7.12.14 Q+AL one of the hottest summer tours!

Tonight: Queen + Adam Lambert ROCK THE MOTOR CITY!!

Concert watch thread:

While we're waiting for the concert, check out this great playlist from the venue, The Palace at Auburn Hills.

The Palace ‏@thepalace
Get ready to ROCK w/ @queenwillrock + @adamlambert by checking out our playlist spoti.fi/1jAQ6ir #AllSummerLong pic.twitter.com/bp4ID3l16o




Hot Sheet: Steaming Hot Outfest
Our top 10 entertainment and events highlights this week include the Adam Lambert + Queen Tour, Masters of Sex, and Barbra Streisand's basement.
BY Advocate.com Editors
July 11 2014 5:21 PM ET



3. MUSIC: Queen + Adam Lambert Tour
The world tour of legendary rock band Queen with Adam Lambert standing in for Freddie Mercury is “dynamite with a laser beam,” offering a fresh yet nostalgic serving of the iconic group’s classics. Praised by critics and fans alike, the tour is currently burning though the U.S. before it heads to Australia to rock fans Down Under beginning in August. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com. — Jase Peeples

youtu.be/kXXNMfXn3E0

Link: www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/hot-sheet/2014/07/11/hot-sheet-july-11-2014?page=full



Ten music events in Toronto this week: July 11 to 17
Brad Wheeler
The Globe and Mail
Published Friday, Jul. 11 2014, 11:27 AM EDT
Last updated Friday, Jul. 11 2014, 11:42 AM EDT

Queen and Adam Lambert The bombastic British rockers carry on, along with a crazy little thing called Adam Lambert, the flamboyant former American Idol runner-up who stands in for the late Freddie Mercury. July 13, 8 p.m. $46.50 to $146.50. Air Canada Centre, 50 Bay St., 1-855-985-5000 or ticketmaster.ca.

Link: www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/ten-music-events-in-toronto-this-week-july-11-to-17/article19563735/



The 13 hottest summer concert tours
By Darian Lusk CBS News July 11, 2014, 10:51 AM

Summer is upon us, and what better way to make it memorable than with a concert or two. Instead of having to comb all your favorite bands' websites, we've compiled the must-see concerts coming your way.

6. Queen with Adam Lambert


Toronto Sun

Getting the obvious out of the way, this is Queen without the late Freddie Mercury. It will never be the same. But as far as worthy replacements go, Adam Lambert is not bad. He can definitely sing, he's definitely theatrical, and when you're belting out the words "Bohemian Rhapsody," does it matter who else is singing?

When: June 19 - July 20

Who to Go With: Your friend from the office who is really into "American Idol." Don't worry she's not busy.

Link: www.cbsnews.com/news/the-13-hottest-summer-concert-tours/




Royal flush: Queen + Adam Lambert prove they’re still the champions
By JOY TIPPING
Staff Writer
jtipping@dallasnews.com

Published: 11 July 2014 12:38 PM

Updated: 11 July 2014 03:13 PM

Big concert week in D-FW: Kiss, Rascal Flatts, Queen and more


Photos: Adam Lambert struts, Queen rocks in sexy spectacle at Dallas concert

Flashback to the ’70s? Male lead singer in leather, lace and leopard-print outfits, replete with sequins, platforms and occasional Elvisian sneer? Check. Howling anthems interspersed with wringingly emotional ballads? You betcha. Self-indulgent but crowd-pleasing 16-minute guitar solo? Smoke machines on overdrive and a tripped-out set that didn’t actually do much of anything? Oh, definitely.

So yeah, watching Queen + Adam Lambert on Thursday night at American Airlines Center was, indeed, a little bit like entering a way-cool, hyped-up time machine with several thousand other folks who were all digging every minute of it. AAC hasn’t rocked like that since ... well, since shows like this were held at Reunion Arena.

Was it a success? Absolutely. Can Adam Lambert replace the iconic Freddie Mercury as frontman for one of rock’s most legendary bands? Nope, and that’s a good thing. Even better, he didn’t even try.

