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Things To Do | Review: Brian May leads Queen + Adam Lambert in…

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Things to do | review: brian may leads queen + adam lambert in a brilliant, extravagant concert — until a strange duet.

Vincent Alban/for the Chicago Tribune

Adam Lambert, left, and Brian May, perform during the first night of two concerts by Queen during The Rhapsody Tour at the United Center in Chicago on Oct. 30, 2023.

Darren Smith, left, dressed as Freddie Mercury, the original frontman of the band Queen, cheers during the first night of two performances by Queen and Adam Lambert at the United Center on Oct. 30, 2023.

Brian May, one of the original members of Queen, performs during the first night of two performances by Queen and Adam Lambert during The Rhapsody Tour at the United Center on Oct. 30, 2023.

Adam Lambert performs during the first night of two performances by Queen during The Rhapsody Tour at the United Center on Oct. 30, 2023.

Concertgoers watch the performance during the first night of two performances by Queen and Adam Lambert during The Rhapsody Tour at the United Center on Oct. 30, 2023.

Guitarist Brian May performs with Queen during The Rhapsody Tour at the United Center on Oct. 30, 2023.

Adam Lambert performs during the first night of two performances with Queen at the United Center on Oct. 30, 2023.

Brian May, one of the original members of Queen, performs during the first night of two performances by Queen and Adam Lambert at the United Center on Oct. 30, 2023.

Adam Lambert, left, and Brian May, embrace while performing together during the first night of two performances by Queen during The Rhapsody Tour at the United Center on Oct. 30, 2023.

Whatever percentage Sir Brian May is being paid on the current Queen + Adam Lambert tour, the amount should be doubled. Monday at the first of a two-night stand at a sold-out United Center, the band’s original guitarist carried the 130-minute concert, commanding the stage with a combination of virtuosic musicianship and nonchalant presence at odds with the surrounding spectacle.

To his credit, lead singer Lambert understood May’s significance in the moment. The flamboyant vocalist won the evening when it came to colorful garb but he ceded the limelight, runway and center platform to the 76-year-old legend. May willed Queen’s songs forward. In a possible nod to his second career as an astrophysicist, he appeared determined to propel the music to some distant universe — an ambition underscored by an intergalactic-themed sequence that found him perched on a hydraulic riser amid 16 illuminated planetary orbs.

Indeed, May’s clutter-free playing didn’t always seem of this Earth. Certainly not his trademark guitar tones — at once clean and distorted, choral and direct, lyrical and driven, smooth and crunchy, warm and sustained — or technical blend of finesse, power and economy. Nor his energy. He delivered not one but two extended solos, allowed his colleagues a healthy breather via an unaccompanied mini-set, and didn’t require the aid of a secondary guitarist.

His brilliant performances nearly made up for several odd decisions that caused unevenness and, past the show’s midpoint, a dip in momentum from which Queen and company never fully recovered. As for filling the void left by Freddie Mercury? Lambert succeeded by being himself, not a cheap copy of the original band leader, and by using spot-on pitch and superb control to his advantage.

Hard as it might be for older fans to believe, two generations have passed since Queen last toured with Mercury in 1986. The band’s final U.S. shows with the singer date back further, to summer 1982. Given the interval, many younger fans’ visual impressions of Mercury likely connect not to the actual person but to a facsimile in the form of Rami Malek, star of the hit 2018 biographical film “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The actor went to great lengths to replicate the moves Mercury executed during Queen’s appearance at Live Aid in 1985.

Six years later, Mercury would be dead at the age of 45, succumbing to complications from AIDS one day after publicly announcing he had the disease. The band went into hibernation, with the remaining members playing a few tribute/charity events, finishing a studio album (“Made in Heaven”) and pursuing solo projects. Bassist John Deacon retired in 1997 and never looked back.

May and drummer Roger Taylor reconvened in 2004, pairing with former Bad Company and Free vocalist Paul Rodgers to tour as Queen + Paul Rodgers. The collaboration largely proved a mismatch. My Tribune review of a lackluster March 2006 show at Allstate Arena noted: “Rodgers recurrently fell short, his bluesy pipes unable to consistently stretch notes above the music.”

Shortly after dissolving their partnership with Rodgers, May and Taylor performed with Lambert in 2009 on the season finale of “American Idol.” The event began a relationship that has lasted more than a decade — amazingly, longer than the entire time the original Queen spent gigging in North America — and spawned multiple tours. The present outing, which sees May and Taylor augmented by a keyboardist, bassist and percussionist with backing vocal abilities, might be the most audacious.

