7.28.14 Adam News&Info, Tonight Q+AL NA Tour Finale

This is It


39 days, 23 shows and now we are down to the last performance here in North America. I have a feeling they are going to go out with a BANG tonight in Toronto. It's been such fun and I'm not going to lie, I'm going to miss it.




Atlantic City Reviews




Adam Lambert a fitting replacement for Mercury in show at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall
Posted: Saturday, July 26, 2014 10:42 pm
By SCOTT CRONICK Staff Writer


ATLANTIC CITY - It seemed inevitable. When Queen guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor joined Adam Lambert on stage during Season 8 of “American Idol” for “We Are the Champions,” fate intervened.

The eventual “Idol” winner, Kris Allen, was also on stage that night, but May didn’t seem to notice. His eyes were on Lambert. And when they all took a bow, May whispered something in Lambert’s ear that may have been a job offer.

After a five-year-stint with singer Paul Rodgers that never seemed to totally click, was there anyone better to fill the flamboyant shoes of one of the greatest rock frontmen of all time – the late Freddie Mercury – than an equally flamboyant rising star who could help put Queen in the spotlight again, 40 years after the band formed?

So there Lambert was, fronting one of the most respected rock outfits at Boardwalk Hall Saturday night for the second-to-last show of the band’s North American trek labeled “The Once in a Lifetime Tour.”

And Lambert delivered.

The singer’s mix of operatic ability, glam persona and pure rock goodness is so unique, so interesting and so enthralling, it’s now hard to imagine anyone else filling the void for the great, late singer.

Arriving on stage in a studded leather outfit that was a cross between George Michael and The Village People, Lambert, whose mother was born in Atlantic City, captured the audience's attention immediately and never lost it.

Unlike many bands that lose their frontmen, Queen + Adam Lambert doesn’t seem like a karaoke session as the band goes through the motions to make as much cash as possible. Lambert belongs with Queen, even though he’s 35 years younger than May. And that’s why they will make new music in the future.

But Saturday night was all about Queen’s legacy and mind-blowingly impressive catalog that includes 18 No. 1 albums, 18 No. 1 singles and more than 150 million album sales.

Nearly every song was instantly recognizable from the very first notes. The hits started with "Another One Bites the Dust" and kept going until they played nearly all of them. And good God there are a lot of them, including "Fat Bottomed Girls," their breakthrough hit "Killer Queen," the gospel-influenced "Somebody to Love," "I Want It All," "Radio Ga Ga" and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love."

The night progressively got better. With an over-the-top stage design that offered three video screens, including a giant circular one that nearly reached the top of the hall, a catwalk that extended into the audience and a killer light show, Queen + Adam Lambert is an arena-worthy spectacle.

They made good use of the screens to pay homage to Mercury, who joined May for a few lines of "Love of My Life" and appeared in video footage throughout the night.

The first set ended with the band's most well-known hit. "Bohemian Rhapsody," a total crowd pleaser that also featured video of Mercury and the band from their heyday, and went into encores that are about as good as you can get to end a concert: "We Are the Champions" and "We Will Rock You," leaving the crowd wanting more despite the fact the band played for nearly two and a half hours.

There were also tunes that true Queen fans would appreciate, including the opener "Now I'm Here," a live staple that the band has played in nearly every show since the song was written in 1974; the night's second song, the kick-you-in-your-teeth "Stone Cold Crazy," another live gem that was labeled thrash metal before the term even existed; "In the Lap of the Gods ... Revisited," an arena rocker that bears resemblance to "We Are the Champions"; the funky "Dragon Attack"; and "Tie Your Mother Down," one of the greatest, rocking B-sides of all time.

Of course there were less-than-stellar moments, particularly the ballad "Love of My Life," which was never that solid live and still isn't even though May did an admirable job singing it solo with an acoustic guitar; the sci-fi-themed "'39," which was never a good song to begin with and wasn't any better despite the band offering an acoustic folk version with May singing; "These Are the Days of Our Lives," a cheesy song penned by Taylor, who unfortunately sang it Saturday; and a Lambert-led sing-along session that went on way too long.

May proved why he is one of the greatest guitarists on the planet, nailing the difficult riffs he wrote in his youth while treating the audience to extended solos on songs such as "Fat Bottomed Girls," and his lengthy guitar solo was trippy, creative and impressive.

