rpeura
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Post by rpeura on Jul 27, 2014 3:49:04 GMT -5
Aleks, like Adam you have a unique knack for surpassing yourself over and over again! Loved your post and I enjoyed reading ALL of it as I know many of us have. You were spot on and you expressed it beautifully. Aleks, I loved your post  Great analysis! |
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Holst
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Post by Holst on Jul 27, 2014 5:00:21 GMT -5
Wow! These guys are really Pinheads! Ok while they are making a video on how to beat us (seriously..they made a video?  ) AFL is much too busy being the ROCK STAR THAT HE IS AND SINGING AND TOURING THE WORLD WITH THE ICONIC BAND QUEEN to be bothered and desperately. ...(looking at you Pinheads). ...begging his fans to vote for him and beat the Pinheads/Panheads..whatever they call themselves!!   Go Skillet and Panheads. I'm not going to disparage them for trying to grab some spotlight. Glamberts have been doing it for years also. Adam hasn't made a video, but if you are versed in the software, it wouldn't be a time-consuming project. I'm throwing in some Glambert votes when reminded.  From Wikipedia: |
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Post by saweetmaryc on Jul 27, 2014 19:39:05 GMT -5
A long-ass post, be warned:))) Five Most Memorable Adam Moments on Queen and Adam Lambert ‘Once in a Life Time’ Tour
It’s way past QAL midterms, and I wanted to collect my thoughts, say a few things about the show much sooner than that. It never happened, partly because of so much material to listen to, read and simply process, but mostly because the show itself feels like the most grueling marathon steeplechase race (nonexistent in athletics, and it should very much remain so due to philanthropic reasons!) and it is exhausting just to take it all in. Also, it is worth every second of it. Just for the record, I have no idea how Adam, Brian and Roger do it.
While we’re at sports, if there was such a thing as music Olympics, this is how the most challenging task would sound like: you have to front an iconic band, with the most diverse opus ever. Learn all the songs in and out. Be yourself, but remain respectful. Bring originality to the table (while constantly being very ‘originally’ compared to Freddie by the very same people expecting it from you). Face throngs of very passionate and slightly disgruntled Queen fans. Convince them of your worthiness. Pay attention to every single note, every lyric and every move, for each and every one of them will be subjected to endless analysis and discussions. Shine on your own, but do not steal the show. Do not seem intimidated, but don’t get too cocky – know your place. Rock it, don’t karaoke it. Give it your best at every show, you never know who’s in the audience. Pace yourself, but don’t underperform! Walk the line, but don’t fall. Gamble, but don’t lose. Front, but don’t boss. Feels like too much? Now do it for two hours, thirty-four times almost in a row.
He might as well be asked to fly to the Moon and back in an air balloon. Of course, Adam accepted the challenge, for reasons that should be obvious to everyone, but sometimes aren’t. They are all so very beautiful and poetic, just like his essence, and the essence of people sharing the stage with him. To state just one, love, is enough: love for the songs, for the band, for the legendary front man, for the stage, for music, for performing, for the challenge, for full circle moments, for giving and taking, for learning, for experimenting, for trying and then maybe succeeding… Judging by the reviews, he keeps passing the finish line with flying colours. He has done the impossible; he has risen to the challenge, where, after so many shows, there is no one left wondering how, or questioning his ways, or dissecting the show and pointing finger at a knocked over obstacle or two on this monster ‘marathon steeplechase’ of a tour.So, take my advice and don’t dissect the show for questioning, it makes you look like an idiot, to put it simply. It’s like telling a marathon runner that he could have raised his left leg a little bit higher between the 26,4 and 26,6 km, which is to say that it is laughable. But dissecting it for the sake of enjoyment, for example, is more than welcome. For that reason, here are, in no particular order, my five most memorable Adam moments on Queen and Adam Lambert ‘Once in a Life Time’ tour so far:1. The romance on the sex couch (it is a sex couch, don’t contradict me on this one)The highlight of the show for me is Killer Queen, by far. What he does on that couch, and what he sounds and looks like while doing it, is the most decadent and obscene musical act ever, with his voice still the sexiest part of it. The reviews got it, the audience got it, and I have nothing to add. They described the scene to a fault, using all the right adjectives. But, in spite of all the flaming hedonism of it, what really feeds my heart is his smile during the intro for the song, when he hears