Pyrotechnic explosions, confetti cannons, pulsing strobes, ceiling-scraping lasers, mobile screens, film-studio lights, dry-ice fog, falling leaves, a disco ball, a wraparound projection curtain — no device was too extravagant. And it all paled in comparison to Lambert’s ostentatious outfits. Wearing an assortment of platform heels whose height nodded to Kiss’ iconic ’70s designs, Lambert cycled through costumes adorned with capes, breastplates, leather, glitter, sequins, lavish necklaces and elbow-length gloves.

He took pleasure in the theatrical parade, and recognized the whimsy in much of the band’s material. Lambert amplified the glam quotient of “Killer Queen” by sitting in front of a vanity mirror prop and staring directly at a camera as he primped, perfumed and powdered his face while crooning the words. “Bicycle Race” found the dyed-blond singer straddling a motorcycle blinged out with blinding chrome and countless lights.

Introduced by May as “a gift from god,” Lambert said little and trained his focus on the songs. Fulfilling his declaration to celebrate Mercury, he refrained from employing histrionics and seldom oversang. Graced with a generous range and expressive register, Lambert sounded the most connected with his elders on grandiose ballads (“The Show Must Go On,” “Who Wants to Live Forever”) and bounding, midtempo numbers (“Somebody to Love,” “Don’t Stop Me Now”).

Occasionally, as on “Fat Bottomed Girls,” Lambert got caught in a middle ground between singing and reciting lyrics. A slowed and stripped-down “Tie Your Mother Down” also lacked requisite swagger and mischievousness. Akin to those in other classics — the newest song Queen and Lambert performed stemmed from 1991 — the slight changes conflicted with the versions ingrained in memories and enshrined in history. Which helps explain why nostalgia can be a difficult, double-edged exercise.

Enter Mercury, or at least projected live footage of him singing and holding court in front of a crowd ages ago. May resorted to that ill-advised virtual trick as he pushed himself through “Love of My Life” without his colleagues. Despite any good intentions, such actions reek of artifice and serve as glaring reminders of what (or who) is missing, and exactly why they’re impossible to replace or recreate.

Following May’s “duet” with Mercury, Queen struggled with pacing. Taylor reemerged for a brief drum solo that, strangely, led into the nimble “Under Pressure.” A couple songs later, the liberating vibes of “I Want to Break Free” still fresh, everyone except May apparently needed another rest. Rather than pick up on the guitarist’s electrifying passages and outer-space environs, Queen retreated by sending May and Lambert out for the acoustic “Is This the World We Created …?” As for the explosive portion of “Bohemian Rhapsody”? Tame, with Lambert failing to convey the defiance and desperation.

Not to worry. May rode to the rescue, again, with compact riffs and treble-drenched leads that echoed like thunder claps and flared like lightning strikes. A kind of magic? Perhaps.

Bob Gendron is a freelance critic.

Setlist from the United Center Oct. 30:

“Machines (or ‘Back to Humans’)” into “Radio Ga Ga”

“Hammer to Fall”

“Another One Bites the Dust”

“I’m in Love with My Car”

“Bicycle Race”

“Fat Bottomed Girls”

“I Want It All”

“A Kind of Magic”

“Killer Queen”

“Don’t Stop Me Now”

“Somebody to Love”

“Love of My Life”

“’39?

“Under Pressure”

“Tie Your Mother Down”

“Crazy Little Thing Called Love”

“I Want to Break Free”

“Who Wants to Live Forever”

“Is This the World We Created …?”

“The Show Must Go On”

“Bohemian Rhapsody”

“We Will Rock You”

“Radio Ga Ga” (reprise)

“We Are the Champions”

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Queen + Adam Lambert Return For The Rhapsody Tour Across North America

Tickets Onsale Starting Friday, March 31 at 10am Local on LiveNation.com

“visions fine and sound supreme   essence of a fiery queen   doyens of the paradigm   we will rock you one more time.”   brian may  .

Having first launched their universally acclaimed Rhapsody Tour with 25 epic shows across North America in 2019, Queen + Adam Lambert are bringing their highly acclaimed production, now expanded and updated, back to where it first began. After a 4-year long hiatus, Sir Brian May, Roger Taylor and their exceptional frontman Adam Lambert have announced they will set out on a spectacular North America run this fall. Produced by Live Nation, the tour kicks off on October 4 at Baltimore’s CFG Bank Arena making stops in Toronto, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Dallas, Denver and more before concluding at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. See full routing below. 

Brian May says, “Our last tour featured our most ambitious production ever. So we decided to rip it apart and get even more ambitious. Watch out world.”  

And Adam Lambert says: “I can’t wait to tour North America one more time with the Rhapsody tour alongside the two unbelievably talented legends that are Brian May and Roger Taylor.”  

