for tomorrow's show -- and tomorrow I'll actually wear the darned etymotic ear plugs I bought two pair of and made my daughter wear but didn't use myself #stupidmomtrick ... I did get a bit of "chipmunk" effect on Adam's voice as a result and there really must be something unusual about Adam's voice because I didn't get that when Brian sang or when Freddie did his video parts. Covering my ears eliminated it but just felt wrong and I don't hear the chipmunk thing on the videos so tomorrow it's proper ear protection for me!
This was my first-ever Adam concert let alone Queen and I tried to get a few photos on my iPhone but I see way better ones have already been posted. So glad you guys had a stream! I have no idea how people manage both the sensory overload of Adam, Queen and the sound and light show they put on, AND take decent pictures and videos, AND tweet them! Bless those that do, and my apologies for giving you back only words, and late at that!
