Almost
Queen Rocks The Colonial Theater
November
19, 2016
Pittsfield,
Massachusetts
Tribute bands have become commonplace in the world of
music. Some are fantastic representations of the original bands and others get
by somehow. Last night at the Colonial Theater was an example of a group of
musicians honing their skills and presentation to make you believe it was Queen
performing. They are not just a cover band as the DJ from Live 95.9 told the crowd,
they bring you the Queen Experience!
Almost Queen certainly sounded more than almost. This was a
truly amazing performance by these talented individuals. The lineup is as
follows: Joseph Russo as Freddie Mercury, Steve Leonard as Brian May, Randy
Gregg as John Deacon and John Cappadona as Roger Taylor. It is uncanny how
Russo is a dead ringer for Freddie and sounds just like him. What are the
chances of that happening? Well believe it, this is the stuff that fairy tales
and dreams are made of. Russo was a good study of Mr. Mercury down to his
mannerisms and moves on the stage, not to mention his refined accent and
humorous comments.
I saw Queen in 1976-77 and ironically Russo told the
audience the same thing. So, for this music fan the bar was set as high as it
could possibly be. They not only met that expectation, they exceeded it. The
musicianship was excellent and the lead vocals and harmonies were spot on. I
could not have asked for more as far as representing the legend of this great
band properly. They did it all with a class and flare that Freddie would have
loved. In my opinion Freddie Mercury (lead singer 1970-1991) was the greatest
rock singer to ever grace a stage. It is unfortunate we lost him at such a
young age.
The crowd was at capacity and it was one of the most
energetic and joyful groups of people I have had the pleasure to be amongst. I
am sure the band was thrilled with the response they got all night long. And
what was most satisfying was that everyone knew the words to the songs we were
asked to participate in. It was magical and it made my heart smile.
The concert once again validated the legacy and the
importance of Queen since their inception in 1970, which by the way was an
incredibly exciting decade for music. Some of the highlights of the evening
where “Tie Your Mother Down,” the second song into the set. That is real rocker
and set the tone and energy level for the night. As they made their way through
their set, they covered many of the hits and familiar tunes. If you were a
Queen fan you were there last night. I think most of audience that either
remembers the band and the younger generation that discovered them were
present. It was an exhilarating experience to be a part of.
The encore? You guessed it, the incredible progressive work
of art titled “Bohemian Rhapsody” their signature song. It was the pinnacle of
the evening no doubt.
For those interested in the Queen catalog, the releases
that are high on my list are Queen 1
& 2, Sheer Heart Attack, Night At
The Opera and Day At The Races
(which were two classic Marx Brothers comedies). I also highly recommend
purchasing the complete box sets of Queen and most of all, attending a live
performance of Almost Queen.
I attend as many concerts as humanly possible at the
beautiful venue and always feel grateful and honored to do so. A big shout out thanks
to Rebecca Rebecca Brighenti of Public Relations and the in-house sound wizard
at the board Darren O’Brien who always does a superb job.
Keith “MuzikMan”
Hannaleck
November 20, 2016
Set List:
We Will Rock You
Tie Your Mother Down
Play The Game
Bicycle Race
I Want To Break Free
Radio Ga Ga
I Want It All
Killer Queen
I'm In Love With My Car
You're My Best Friend
Dragon Attack
Another Bites The Dust
Fat Bottomed Girls
Don't Stop Me Now
Somebody To Love
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Under Pressure
Encore:
Bohemian Rhapsody
We Will Rock
We Are The Champions
Set List:
We Will Rock You
Tie Your Mother Down
Play The Game
Bicycle Race
I Want To Break Free
Radio Ga Ga
I Want It All
Killer Queen
I'm In Love With My Car
You're My Best Friend
Dragon Attack
Another Bites The Dust
Fat Bottomed Girls
Don't Stop Me Now
Somebody To Love
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Under Pressure
Encore:
Bohemian Rhapsody
We Will Rock
We Are The Champions
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