Bohemian Queen played the Showroom at the South Point Hotel and Casino July 14, 15, and 16, 2023. This review is for the Friday, July 14 show.
No one can deny the widespread influence of Queen, one of classic rock’s greatest bands. Vocalist Freddie Mercury left behind a legacy as one of the greatest frontmen of all time, and is widely loved and remembered even over three decades after his passing. Their songs remain regular staples of rock radio, with their variety of sounds resulting in their music still selling all these years later.
Sadly, many rock and roll fans like myself never got to see an actual Queen concert with Freddie Mercury fronting the stage; I was only seven years old when he passed away. I did get to see a Queen and Paul Rodgers show back in 2006, which while excellent, obviously wasn’t a substitute for seeing the full Freddie-fronted band. Fortunately, Queen tribute bands have been popping up over the years, trying to recreate the experience and the sound of this iconic classic rock band.
Bohemian Queen played the South Point last year; I covered one of those shows. This was my first time returning to the South Point Showroom since that particular gig. The venue’s showroom is a nice, intimate venue, where the stage can easily be seen from anywhere in the room, with seating throughout. The one minor complaint I have about the venue remained true for this evening, however: No room in the venue to stand up and rock out due to the abundance of tables and chairs. A standing room area by the stage would’ve been great, because this is a band to rock out to. Many thanks to the people who run this venue and know how to accommodate their patrons. Upon arrival, my ticket was scanned and I was promptly seated. No metal detectors, pat downs, or other bullshit like that. THIS is how being let into any venue should be; other places stand up and take notice! The early 7:30 PM start time was also welcomed and a nice change of pace from how late some other spots around town start gigs.
Although Queen was generally a four-piece band, Bohemian Queen actually features five musicians. This allows for an extra band member to play rhythm guitar and keyboards, not to mention additional vocals. That’s also handy because it means the band doesn’t have to resort to using backing tracks. The group consists of vocalist Paulie Z in the Freddie Mercury (lead vocal) role, Steve Zukowsky in the Brian May (lead guitar) role, Aaron Samson in the John Deacon (bass) role, Glenn Jost in the Roger Taylor (drums) role, and Victor Bender as the additional fifth musician.
Right from the initial few moments, it was clear this was a band that took the music of Queen seriously, not to mention the look. In particular, vocalist Paulie Z even incorporates several costume changes to replicate Freddie Mercury’s look over the years, and even wields Mr. Mercury’s signature half mic stand. The guy must have had six costumes throughout the evening, including the classic 70s looks that included the suit with the “wings,” the “white tank top” look with the mustache, and the signature 80s yellow jacket, not to mention several in between! He also addressed the crowd, stating that the band is making no efforts to be Queen, and that no one in the world ever could be, but just that they’re fans and want to give the music to the masses. He also encouraged crowd participation, and even ventured out into the crowd at one point during the gig!
The band utilizes a video screen, and one criticism I had last year is that it literally just showed the name of the band and nothing else. This has thankfully been rectified, with the screen using imagery appropriate for each song, combined with the band name. It would’ve been nice to see a few other images like album covers and the like, but this was a nice step forward from last year’s gigs. Like last year’s gig, the band walked on stage with the pre-recorded Queen version of the 20th Century Fox Fanfare from the film BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY.
Taking on the music of Queen is no easy task. These are musically complex songs in many cases, but there’s also the challenge of selecting a setlist from roughly two decades worth of music! That includes a ton of hits and even more deep tracks. Would Bohemian Queen’s setlist be mostly the hits people know? The deeper back catalogue cuts? Or perhaps a mix of both?
While this setlist admittedly veered a bit more toward the hits, I was pleasantly surprised to see the band fit in a few deep cuts. Songs like “Killer Queen,” “Tie Your Mother Down,” “Fat Bottomed Girls,” “Another One Bites the Dust,” “Under Pressure,” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” are a given when it comes to a Queen tribute show. But I was pleasantly surprised to see the band dig slightly deeper on a few occasions, including “39,” “Keep Yourself Alive,” “One Vision,” and even some instrumental excerpts of other deeper cuts during Paulie leaving the stage for costume changes, showing off some hints of a side of Queen much of the more casual fanbase doesn’t know. What was truly impressive was hearing the band perform “Bohemian Rhapsody” without the aid of any prerecorded portions; even the real Queen band never did this! The closing encores of “Radio Ga Ga” and “We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions” ended the night in fine form.
Okay, I will admit there are a few cuts I would’ve liked to hear that were MIA, but I do understand that cramming 20 years worth of music into a 90-minute set isn’t an easy task. A few of the cuts I would’ve liked to hear are “Seven Seas of Rhye,” “Great King Rat,” “Some Day One Day,” “I’m In Love With My Car,” “Brighton Rock,” “Flick of the Wrist,” “Spread Your Wings,” “Sleeping on the Sidewalk,” “Let Me Entertain You,” “Dragon Attack,” “Scandal,” “I Want It All,” “The Show Must Go On,” “Made in Heaven,” “I’m Going Slightly Mad,” and “Innuendo,” to name a few. Another great addition would’ve been the band’s theme to the 1980 film FLASH GORDON, even if just used as transitional music.
I love the music of Queen. Taking on their catalogue is a daunting task, but Bohemian Queen pulls it off nicely. This is Queen’s music done justice on a live stage by a talented group of musicians who clearly respects and does justice to the legacy. If you love Queen’s music and you want to see the songs done on a live stage by artists who clearly know what they’re doing, you owe it to yourself to catch a Bohemian Queen show!
PHOTO CREDIT: All photos by Taylor T. Carlson for ZRockR Magazine – All Rights Reserved