7.31.11 Adam News & Info

Adam tweets:
@adamlambertadam Lambert
Magic Forest say.ly/nPrxL0


@adamlambertadam Lambert
t.co/wfzDpBG OUTLAWS OF LOVE

***

Some buzz about Outlaws of Love:
@lyndseyparkerlyndsey Parker
Have you heard Adam Lambert's BRAND-NEW song yet? I have. And you can hear it too if you click! t.co/A7AkyzL


@justjaredjustjared com
Adam Lambert: 'Outlaws of Love' FIRST LISTEN!: Adam Lambert treats fans to a first listen of… goo.gl/fb/SvvOi


@jambajimjim cantiello
@adamlambert So! Pretty!! Can't wait to hear more!!

RadioChloeChloe on 95.1 WAPE
@adamlambert I shared the #OutlawsOfLove love with my @951wape listeners in my blog! Look! bit.ly/n08jyi )

Oh, and Dad liked it, too:
@milestougeauxmiles Tougeaux
trishnz That was one of the five I really like

@milestougeauxmiles Tougeaux
@adamlambert Dude, your fans dont waste any time...http://t.co/rIuhayy@negativeneil @uhhuhher

A beautiful piano version of OoL:



****


A few small sketches from Quebec
7.31.11 by Q3

I would love to have the ability to paint a picture of Friday night’s concert – a painting with all the color and texture of the moment. But all I can do is offer some simple sketches.

The Master arrives: The stage was mostly dark. Tommy, Isaac and Monte take their places. The crowd cheers. An announcer takes the stage and announces Adam. And the wild ride begins.

The audio on this video is not great --- but it captures a bit of his intensity – and the energy of the crowd.



From the moment he stepped on to the stage, until the final note, he was The Master. He was in control of the crowd, the energy, it even seemed he was The Master of the elements.

He was confident, strong, powerful and happy. It was the most relaxed I have ever seen Adam on the stage -- and yet he was filled with an intensity that you could just feel.

“You guys having fun. We’re having fun too. Can you tell?” – He seems so happy. We could feel it. But it was nice to hear him say it. Here was a performer who wanted to be on stage performing his music. And who at moments seemed pleased and amazed by the connection he had with the audience, and that so many people were there for him.

Here is “Music Again” – actually not an Adam-level vocal masterpiece but he was so joyfilled it didn’t matter. Just f’ing funtastic:




Adam introduces the band -- and is "rudely" interrupted: Adam started to introduce the band, but he was interrupted.



“Oh hello young….. What is that? We don’t have those in LA. I think that was a fairy. --- Well we have those. But not those kind. That’s a twink.” [It was some odd variety of white moth that looked ethereal in the lights. It really looked like a fairy.]




Adam and Pretty Kitty: After the fairy left, Adam did get around to introducing the band. “And on the bass, the pretty kitty, that all you people have written fan fiction about. Shame on you. That’s dirty. (He laughs.) Tommy Radcliff. (Laughs) That fan fiction is highly inappropriate. I’m offended. (Laughs, waves hands and makes an expression that indicated that he was totally joking.)”

No surprise that Adam knows about the fan fiction, but Tommy-Adam fan fiction has been around since November 2009. Why mention it now? I think Adam was trying to make sure that fans knew that he was aware it was out there and was trying to tell these fans that this is FICTION.

More importantly, Adam knows Tommy’s name. Did he just mess it up or was the “Radcliff” reference some kind of gothic novel joke – like mixing up Ratliff and Heathcliff (“Wuthering Heights”) – most famously played by Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, who many have claimed was bisexual. Fanfic writers I am sure your pens are already engaged.

Seriously, Adam was at the concert with Sauli. Sauli enter the audience in a way that would allow many people to see he was there without Adam ever mentioning it. During “Fever”, Adam did not really engage with Tommy at all – just make a bit of a joke with Tommy’s John Wayne tattoo.