Taylor can still rattle the drums nicely, but now he needs a little help from his son Rufus Tiger Taylor, and they had fun during a drum battle that went over well with the audience. Taylor also did a great job taking the David Bowie parts duetting with Lambert on "Under Pressure," one of the night's highlights. The crowd even sang "Happy Birthday" to Taylor, who was celebrating his 65th birthday.

But it was hard not to be most impressed by Lambert, who commanded the stage without ever forgetting to share it with his bandmates and occasionally reminding people how honored he was to step in Mercury's giant shoes. Lambert doesn't only have a great stage presence, but he's one the best vocalists you will ever hear, nailing the super high notes and going lower when needed, all while Queen delivers complex harmonies. It's a pretty special thing to hear.

Too many times, bands hoping to reclaim their glory days when they should be home collecting their Social Security checks embark on unnecessary tours. That's not the case with Queen, which now has new life thanks to Lambert, who's a perfect fit. It will be interesting to see whether their next chapter of new music will be successful. But for now, they are a fun, powerful band worthy of playing arenas worldwide. And that's a refreshing change.



Concert review: Queen + Adam Lambert a thrilling combo

www.accessatlanta.com/weblogs/atlanta-music-scene/2014/jul/27/concert-review-queen-adam-lambert-thrilling-combo/

By Melissa Ruggieri


Adam Lambert and Brian May performing in New York on July 17.
Getty Images

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – It’s a shame that the Queen + Adam Lambert tour bypassed Atlanta on its quick, 24-date jaunt this summer.

And they had to name it the “Once in a Lifetime Tour” to add insult to injury, right?

But before Lambert and the iconic, melodic Queen wrap this outing Monday in Toronto and then head to Australia next month, they popped into Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City to show the Jersey Shore why this is the most special post-Freddie Mercury presentation yet.

That is thanks to Adam Lambert, the “American Idol” also-ran who, fans will recall, electrified the audience and (obviously) impressed guitarist Brian May when he performed with Queen on the “Idol” finale in 2011.

Lambert didn’t win that season (that would be Kris Allen). But which would you rather be – a footnote in a Wikipedia entry or the theatrically amusing, vocally astounding frontman of one of rock’s most respected bands?

Lambert proved he could straddle the boundary between reminding of Mercury’s flamboyance while remaining his own man as he strutted around the intimate stage in black leather, tinted shades and platform boots, looking like a glammed-up George Michael and sounding like a Broadway star.

The Queen catalog is so vast that May, drummer Roger Taylor (who was celebrating his 65th birthday on Saturday), his percussionist son Rufus Tiger Taylor, bassist Neil Fairclough and keyboardist Spike Edney could perform five-hour shows and still not cover the essentials.

But a generous sampling was available on this tour, from May crunching through epic riffs on “Another One Bites the Dust” and reeling off a head-spinning solo at the close of "Fat Bottomed Girls” to Taylor effortlessly unspooling drum fills on “Somebody to Love” and crooning the hauntingly melancholic “These are the Days of Our Lives.”

May usually looked amused at Lambert’s campy moves, such as lounging on a maroon couch while enunciating “Killer Queen” (though Lambert spitting champagne on the crowd like a porpoise seemed gross, unnecessary and out of character with the rest of the show).

And Lambert paid plenty of respect to his elders. If he wasn’t grinning and egging on May to keep blasting through a solo, he was praising Mercury and thanking the crowd for accepting “the new guy.”

May and Taylor apparently like this “new guy” so much, they’ve discussed making him a permanent member and recording new material.

That might not sit well with Queen purists, but know this: Lambert is the perfect man for a slot that can never - and should never – be duplicated.

While he brings plenty of Mercury’s pomp, Lambert also brings a shade of darkness that fits well with a band that is aging gracefully.

Both May and Taylor maintain ample vocal chops themselves. May offered a lovely “Love of My Life” (with Mercury on a giant oval video screen for authenticity), while Taylor provided enough sneer as he played against Lambert during an explosive “Under Pressure.”

But, much like Mercury was such a riveting presence, it’s impossible not to be captivated by Lambert. Whether he was punctuating “Dust” with salacious pelvic thrusts or presenting his dramatic upper register on “Who Wants to Live Forever,” he enthralled and impressed.

Since this U.S. tour was so well-received, perhaps Queen and Lambert will reconsider an encore run later in the year. If so, let’s hope Atlanta makes the cut.





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.

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2014 Queen + Adam Lambert Tour Dates



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