WATCH THE TOUR TRAILER BELOW  

﷟HYPERLINK “https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lkG43askLccMkhPLdxnrCNa7mhSRGKbT/view?usp=sharing”  

Queen + Adam Lambert’s 150-minute career-spanning set list celebrates the band’s extraordinary back catalogue, lining up wall-to-wall immortal anthems like “We Will Rock You”, “Don’t Stop Me Now”, “Radio Ga Ga”, and “Somebody To Love” alongside classic deep cuts and vintage fan favourites. Featuring a dazzling state-of-the-art stage design, incredible special effects and set pieces, this sense-swamping extravaganza has been blowing critics and fans away the world over. 

As with last year’s UK and European dates, the 2023 North American tour will see Queen + Adam Lambert supported on stage by their regular band members, long-serving Queen keyboard player and musical director Spike Edney, bass guitarist Neil Fairclough and percussionist Tyler Warren.  

Having extensively toured over the last few years, the Rhapsody show is forever evolving. But it remains at heart a tribute to Freddie Mercury’s majestic legacy, a confirmation of Brian and Roger’s undimmed musical prowess, plus a magnificent showcase for Adam’s vocal skills and electrifying stage charisma, all of which adds up to a glorious full-blooded celebration of one of the greatest songbooks in rock history. Read more on the story of The Rhapsody Tour so far, including the special performance opening the Platinum Jubilee concert with the late Queen herself tea cup tapping to the beat of “We Will Rock You” HERE . 

TICKETS: Tickets will be available via a general onsale beginning Friday, March 31st at 10AM local time at LiveNation.com .  

MORE ON TICKETS:  

Queen + Adam Lambert appreciate that it is an enormous task to try and stop scalpers from taking advantage of fans wanting to purchase tickets for the tour. In an effort to help minimize resale and keep ticket prices at face value for fans, the band are collaborating with the venues’ ticketing partners to restrict the ability to transfer tickets for The Rhapsody Tour so that they may only be transferred between fans at the original price. 

Fans will still have protection against unforeseen circumstances. Those who purchase tickets and are no longer able to attend their show will be able to sell their tickets at the price they paid using a face value ticket exchange, including the Ticketmaster Face Value Exchange – which is free to use for buyers and sellers. More information on how the Ticketmaster Exchange works is available here . 

Unfortunately, the states of NY, IL, and CO have laws in place which protect ticket scalpers – these laws prohibit artists from being able to restrict the transfer of their tickets to face value exchanges only. For shows in these states, Queen + Adam Lambert strongly encourage fans to only buy or sell tickets to one another on face value exchanges. More information can be found here , with more details to follow in the coming weeks.  

QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT THE RHAPSODY TOUR 2023 DATES:   

Wed Oct 04 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena 

Sun Oct 08 – Toronto, ON — Scotiabank Arena 

Tue Oct 10 — Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena 

Thu Oct 12 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden 

Sun Oct 15 – Boston, MA – TD Garden 

Wed Oct 18 — Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center 

Mon Oct 23 — Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena 

Wed Oct 25 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena 

Fri Oct 27 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center 

Mon Oct 30 — Chicago, IL – United Center 

Thu Nov 02 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center 

Sun Nov 05 — Denver, CO – Ball Arena 

Wed Nov 08 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center 

Sat Nov 11 – Los Angeles, CA – BMO Stadium 

About Live Nation Entertainment  

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com . 

MEDIA CONTACTS:  

Rhapsody Tour  

Cara Hutchison | [email protected]  

Queen  

Phil Symes | [email protected]   

Sharrin Summers – Hollywood Records | [email protected]  

Adam Lambert  

Kristen Foster | [email protected]   

Avery Robinson | [email protected]   

Live Nation Concerts  

Monique Sowinski | [email protected]  

Valeska Thomas | [email protected]   

Maya Sarin | [email protected]   

Read more about

• Manage Account

No, the Rhapsody Tour Is Not Queen + Adam Lambert’s Last: ‘You Can Always Do One More Time’

Sir Brian May, Roger Taylor and Adam Lambert dish about their favorite Queen songs, knighthood, and the "thrill-seeking" aspects of their forthcoming North American tour.

By Stephen Daw

Stephen Daw

Pride Editor

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Since joining forces in 2011, Queen + Adam Lambert have quickly become one of the most successful touring acts in the world — and now, they’re ready to prove why.

Queen Release Stirring Lost Track Featuring Freddie Mercury Vocals, ‘Face It Alone’

Trending on billboard.

Billboard caught up with May, Lambert and Roger Taylor ahead of their official announcement, where the trio talked about what fans can expect from the new show, their favorite songs to perform live, and why “this is not a farewell tour,” according to May.

This is the first time in four years that the three of you will be touring the U.S. together, following your European tour last year — how are you feeling ahead of hitting the road this fall?

Brian May:  It’s incredible, yeah. I think we all learned in COVID how much we really missed this. It was really tough for everybody. We already did our big outing in Europe, but with a lot of restrictions on that; we had a very strict protocol just to get through, because people were going down like flies. But we managed to get through that whole tour without losing a date, and it was all sold-out, packed, fantastic and better than ever, I think. So we thought, “Well, we just have to get back to the states.”

