www.dispatch.com/entertainmentlife/20190814/concert-review--queen-adam-lambert-brings-own-magic-to-mercurys-legacyConcert review | Queen: Adam Lambert brings own magic to Mercury’s legacy
By Erica Thompson
You might say that singer Adam Lambert’s destiny was foreshadowed in 2009 on season eight of “American Idol.” He auditioned by singing Queen’s operatic hit, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” He joined the British band for a well-received performance of “We Are the Champions” during the finale. And in the weeks between, he consistently displayed a star-making vocal range, versatility and charisma.
And now he’s on The Rhapsody Tour with Queen, which stopped at Nationwide Arena on Tuesday.
“I call him the gift from God,” original guitarist Brian May said in the documentary, “The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story,” released earlier this year. “We didn’t ask for him. We didn’t look for him. We didn’t have a recipe book with bullet points. He just turned up and he could do everything.”
But the Columbus show wasn’t a glorified karaoke performance. Instead of channeling the late, iconic Freddie Mercury — that simply can’t be done — Lambert brought enough of his own vocal interpretation, style, emotion and humor to the frontman’s legacy. The music, the precious cargo Mercury left behind, will always be here. Lambert is just the perfect vehicle to deliver it to the audience, which, in Columbus, skewed older (some may have even been in the crowd in 1977, the last time Queen was in the city). But the youthful excitement was palpable; there were even several rounds of “the wave” in the crowd.
Roger Taylor’s drum beat and Brian May’s white curls, iconic in their own right, were the first goosebump-inducing signs we were in for a treat. When Lambert appeared, his gold suit matching an opulent set (complete with a literal crown of screens hovering above the stage), we were off!
Having performed with Queen for eight years now, Lambert was completely at ease on stage, floating from one grand pose to another, leading crowd participation and hamming it up with May. A veteran theater performer, Lambert showed off dramatic flair, whipping out a gold fan on “Killer Queen” and straddling a motorcycle on “Bicycle Race.” And costume changes (loved the spiked shoulder pads, fringe cape and the magnificent robe and crown) were a-plenty.
As my friend pointed out, Lambert could have overdone it. Instead, he exhibited a reverence for the original members, thanking them, holding his mic above their instruments and stepping back as they took their solos.
And despite their ages, Taylor and May were no slouches. The former led the the song, “I’m in Love with My Car,” while the latter absolutely shredded on numbers like “I Want It All,” which was one of the best performances of the night — even above “Another One Bites the Dust,” one of the band’s biggest hits.
May also led a beautiful acoustic set, beginning with “Love of My Life,” during which Mercury appeared onscreen to duet. Mercury showed up a few other times, but tastefully so: brief enough so he didn’t overwhelm the production, but long enough for a respectful, if bittersweet tribute.
In a humorous moment during the acoustic portion, a couple attendees went “old school,” holding up lighters among the raised cell phones. However, one woman quickly gave up. “It’s burning me,” she said.
Whatever your age, this show is a must-see for Lambert’s soaring vocals alone. I lost count of his magical moments, but his performance of “Who Wants to Live Forever” and “The Show Must Go On” are near the top. Plus, how can you pass up an opportunity to hear “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Are the Champions” and “We Will Rock You” in this manner, with this level of talent, and with some of the original members? Pure rock, arena-size shows like this that somehow still feel intimate, they simply don’t exist anymore.
