Did they rock you?
A night at the opera has nothing on an evening at the 91st edition of the Oscars as the rock band Queen was recruited as the opening act for the first host-less Academy Awards ceremony since 1989.
The musical opener — starting with “We Will Rock You” got the crowd, including a smiling and clapping Lady Gaga, up on their feet. Next was “We Are the Champions,” which made Bradley Cooper rock out in the audience. A cascade of crystals fell from behind the stage as the image of the late singer Freddie Mercury flashed on a screen.
The rousing start to the show somewhat made up for the fact that Pulitzer-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar, a co-nominee with SZA for the song “All the Stars” from “Black Panther,” declined to perform on the show.
Instead of lame jokes aimed at nervous nominees in pricey formal wear, it was a treat to watch the actual band, fronted by original guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor, that is the subject of the five-time-nominated “Bohemian Rhapsody.” “American Idol” runner-up Adam Lambert, filling in since 2011 for Mercury (played by Best Actor winner Rami Malek), gloriously wailed the band’s golden oldies.
Lambert also makes an unbilled appearance in the global blockbuster, which has raked in nearly $900 million at the box office worldwide, in an eye-catching cameo in the tune-filled biopic that he revealed via Twitter. Think back to the scene where a dude in a trucker hat, fleece-lined jacket and flannel plaid shirt gives Malek’s Freddie a come-hither look before heading into a rest-stop bathroom.
That’s Lambert, whose own style tends towards glam, behind all that sexy trucker facial hair. He isn’t the only member of Queen + Adam Lambert seen in a brief flash in the film. Both May and Taylor can be spied in the rafters during the Live Aid performance that concludes the film. If you want to experience Lambert and the band in the flesh, they will kick off their 23-date North American tour on July 1o.
What did you think of the Motion Picture Academy’s head-banging choice to open this year’s Oscar show? Vote below in our poll and also share your thoughts in the comment section.