Adam to Tommy's John Wayne tat: “How ya doing.”

This version of “Fever” veered a bit into theatrical comedy a few times, contained a lot of improvised vocalization and was very far from the sexy GMT version. Also, the high notes on the word “mine” around 1:37 [TALC video below] were amazing live.




Where are the pictures of Sauli? There may not be many pictures of Sauli. Around the time the concert was scheduled to begin (Adam was 20 mintutes late, quelle grande surprise!) when everyone was intently watching the stage for any sign of Adam or the band, Sauli came out. It all happened so quickly. The only photo I saw of him was a bit of a blur going by and I barely saw him wiz by. (I heard and have read reports of fans watching him during the concert but I could not see him.) I honestly forgot about Sauli until the Aftermath blown kiss when it crossed my mind that it might be for Sauli. Then I forgot about him again. (Fans who could see Sauli have since confirmed this was directed by Adam to Sauli.)





Adam and Monte “my amazing guitarist”. It was clear during this concert that Adam and Monte were having a good time performing together. Q3 says, “Love ya, Monte. But dude that beard is not working for you.”


Look into my Eyes: There are usually three or four place in the audience where Adam fixes his gaze and looks right at the crowd. I have observed him do this, and it is a technique that many performers and speakers use. I have also read reports from fans who were in a “the spot”, but have never experience it. At this concert, I was standing in the right place – the place where his eyes look right though you. I believe it even seemed more intense at this concert because the heavy, dark eye makeup made his eyes look light blue. In any case, it is (as others have reported) an indescribable experience.


Outlaws of Love: Adam and his team clearly wanted to start to build some buzz for his upcoming album release. It is a pretty typical early promotional strategy. With YouTube and other forms of social media for video sharing, it is a great way to get some free promotion. But why this song? I have read many theories about why Adam chose to perform this song from his new album. And it was a very practical choice. My theory is a bit different.

I think the message of this song was important to Adam and he wanted the message to get out. There are other “gay anthems” out there but they are mostly dance-pop celebration songs performed by pop divas. This is not a “gay anthem” about people partying all not long because they are so happy to be who they are. This is not an invite to a gay club to tear up the dance floor. It was a sweet love song, laced with pain and uncertainty, it was about the reality that Adam and anyone else who is gay really has to live with – in many places they are outlaws – even in 2011. There are a lot of people who believe that gays will burn in hell. There are a lot of people who actually believe that it is a choice.

This performance had not even a hint of desperation or defiance. And the performance reminded me of “Somewhere” from West Side Story – sad, laced with pain but also with a bit of hope that there could be a place….
There's a place for us,
Somewhere a place for us.
Peace and quiet and open air
Wait for us
Somewhere.

There's a time for us,
Some day a time for us,
Time together with time spare,
Time to learn, time to care,
Some day!

Somewhere.
We'll find a new way of living,
We'll find a way of forgiving
Somewhere . . .

There's a place for us,
A time and place for us.
Hold my hand and we're halfway there.
Hold my hand and I'll take you there
Somehow,
Some day,
Somewhere!

OOL is also different because it is performed by an openly gay man. I have moved beyond trying to figure out firsts when it comes to these things; I no longer care about absolutes. I just know that this song is the first real gay love song I have ever heard.




In the pouring rain: Toward the end of the concert, I felt a few drops of water. It was hot. It felt good. By the time Adam sang, “You need cooling, baby I’m not fooling.” The rain was almost torrential. It was perfect.

“I’m going to send you back for some schooling” Adam says “Oh man”. The wind kicks up. Everyone is getting soaked. Umbrellas appear. Plastic sheets go over people’s heads. Most people are just getting wetter. No one seems to care that much.




Purple Haze is in my mind, this rain has got a spell on me: The concert ended with “Purple Haze”. Everyone including Adam was wet from the rain. There was literally lightening in the sky. I was 12 people from the stage and huge bank of speakers and could not hear parts of the music and vocals over the wind.

