Picture via @studsandstripes.At some point do you think Adam Lambert will stop completely blowing my fucking mind every time I see him on stage??? I sure as hell hope not. Last night's show at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio was siiiick!!!
Adam was rocking the witchy-shaman-rockstar look with peacock feathers and blue hair extensions and charms and all kinds of craziness that combined was both ridiculous and amazing. The band also looked hot -- Tommy was dolled up in bright red lipstick and was sporting his newly all-blond do; Monte was rockin' a poncho *laughs*, yeah, I don't even know, but he shreds the hell outa that guitar, so his questionable fashion choices are totally forgiven; Longineu, gods bless him, decided that a shirt was not necessary so all his gorgeous ink was in full display; and Zack was looking sparkly behind the keys.
The venue was a relatively small one, about 3500 seats, and it was sold out. The crowd was pretty damn eclectic for an Adam Lambert concert, much of that due to the fact that it was hosted on tribal land, so many of the prime seats were reserved for tribal leaders and their guests, most of whom I think it's safe to presume are not hardcore Adam Lambert fans. I was, though, happy to see more gay men represent than I remember seeing at Gridlock! There were also a good number of husbands in the audience who looked as if they were there against their will. We had great seats -- stage left and just five rows back. I'm not sure whether it as the mixed crowd or the fact that Adam's fans seem to skew older, but there were too many damn people in their seats. I don't even know how that's possible when you're at a concert and the music is practically demanding that you get up and shake your ass! Thankfully our little section of the floor was up and dancing nearly the entire time!
( Set List )Vocally he just killed it. The performance was perhaps a bit dialed down to suit the mixed crowd but it was still 100% Adam, fierce, and completely entertaining. He did a bit of a costume change, or rather a costume enhancement, after "Sleepwalker" I think, and came out wearing a crazy feather collar thing and a fedora. It is perhaps one of the most fabulously gay outfits I've seen him wear and I loved it!
There wasn't a song I didn't love. FYE kicked things off with great energy; "If I Had U" is just too damn fun to resist; I'm pretty sure it's scientifically impossible to feel bad about yourself or the world or anything really when listening to either "Strut" or "Sure Fire Winner"; "Soaked" was just gorgeous and haunting. After that he slowed things down with acoustic versions of WWFM, "Mad World," and "Broken Open," all of which were stunning. He turned it up again and rocked the hell out of "Music Again" and "Sleepwalker." He was seriously like a man possessed during "Fever." Amazing. And I cannot even tell you how much I love seeing him perform "Down the Rabbit Hole"!
And while all of that was AMAZING, what I will likely never forget from this show was his acoustic performance of "Whole Lotta Love." If you haven't seen this video yet, do it! The video itself isn't fantastic, but its the best audio I've found so far. Whatever. You have got to hear this! No, really. Even if you're not an Adam fan. Listen. This here is an old-school rock and roll jam session that just transports you to a whole different universe.
( ETA: Slightly better video of Whole Lotta Love )Blew. My. Fucking. Mind. I don't even have words for that. That right there is musical genius! He fucking stripped "Whole Lotta Love" down to its blues roots that predate Zeppelin and then rocked the hell out of it ala Jim Morrison or some shit! I don't even know! I just know that it was phenomenal! I am not even exaggerating when I say that hearing that live was something like a religious experience. Even just now rewatching it, I'm caught somewhere between awe and chills and OMFG that's sexy as hell!
Needless to say, between the non-stop dancing and the mystical transcendence of WLL, I was
wrecked by the end of the show! But you know it was a damn good concert when you look and feel as if you've spent the last couple of hours having really fantastic sex!*g*
My pictures weren't that great, mostly because taking good pictures would have required that I stopped dancing, and I was having none of that! But I'm putting them here anyway. And I know that many of y'all are far more talented than I am, so if you want any of these in full version to play with and make pretty, just let me know.
( Witchy-Shaman-Rockstar Adam! )A few other thoughts on the weekend: There was some fabulously entertaining people-watching opportunities this weekend. Perhaps even on par with the Lady Gaga concert. The difference I think is that I'm pretty sure that the boy at the Gaga concert in the amazing red leather corset and studded collar already had those items in his closet; and I'm also quite sure that the one with the rhinestones around his eyes wore them that way when he went out clubbing the weekend before. Some people this weekend, however, just seemed as if they were trying too damn hard. Like I'm pretty sure that the 50 some year old woman sitting next to us had to Google most of her chain metal and pleather get-up. (Dear heavens, it was horrid!) And, judging by the highly incongruous scowl that was on her face the entire night, the woman in her late 60s sitting (and molting!) next to my mom obviously did not understand the meaning of the sparkly feather boa she was wearing! I mean, really, you're wearing sparkles and feathers! How can you be scowling at the same time!!! *boggles* It was FASCINATING!!! *laughs*
I was also amused to discover that Adam and the rest of the band were staying on our floor. I was not amused, however, at fans who seem to think that basic manners do not apply to the object of your fannish devotion. No, it is NOT appropriate to go up to band members (or Adam's mom!) when they are trying to eat breakfast! I'm pretty sure the body guard really does mean NO when he says it and blocks your path when you try to push your way in to the elevator with Adam. Yes, taking pictures of Adam's car because it happens to be parked out front IS in fact creepy as hell! Jeez, fandom, your mothers would be proud, I'm sure. *shakes head*
Lucky me, my mother WAS actually there with me and she had no reason to be embarrassed. :) Other than a smile hello when we passed them in the hallway, we kept our flailing to ourselves and left the band in peace when we found out they were our neighbors.
And, finally, I am so glad that, in addition to my awesome mom, all these good times were shared with
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coolwhipdiva and
_lisalisa_!!! They are my partners in crime when it comes to all Adam-related shenanigans and I love them for it!!! And for many other reasons too, of course, because they are two of the most fabulous women on the planet! *mwah*
It was also so much fun to meet some of the folks that, before this weekend, I had only met online! I loved chatting with
llandaffaz -- we MUST get together again soon! I was sorry to not have more time to spend getting to know
zoniduck and to have missed so many of you, but we will have to remedy that at the first opportunity!
ETA 2d: I'm going to be adding the better videos from the show here as I find them. Mostly for my reference, but feel free to enjoy them too!
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