06-20-14 – Chicago – Chicago Tribune

“We’ve played to some of your mothers and fathers,” Queen guitarist Brian May remarked to the full-house crowd during their show at United Center on Thursday. “And some of your grandchildren, I’m sure.” Certainly, Queen’s reign has spanned generations. And with their current incarnation including former “American Idol” runner-up Adam Lambert as singer, the audience’s ages at the opening night of their North American tour ranged from younger Glamberts, as Lambert’s fans are called, to folks who may have seen Queen with their late singer Freddie Mercury in the ’70s.

After Mercury died in 1991, Queen’s May and drummer Roger Taylor had toured with Bad Company’s Paul Rodgers, but their teaming with Lambert proved a better match as evidenced at Thursday’s concert. From Lambert’s amazing vocal range to his sense of style, humor and showmanship, he was a natural fit to the bombast and over-the-top production that is Queen. And while Mercury’s virtuosic voice is unparalleled, Lambert’s impressive take on the material paid appropriate homage while adding his own flourishes to the mix.

They launched the show with “Now I’m Here,” the rocking, dramatic opener set the tone for the theatrical performance, which was punctuated with laser and strobe lights, a disco ball, smoke blasts, drum riser hydraulics, a catwalk leading to a middle stage, a video backdrop and of course, many costume changes. The set mixed hits with more obscure offerings, such as a rendition of Mercury’s 1984 solo tune, “Love Kills,” which was made for Giorgio Moroder’s restored version of the 1927 film, “Metropolis.”

The chemistry among the trio was evident: Lambert grooved to Taylor’s beats on the drum platform, May and Lambert’s respective guitar and vocal gymnastics interlaced effortlessly. Queen also took individual turns front and center. Taylor and his son Rufus, who was part of their backing band, conducted a giddy drum duel that segued into an excellent “Under Pressure.” May’s poignant, acoustic guitar-led “Love Of My Life” on the middle stage featured him duetting with Mercury via the video backdrop.

Lambert’s role was not to be underestimated, though. He brought spine-tingling prowess to the epic “Who Wants To Live Forever” and “Somebody To Love,” campiness to “Killer Queen,” rockabilly dance poses to “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and respect during “Bohemian Rhapsody,” where he traded vocals with Mercury on screen as the band and audience harmonized along.

While there were a couple misfires – the mix was a bit muddy, the mic went out during the first song and the audio cues to the video were not always on target — the show epitomized Queen, in all its flamboyant glory.