In the week that former Queen front man Freddie Mercury would have turned 67 years old, the Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls, NY, had the next best thing to celebrate this occasion. The Queen Extravaganza pulled into town and this is just not your ordinary tribute act to one of the most musically talented bands to ever grace the earth. Queen drummer Roger Taylor handpicked these artists and put them all together for this wonderful tribute. You have Brandon Ethridge on drums, Francois-Olivier Doyon on bass, Tyler Warren on drums, Brian Gresh on guitar, and both Jennifer Espinoza and Marc Martel on vocals.
When Freddie Mercury passed away in 1991, Queen fans longed for a reunion of some sort and they did get one in 2006 with Paul Rodgers at the helm. With Mercury being such an indefinable front man with a unique voice, finding someone to fill this show would be almost impossible. Well, I think Taylor hit a home run with Martel. Martel’s voice was so close to Mercury’s it was eerie. He mimicked a lot of Mercury’s gestures and also played the keys/piano for “We are the Champions” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Warren also did a commendable job on “I’m in Love With my car” as he also sounded very close to Taylor’s voice. Gresh on guitar was marvelous as well. His guitar could have been turned up a tad but other than that he was solid. My favorite track for the night was “I want to Break Free.” If you had your eyes closed you could have sworn that Mercury was singing it. Martel was spot on as video screens depicting the original video that Queen made for the song played behind the band.
The only thing I think Taylor missed the mark on while putting this project together was having two vocalists. Espinoza wasn’t Martel and having her there didn’t seem to fit. When she sang, you wanted Martel out there. She did fine with the harmonies, but when you find a gem in Martel, you ride that horse. You have to hear it to believe it folks. I was impressed and if you’re a fan of the band, you won’t be disappointed!
Set 1:
We Will Rock You
Killer Queen
I Want to Break Free
Dragon Attack
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Love of my Life
Don’t Stop Me Now
It’s a Kind of Magic
Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon
I’m in Love With my Car
Bohemian Rhapsody
Set 2:
Under Pressure
I Want it All
You’re my Best Friend
Stone Cold Crazy
Another One Bites the Dust
The Show Must Go On
Radio Gaga
Fat Bottom Girls
Somebody to Love
Tie Your Mother Down
We Will Rock You
We Are the Champions
We would like to thank Ralfael Castro for the credentials to review the show.
