In 1973, an up-and-coming British band called Queen released their self-titled debut album. While that record didn’t burn up the charts at the time, it introduced the world to the band’s intricate and dramatic sound and showcased the talents of guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor, bassist John Deacon and singer Freddie Mercury—setting the stage for a legendary career that has outlasted most of their ’70s glam rock contemporaries and those who came after them.
Fifty years later, Queen remains as popular as ever, with hit songs like “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Will Rock You,” “We Are the Champions,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and “Another One Bites the Dust” not only still getting airplay but have since been pop culture staples. And that popularity continues on the live stage as the band – now led by surviving members May and Taylor – with singer Adam Lambert performed at a sold-out Madison Square Garden on Friday, the second of a two-night stand in New York City.
One of the U.S. stops on the appropriately dubbed ‘The Rhapsody Tour,’ the Garden show was an enthusiastic and exciting two-hour stroll down memory lane featuring the band’s beloved songs. There was not a moment of lull during the action-packed show that featured not only the five hits above but many others such as “I Want It All,” “Fat Bottomed Girls,” “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “Under Pressure,” “Radio Ga-Ga” and “Stone Cold Crazy.”
There was a moment when the material was slightly reworked that offered a new perspective, such as on “Tie Your Mother Down,” in which the first portion of the song was treated as a country/blues rock number. What definitely remained untouched, however, were the sequencing and performances of “Bohemian Rhapsody” (including the famed ‘operatic section’ on pre-tape) as the climactic moment of the show, and “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions” as parts of the encore (with a reprise of “Radio Ga-Ga” sandwiched in).
May, Taylor and Lambert were in top form throughout the evening: May’s pyrotechnic guitar playing continued to dazzle with every turn, including on “I Want It All,” “Stone Cold Crazy,” “Hammer to Fall,” and of course “Bo Rap,” while Taylor’s drumming delivered both kick and bombast. And Lambert’s charisma, camp and vocal prowess not only shone through in his distinct style but also recalled echoes of Mercury—especially on “Somebody to Love” and “Who Wants to Live Forever;” his flashy stage attire hearkened back to the outfits that Queen’s original frontman once wore onstage.
And Mercury’s presence loomed during the concert as well, whether it was a section of “You Take My Breath Away” played on the P.A. featuring his singing, or archival footage from 1986 that depicted him engaging in a sing-along with the audience.
The most poignant and sobering moments of the show were naturally May’s acoustic rendition of Mercury’s ballad “Love of My Life” along with the band performances of “Who Wants to Live Forever” and “Is This the World We Created,” which were particularly timely given the recent events in the Middle East.
In addition to the vibrant playing by both the principal artists and their backing players, the elaborate stage setting and video backdrops were very impressive and stunning. They included some visual cues to the band’s history like the performance of “A Kind of Magic,” which employed elements of the original music video’s animation (Even the band brought back the famed ‘pizza lights,’ the special lighting setup that marked Queen’s tours from the late 1970s through the mid-1980s). And seeing May perform his guitar solo showcase on an elevated platform that made it appear he was standing on top of a moon or planet (a reflection of his astronomy background) was kind of awe-inspiring.
Had a die-hard fan created their own setlist for this tour, they would’ve probably added a few more hits and rare cuts extending the show to four hours instead of two. That’s how deep and extensive Queen’s catalog is. From a musical and visual level, the Garden show was a spectacle in line with the classic Queen concerts of yesteryear.
Queen + Adam Lambert’s ‘The Rhapsody Tour’ in North America continues through Nov. 12.
Setlist
Act 1
Machines (Or ‘Back to Humans’) / Radio Ga Ga
Hammer to Fall
Stone Cold Crazy
Another One Bites the Dust
Act 2
I’m in Love With My Car
Bicycle Race
Fat Bottomed Girls
I Want It All
Act 3
A Kind of Magic
Killer Queen
Don’t Stop Me Now
Somebody to Love
Act 4 – B-Stage
Love of My Life
’39
Drum Solo
Under Pressure
Tie Your Mother Down
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Act 5
I Want to Break Free
Who Wants to Live Forever
Guitar Solo
Is This the World We Created…?
Bohemian Rhapsody
Encore:
We Will Rock You
Radio Ga Ga (reprise)
We Are the Champions
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