Outside of those restrictions, were there any significant learning curves you had to navigate in a post-COVID touring environment last year?

May:  Oh, yeah. 

Taylor:  We were changing it and improving it as we went, and we are now going through all of those improvements again when it comes to this American leg.

I’ve noticed that the phrase “one more time” has been thrown around quite a bit when it comes to this tour — are you planning on this being Queen + Adam Lambert’s final outing?

May:  Let me be clear, this is not a farewell tour. You can always do one more time … and then one more time … and then another time after that!

Adam Lambert:  [laughs] Yeah, why limit yourself, guys?

Taylor:  It’s just a simple, five year farewell tour, right?

Queen Guitarist Brian May Knighted by King Charles at Buckingham Palace

When it comes to the “improvements” you’ve made to the show, what can fans expect to see that’s new with this leg of The Rhapsody Tour?

May:  Well, we’re not gonna tell you  that  much, we don’t want to spoil it. [laughs] But the nice things is that the material is what ultimately gives the ideas, and we’re able to develop those ideas as we go along. We get to throw more and more stuff in, production-wise.

Lambert:  I will say, the technology has come so far, even in the 10 years that we’ve worked together. It gives us so much freedom when it comes to what we want to create, what environment we want to put around a song. We have all of these toys that we get to play with, which we all get a big kick out of. We have an amazing creative team that work with us — I mean, we add something in a couple of days if we have a cool idea. Once the show kicks off, the show is never locked. It’s never the same show every night, we have the ability to throw a new song in, move the set around, change the visuals. There’s so much freedom.

Lambert:  I’d say a couple of glasses of wine and a chat, yeah? 

May:  [laughs] I mean, we also always do a soundcheck. The soundcheck is the key thing for us, I think. Every time we go into a new city and set things up, we’ll go into a soundcheck for two or three hours sometimes. When we’re doing that, we’ll try new stuff out, and our team is so flexible with us, that we’ll just throw out, “Can you give us a certain lighting effect, can you do stuff on the screens?” And they’ll build it on the spot for us. We don’t work on backing tracks or anything, which means we can kind of do anything we want. And we’re really fortunate to have a technical team that can handle that — a lot of this stuff is programmed to work at pretty exact intervals, and ours is all human touch, which gives it that live feel.

Lambert:  Also, when we add a song sort of impromptu, we don’t like to over-rehearse it. We play it in that soundcheck and maybe one more soundcheck, and then we throw it in. It makes it really fun, like it’s a thrill-seeking activity, where we just go for it and see what happens. 

Brian, I wanted to congratulate you on your recent knighting from King Charles III — what was that experience like for you?

And Adam, congratulations on your  High Drama  covers album — were there any big covers you wanted to include that didn’t quite make the cut?

Lambert:  There were definitely a couple others I was considering, but it was a very thought-out project, so we weren’t wasting a lot of time or energy in the studio. We did it so quick, probably recorded those over about two months. I’m so happy with it, even though I did not write those songs, it felt like I was getting creative in the studio to find new ways to make them sound. That was such a cool challenge for me. 

Queen has one of the most prolific songbooks in modern rock music. Obviously there are the core set of hits that you’re gonna play almost no matter what — do you have any favorites in particular to perform that maybe aren’t as monolithic?

May:  You know, there’s some stuff that we know would be very difficult — Roger mentioned “The Millionaire Waltz” once. 

Taylor:  [laughs] Oh yeah, I don’t know if we could pull that off.

May:  But a lot of the stuff we do anyways is fairly complex — the key is you don’t play the record. We really play how we feel on the stage. It’s funny, some people would call that a bluff, but there’s a lot of multi-track guitar harmonies in a lot of our songs, and I don’t do that onstage and I don’t use trickery to achieve it. I play what I’m feeling, and people hear that and get a purely live version of the song. No extra frills, because to me, recording has always been different than performing live. 

Taylor:  Sometimes, the song gains a whole new dimension of excitement from that. But the live version will not be exactly the same as the record — that’s not what we’re about.

Lambert:  As far as the setlist goes, I think we’re all aware of what the fan favorites are. But the most important thing here is that, sure, we need to have fun, but the audience is buying a ticket to see the show. This is about their evening and giving them a show that feels fresh. We are keenly aware of what the favorites are and we try to include the big hits every night — they have a  lot  of hits, so it’s a lot to choose from. But it’s a two-plus hour show, so we’ve got plenty of time to get those big hits.

Tickets for The Rhapsody Tour officially go on sale Friday, March 31 at 10 a.m. local time on LiveNation.com .