Lambert was Lambert all the way in this show, which expertly walked the precarious line — these are Queen fans, after all, and they are serious about their rock — between introducing “the new kid,” as lead guitarist/vocalist Brian May jokingly called Lambert, and making sure that everyone knew that Mercury, who died at age 45 in 1991 from complications of AIDS, remains the heart and beating soul of Queen.

Lambert has the voice, no question, but he also has something Mercury didn’t: absolute control. He never veered into that “might just go insane” place that made Mercury so fascinating. Take that as a good thing or not; the Thursday-night crowd seemed to be all-in in accepting Lambert as the next best thing they’re ever going to find for Mercury.

Along with Lambert’s incendiary vocals, an all-too-rare commodity rippled through the show: utter graciousness. Lambert made no attempt to take things over, simply trusting in the power of his voice, sexiness and shocking charisma (all every bit a match for Mercury’s) to carry things. He stepped offstage several times to let the pure Queen love rule the arena (and to change costumes — May’s halfway-mark solo went on so long that my friend wondered if Lambert had spent that time actually getting his arm tattoos, which weren’t visible before his re-entrance, painted on backstage).

Original band members May and drummer Roger Taylor returned the love. The crowd seemed equally entranced with both New Queen (Lambert) and old (extended clips of Mercury playing on the bright, moving Q-shaped set piece/screen that dominated the stage). One of the most affecting moments of the show came with May’s solo on “Love of My Life” when Mercury’s first image appeared onscreen. Later, there was a gorgeous few beats of pure synchronicity during “Bohemian Rhapsody,” with Lambert and Mercury singing alternate lines and sounding, truly, as if they were both right there. Lambert positively soared with the haunting “Love Kills,” which was Mercury’s first solo effort.

The torch was also lit, if not exactly passed, in another way, via the showstopping moment when Taylor and his son, Rufus, exchanged “top that” drum riffs and then went all out in unison. Sheer magic.

Other highlights: the singalong-thump of “Radio Ga Ga,” the naughty-but-fun “Fat Bottomed Girls” and the loopy “Killer Queen,” when Lambert sprawled across a chaise lounge and actually rolled his eyes, in good-natured jest, at yet another May solo. Lambert’s “I’m the king now, and we’ve all accepted that” vibe reached full pitch when his final costume included, yes, a crown.

Will the fabulous partnership continue? We can only hope: The North American tour runs through July 28, then the group travels to Asia and Australia. Queen has announced a new album project with remastered Mercury tunes.

What we want most: An album with all-new music, and Lambert on vocals. That would announce Queen’s full arrival into the 21st century, and we’d be ecstatic.

Follow Joy Tipping on Twitter @joytipping.

Link: www.dallasnews.com/entertainment/music/headlines/20140711-royal-flush-queen-adam-lambert-prove-theyre-still-the-champions.ece



Q3 note: This review is filled with errors. The author appears to know very little about Queen, Freddie or Queen's music. But I am posting it anyway.

Last Night
Queen + Adam Lambert at American Airlines Center, 7/10/14
By Eva Raggio Fri., Jul. 11 2014 at 9:56 AM
Categories: Last Night


flamsworddragon Flickr
Queen and Adam Lambert (middle) touring together

Queen + Adam Lambert
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Thursday, July 10, 2014

English band Queen is like a solar system that lost its star. Late singer Freddie Mercury was an icon of showmanship, passion and theatricality, the ultimate performer and arguably the most talented vocalist in rock history.

When you've lost the greatest frontman in all of pop music, Adam Lambert, who took up that role last night in the band's appearance at American Airlines Center, wouldn't initially appear to be a fitting replacement. After all, he earned his fame (ironically after auditioning with "Bohemian Rhapsody") on American Idol. However, like Mercury, he is a countertenor, a young, good-looking gay man, androgynously glam like a Velvet Goldmine character and pleasantly controversial.

The burning question is: is it disrespectful, even unethical, to the late star's memory to continue touring years later with a different singer? Some, like the Doors' drummer John Densmore, who legally prevented his band from using its own name while touring, would think so. In Queen's defense, it's been 20 years since Mercury passed, a death as shocking then as Kurt Cobain's. For this reason, it doesn't appear that Lambert has been brought in as a decoy, but rather as an honorable guest.