the crowd’s approval and giddy anticipation. Every time, without fail, he smiles - because the audience wants it so much every one of those times.The act is all Adam, ideologically, no matter how much he always says it is not really him in the end – it is his creation and one of the songs that carries his stamp in the widest possible sense. He revels in the love for his killer queen and changes up the act from show to show, going further and growing bolder as the tour progresses. It’s a testament to how interactive and inclusive Adam as an artist is; because he lets the audience carry him further in his explorations. The smile is about that, really. Leave it to Adam to swipe me off my feet with a simple smile in the middle of a rock orgy. He goes for the sexy, and kills me with romance. And the tour isn’t even over yet! Oh my:)2. The video glitch and what respect has got to do with itThat Adam never takes himself too seriously is nothing new, but I particularly love the dorkiness and fun he brings to the QAL stage; I feel like the show needs it and benefits from its comic relief. It’s a bit unexpected, from a hot guy like Adam to be unafraid to indulge that much in physical comedy. Hot guys don’t normally do it, they feel like it undermines their hotness, I presume; and it is one more way in which Adam falls out of the cliché. Those are the bits when he lets his personality shine through and when he is at his most honest. Adam can and does play many roles on that stage, but when he is his true self, he is very open and unabashed. Other than in the funny bits, you can find it in his emotional interaction with others, or in his body’s reactions to a song, be that on his face or his crotch; also, when he so adorably puts it, ‘that is not really me’. We know, Adam, we know:) We love you:)Of all his dorky expressions, the one which caught me by surprise and made me bend in half with laughter happened during Bohemian Rhapsody. Adam has a video duet with Freddie, and at one point, instead of switching to Freddie, the humongous, gazillion pixel video screen freezes on Adam. He turns to look at the audience, tens of thousands of eyes on him; and instead of freaking out, he makes such a goofus face that the expected nervous, collective gasp of ‘oh-uh’ never happens and a joyous giggle spreads through the crowd; all that in the middle of a monster that is Bohemian Rhapsody and the tribute to Freddie that they made of it, of course.With such an emotionally charged show, it’s a miracle that his goofiness never gets mistaken for irreverence. Partly, it is because Adam is so obviously respectful throughout the whole show and partly because the audience is aware of the way Adam shows that respect - he is not solemn in it, but unpretentious and genuine. His respect for Freddie and Queen is of an honest and tangible, loving and caring kind. But most of all, it is because they have embraced his funny side and get a kick out of it every single time. Why wouldn’t they, he is so damn adorableJ3. The crown, or how Adam does not really share everything with usIn one of the interviews, Adam said that one of the ways he wanted to incorporate Freddie into the show was through the costumes, and hence the controversial crown. No matter how much the particular item of headwear also seems to be a fashion statement nowadays, with Jared Leto wearing it during his own tour, it is all a bunch of half truths and deflection. There’s plenty to say in defense of the crown (I wrote a whole essay about it), but regardless of that, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Adam knew very well that it would be controversial and did it anyway just to spice up the show, create a bit of controversy himself. It’s a rock show after all, and it should provoke intense reactions. And, funnily enough, it did; but none of them had anything to do with the crown.I think he knew that the meme which he had zero chance of avoiding was the ridiculous and nonsensical ‘He’s no Freddie’ one. My guess is that, during the planning stage, he chose to do something in order to show, firstly, his awareness and correct prediction, and secondly, that he was not afraid to face that particular meme; lastly, his opinion and response, which is to metaphorically toss the ridiculous right back to their faces, in the form of a crown. To play dumb a little in order to fight the dumb:)Interestingly, the crown caused little or no controversy at all, aside from the mild and short-lived initial shock. No one batted an eyelid at it and I have absolutely no idea why, other than the possibility that the audience saw through Adam’s campy intentions right from the start - how could they not, what with the leopard suit and royal wave and utter campiness of it. Smart audience, and smart Adam, I have to say. 4. The camaraderie or how Adam is one giant pile of love. And Bri. And Rog. And Tiger. And Spike and Neil and the sound guy:)Here comes the sappy part - but it can’t be helped, there’s some serious affection and bromance on and off that stage. There are hugs and kisses