Queen and Paul Rodgers

Caught Queen + Paul Rodgers Friday night at the DCU Center in Worcester Ma. Went to the show with pretty low expectations. Wasn't counting on much more than a decent cover band since this was really just two members of Queen (Roger Taylor and Brian May) and Paul Rodgers (lead singer for Free, Bad Company and The Firm over the years), but I had never seen Queen and wanted to check it out. My low expectations were easily blown away, this tour was much bigger than I expected. The stage had a center ramp coming halfway out into the crowd and an impressive lighting grid that made it seem they were planning on hitting some major stadiums. And no opening act! The best way to win me over.

After a blistering version of "Tie Your Mother Down" and then "Fat Bottomed Girls" it was clear this was going to be a great show. Rodgers didn't always look comfortable doing the Queen songs, especially "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and "Another One Bites The Dust", but I'll give him credit for not just trying to do a Freddie Mercury impersonation. The band seemed most relaxed and having fun doing Bad Company's "Feel Like Makin' Love" and "Bad Company". They even did a new track that they wrote together called "Take Love" which was a decent classic rock sort of tune.

Drummer Roger Taylor did a lot more singing than I ever knew he did. He was the lead vocalist for "I'm in Love With My Car", which I didn't even realize was by Queen - it is currently in some car ad on TV. He also stepped down from behind the drum kit for another song later. Brian May did multiple solos and some lead singing as well. "Bohemian Rhapsody" was pretty cool. They combined the live band with Freddy Mercury on the video screens playing piano and singing then joined by Paul Rodgers on stage for a weird but moving video karaoke performance. The encores rocked with "We Will Rock You". Have sung this many times at sporting events but it was very cool to finally do it with live band. And it was a blast seeing Rodgers do his hit from way back when with Free, "Alright Now" and it felt surprisingly awesome to sing "We Are The Champions" with Queen... well most of .. I mean some of Queen. Oh and Paul Rodgers.

Set List:
Intro - Beautiful Day
Reaching Out
Tie Your Mother Down
Fat Bottomed Girls
I Want To Break Free
Take Love
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Love Of My Life
Hammer To Fall
Feel Like Makin' Love
Drum Solo
I'm In Love With My Car
Guitar Solo
Last Horizon
Bad Company
Can't Get Enough
Another One Bites The Dust
Dragon Attack
These Are The Days Of Our Lives
Radio Ga Ga
The Show Must Go On
Bohemian Rhapsody
----------------------------
We Will Rock You
All Right Now
We Are The Champions