Widowed musicians like guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor, stars of a dimmer light, but stars nonetheless, are seemingly presumed to retire and occasionally appear at under-the-radar clubs playing something like Louis Armstrong covers, or else it's expected they go on to thriving solo careers. Watching Queen playing Queen songs seems not only a right acquired, but, judging by the nearly full arena last night, also a great bit of indulgence for the fans.

The atmosphere at American Airlines Center exceeded that of mere anticipation, and sweltered in a thick fog of desperate tension, anxious for the band to appear. The baroque and regal sound from behind the band's curtained crest announced their highnesses' imminent presence, where the humble May appeared as if he'd casually just walked out of karate class. In contrast, Lambert, was dressed like a member of the Village People, leather-clad and full of studs. Beginning with fluffy fast-paced songs, he became increasingly flirtatious and flamboyant as the show went on, ending up in a leopard-print suit with a sparkling crown for the finale.

Although Lambert brought great energy and stunning vocals to epic ballads such as "Somebody to Love" and "The Show Must Go On", his snugglier niche were the uptempo
classics such as "Under Pressure." He seemed heavily influenced by, but never attempting to emulate, Mercury. Rather, he resembled an understudy relishing his moment rather than a permanent replacement, incredulous to be playing with his idols, respectful of his elders, while unapologetically asserting himself with great charm and humor.

As with May's guitar, Lambert's voice soared and purred. Trying to distance himself from the original vocal arrangements, his eclectic voice projections, though impressive, overly altered the familiar melodies. No matter how high and low his register flexed, his voice never quite matched Mercury's gorgeous tone -- not that anyone should have expected it to.

Consummate veterans as they are, the stadium rockers put on a striking production; laser lights flew across the room and a gigantic disco ball turned the arena into a massive club. In perfect tune with Queen's theatricality, a velvet-curtained moment occurred during "Killer Queen." Lambert sat on a plush divan and playfully rolled his eyes at May's soloing, first spitting out, then pouring, champagne onto the crowd.
His suggestiveness never became vulgar, and his chemistry with the band was tangible, especially at moments when May's glance at him betrayed obvious pride.

There was an instance of divine simplicity as May brought an acoustic guitar to the end of the ramp on the stage and began singing "Love of My Life", his aging but steady voice aided by the impromptu choir made up by the audience. With impeccable timing, a giant Freddie Mercury completed the song hauntingly from the screen, and a wave of profound melancholy was seen in every lachrymose eye in the place.

Roger Taylor's drumming showed deliberate restraint. He took turns playing kit and auxiliary percussion with his son, Rufus, and stood and sang during "These Are the Days of Our Lives", while footage of Mercury and retired bass player John Deacon were shown. Lambert was absent whenever Mercury was projected, as if afraid of being outperformed by a ghost -- except for a brief duet for the finale in which Lambert and Mercury's projection sang individual lines back and forth. Although a tender homage, the deference to Mercury bordered on a sorrowful memorial service.

The real focus of the show, after Mercury's absence, was undoubtedly May. Emanating graciousness and wisdom, his fluid dexterity rivaled any young guitar player's. Each member had his moment alone on stage, but his near half-an-hour of soloing proved his mastery.

Considering that Queen produced a magnum opus such as "The Prophet Song" for every other forgettable track, it's regrettable that these were almost all absent from the setlist. Instead, there was an over-abundance of Queen's more filler-esque '80s hits, like "Radio Gaga", which seemed tailored to Lambert.

In the very obvious encore, there was more smoke onstage than in Willie Nelson's dressing room, and the group returned to play their two most overplayed hits, "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions", delivered to an audience that seemed to devour them. All maudlin moments considered, from the high entertainment, fine musicianship and joyous sentimentality, regarding the question of whether Queen + (or -) Adam Lambert should even be touring in the first place, the answer is: Absolutely. The show must go on.

Link: blogs.dallasobserver.com/dc9/2014/07/queen_adam_lambert_at_american_airlines_center_71014.php




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.

If you already posted it in both places, that fine. Just leave it as it is. If you did not post it in the concert thread, please post a copy in the concert thread so we can include it in the concert archive.

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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