7.27.14 Adam News and Info

The TALC videos from last night are super! I am so grateful to those folks for their tireless documentation of Adam's performances.

I know that at every concert, attendees say "this was the best night of the tour." But, is it my imagination that AC topped all the other incredible performances? Such high energy. Such joyous abandon. Such powerful, rich, masterful vocals.

Many of us expressed (or possibly kept it to ourselves) concern about Adam singing 23 times in 37 days. Especially after seeing the set list and the first couple of shows. By my rough calculations, Adam is onstage performing and singing for over an hour and a half each show. This is not like the musicals he did. Even when he had a featured role, he had two or three solos per performance. He sang with the chorus on a handful more. Total amount of actual singing time was probably less than 30 minutes a night. The singing that he did do was not nearly as intense as much of the Queen catalog.

Adam was also not onstage in the spotlight for almost all of the musical theater shows. He had significant "down time" between his featured scenes. With QAL he is not "at rest" on stage ever. He is always "ON!" The mental and physical energy required to project that kind of stage presence and to capture and hold the audience in rapt attention as he does is substantial and draining.

Yet, here we are at the end of the US tour, and Adam is looking and sounding stronger than ever. How is that humanly possible? I am a trained singer, know lots of trained singers, and know lots of voice preserving techniques, and I still am incredulous that his voice sounded as it did for last night's concert. I honestly don't know how he is doing that. I am beyond impressed.

I am also thrilled to hear stellar performance after stellar performance. Each night there are slight variations and individual characteristics, but taken in the aggregate, Adam's performances and interpretations show impressive consistency. It looks and sounds new and fresh each time, but it is all carefully laid out in his mind. His "abandon" is crafted, choreographed, and vocally planned for optimum effect, while considering how to best use but not abuse that amazing instrument of his.

Are you familiar with the phrase "How ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm after they've seen Paree (Paris)?" I wonder how Adam will be content to do solo shows with his music after this tour? After singing some of the finest music in rock and pop in the past 50 years? After performing with some of the best musicians in the business? After doing a series of shows that are extremely challenging vocally, emotionally, dramatically and physically? And not just executing them adequately, but smashing the hell outa them. Where does he go from here?

I am surprised to find myself typing this, but I would be more than happy if he continued to collaborate with Roger and Brian and Queen. Not only have they jelled during this tour, not only do they have a palpable affection and respect for one another, but they have raised each other up to new heights of creativity and musicality. Adam no longer looks or feels like a guest with the group. An album of new music would be amazing. Further touring would be wonderful. Adam has many, many years left to pursue a solo career and an opportunity like this may never come about again. Ride the wave!