July 21 was the Glam Nation (Adam Lambert) concert in Portland, Oregon. My sister and I went. I arrived at 10 am and got in line around the corner from the entrance and sat in a camping chair all day. I met and chatted with other Glam Nationals as we waited in the beautiful Portland weather for our bright and shining moment in the glitter. When the show started, I was about 4 or 5 people back from the stage in a Gen Admit audience crammed full to the rafters.
The audience ranged in age from 8 to 80 (no exaggerating). 10 year old boys with glammy eye makeup applied by Moms and Grannys with glittery walkers all cheered their loudest for American Idol's most flamboyant - and dare I say most talented - alum. It was truly a diverse group: old, young, male, female, gay, straight, glittery,and plaid-clad.
After hours of sitting, then standing, we were thrilled when he did something a little out of the ordinary: he walked the line of waiting fans and signed autographs. I took the pic above as he approached me. Yes, his autograph was a bit of a scribble, and his smile was a little painted on, but still, a genuinely nice gesture from a very busy guy in the early stages of what should be a very long and fabulous career. He thanked us all for coming and being so supportive.I know folks who are fans of live concerts, and I get that. Especially after witnessing the glamorous spectacle of an Adam Lambert concert. Wow. Just wow.
Yes, there were lasers and smoke and costumes. But to be honest, it's the voice (and his confidence in using it) that makes him a star. IMO, there is no spectacle worth seeing that at its heart lacks in real talent. But in contrast, a spectacle built around real talent should not be missed. And I didn't.
The songs, whether slow, fast, dance, or rock, were performed impeccably and with joy. He genuinely seems to be loving every minute of this experience. And that just adds to the elation of the audience.
The highlight for me, though, was his performance of Soaked. It is a quasi-acoustic performance that really allows his voice to be the star. And what a star it is. Hearing him wail through this theatrical Queenesque rockudrama reminded me of his Idol audition. When he was asked by the judges about whether he thought he was the next American Idol, he said he hoped so, and then he said, "I know I can sang." Yes, Adam, you sure as hell can "sang."
And of course he is soooo easy to look at. He's like Christmas, Channakuh, and Kwanza all rolled up in one: Great gift, perfect package, beautiful, shiny covering, all cinched up with a big shiny buckle.
His most ardent fans (who do tend to be women so far as I could tell) seem to revel in the fact that he's gay, rooting for him to flirt and smooch with his bass player (who was unfortunately absent in Portland due to a serious family illness). Many people ask me why this is, questioning whether this makes sense. But I don't think they (we?) fawn over him because they fantasize about some May-December-Hetero-Conversion Affair. I think they (we?) really fantasize about adopting him. But as Adam would say, "It's all love."
Those who make pathetic efforts to protest or show hate for him (I saw none in Portland)are just kinda sad and pathetic. Gene Simmons suggested Adam had killed his career when he came out in Rolling Stone magazine a year ago. It is a testament to our current level of enlightenment that Gene appears to have been sorely wrong. It really does make me proud to be a citizen of the Glam Nation, even if I'm not particularly glittery myself.
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