OMG:) I feel like such a loser! What a list... What have I been doing
I should just go and curl up in a dark corner somewhere
Aleks, I never go to IDF. And don't want to. I reaaly appreciate your list!
Pi,
please post that QOL review here. It is news, IMO. It really points out that one needs to see, hear, and feel Adam's live performances before one criticizes them! In the context of these big arenas, what some think as OTT fits perfectly!
I saw the Dallas show last night with my 20 and 24-year-old daughters. On the way in I noticed a few groups of probable glamberts, but it appeared to me that most of the crowd were there for Queen. In any case, most people seated around us were clearly Queen fans.
I brought a number of preconceptions to this show. Due to lack of willpower, over the last 3 months I've seen many videos and two live streams. Based on what I saw on YouTube, I thought YAFF's analysis seemed reasonable. My take on it was that if Q+AL was going to be more like a Vegas act than a rock show, fine. This would probably be my last chance to see epic rock musicianship from (half) Queen. I regret not making it a priority to see the original Queen live in the '80s, or Queen+PR (I didn't even know that tour was happening at the time).
I knew Adam had the technical ability to handle Queen's catalog because I've seen him hit crazy high notes in full voice, but I also expected to cringe occasionally during the show... at the couch, the spitting, the cheesy banter and Adam's signature oversinging. I also knew certain songs would "work" better than others. Adam's vocal on the slowed down Stone Cold Crazy didn't have enough rock edge, but Somebody to Love would sound great (much improved compared with video from the London shows).
It was nearly the same show I've seen over and over on video, but it was exponentially better live.
No video I've seen comes close to capturing the light show. With the exception of a 3D IMAX movie, I don't think a video could.
Brian and Roger are absolutely Rock Gods. The videos don't capture the power of Roger's drumming, and hearing Brian play live is incredible.
Adam's vocals sounded better than I expected, and my expectations were high.
I'm surprised to say this but Adam nailed every single song. Maybe (probably) his voice had more rock edge in the arena because the amps were cranked up to 11. I'd bet that the consensus of Queen fans in attendance was that on the harder songs he sounded more rock than broadway. Does he carry himself like a rock singer? Sometimes. When he does the Elvis sneer on CLTCL it's obvious that he's self-aware and laughing at himself. But it doesn't matter. Even with the dorky, I'm-just-pretending-to-be-a-rock-star act, he still has strong charisma. He pulls off rapport with the audience because he's openly awestruck by the fact that he's fronting Queen and because he's not taking himself seriously.
Moments that annoyed me on video didn't bother me during the live show. For example, because there was plenty of distance between where I was sitting and Adam's mouth, I actually found it funny that he was spewing water on the crowd.
I spot oversinging routinely on the videos, but it didn't bother me at the show. He might have toned it down a bit but at certain moments, when the arena walls are vibrating and lasers are flashing, some "oversinging" fits right in.
I've seen two handfuls of Vegas and Broadway shows, and I've seen a lot more big rock concerts, starting with KISS in 1978. Even with the campy moments, massive staging and spectacular light show, this wasn't Broadway or Vegas. It sounded and felt like an arena rock show.
Offhand, I don't remember which reviewer in what city said he felt as if he were watching a Queen tribute band. I dismissed him as an idiot at the time, but after last night I keep thinking about his ridiculous assessment. Brian May and Roger Taylor will never be a tribute band. I saw the real Queen circa 2014, and they were great.
It was obvious that all the Queen fans near where we were sitting loved the show. Lots of yelling, singing and clapping.
Before last night my daughters weren't fans of either Queen or Adam Lambert. But they were familiar with most of Queen's greatest hits, and a few weeks ago I gave my oldest daughter A Night at the Opera on vinyl. Based on their comments after the show, they'll be Queen fans for life. As we drove home, my 20-year-old said she has a new respect for the band, and that they sound "so much better live" (we were talking about Brian and Roger at the time... she wasn't comparing Adam to Freddie).
I should just go and curl up in a dark corner somewhere 