Adam sangs “Excuse me while a kiss the sky”, threw his head back and tongued the rain. Monte pulled out all the stops and laid down his best guitar solo of the concert. On the Adam Lambert scale, the vocal performance was a bit ratty – not precise. On a rock god scale, the vocal performance was one with the universe and the audience – one for the ages. Many rock aficionados have criticized Adam for being too perfect in his vocals. That night, on this song, he showed that he can deliver emotionally-driven, improvisational rock vocals at the same level as the legends.



After 2 encores, and 20 minutes of cold rain. The crowd was still standing there. 9,000 rain and wind ripped people who were numb, not from the cold and rain and wind, but from the insane intensity of this concert.

Fireworks are no thrill: Immediately after the concert ended the famous Ste. Agathe en Feux Festival fireworks started. I tried to be interested in them. But they seemed like nothing. We walked along the lake back to our hotel. Fireworks filled the sky, were reflected in the lake. They seemed ordinary. The concert I just attended was extraordinary. It was no match. Merci/Thank you Ste. Agathe en Feux for the fire, the light and the love.

Adam said it all in one tweet:

adamlambert Adam Lambert:
St Agathe show was a Jolt of electricity to my soul!!! Thank you all for sticking around in that downpour. SexROCK
7.29.11 from Twitter


Postscript: We celebrated after the concert with a toast of "Liqueur de Whiskey Canadien et de Sirup D'Erable."/"Canadian Whiskey and Maple Syrup Liqueur" to all at Adamtopia. I love Canada but seriously this stuff is terrible!! It is like drinking maple syrup -- well it is mostly maple syrup with a bit of whiskey mixed in. Y'all owe me one for thinking of this! (Most of the assembled Adamtopia Glitteratti liked it actually. And I thought that they were women with fine cultured taste and distinction. Clearly I was fooled!)

The people in the bar where we drank it told me that is a "tourist" drink and that locals prefer a nice cold beer or vodka. Next time I am in Quebec, I plan to join the natives and drink vodka.




***
Outlaws of Love: Introducing the Next Era
7/31/2011 by NoAngel


In terms of his art, there is very little that Adam does thoughtlessly, and I believe Adam chose to premiere Outlaws of Love in Quebec with a strategy in mind. It’s definitely not the first single; I’d bet my life on that. So why this song?

First, just singing anything from Album 2 was a surprise—many had hoped but few fans realistically expected to hear something new in Quebec. But if Adam reads his Twitter feed at all, he’s well aware of his fans’ yearning for new music. And like he said, the song was a treat for us who have been patient (sorta) for so long. But also, he was fully expecting (and wanting) OoL to be posted and spread around. Through his Twitter feed and YouTube comments, it’s a way for him to get some feedback and measure the response from fans and even from a few media sites.

The choice of a song with dark, plaintive, heartbreaking lyrics tells me that he intends to do exactly what he has said—dig deep inside and show us what he feels, even when it’s not happy and pretty. It’s a risk to expose himself in this way, but what better place than in front of fans from Canada, a country that has shown him so much love, and a contingent of hardcore fans from around the world.

The message of the song makes sense in the context of Adam’s expanded worldview and political awakening. He’s been exposed to so much in the last couple of years. Outside the WeHo bubble and his open-minded circle of friends, he has seen more ignorance and hate than he ever may have imagined. For all his positivity, there’s no way he hasn’t been affected by ugly comments and dumbass DJ jokes, not to mention a couple of protests. And perhaps his relationship with Sauli has caused him to think about the implications of laws against gay marriage and how U.S. immigration law impacts gay bi-national couples. Adam continues to grow comfortable speaking about this civil rights issue and seeing himself as part of its progress.

