7.6.14 Adam News and Info

Queen + Adam Lambert Bring Fabulosity, Freddie Reverence
to L.A.'s Fabulous Forum
Lyndsey Parker
By Lyndsey Parker July 4, 2014 8:02 PM Reality Rocks

The stars came out for Queen + Adam Lambert's Los Angeles extravaganza at the Forum Thursday night. Everyone from Muse's Dominic Howard, No Doubt's Tony Kanal and Adrian Young, and the Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins; to RuPaul's Drag Race alums Alaska, Willam Belli, and Raja; to actress Lisa Rinna, superstar songwriter Bonnie McKee, and Adam's old American Idol pal Allison Iraheta showed up for the big show. But the shining-est stars of the evening were Adam Lambert, of course, and, during a few poignant virtual-duet moments, the late, great Freddie Mercury himself.

Ever since Queen started touring with Adam Lambert overseas two years ago, Queen fans have expressed skepticism, and understandably so. Freddie Mercury, who tragically died in 1991, was arguably the finest rock vocalist of all time, and the man can never be replaced — not even by someone as phenomenally talented as Adam. So it made sense that, just minutes before Thursday's Forum gig, concertgoers could still be overheard in their seats, in the beer lines, and in the restrooms, murmuring cynically, "I hope Adam can pull this off."

So far on this U.S. tour, it has helped Adam win over doubters that his Queen stint follows that of Paul Rodgers, who sang with Queen from 2005 to 2009 and definitely did not pull it off. Paul's gruff everyman persona, while a perfect fit for his previous legendary arena-rock bands Free and Bad Company, was always all wrong for a wildly theatrical, multi-octave band like Queen. So, you know what was also overheard among the fans before Thursday's Forum show? Sentiments along the lines of: "Well, no matter what, Adam's got to be better than Paul Rodgers, right?"

Right indeed. Unabashedly tapping into his musical-theater background, Adam was a total glam ham and he went totally H.A.M. — in a way that few frontmen (especially Paul Rodgers) ever could, and in a way that made absolute sense for a Queen concert.

Adam guzzled Moët et Chandon from his pretty cabinet while splayed grandly across a velvet fainting couch during a very killer "Killer Queen." He amusingly gave a shoutout to all the "fat-ass bitches" during "Fat-Bottomed Girls." He had the crowd going ga ga, and clapping along Live Aid-style, for "Radio Ga Ga." And he rocked five costume changes, including one with floor-sweeping gold leather fringe, plus one pageant-worthy rhinestone crown that surely made the aforementioned Drag Race contestants emerald-green with envy. Adam made the "Fabulous Forum" just a little more fabulous on Thursday night.

Adam was a total professional, of course; his how-are-they-not-Memorex vocals were pristine throughout the revue, and were especially awe-inspiring during "Who Wants to Live Forever" and "The Show Must Go On," two of the toughest songs in the Queen catalog. (It's also significant that Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor entrusted Adam with singing a reworked version of the Freddie Mercury 1984 solo single "Love Kills," which was never performed during Freddie's lifetime and only just made its live debut on this year's tour.) But there was always a certain pleasing playfulness to Adam's performance, a certain likable somebody-pinch-me-I'm-singing-with-my-heroes giddiness. It was an attitude that made the audience root for Adam, as fans were reminded that in some ways, he's still that same hopeful, starry-eyed kid who stood in line to try out for a TV talent show, somehow wound up onstage with Queen at the Season 8 Idol finale living out his rock 'n' roll fantasies, and simply can't believe his good fortune even five years later.

And it was that humility, mixed in with all the brashness and bravado, that helped Adam convert the naysayers in the crowd. When he asked for the audience to cheer for Freddie Mercury during the intro to "Love Kills," or graciously stepped aside and gestured to the video screen to let a virtual Freddie take over lead vocals midway through "Bohemian Rhapsody," his showed his respect for the Queen legacy in a way that all fans could appreciate.

And that's probably why the most powerful moments of the two-hour show weren't actually Adam moments, but interludes that took place while Adam was off undergoing one of his many fantastic costume changes. When Brian May performed a solo acoustic version of the weeper "Love of My Life" while a video screen flashed a building-sized Freddie for a from-beyond-the-grave, positively goosebump-raising duet, or when Roger Taylor sang "These Are the Days of Our Lives" backed by vintage footage of Freddie, these were touching reminders of what rock 'n' roll has lost and can never get back. For many rock fans, Freddie Mercury will always be the true love of their lives.

So yes, there will only ever be one Freddie Mercury. But that's OK. There's only one Adam Lambert, too. He's not Freddie , and he's not a "replacement," but judging from the star-studded L.A. audience's elated reaction Thursday night, he's absolutely the right man to front a new, different version of Queen in 2014. And that's pretty fabulous.

Link: music.yahoo.com/blogs/reality-rocks/queen---adam-lambert-bring-fabulosity--freddie-reverence-to-l-a--s-fabulous-forum-000241778.html


Adam Lambert, Jared Leto, Zac Efron & More Bring You The Best Celebrity Twitter Pics Of The Week
July 5th, 2014 // 1 Comment



Link: www.socialitelife.com/adam-lambert-jared-leto-zac-efron-more-bring-you-the-best-celebrity-twitter-pics-of-the-week-07-2014


Share your concert story or review!!
6.28.14 by Q3

Everyone wants to read about your concert experience. So, if you are inclined to share, please do. It is fun to read them even if you attended the same concert. Everyone has a different experience and sees different things.

If you do want to share a review, please post it in the CONCERT thread. Then, so we don’t miss it, post a short note with a link to your review in the current Daily News thread.

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Thanks to all who have shared. And I hope/expect to read hundreds more! So post away!

2014 Queen + Adam Lambert Tour Dates




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