| flickofthewrist 26.03.2006 23:46 |
What a night! Same set list as previous - the band was tight. Roger claimed he flubbed a line on Days of Our Lives - but I didn't notice. Brian and Roger were terrific as expected - they looked like they were haveing a great time. I would guess attendence was 7000 to 7500. Nice crowd - the Xcel has great sound. If you can possibly get to a show - you won't regret it. |
| pyromania92 27.03.2006 01:59 |
Very nice set, took some great pics, sound was awesome (xcel has the best sound) and only some empty seats.....upper level was tarped off but club, suites, and lower were almost full. |
| carboengine 27.03.2006 14:57 |
Never did I ever in my wildest imagination think I would see Queen members in person, in concert. It was an honor to stand and applaud and applaud and applaud Roger and Brian. I had such great anticipation for that night ever since I bought my ticket, and the day of I was as nervous as a bride getting ready for her wedding. Fantastic seats. 1st level row 2 seat 7 on Brian's side of the stage, and when they used the elevated short catwalk, I was within 15 feet of my heroes. The woman to the left of me said she had been a Queen fan forever, and her husband by her was also a Paul Rodgers fan, so it was like getting "two for the price of one." She could have made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for jumping up and down. John to the right said he owned every Queen vinyl record and every cd. We three were yellers, screamers, yelpers, singers, couldn't stand-stillers, so it was even more fun. Brighton Rock was like being zapped with electric thunder. Roger's drum solo was fabulous, followed by I'm In Love With My Car - super! Doing the Radio Ga Ga clap/clap was so much fun! The We Will Rock You drumbeat and stomping shook the building, and it felt like being on top of a rocket bursting to take off. Paul Rodgers' own hits were terrific. (I think it is Murphy's Law that who ever makes a recording first always sounds the best no matter who tries to do it after.) Paul has good stage moves, and he seemed to be enjoying himself and played to the audience well. I would say a good time was had by all. My Brian May Red Special resin earrings off of eBay didn't arrive in time to wear, but then no one was looking at me. Without Freddie the magic was diminished, but there was enough magic to give me two and one-half hours of feeling solidly very happy. I was exhausted by the end, and I don't know how a band can have so much stamina and intensity. A pre-concert newspaper article by the Boston Globe said, "Strong ticket sales and some positive reviews have tempered anxieties of the rejiggered lineup, but Taylor still bristles at the inevitable question. 'Fact: Freddie's not going to turn up. Fact: If Brian and I don't do it, you won't see Queen in any form. Fact: Paul is one of the best blues singers in the world. He gives We Will Rock You a completely new take. It's edgier. But if people are so obsessed with Freddie that they can't bear to see Queen without him, they should stay home and listen to the records. This is very much a new thing.'" ... "'I think the sensible direction after this tour is to record a really good album over a long time,' he says. 'Something really considered. You can't live in the past. We're survivors.'" |
| carboengine 27.03.2006 15:03 |
This is the local newspaper's music review. Posted on Mon, Mar. 27, 2006 Queen + Paul Rodgers makes us miss Mercury more BY ROSS RAIHALA Pop Music Critic How do you replace one of the most flamboyant and charismatic frontmen of the rock era? That's the problem that's faced British rockers Queen since the 1992 death of Freddie Mercury. The band's novel, if somewhat bizarre, decision was to hire another '70s vocalist of an entirely different stripe. Queen + Paul Rodgers — that's how the show was billed — pulled into the Xcel Energy Center on Sunday night for an odd and not totally successful nostalgia trip. To his credit, Rodgers rarely tried to mimic Mercury. Instead, he played the good-natured, aging blues rocker, grinning like a guy all too happy for a reprieve from the ribfest circuit. (It also appeared Rodgers used some of his new Queen money on Botox.) His clipped growl made the most sense on the handful of songs Queen performed from Rodgers' own past, including "All Right Now" and "Feel Like Makin' Love." When it came to the numbers everyone was there to hear, though, Rodgers was hit or