And because there has been progress, it is interesting that OoL is so dark and anguished, especially coming after Aftermath, which was such an empowered anthem. Adam may indeed believe that “it gets better” but he’s not about to hide the grim realness that exists in the meantime. There is very little evident hope in this song, and I think this has surprised some of his fans. We’re so used to Adam being positive and optimistic, but he’s obviously not going to sugarcoat the truth. In his interview with In Rock Magazine, he spoke of writing songs all along the emotional spectrum, including sadness and loneliness. These feelings are real and universal, and Adam’s willingness to be “broken open” with this song tells me he knows and trusts us (and himself) enough to show this side of himself.

It is also clear that Adam wants very much to be taken seriously as a musician, a songwriter, and an artist, and to focus on his unique voice. This song, which he proudly proclaims that he wrote, showcases that incredible voice and his ability to express emotion. About Adele he said, “Even without using sound effects, beats and special synthesizers, she’s reminded me how a song can be strong by carefully infusing it with emotions and feelings, and a great vocal quality.” OoL is strong in that same way.

Finally, I think that the first single will be nothing like OoL, but I’ll bet it will be real and honest and that it will focus on the voice. No one should expect an album full of angsty ballads. What we should expect is to be surprised. If the amount of conversation this song has generated is any indication, we’ll have a lot to talk about with the single, and Adam is clearly intent on making us feel strongly about his music. We are in for a fabulous ride!

***



Adam in Sexiest Man Final!!

WINNERS FACE OFF IN FINALE, FRIDAY 7/29 at 5P PT![/color][/size]

TOP 4 results ---

@mix941 RESULTS: ADAM LAMBERT! He moves on to the Sexiest Man Of Mix Finale Friday at 5p!

Adam Lambert 72% vs Rob Thomas 28% – 76,821 votes




Remember to vote here too!!

www.vh1.com/shows/events/do_something_awards/2011/music-artist/


Upcoming Events

Check the Adamtopia calendar for more events and links to more info.


July or so: Behind the scenes video of Adam #2 recording sessions to be released.


Monday 8.1.11 Musique Plus interview with Adam is on Monday 7pm. Recorded in Montreal.

Teaser video for Monday's interview: www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150332709157394&oid=10150150348800298&comments


8.7.11 Adam Lambert "Behind the Music" premieres on VH1 Sunday, August 7 at 10:00 PM ET/PT.

Link: www.vh1press.com/mid-season-schedule-changes-for-vh1’s-“behind-the-music”/

Select full episodes of “Behind The Music,” as well as extended interviews and footage will be available at BehindTheMusic.VH1.com.


8.13.11 Equality California will honor singer and songwriter Adam Lambert at this year’s annual Los Angeles Equality Awards
Link: www.sdgln.com/causes/2011/07/05/adam-lambert-facebook-be-honored-los-angeles-equality-awards

8.14.11 TAPING Adam at the Adam at the VH1 Do Something Awards.

8.18.11 BROADCAST Adam at the VH1 Do Something Awards. 9:00PM EDT/PDT
Link: www.vh1.com/shows/events/do_something_awards/2011/


Late August 2011 – Date TBD, unconfirmed – Adam will be a guest judge on Project Runway. His episode was taped on 7.14.11.


Around 8.30.11 New single released

9.23.2011 Premiere of Majors & Minors on the Hub Network.
Adam Lambert, Avril Lavigne, Colbie Caillat and Claude Kelly are joining The Hub's latest reality series Majors & Minors. They will serve as mentors (the "majors") to young talent on the upcoming fall series, premiering Friday, Sept. 23.
www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/adam-lambert-avril-lavigne-colbie-217026

October or November 2011 (Date and Time TBA) MTV Talk@Playground with Adam and SKINGRAFT'S Johnny Cota. Will be broadcast internationally.

Around 11.7.11 Adam's second album released


Every Saturday from New Zealand -- Adam Lambert Hour -- Live 7:00PM EDT US.
Link: www.adamlamberthour.co.nr/

Check out the ALH page for podcast of previous shows.
This is the only weekly Adam Lambert show in the world.


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