It is not about recreation but about original creation.” It’s 5 a.m. and Adam Lambert, arguably American Idol’s most famous runner-up, was just asked if he wants to redo classic MTVs. To a phone patch of Asian reporters, he gives this manifesto.
We all woke up this early to talk to the master entertainer and, true to form, it was worth the admission. Known for switching it up onstage, he probably has the record for most costume and hair changes within an American Idol season. He has worn everything from Rat Pack suits to full-on leather with wings. It is hard to see what is real and what is not. He is the rare circus freak-turned-master who gracefully walks the tightrope of balancing the private and the public with a smile. Among all Idol contestants, he knows how to tease us fans and Hollywood paparazzi, revealing a bit of himself along the way and throwing us off with glitter, light, and a bit of a howl to make us forget that he is vulnerable beneath it all.
But Adam is dead serious about singing for your entertainment. With a vocal range that goes from undeniably tender to hauntingly beautiful, as he says in one of his songs, he’ll “make you want to listen to music again.”
This is why Adam continues to fascinate us. He knows how to play with smoke and mirrors and it’s always fun to go along with an entertainer who knows what he’s doing. Like how he wears his leather and studs, we don’t know how he fits into them or makes them so awesomely iconic. We have to simply accept that he still makes leather look good in 2010.
It is simply his craft. As he says, there is no such thing as too much fog and glam because “it is important to show theatricality and really entertain people.” He balances his comment by adding, “It is equally important on another level to lift the veil on the glitter and the glam and show vulnerability. It is my job to show the fantasy and reflect a bit of reality to my audiences.” A true puppet master, indeed.
Within the 15-minute call, he gives us only a taste of who he is beneath the mature and confident composure, keeping most of his cards close to his vest. When asked about controversy and fans, his responses are about embracing it all as part of the show and he sees scandal as something subjective more than an annoyance. Moving onto musical pursuits, Adam, who still dreams of flying in concert, would be honored to duet with Christina Aguilera and obviously would want to write with David Bowie on a future album. Then, he teases his Glambert fans, hinting that he will be extending his concert time in Asia to sing some new songs.
As I said, with a tease here and a reserved comment there, the true Adam still remains strutting under the green fog. Glambert wins again. All that we have left is what Adam wants, which is to have fun and pay attention to the music. And with this ambiguity, I’ll continue looking for the real Adam in concert. And beneath the makeup, I might find the vulnerability that he was speaking of. With this much anticipation about knowing, seeing, and experiencing the Glambert, he doesn’t just want to make me listen to music again. He makes me want to rock out and see concerts again.
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Strut to the SM Mall of Asia concert grounds on 10-10-10 for The Glam Nation Tour: Adam Lambert Live in Manila.
Ticket prices are VIP P6,310, Gold P4,510, Silver P3,610, Bronze P1,810 and General Admission P640. Buy your tickets now at any Ticketworld Outlet (call 891-9999) and all SM Cinema Ticket Booths across the nationwide chain of SM Supermalls. For inquiries and reservations, call 470-2222. For VVIP limited seats, call 750-0791, 09175874462
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