Life @acpresslife Adam Lambert a fitting replacement for Mercury in show at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall: ATLANTIC CITY - It s...
bit.ly/1rKB9hLPosted: Saturday, July 26, 2014 10:42 pm
By SCOTT CRONICK Staff Writer
ATLANTIC CITY - It seemed inevitable. When Queen guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor joined Adam Lambert on stage during Season 8 of “American Idol” for “We Are the Champions,” fate intervened.
The eventual “Idol” winner, Kris Allen, was also on stage that night, but May didn’t seem to notice. His eyes were on Lambert. And when they all took a bow, May whispered something in Lambert’s ear that may have been a job offer.
After a five-year-stint with singer Paul Rodgers that never seemed to totally click, was there anyone better to fill the flamboyant shoes of one of the greatest rock frontmen of all time – the late Freddie Mercury – than an equally flamboyant rising star who could help put Queen in the spotlight again, 40 years after the band formed?
So there Lambert was, fronting one of the most respected rock outfits at Boardwalk Hall Saturday night for the second-to-last show of the band’s North American trek labeled “The Once in a Lifetime Tour.”
And Lambert delivered.
The singer’s mix of operatic ability, glam persona and pure rock goodness is so unique, so interesting and so enthralling, it’s now hard to imagine anyone else filling the void for the great, late singer.
Arriving on stage in a studded leather outfit that was a cross between George Michael and The Village People, Lambert, whose mother was born in Atlantic City, captured the audience's attention immediately and never lost it.
Unlike many bands that lose their frontmen, Queen + Adam Lambert doesn’t seem like a karaoke session as the band goes through the motions to make as much cash as possible. Lambert belongs with Queen, even though he’s 35 years younger than May. And that’s why they will make new music in the future.
But Saturday night was all about Queen’s legacy and mind-blowingly impressive catalog that includes 18 No. 1 albums, 18 No. 1 singles and more than 150 million album sales.
Nearly every song was instantly recognizable from the very first notes. The hits started with "Another One Bites the Dust" and kept going until they played nearly all of them. And good God there are a lot of them, including "Fat Bottomed Girls," their breakthrough hit "Killer Queen," the gospel-influenced "Somebody to Love," "I Want It All," "Radio Ga Ga" and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love."
The night progressively got better. With an over-the-top stage design that offered three video screens, including a giant circular one that nearly reached the top of the hall, a catwalk that extended into the audience and a killer light show, Queen + Adam Lambert is an arena-worthy spectacle.
They made good use of the screens to pay homage to Mercury, who joined May for a few lines of "Love of My Life" and appeared in video footage throughout the night.
The first set ended with the band's most well-known hit. "Bohemian Rhapsody," a total crowd pleaser that also featured video of Mercury and the band from their heyday, and went into encores that are about as good as you can get to end a concert: "We Are the Champions" and "We Will Rock You," leaving the crowd wanting more despite the fact the band played for nearly two and a half hours.
There were also tunes that true Queen fans would appreciate, including the opener "Now I'm Here," a live staple that the band has played in nearly every show since the song was written in 1974; the night's second song, the kick-you-in-your-teeth "Stone Cold Crazy," another live gem that was labeled thrash metal before the term even existed; "In the Lap of the Gods ... Revisited," an arena rocker that bears resemblance to "We Are the Champions"; the funky "Dragon Attack"; and "Tie Your Mother Down," one of the greatest, rocking B-sides of all time.
Of course there were less-than-stellar moments, particularly the ballad "Love of My Life," which was never that solid live and still isn't even though May did an admirable job singing it solo with an acoustic guitar; the sci-fi-themed "'39," which was never a good song to begin with and wasn't any better despite the band offering an acoustic folk version with May singing; "These Are the Days of Our Lives," a cheesy song penned by Taylor, who unfortunately sang it Saturday; and a Lambert-led sing-along session that went on way too long.
May proved why he is one of the greatest guitarists on the planet, nailing the difficult riffs he wrote in his youth while treating the audience to extended solos on songs such as "Fat Bottomed Girls," and his lengthy guitar solo was trippy, creative and impressive.
Taylor can still rattle the drums nicely, but now he needs a little help from his son Rufus Tiger Taylor, and they had fun during a drum battle that went over well with the audience. Taylor also did a great job taking the David Bowie parts duetting with Lambert on "Under Pressure," one of the night's highlights. The crowd even sang "Happy Birthday" to Taylor, who was celebrating his 65th birthday.
But it was hard not to be most impressed by Lambert, who commanded the stage without ever forgetting to share it with his bandmates and occasionally reminding people how honored he was to step in Mercury's giant shoes. Lambert doesn't only have a great stage presence, but he's one the best vocalists you will ever hear, nailing the super high notes and going lower when needed, all while Queen delivers complex harmonies. It's a pretty special thing to hear.
Too many times, bands hoping to reclaim their glory days when they should be home collecting their Social Security checks embark on unnecessary tours. That's not the case with Queen, which now has new life thanks to Lambert, who's a perfect fit. It will be interesting to see whether their next chapter of new music will be successful. But for now, they are a fun, powerful band worthy of playing arenas worldwide. And that's a refreshing change.