miss. "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and "Another One Bites the Dust" suffered the most and were clearly ill-suited for Rodgers' range. That's probably the reason the band chose to completely skip substantial hits like "Somebody to Love," "Killer Queen" and "You're My Best Friend." Rodgers fared far better with "Under Pressure" — originally a duet with David Bowie — and "We Will Rock You," neither of which demanded the campy sophistication that made Mercury a star. A taped performance from the late vocalist served as the backbone for "Bohemian Rhapsody," with Rodgers chiming in near the end. It was nearly impossible not to constantly compare Rodgers to Mercury. It was also tempting to second-guess Queen's decision. Bowie, for one, would make more stylistic sense. Or how about George Michael? Axl Rose? Queen guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor unfortunately designed a show with plenty of time to ponder such issues. The peculiar, stilted pacing left plenty of time for yawning, as did a May guitar solo that stretched past the 10-minute mark. Still, it was tough not to feel for the guys. May and Taylor have been playing together for four decades. (Queen's bassist John Deacon has remained mostly retired since Mercury's death.) May, in particular, obviously loves being on stage. And the modest-sized crowd, which appeared to be somewhere around 7,000, although an official number wasn't released, got what they were promised. If nothing else, the concert served as a bittersweet reminder that it really is impossible to replace Freddie Mercury. Pop Music Critic Ross Raihala can be reached at rraihala@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-5553. Read more about the local music scene on his blog, "The Ross Who Knew Too Much," at link. |
| RedSpecial1979 27.03.2006 15:31 |
Phenominal... My brother and I made it up to St. Paul for my second show and his first. I managed to acquire two meet and greet backstage passes from an old radio connection (and the kindness of Hollywood Records), and was bordering on crapping myself with excitement. As well as the passes, our tickets had been upgraded, and we went from Floor row 40 on Brian's side to Center, Row 20... putting us directly at the end of the catwalk, the best seats in the house. As it happened, the band were running late and the meet and greet was cancelled. But the ticket upgrade more than made up for it, as I got some absolutely incredible pictures (in the process of posting), pictures I never dreamed I'd be able to take. And while I did not get to mingle with the Gods themselves, at least I got to be within five feet, and got eye contact and a smile from my all-time hero during LOML.. |
| RedSpecial1979 27.03.2006 15:33 |
And Roger did space off the "better to sit back and go with the flow" line on TATDOML... he kind of looked at Brian and shrugged... but it was all okay by me. Hardly noticeable. And the guitar solo... my God! He played some things I've never heard before! Someone please tell me they bootlegged this show! |
| qbeaux 27.03.2006 18:35 |
That show was FABULOUS!!! Took my son (11) with me and he was singing right along with myself to every Queen song there was...plus took some pix and hope to get them out to you all soon. I loved the guitar solo so much that I too hope someone bootlegged it also...AMAZING! |
| RedSpecial1979 27.03.2006 19:29 |
I almost forgot to mention it... we were in the arena lobby about 90 minutes before doors opened, and heard the soundcheck! Got to hear the boys playing Cream ("Born Under A Bad Sign"), Hendrix ("The Wind Cries Mary" AND "Red House") and they did rehearse BadCo's "Movin' On", once in the original key (Paul was singing really low) and again in a lower key. It was amazing to hear my heroes in soundcheck, a very sacred time for touring performers when they can play whatever they want... |
| Donna13 28.03.2006 11:25 |
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| carboengine 28.03.2006 14:05 |
Queen + Paul Rodgers makes us miss Mercury more BY ROSS [yawn] RAIHALA Pop Music Critic Donna13 wrote: Ross, Ross, Ross, your musical intelligence is too low for your job. Your blog should be called, "The Ross Who Knew Too Much About How To Fake His Way Into A Writing Job Even Though He Has No Energy To Report Any Facts Nor Any Ability To Interview Anybody Because Of His [Yawn] Difficulty In Focusing During Waking Hours"I was glad I wasn't sitting next to him! |