Queen + Adam Lambert's The Rhapsody Tour came to a dazzling end with two sold-out shows (Nov. 11 and 12th) at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. No opening act for a legendary band such as Queen. Thunderous cheers rang through the venue as the band hit the stage around 8:40 pm for their Nov. 11th performance to a unique mash-up of "Machines (Or 'Back to Humans') / Radio Ga Ga."
It’s tough to fill the shoes of one of the greatest voices of our generation, but Lambert delightfully captures and celebrates the essence of Freddie Mercury. His vocal range is dynamic and robust, he's great at belting and hitting those tough high notes that enable him to sing most of the difficult Queen songs pretty flawlessly. Lambert has the flamboyant rock-star energy of Mercury and works very well with rock ‘n’ roll legends Brian May and Roger Taylor.
For being in their 70's, May and Taylor show no signs of slowing down. May plays the guitar with enormous charismatic energy and Roger's drumming rhythm is top-notch. May and Taylor are commanding presences, each getting solo time on stage. May also played an acoustic rendition of “Love of My Life” which featured a touching and surprising cameo from Mercury. While Taylor gave a wonderful rendition of David Bowie’s part during “Under Pressure.”
The band spared no expense to the show's production, every song featured interesting special effects and set pieces. Lambert emerged from underneath the stage on a motorcycle for “Bicycle Race," for "A Kind of Magic" May magically shot fireballs out of his guitar, and we were treated to a mesmerizing and euphoric light display during "Who Wants to Live Forever." Queen's music is timeless, their catalog features an enormous array of anthems that are still popular to this day. The band performed all the big hits including "Another One Bites the Dust," "Don't Stop Me Now" and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love." Tributes to Mercury's legacy were also placed throughout the show. For one of their most iconic song "Bohemian Rhapsody,” the band disappeared into the darkness as the music video of the iconic operatic passage appeared through the screens. His vocals were also trinkled inbetween songs, a touching reminder of the iconic career Mercury left behind.
Fittingly Queen + Adam Lambert ended their set with an encore performance of "We Will Rock You," "Radio Ga Ga" and "We Are the Champions." It's hard to believe it's been more than 10 years since Adam Lambert joined as the frontman, he has become a vital part in helping May and Roger keep Freddie Mercury and Queen's legacy alive and thriving.
