vistadiva' date='Sep 23rd 2013, 3:19 PM
Just read one of the best recaps ever by @ArtistSupporter. It's long, but y'all really need to see it.
Link:
http://artistsupporter.tumblr.com/post/620...-to-good-people
When Great Things Happen To Good People
Early in 2009, I got an email from a close friend who had been supporting young artists with me for the last 20+ years. It contained a link to a YouTube video from the top 4 show of Season 8 of American Idol, specifically the Whole Lotta Love performance by Adam Lambert. The email only said, “Look at this kid killing Zeppelin!” I had never seen an episode of American Idol before that time. I heard a once in a generation voice. I called my friend on the phone to thank him for the recommendation, and started researching every online performance of Adam’s that I could find. I was completely blown away by the quality, control, versatility, timbre, strength, and pure beauty of his voice. His ability to command the stage, I discovered, was related to his years of paying his dues in the theater and independent music world. It was a unique combination.
As many Adam Lambert fans know, it has been a crazy ride since that time. The second place finish on American Idol, the crazy highs of the Idol tour, the American Music Awards, the Grammy nomination, the glory days of the Glamnation Tour, the spectacular release of Trespassing and its Number 1 Billboard debut, the WAG tour, the London and European Queenbert bliss, the departure from RCA, the role on Glee; being an Adam fan is never boring. Having had the privilege of seeing the Queenbert shows in London, I was thrilled to hear that they were going to be performing at the IHeartRadio show that just ended in Las Vegas. With the amazing line up of artists, this was like nirvana for me. I was fortunate to be able to go.
I digress to say that most of you know that Adam is an artist with a huge sense of loyalty, candor, humility, and generosity to his fans, friends, and family. As we all do, he has made mistakes, but has graciously owned and explained them with dignity and humor. He supports other artists almost to a fault, and does so with joy, love, and boyish excitement. Anyone who has followed his career closely knows that virtually everyone who meets him has nothing but kind words to say about him. He is a good person; and many of us have been anxiously waiting for him to get the career credit he richly deserves.
For whatever reason, despite Adam’s many successes, he never had the U. S. audience many of us thought he deserved, particularly on radio. With a huge arena filled primarily with fans of other artists in a radio festival and a live stream on the internet, the possibility of unprecedented non-Idol exposure for Adam thrilled me. I had already experienced this bucket list worthy performance in London. I knew that most of these lucky people would have no idea what they were about to experience. Despite other incredible and extremely popular artists such as Elton John and Katy Perry sharing the stage that night, the IHeartRadio people had the good judgment to close the show with Queen and Adam. They knew no one would be able to follow that.
I was located on the floor, in the middle of a section very close to the stage. As the lights dimmed and Brian, Roger, and Adam took the stage, I found myself nervous. Not because I was worried about the performance; I knew that Queen and Adam were going to knock it out of the park. I wanted the people in this venue, fans of an unprecedented diversity, to finally realize what Adam could do, and what a uniquely talented artist he is. I wanted the people on the live stream to be able to experience the timeless oeuvre of these rock gods with arguably the only voice with the skill to fill the fabulous Freddie’s shoes.
As the opening medley started, the people around me in the section, as well as many as far as my eyes could see, became uncharacteristically silent; then began singing at the tops of their voices. They started chanting and dancing. As the opening medley ended, the thunderous applause was deafening. They were starting to get it. They began to realize just how amazing this set was going to be. More and more people began crowding to get to the edge of the stage, to be closer to the magnetism that is Adam in live rock diva mode. They wanted to touch him. They wanted to catch his eye. As a few of the older men made eye contact with Adam, they didn’t look away. They just sang louder and danced more.
But the pinnacle of the experience for me was one of the most beautiful live vocal performances I’ve ever heard; Who Wants To Live Forever. As Adam powerfully executed those bell clear high notes like only he can, I heard actual gasps around me. The unison of the audience as their voices joined in with Adam’s on the chorus made my heart soar. Everyone around me was engaged, transfixed, as this experience washed over them. Tears began to well up in my eyes. I had palpable hope and joy that finally Adam’s own country would get it. Even now, as I remember the experience, I get misty eyed. Could this lovely, epically talented man finally be getting the love and respect he so richly deserves? I felt the hope arise in me anew.
I enjoyed seeing Nate Reuss of Fun take the stage with Adam. He has a great pop voice and a joyful stage magnetism. To his credit, he knew his voice wasn’t in Adam’s league. There’s virtually no one’s that is. When he introduced Adam back onto the stage to sing Fat Bottomed Girl, he referred to Adam as having the best voice he knows. The two of them were adorable together and Adam, as always, graciously shared the limelight and stage. Both of them knew Adam could have fatally overpowered Nate if he desired. But remember; Adam is a class act. His experience, maturity and humility as a stage performer and graciousness as a person would never let that happen. Adam gets that when we all succeed, everyone benefits. The crowd loved them, and the love in the arena expanded even more.
As the set ended, everyone in the room was on their feet in a celebration of the rock legends Queen, the amazing history of these songs, and I think at least a little bit, the perfection that was Adam’s voice and performance. He brought everyone from R and B, country, rock, pop, and EDM together to celebrate the universality of great art. Let there be no mistake; this was art of the highest form.
As we left the venue, I kept my eyes and ears open for responses. People were awed. People were moved. People were asking about Adam, praising him, sometimes reluctantly admitted that they didn’t think he could pull it off, but that he was superb. I did not hear one single negative comment, and I was listening for them. There was an exchange of energy and love that made me so happy and so proud. The things that many of us had hoped for Adam were coming true, at least in this little section of the world. I felt like I had experienced a transformational moment, and my gratitude at being able to be there for it overwhelmed me.
I have no idea what direction Adam’s career will take. I have no idea whether radio execs from conservative Clear Channel will finally play his music. I don’t pretend to know if he will ever have the popularity of some of the other fantastic and legendary artists that took the stage at the festival. But I know that for that resplendent moment, Adam brought us all together in love and celebration. And that is one of the things that great art can do.