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Queen + Adam Lambert Announce 2023 North American ‘Rhapsody’ Tour Dates

• By Andy Greene

Andy Greene

Queen + Adam Lambert are bringing their Rhapsody Tour back to North America for their first shows on this side of the Atlantic since 2019. The tour kicks off Oct. 4 in Baltimore, Maryland, and wraps up Nov. 11 in Los Angeles, California.

“This tour has lots of new bells and lots of new whistles,” Queen guitarist Brian May tells Rolling Stone . “We’ve evolved as performers, I think. We’ve stepped up our game. We have better chemistry than ever. We understand each other better than ever, and we feel more free in the way that we interpret stuff. We’re very happy with it. There’s lots of new production and stuff we want to excite you with.”

The set will focus on Queen classics like “Another One Bites The Dust,” “Somebody to Love,” and “Radio Ga Ga.” But they sprinkled in deep cuts like “Tear It Up” and “A King of Magic” in Europe last year, and hope to keep doing that.

“This show has evolved since its been in America since we’ve taken it around the world,” adds drummer Roger Taylor. “It’s quite a different show in a way, while retaining all the big hits, which so many people want to hear.”

Ticket sales begin Friday, March 31. In an effort to keep prices low and reduce scalping, the band is going to utilize the Ticketmaster Face Value Exchange, which makes it impossible to sell tickets for more than face value. “It’s an experiment,” says May. “We got sick of seeing our fans get ripped off by scalpers. We’re hoping this works out.”

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Queen + Adam Lambert first played together on the 2009 finale of American Idol. They began gigging together in 2012, and have stayed on the road consistently over the past decade. Filling in for Freddie Mercury was a daunting task at first for Lambert, but he’s grown very comfortable with the job over the years.

“I feel less anxiety now,” he says. “I’ve matured as a performer. I trust myself a bit more. I will say that when the movie [ Bohemian Rhapsody ] came out, we had all these new fans, and many of them were young, I felt this little pang of, ‘Oh, these are new fans that haven’t been to a show yet.’ I needed to prove myself again, which is good. It keeps me on my game.”

The 2018 movie was an enormous success that grossed $911 million and won four Academy Awards, including Best Actor for star Rami Malek. It ends at Live Aid in 1985, and there’s been scattered talk over the past few years of a sequel that would chronicle Mercury’s final years.

“We need a script,” says May. “That’s what it comes down to. It took us 12 years to get the script for Bohemian Rhapsody , and get the right team in place. I’m not anxious. I think if the right thing comes along, it might work. We have our wonderful producer, Graham King, on it. It’s a possibility. If the right planets align, it might happen.”

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“He would be welcome,” adds Taylor. “But I don’t think it’s going to happen.”

At the moment, this next leg of the Rhapsody Tour is just 14 shows, but it’s very possible they’ll tack on more. “People are buying tickets,” says Lambert. “And hey, we like performing.”

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Queen + Adam Lambert 2023 North American Tour Dates

Oct. 4 – Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena Oct. 8 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena Oct. 10 – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena Oct. 12 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden Oct. 15 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden Oct. 18 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center Oct. 23 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena Oct. 25 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena Oct. 27 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center Oct. 30 – Chicago, IL @ United Center Nov. 2 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center Nov. 5 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena Nov. 8 – San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center Nov. 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ BMO Stadium

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Related tags, brian may reveals discussions for one last queen + adam lambert tour.

It appears that May and bandmate Roger Taylor are setting the wheels in motion for one last jaunt with Lambert.

Credit: BSR Agency / Getty

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Queen ‘s Brian May has revealed ongoing discussions with bandmate Roger Taylor to hold one final tour with Adam Lambert.

• READ MORE: Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters releases Comfortably Numb 2022

The rock legends and the former American Idol contestant concluded the European leg of their third worldwide tour, The Rhapsody Tour, earlier this year after it was originally postponed in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, and it appears that May and Taylor are setting the wheels in motion for one last jaunt with Lambert. Speaking to Variety , May said that there was “a strong possibility” the two acts would go out on tour again.

“We’re talking about that as you and I speak, making those decisions,” May told the outlet. “Now, it does get to be more of a decision as you get older. I’m not 35 anymore, and leaving home for two months is not easy. But we feel as like if we’re all fit and well, that we’d like to go out there one more time. It would probably be in the United States in 2023 at some point.”

May also discussed the possibility of Queen writing music together with Lambert, revealing discussions have tentatively taken place. “I’ve got to tell you it hasn’t happened yet, but we do bring the subject up,” May said. “Generally, when we are together, the live show is all-consuming. There isn’t really time to discuss any studio action. We feel as if the live stuff is what the public wants.”

Adding that the singer had his own career outside the band, May concluded, “So, I suppose that the opportunity to make an album together [might not] come up, but I’m not saying that it couldn’t happen.”

