Review for First Night of Glamnation Tour
Lambert brings ‘Glam’ to the Kirby REVIEW
Wilkes-Barre venue was first date on Season 8 ‘Idol’ runner-up’s first tour.
BRAD PATTON For The Times Leader
Adam Lambert brought the “Glam Nation” to Wilkes-Barre Friday night, as the “American Idol” season 8 runner-up performed at a sold-out F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts.
RCA, Lambert’s record label, declared the concert off limits to all media outlets on Wednesday, citing the facts that Lambert is a young performer and the Kirby show was the first date on his first-ever solo headlining tour.
In interest of full disclosure, this reporter purchased a balcony seat for a total of $124.22 (double the face value of $39.50 plus fees and expedited shipping) on the secondary market Thursday morning after learning media credentials would not be issued.
The crowd went crazy as the house lights dimmed and the photos of its “Idol” changed on the screen in back of the stage at 9:45 p.m. When Lambert himself appeared in the flesh, the place nearly erupted.
Dressed in a sparkling top hat and fringy, fur-collared tails, Lambert kicked off his performance with “Voodoo” in front of a full-moon backdrop. The opening number soon morphed into a bit of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” as the stage was bathed in red and strobe lights danced to the music.
Leaving the stage for the first time following the Cash cover, Lambert made his first quick change of wardrobe before reappearing in front of photos of angel statues singing “Sleepwalker.”
Judging by the first 20 minutes, which is all I got to see before leaving to write this report, the record label had nothing to worry about as the singer owned the stage from the very first moments, giving the packed theater exactly what it wanted.
Season 8 fourth-place finisher Allison Iraheta started the evening off with a six-song, 20-minute set highlighted by “Don’t Waste The Pretty,” joined by guitarist Orianthi, a faithful and fabulous cover of Pat Benatar’s “Heartbreaker” and an attitude-filled “Friday I’ll Be Over U.”
Orianthi then did a 40-minute set of her own, capped by an amazing version of “Let’s Go Crazy,” in which the Australian-born guitarist gave Prince (not a bad guitarist in his own right) a run for his money. Her voice is fine, but her guitar playing is spectacular.
The frenzy started building last month when approximately 1,800 tickets were gone in a flash. Because of fan club and Kirby Center member presales, officials at the Kirby can’t even say for sure how fast Friday’s show sold out.
“We expected tickets to go very quickly, but they went even faster than we predicted,” said Will Beekman, director of marketing and sales at the theater, in an e-mail from early May.
If you were shut out for Friday’s show, Lambert and his traveling “Glam Nation” will be in New York City on June 23 and 24, Atlantic City on June 26, Philadelphia on Aug. 12 and Bethlehem on Aug. 13.
Wilkes-Barre venue was first date on Season 8 ‘Idol’ runner-up’s first tour.
BRAD PATTON For The Times Leader
Adam Lambert brought the “Glam Nation” to Wilkes-Barre Friday night, as the “American Idol” season 8 runner-up performed at a sold-out F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts.
RCA, Lambert’s record label, declared the concert off limits to all media outlets on Wednesday, citing the facts that Lambert is a young performer and the Kirby show was the first date on his first-ever solo headlining tour.
In interest of full disclosure, this reporter purchased a balcony seat for a total of $124.22 (double the face value of $39.50 plus fees and expedited shipping) on the secondary market Thursday morning after learning media credentials would not be issued.
The crowd went crazy as the house lights dimmed and the photos of its “Idol” changed on the screen in back of the stage at 9:45 p.m. When Lambert himself appeared in the flesh, the place nearly erupted.
Dressed in a sparkling top hat and fringy, fur-collared tails, Lambert kicked off his performance with “Voodoo” in front of a full-moon backdrop. The opening number soon morphed into a bit of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” as the stage was bathed in red and strobe lights danced to the music.
Leaving the stage for the first time following the Cash cover, Lambert made his first quick change of wardrobe before reappearing in front of photos of angel statues singing “Sleepwalker.”
Judging by the first 20 minutes, which is all I got to see before leaving to write this report, the record label had nothing to worry about as the singer owned the stage from the very first moments, giving the packed theater exactly what it wanted.
Season 8 fourth-place finisher Allison Iraheta started the evening off with a six-song, 20-minute set highlighted by “Don’t Waste The Pretty,” joined by guitarist Orianthi, a faithful and fabulous cover of Pat Benatar’s “Heartbreaker” and an attitude-filled “Friday I’ll Be Over U.”
Orianthi then did a 40-minute set of her own, capped by an amazing version of “Let’s Go Crazy,” in which the Australian-born guitarist gave Prince (not a bad guitarist in his own right) a run for his money. Her voice is fine, but her guitar playing is spectacular.
The frenzy started building last month when approximately 1,800 tickets were gone in a flash. Because of fan club and Kirby Center member presales, officials at the Kirby can’t even say for sure how fast Friday’s show sold out.
“We expected tickets to go very quickly, but they went even faster than we predicted,” said Will Beekman, director of marketing and sales at the theater, in an e-mail from early May.
If you were shut out for Friday’s show, Lambert and his traveling “Glam Nation” will be in New York City on June 23 and 24, Atlantic City on June 26, Philadelphia on Aug. 12 and Bethlehem on Aug. 13.