Queen may have ended with the death of Freddie Mercury, however, the spirit of the band lives on with Magnifico. Call them what you will, a cover band or a tribute band; I simply say they are amazing. The way they play the intricate songs of Queen is simply mesmerizing. Not only is every song a crowd favorite, the musicians in the band hit every note as well as the original members from Queen. Saturday night, the band played a private party and blew the crowd away with their energy and amazing talent. Although the light show consisted of floodlights purchased from a hardware store and there was no sound technician, the band played as though they were singing in front of a crowd of thousands. The lead singer Zack Hall, whom I was introduced to after the show, was often breaking through the comfort zone of everyone in the crowd and never stopped moving. His friendly banter with the audience was great and the crowd was obviously intrigued by the charisma of the lead singer wearing a blue leotard.
Approximately one hundred spectators were present in the crowd and only a few had seen the band before, but when the lead singer walked onto the makeshift stage, the crowd knew it was going to be an interesting night. Magnifico opened the set with the classic, “Killer Queen.” It was a great song to start the set and get the crowd ready for the re enactment of a Queen concert for the next hour. Playing in the backyard of a house, the lead singer of the band used anything he could find as a prop, including hiding behind some plants during a “scary song.” As the night progressed, they played the classics such as “Bicycle,” and “Under Pressure” which had the crowd constantly singing along with the band. At one moment during the song “Millionare Waltz,” a majority of the crowd broke into an imitation of a waltz along with the lead singer. Although they played a few obscure Queen songs, the set was full of tunes that excited the crowd.
Although the beginning of the set was great, it only got better throughout the night. “We Are The Champions” was a song that seemed to excite the moral of the crowd, and “Don’t Stop Me Now” had the crowd singing to one another, even if it was to a stranger. The band ended their set with “Fat Bottomed Girls,” and everyone’s favorite song made popular by the movie Wayne’s World, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” This of course was a great way to end the night and it showcased the vocal abilities of the whole band. As they were about to pack everything up, the crowd requested another song. The band decided to play a song rarely practiced, and the lead singer informed the crowd: “We haven’t really practiced this next song, but this is cheaper than practice space, so here we go.” They played “Somebody to Love,” and although I thought the band had showcased the vocal abilities, this song was perfect.
The band will be playing this Wednesday night at ShangriLa on East 6th street and it shouldn’t be missed. Sadly, Magnifico rarely plays around Austin, but if you ever see their name on a flyer, it will be a concert worth paying for. As mentioned in the review, they are extremely talented, give the songs the justice they deserve and put on a great live show.
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