May also recently spoke about the making of Face It Alone , the new single released on the band’s The Miracle box set that featured vocals from the late Freddie Mercury . Discussing the band’s temptation to rework the track into an epic in favour of keeping the simple sound of the final product, May explained, “It could have been developed into a major construction. But we wanted to deliver it as simply as possible. It’s very stark as you can hear, with very little on the track… as sparing as can be.”

“There are places where the boys rescued a word or a phrase to make a reprise of the verse which makes sense – Freddie did three takes – but that’s it.”

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Adam Lambert Says Freddie Mercury Is in His Heart 'Every Time I Take the Stage' as He and Queen Close Out 2023 Tour

Lambert, alongside original Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor, played the final two shows of their North American tour over the weekend at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles

Miikka Skaffari/Getty

Adam Lambert  made sure to keep the legacy of late Queen  frontman, Freddie Mercury , alive as he and original band members Brian May  and  Roger Taylor  closed out their North American tour.

Over the weekend, Lambert, May and Taylor played the final two shows of their 2023 Rhapsody Tour at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. The shows marked the end of Queen's 22-show North American Tour — their first tour in four years — which kicked off in October in Baltimore.

While addressing the crowd during Saturday's show, Lambert, 41, spoke about how fortunate he was to tour with the rock legends over the past 10 years. He also made sure to pay tribute to Mercury, who died at age 45 in 1991.

"L.A., what's up?" Lambert greeted the crowd. "It's so good to be home here after an amazing tour with two rock and roll legends. You know that I've been on the road for 10 years with Queen? Isn’t that nuts?"

"Just know that every time I get up here, I know that I’m f---ing lucky," Lambert continued. "I know how much of an honor this is. And be assured that every time I take the stage, I have one person in my heart: Freddie Mercury!"

As the crowd went wild, Lambert continued on. "You love Freddie too, right? That’s what this is, this is a celebration of Freddie and Queen," he said before breaking into Queen's hit, "Don't Stop Me Now."

Later during the show — which featured 150 minutes of hits that spanned Queen's decades-long career, including classics like "We Will Rock You," "Radio Ga Ga" and "Somebody to Love" — May, 76, honored his late bandmate in his own moment onstage.

Singing their acoustic song "Love of My Life," May sat on a stool and performed for the crowd before a clip of Mercury singing the same song appeared on the screen above the stage. At the end of the performance, May reached out to his left — the same direction where the clip of Mercury was positioned on the screen — making it appear as if the two were on stage together.

Though Lambert is assuming the lead singer role that Mercury once had, the American Idol alum and his bandmates have previously made it clear that he's not trying to be the late iconic singer.

"He doesn't try to be Freddie, which is wonderful," May told PEOPLE in March . "He always pays tribute to Freddie, which we love. We all do. Freddie's with us, but Adam interprets, he finds new ways to go and we are very much a team now. We discuss everything, we build, we rebuild and it's fun."

Lambert agreed, calling his partnership with May and Taylor, 74, a "team effort," and acknowledging that Mercury "laid the groundwork" for all that they've accomplished together.

"He's the originator. He can't be replaced, but it gives me so much freedom to just exist in a playful, kind of silly place," he said. "Freddie had a great sense of humor, from what I hear and what I've seen, and he was sort of limitless."

While it's been 10 years since they first started touring together, May said he still finds it unbelievable that he gets to tour with Taylor and perform their Queen hits with the help of Lambert.

"The amazing thing is we didn't look for Adam. I often think, 'My God, how did this happen?' He is kind of a gift from God," he told PEOPLE in March. "Roger and I, after we lost Freddie, said 'OK, this is the end of it.' We knew consciously, 'No, we're not going to this anymore.'"

"He just appeared," May continued of Lambert. "The voice is extraordinary. There is no other voice in the universe like his voice. Plus he has all the other stuff, I mean, look at the guy. He's born to wear diamonds."

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With the North American portion of their tour now complete, Queen and Lambert have a few months off before heading to Japan in 2024 for a five-show run, kicking off Feb. 4.

"It's just a privilege to be able to do this at the top level that we are," May told PEOPLE in March. "How wonderful. How could you possibly ask for more? I think we're very happy doing it. I'm probably going to do it 'til I drop."

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BRIAN MAY Describes QUEEN's Chemistry With ADAM LAMBERT As 'Truly Incredible'

In a new interview with SiriusXM 's Classic Rewind , QUEEN guitarist Brian May spoke about the evolution of the band's live performance since he and drummer Roger Taylor first shared the stage together with singer Adam Lambert more than a decade ago. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET ): "I think our chemistry is better than it ever was. I mean, Roger and I go back hundreds of years, as you probably know. But with Adam , I mean, it was good from the beginning, but it's now amazing. We now have a real empathy on stage, a real kind of understanding. There's a connection. And you probably know, we don't have any clicks or backing tracks or anything, so we're completely free and we can feel what each other wants to do. So every night, it'll go a slightly different way. And I love that — the danger of that is brilliant. And we all feel more confident, I think. And I think as you get older, you get more forgiving of yourself. You don't regard things as mistakes. You regard everything as an opportunity. You get more forgiving of your younger self as well. You think, 'Okay, I was only young.' But it's a different feeling.

