A Celebration Of Music And Life: Queen Rock MSG
Samantha Colleran, October 2023
Queen has been one of my favorite bands for as long as I can remember. Queen + Adam Lambert have been on my concert bucket list for quite some time, and on October 12 I finally got to check that off. On the first night of their two sold out Madison Square Garden shows, Queen + Adam Lambert brought the talent, charisma, and emotion in their 2 ½ hour set.
The setlist was jam packed with hit after hit, as well as some deeper cuts. Starting off with a mashup of “Machines (Or Back to Human)” and “Radio Ga Ga” was the perfect way to begin the set. Although not an overly political band, the band has always had a knack for speaking their mind about the state of the world and beginning the show (and circling back to it toward the end of the set) with “Machines” felt incredibly fitting for the current state of technology becoming so ingrained in our society.
The stage setup for the Rhapsody Tour is nothing short of grand. Between outfit changes, stage props (including a motorbike for “Bicycle Race” and a whole solar system that hung from the ceiling during an extended Brian guitar solo), and videos playing on the screens behind the band, you’ll be completely mesmerized by their ability to put on a performance.
Adam Lambert is an absolute powerhouse. Although no one will ever be Freddie Mercury, Adam adds a level of campiness and flare to his performance that would certainly make the late singer proud. That, and his vocal abilities are off the charts phenomenal. He brings new life to the classic songs everyone has come to know and love. Whether it’s a fast paced track like “Tie Your Mother Down” or “Stone Cold Crazy”, or he’s taking on power ballads like “Somebody To Love” or “Who Wants To Live Forever”, you’ll feel the emotion in every single note.
Despite being in the game for a while, Brian “the Guitar God” May and Roger “the Drumming Demon” Taylor are still performing like it’s 1974. At multiple points Brian strutted the catwalk eager to take on a guitar solo, and every single time he was met with roaring applause. He also brought out a deep cut off of A Night At The Opera, “39”, which is a cheery acoustic driven track about time travel that had everyone on their feet. Roger is such a beast behind the kit, people often forget he’s a talented singer as well. He graced the MSG audience with a rendition of his A Night At The Opera track “I’m In Love With My Car”, and he took on the David Bowie vocal part during “Under Pressure”, both were absolutely stellar.
My personal favorite part of the night was Brian’s solo set where he sang “Love Of My Life”. “Love Of My Life” is a song that has remained a staple in Queen performances; I’ve seen countless videos of the exact moment, but there’s something about being in the room to witness it in real time that makes this song so special. Before beginning the song, Brian said something along the lines of “This is my friend’s song, but he isn’t here to sing it, so tonight I’ll be singing it for him”. He begins the song by himself, just him and his acoustic guitar. As the song went on, more and more people began to sing along and light up the MSG venue with their flashlights. For the final verse, Freddie appears on the big screen behind Brian to sing the rest of the song. I was to the side of the stage so I couldn’t see him, but simply hearing that familiar voice sing “Ohh, hurry back, hurry back / Don’t take it away from me…” was enough to send tears streaming harder and faster down my cheeks. At the end, Brian holds out his hand to Freddie, who takes a bow.
Honoring Freddie is a priority during Queen shows. The infamous vocal warm up call and response is played on the big screen as a sort of intermission later in the show, something I love dearly (the version played was the Wembley 1986 version where at the end he says “Fuck you” to the audience, something that always cracks me up). They also play the video of “Bohemian Rhapsody” on the screens starting at the “I see a little silhouetto of a man” part of the song. Adam also acknowledges his role as the honorary frontman of Queen for the past ten years; he doesn’t take the opportunity for granted and he makes a point of saying that Freddie will always be with the band and with fans. It’s so beautiful to see that almost 32 years since his passing the band still do everything they can to keep Freddie’s spirit alive and part of Queen.
If you’re debating whether or not to buy the tickets to see Queen, I’m not sure what you’re waiting for. Brian May and Roger Taylor are among my all time favorite musicians, seeing them live strengthened my admiration for them. Combined with Adam Lambert’s monstrous vocals and stage presence, the trio are a force to be reckoned with. I know this is a show I won’t forget for a very long time, and I’m so glad I had the chance to go.