and holding hands; affectionate glances, jokes and interactions. You’ve seen the show, you know it. It’s so typically Adam that it’s almost surreal, because it’s one thing to watch him get all emotional and affectionate with his own band members and friends, and quite another when he does it with Queen. It was not one of the requests of the task. It was not essential for the business of the tour. But it’s never just business with Adam, is it, and it just shows how loving and loveable he is. He brings it out in other people and he can’t help showing it himself. He is the love fest instigator, he always is.For me, it takes the show on another level, a philosophical one, if you like: watching these people bring so many things to the table, things like insane talent, ability, stamina, personal histories and desires, is more than emotionally fulfilling for me; but wrapping it all up in love feels like a present and I love every second of it. It’s the point where it overgrows its definition of a rock show and becomes something much more personal and that personal stamp does not only take it outside of a rock genre, it takes it out of the realm of music. You can now read the tour as a book or watch it as a film and you won’t be making a mistake. It is a part of the show not done for the audience, so one can freely ignore it. Some do, which is fine, but wrong in a sense that they ignore the very character of this collaboration which can only lead to misconceptions and wrong conclusions, and thus missing the point by a mile, not only of the tour, but of some grander things in life as well.5. Reactions, reviews and opinions – the Bermuda triangle or not?Rightfully so, vast majority of the reviews has been glowing and vast majority of the reactions insanely appreciative. They are important, although maybe not vital in a strictly rock’n’roll sense, or as influential as they would like to be. For example, I see Brian handling them with delicate appreciation and stubbornness of an old rocker, responding to love with spontaneous tears, and to complaints about the length of his guitar solo with going on for even longer on the next show, probably; but whichever the case, he keeps doing his thing no matter what, not budging an inch.Adam is different. His reaction to the feedback is more reserved on the surface, but somehow at the same time he is more responsive, in a sense that it influences what he does next. He responds to love by getting even better, giving back so much more than he receives and investing himself even more. It feeds him in the most positive of ways. Strangely enough, he responds to criticism in a similar way - pushing himself even harder. You can see every reaction reflected on him. He fine tunes his performance wherever he can, either adjusting himself according to the criticism when he finds it logical, or flagrantly discarding the silly ones . It is a weirdly not rock’n’roll thing to do. Sometimes, when the criticism is particularly obtuse, as they too frequently are, Adam finds a way to react, very subtly and cleverly, off the show. But whatever he chooses to do or not do, his reaction is sometimes provoked or inspired by the audience’s reaction to his performance.What I find most fascinating about it is that Adam absolutely refuses to adopt a blasé attitude towards reactions no matter how many cool points that would possibly bring him. Being blasé is maybe oh so very rock’n’roll, but it is also the way you behave when you don’t care, or pretend not to care at least. I feel like Adam doesn’t even want to pretend to be that way. He may be quiet about it, but he is obviously affected. He loves and cares for what he does, and invests himself in such an immense measure, but he never plays the untouchable card, he never hides that the audience is the integral part of his performance in a much larger sense than anyone could presume. Because of that, for example, from just lounging and fanning himself on the couch, albeit provocatively, we witnessed him almost dry hump the couch in Mohegan last night. A few hip thrusts towards the unsuspecting, velvety upholstery of the couch were spotted, the contact was achieved; it’s an interesting arc in his performance made exclusively thanks to the audience reactions and Adam’s response to it.
The point is, if you want Adam to reach truly insane heights of magic, you have to go there with him. He can be a bit skittish like that, he won’t do it alone. You have to push his buttons in order for him to push yours back. It’s the best kind of magic and it’s not a little lonely and serene perfection of ‘Who Wants to Live Forever’ that is the best part of the concert experience, although it would be on anyone else’s concert, if they could even dream of pulling it off. With Adam and his audience, the highlight is always the mutual goading into the magical, wherever and whenever it happens; and even though it is sometimes complicated, when you get there it feels like a dream for both parties.To be continued;) |
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