Queen To Play U.S. For First Time Since 1982

A successful 32-date European tour now complete, Queen + Paul Rodgers have scheduled two fall U.S. shows, one on each coast. In the east, the tour will on Oct. 16 visit East Rutherford, N.J.’s Continental Airlines Arena, while an Oct. 22 stop is scheduled California’s famed Hollywood Bowl. Queen has not played the U.S. since 1982.

An additional date in each venue is also possible, according to a source, but no additional U.S. dates are being considered in 2005. As previously reported, a larger slate of 2006 shows is under consideration.

Tickets go on sale Saturday (July 30) for the New Jersey date (priced $37-127) and Sunday for the Hollywood show (prices unavailable at deadline). Tickets can be purchased via Ticketmaster, Queenpluspaulrodgers.com, Queenonline.com and Paulrodgers.com. The artist-related Web sites will also have information about pre-sale opportunities and VIP ticket packages.

Ramping up to the Stateside dates, the group will play Oct. 8 at the Aruba Music Festival. After the U.S., it heads on for four Japanese dates (Oct. 26-27 in Tokyo, Nov. 1 in Nagoya and Nov. 3 in Fukuoka).

Rodgers, a veteran of rock acts Bad Company, Free and the Firm, stands in for Queen’s charismatic frontman, Freddie Mercury, who died of complications from AIDS in 1991. He joins original Queen members Brian May (guitar/vocals) and Roger Taylor (drums), with former Blue Oyster Cult bassist Danny Miranda filling the role of John Deacon, who has retired from touring. The touring group is rounded out by guitarist Jamie Moses and keyboardist Spike Edney.

Recent shows have found the group airing out such Queen favorites as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “Fat Bottomed Girls,” “We Are the Champions” and “We Will Rock You” as well as Rodgers-associated songs like Free’s “All Right Now” and “Wishing Well” and Bad Company’s “Can’t Get Enough” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love.”

More than 45 songs from the European tour can be purchased at Queenpluspaulrodgers.com. In the U.K., the songs are also available as mobile phone downloads.

Source billboard.com.

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