Tennessean
Queen + Adam Lambert rock Nashville - and celebrate Freddie Mercury
A Queen + Adam Lambert concert is a joyous, 2-hour thrill ride of rock – but at no point does its audience forget who's not a part of it.
That would be the late Freddie Mercury, the band's larger-than-life lead singer. And his mythical status has grown exponentially in the 26 years since his death.
At the same time, Mercury was a constant presence at the band's Wednesday night concert at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena. Every beat, every massive chord strummed and every high note hit by Lambert (and those in the packed house) was a celebration of Mercury – perhaps the greatest frontman rock and roll will ever know.
It was also a celebration of two of the band's surviving members: guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor, both of whom were crucial architects of the band's sound and songs. Queen may never be the same, but on Wednesday, these two made a strong case that they deserve to keep sharing the stage – and sharing an evening with the fans who've been with them for decades.
“I'm very grateful to be here, and I'm very grateful that you all turned up,” May said as he took a seat at the end of the stage catwalk.
“But I'm also grateful that I get this moment, because we come in and be heroes, or whatever, but I get to be down here and talk to you like a human being. And I love that...I don't take anything for granted these days. For four young boys, as we first came to this country about 40 years ago, it's a miracle that we are here right now.”
He followed that sentiment up with an acoustic “Love of My Life,” encouraging the room to sing along. For the final lines, he played guitar as a video of Mercury singing played on the screens behind him. The crowd roared, and after May strummed the final chord, he quickly wiped away a few tears.
Still, tender moments were rare at Wednesday’s show, which was about as boisterous as arena rock gets. The Queen faithful wouldn't have it any other way.
That element is chiefly due to Lambert, who’s been known for his bravado and staggering vocal range ever since he burst out of “American Idol” in 2009.
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www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2017/08/03/concert-review-queen-with-adam-lambert-bridgestone-arena/530370001/