When a parade of CGI-made, red-eyed robots began marching across the scrim at Madison Square Garden on Thursday (Oct. 12) night, the 20,000 people huddled in attendance let out a rapturous cheer. The far-off voice of late rock icon Freddie Mercury echoed through the cavernous venue, singing the first chorus of “Machines (Or Back to Humans)” as the screen slowly lifted, revealing the three men eager to carry on the legacy of his band that evening.
That is just what Queen + Adam Lambert did during their 2-hour performance at Madison Square Garden on Thursday evening. Hardly stopping throughout the madcap evening for so much as a water break, Lambert, Sir Brian May and Roger Taylor gave fans of the iconic rock group an evening to remember, playing through some of their greatest hits as well as a few beloved B-sides.
With Lambert taking the helm as the touring group’s new frontman all the way back in 2012, it’s been officially been over a decade of the trio performing together, a fact that he relished about halfway through the evening. “Can you guys believe that I have gotten to tour with these legends for the last 10 years?” Lambert said to a cheering audience. “It is such a privilege to be singing this music.”
There was a lot to take in throughout the event — between emotional tributes, flashy pyrotechnics and some ridiculously good performances, Queen + Adam Lambert left everything they had on the stage. Below, Billboard takes a look back at 5 of the best moments from Thursday night’s show of the band’s Rhapsody Tour:
