Killer Queen tribute band rises mercury at Uptown Theater July 16

Patrick Myers pays tribute to Freddie Mercury through music. // Courtesy Chipster PR

Patrick Myers still remembers the grieving residence halls playing Queen songs in honor of Freddie Mercury’s passing. Knowing he’d never see his hero perform live, a few friends organized a tribute concert in honor of the rock idol. Even the university costuming department assisted concert clothes band members. 

Who knew colleges all over London would show up for the DIY Killer Queen performance? 

“That first show remains one of the most magical nights of my life,” says Myers. “It changed my life completely.”

Killer Queen tours internationally across the US, UK, and Norway, yet the student concert remains the most memorable night of  Myers’ career. Still spreading Freddie Mercury’s legacy, Killer Queen travels to KC on July 16 at the Uptown Theater.

Myers remembers watching Freddie Mercury sing on TV at the Live Aid concert, still mesmerized by his performance through the screen. As a kid, he mimicked the vocals of David Bowie and other rock artists, but Freddie Mercury captivated him the most. Even today Meyers is in awe of him and proud to carry on his music. 

“In England, I still thought they weren’t big enough. I thought they needed more. They needed more flag waving, and in a way, that’s what I wanted this band to be,” says Myers. “We’re not an official Queen tribute. We’re just a tribute to Queen made up by friends who became this thing. But we still feel like we’re waving a flag for Queen, whether officially or not. It’s something that we take a lot of pride in.” 

Both Myers and the Killer Queen members knew they would never see the full band live, but also wouldn’t be able to perfectly replicate Freddie Mercury’s talent–which no one can. That said, Myers finds aspects of himself similar to Freddie and highlights them for the performance. His experience in acting helps mimic Freddie’s audience engagement. 

“There’s a playful and commanding element in terms of stage presence,” says Myers. “I knew I could hold an audience. I knew I could command an audience from acting.” 

Queen’s famous tracks are always concert classics, but Killer Queen needs to keep audiences coming back for more. The tribute band weaves in slower, or less known songs into the hard-hitting popular melodies for the setlist. They keep up the excitement by mixing song order for a fresh performance. 

“It’s a bit like cooking,” says Myers. “You have to let things cool for a little and then heat up again.” 

During 2020, the world saw an international halt in concert performance.

To continue music off the road, the band wrote their own track “We’ll Fight Again” in the style of a Queen song. The band members recorded the music video alternating between themselves in and out of costume. Though Myers loves performing, life without music opened his eyes to how quickly a dream can be taken away. 

“It was difficult for musicians because they couldn’t do what they love,” says Myers. “We’re just pleased to be back on the road. And we’re looking forward to getting back out to America because the audiences there are very, very passionate.” 

The Killer Queen concert doors open at 7 p.m. with 8 p.m. show time. Tickets are available at this link. To learn more about the band and other upcoming tour destinations, visit the Killer Queen website.