Queen Extravaganza Band On American Idol!
As seen on American Idol!
Check out The Queen Extravaganza band rip through a scorching and specially adapted version of the classic 'Somebody to Love' alongside Queen band members Brian May and Roger Taylor!
Tickets are ON SALE NOW for the 26 date Queen Extravaganza North American Tour!
Click here for dates and to buy tickets.
USAToday.com “(Marc Martel’s) ability to sound like Freddie Mercury remains staggering.”
Billboard.com “…sounded magnificent…”
The Hollywood Reporter “(Freddie) Mercury would approve.”
Ultimate Classic Rock “The musicians selected by May and Taylor blew the ‘Idols’ completely off the stage…”
Examiner.com “If you missed Queen during the 70's and 80's, be prepared to be impressed."
Fox News “The new band not only has musical chops, but they actually physically resemble the members of the original Queen, circa 1975.”
AV Club “…legitimately entertaining…”
Christian Science Monitor “(Marc Martel) did a gorgeous job.”
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THE QUEEN EXTRAVAGANZA ANNOUNCES NORTH AMERICAN TOUR KICKING OFF MAY 26
THE OFFICIAL QUEEN TRIBUTE SHOW PRODUCED BY QUEEN DRUMMER ROGER TAYLOR TO CELEBRATE THE BAND’S GLORIOUS MUSIC AND LIVE EXPERIENCE
“What an amazing storehouse of talent we have unlocked. The standard is mind-blowingly high; it has really been a thrill to discover them” - Roger Taylor, Queen
The Queen Extravaganza is a spectacular touring concert show designed to take the glorious music and live experience of legendary rock band Queen and bring it to generations of fans. Launching on May 26th, the show will hit cities coast-to-coast across the U.S. and Canada throughout the summer of 2012 (see below for full itinerary).
Two of Queen’s original bandmates and songwriters—legendary guitarist Brian May and iconic drummer Roger Taylor—are the masterminds behind The Queen Extravaganza. In addition to their work with Queen, these two musicians’ talents have inspired such legends of modern times as the Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Katy Perry, and even Lady Gaga, who took her name from one of Taylor’s biggest hit songs.
Personally taking on the role of producer and music director, Taylor’s idea is to create the ultimate Queen concert experience in an electrifying road show, celebrating the band’s music and legacy as performed by some of the best new music talent out there today.
To guarantee that the touring show matches the fabled design and excitement of Queen at its live best, Taylor has enlisted a heavyweight production team headed by stage designer Mark Fisher. Fisher has been responsible for some of the most memorable rock concerts ever staged, including The Wall for Pink Floyd and every Rolling Stones show since 1989.
The Queen Extravaganza touring band includes four vocalists and five musicians (two guitars, bass, drums and keyboards), who were hired after an intensive 12-week online audition search. The buzz surrounding the public auditions sparked worldwide interest, with video submissions generating more than 10 million views. Television host Ellen DeGeneres was so impressed with the level of talent that she invited one hopeful contestant to perform his audition on her show. That contestant, Nashville's Marc Martel, secured himself a place in the final band. The rest of The Queen Extravaganza band includes vocalist and QE contestant Jennifer Espinoza, along with addition vocalists Yvan Pedneault and Jeff Scott Soto; bassist Francois Olivier Doyon; guitarists Brian Gresh and Tristan Avakian; drummer Tyler Warren; and keyboardist & musical director Brandon Ethridge.
In a show that will run just over two hours of playing time, The QE band will perform nearly 40 Queen classics, drawn from a list of the band’s biggest all-time chart hits: “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Another One Bites the Dust,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “Under Pressure,” “We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions,” “A Kind of Magic,” “Radio Ga Ga,” “Somebody to Love,” and “Killer Queen.” In addition, the show will highlight some of the band’s finest heavy-duty rock-based anthems that have long been at the core of their live performances, so audiences can also expect a healthy dose of early period Queen with songs such as “I’m In Love With My Car,” “Tie Your Mother Down,” “Seven Seas of Rye,” and “In the Lap Of The Gods,” among others. The production will also be boosted with the inclusion of never-before-seen video footage.
“The Queen Extravaganza will not be like a traditional tribute show,” says Taylor. “It is a brand new show specially designed to enable these new fans, together with fans of old, to celebrate the music of Queen in a heart-stopping event. It’s going to be very spectacular, it’s going to be very visual, there are going to be some shocks and some tremendous surprises. It will be a rock celebration in the Royal tradition.”
The Queen Extravaganza tour dates are as follows:
May 26 Quebec, QC Grand Theatre du Quebec
May 27 Montreal, QC St. Denis
May 29 Toronto, ON QE Theatre
May 31 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre
June 1 Chicago, IL House of Blues
June 2 Minneapolis, MN The Brick
June 5 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
June 7 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts
June 8 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
June 9 Wallingford, CT Oakdale
June 10 Bethlehem, PA Event Center
June 11 Boston, MA House of Blues
June 12 Huntington, NY Paramount Theatres
June 15 Tampa, FL Louis Lykes Ferguson Hall
June 17 Orlando, FL The Plaza Live
June 19 Dallas, TX Grand Prairie
June 20 Houston, TX House of Blues
June 23 Las Vegas, NV House of Blues
June 24 San Diego, CA Humphrey’s
June 25 Los Angeles, CA Club Nokia
June 26 San Francisco, CA Regency
June 28 Seattle, WA Showbox
June 30 Vancouver, BC Orpheum
July 2 Calgary, AB Jack Singer
July 3 Edmonton, AB Jubilee