"I just think it's a privilege to be out there and to be able to do that and to get that incredible response from the audience," Brian added. "The QUEEN thing has been something amazing for all of us, and it's a real privilege to have that."

After SiriusXM 's Mark Goodman noted that QUEEN managed to not only continue after the death of iconic frontman Freddie Mercury , who died in 1991 of complications from to AIDS, but thrive following the arrival of Lambert , the guitarist said: "It's amazing that we didn't look for him. I always think that. We didn't advertise; we didn't audition. He just turned up out of the blue, out of heaven, and he had everything that we needed, plus more. And it is truly incredible."

Lambert , May and Taylor first shared the stage during "American Idol" in May 2009 for a performance of "We Are The Champions" . They teamed up again in 2011 at the MTV European Music Awards in Belfast, Ireland for an electrifying eight-minute finale of "The Show Must Go On" , "We Will Rock You" and "We Are The Champions" and in the summer of 2012, Lambert performed a series of shows with QUEEN across Europe as well as dates in Russia, Ukraine and Poland. They have since completed a number of tours and performed at some of the biggest festivals in the world.

In May 2019, Lambert said that he wasn't convinced it was the right move for him to record new music with QUEEN . Speaking to Hunger , he said: "People always ask if we want to record together, and I'm not sure it makes total sense, because it wouldn't really be QUEEN , because, to me, QUEEN is Freddie . My favorite thing is collaborating and putting these concerts together and creating on stage — it's super fulfilling and exciting. To present these ideas to these two gentlemen — especially when they like the idea."

May previously described Lambert as the only singer the band had found capable of filling Mercury 's shoes. " Adam is the first person we've encountered who can do all the QUEEN catalog without blinking," said May . "He is a gift from God." Taylor echoed the guitarist's sentiments, adding: "[ Adam 's] incredibly musical, and we certainly take anything he says quite seriously."

Lambert , for his part, downplayed the Mercury comparisons, saying: "There's never going to be another, and I'm not replacing him. That's not what I'm doing. I'm trying to keep the memory alive, and remind people how amazing he was, without imitating him. I'm trying to share with the audience how much he inspired me."

In 2004, QUEEN recruited BAD COMPANY singer Paul Rodgers , with whom they completed two world tours and released an album, "The Cosmos Rocks" , in 2008. They amicably parted ways a year later when Rodgers returned to BAD COMPANY . Since 2011, QUEEN has been fronted by Lambert .

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Listen to Queen Classics, Commentary, and More on Their SiriusXM Channel

Dive into the band’s musical world from now through November 10!

Dive into the entire musical world of Queen with the return of SiriusXM’s The Queen Channel , available exclusively on the SiriusXM App from October 12 through November 10. The channel will also air on SiriusXM channel 104 from October 16 through October 22!

Stream The Queen Channel on the SiriusXM App & web player

As Queen + Adam Lambert continue The Rhapsody Tour, rediscover all that is Queen with intriguing insight from Brian May, Roger Taylor, Adam Lambert, and the late Freddie Mercury. Dive deep into the vast archives of experimental, bold, and undeniably-Queen music.

Fifty years after the band’s self-titled debut album, hear iconic anthems and the stories behind them, plus rare outtakes and electric live performances. Starting October 12 at 1pm ET, listen to Guest DJ sessions from Queen fans Ann Wilson of Heart, Joe Elliott of Def Leppard, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones and more. Plus, SiriusXM listeners voted on their favorite Queen songs, revealed in Quintessential Queen: Top 50 Countdown, premiering Monday, October 16 at 12pm ET.

Queen + Adam Lambert’s Rhapsody Tour

Queen — with original band members Brian May and Roger Taylor plus longtime front-man Adam Lambert on lead vocals — recently kicked off their highly-anticipated, 23-date North American Rhapsody Tour. Get tickets here.

Queen + Adam Lambert’s 150-minute career-spanning set list celebrates the band’s extraordinary back catalog, lining up wall-to-wall immortal anthems like “We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions,” “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “Radio Ga Ga,” and “Somebody To Love,” alongside classic deep cuts and vintage fan favorites. Featuring a dazzling state-of-the-art stage design, incredible special effects, and set pieces, this sense-swamping extravaganza has been blowing critics and fans away the world over since its very first unveiling in North America in 2019.

The 2023 North American tour sees Queen + Adam Lambert supported on stage by their regular band members: long-serving Queen keyboard player Spike Edney, bass guitarist Neil Fairclough, and percussionist Tyler Warren.

Having extensively toured since it first debuted in North America in 2019, the Rhapsody show is forever evolving. But it remains at heart a tribute to Freddie Mercury’s majestic legacy, a confirmation of Brian and Roger’s undimmed musical prowess, plus a magnificent showcase for Adam’s vocal skills and electrifying stage charisma, all adding up to a glorious full-blooded celebration of one of the greatest songbooks in rock history.

QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT NORTH AMERICA THE RHAPSODY TOUR 2023 DATES:

Mon Oct 16 – Boston, MA – TD Garden Wed Oct 18 — Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center Sat Oct 21— Austin, TX– Circuit of The Americas Mon Oct 23 — Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena Wed Oct 25 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena Fri Oct 27 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center Sat Oct 28 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center Mon Oct 30 — Chicago, IL – United Center Tue Oct 31 — Chicago, IL – United Center Thu Nov 02 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center Fri Nov 03 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center Sun Nov 05 — Denver, CO – Ball Arena Wed Nov 08 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center Thu Nov 09 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center Sat Nov 11 – Los Angeles, CA – BMO Stadium Sun Nov 12 – Los Angeles, CA – BMO Stadium

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Bruce springsteen calls into e street radio to discuss 2024 world tour, carrie underwood shares faith-based country and gospel music on her newest channel, listen to u2’s final sphere concert on their siriusxm channel, music, sports, news and more.

All in one place on the SiriusXM app

QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT ADD SEVEN NEW DATES TO  ‘THE RHAPSODY TOUR’…

… in north america after multiple shows sell out at onsale.

Tickets Onsale Starting Friday, April 7 at 10 AM Local on  LiveNation.com

Due to incredible fan demand, Queen + Adam Lambert today announced the addition of seven new dates across North America on their upcoming Rhapsody Tour, which first launched in 2019 with 25 critically acclaimed shows. The tour will now include second dates in New York, Boston, St. Paul, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, and Los Angeles following sellouts across the original shows. After a 4-year long hiatus, Sir Brian May, Roger Taylor and their exceptional frontman Adam Lambert are bringing their highly acclaimed production, now expanded and better-than-ever, back to where it first began.

QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT THE RHAPSODY TOUR 2023 DATES: 

Wed Oct 04 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena

Sun Oct 08 – Toronto, ON — Scotiabank Arena

Tue Oct 10 — Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena

Thu Oct 12 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

Fri Oct 13 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden – NEW SHOW 

Sun Oct 15 – Boston, MA – TD Garden

Mon Oct 16 – Boston, MA – TD Garden – NEW SHOW 

Wed Oct 18 — Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center

Mon Oct 23 — Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena

Wed Oct 25 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena

Fri Oct 27 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center

Sat Oct 28 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center – NEW SHOW 

Mon Oct 30 — Chicago, IL – United Center

Tue Oct 31 — Chicago, IL – United Center – NEW SHOW  

Thu Nov 02 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center

Fri Nov 03 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center – NEW SHOW 

Sun Nov 05 — Denver, CO – Ball Arena

Wed Nov 08 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center

Thu Nov 09 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center – NEW SHOW 

Sat Nov 11 – Los Angeles, CA – BMO Stadium

Sun Nov 11 – Los Angeles, CA – BMO Stadium – NEW SHOW

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Adam Lambert Concert Setlists & Tour Dates

Adam lambert at sydney mardi gras 2024.

• Ghost Town (Remix)
• What Do You Want From Me (Remix)
• If I Had You (Remix)
• Superpower (Remix)
• Trespassing (Remix)
• Another Lover
• You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)
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Adam Lambert at Together At Christmas 2023

• The Christmas Song

Adam Lambert at London Pride 2023

• For Your Entertainment
• The Original High
• Sex on Fire
• If I Had You
• Holding Out for a Hero
• Whataya Want From Me
• I Can't Stand the Rain
• Do You Really Want to Hurt Me

Adam Lambert at Good Morning America, New York, NY, USA

Adam lambert at radio nova festivaali 2023, adam lambert at can't cancel pride 2023, adam lambert at charles bronfman auditorium, tel aviv, israel.

• We Are the Champions
• Another One Bites the Dust

Adam Lambert at Capital FM Summertime Ball 2023

• Don't Stop Me Now

Adam Lambert at Palladium, Cologne, Germany

Adam lambert at royal albert hall, london, england.

• Never Close Our Eyes
• Stone Cold Crazy

Adam Lambert

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• Whataya Want From Me ( 284 )
• If I Had You ( 235 )
• Fever ( 194 )
• Mad World ( 159 )
• Music Again ( 147 )

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