ANDERSON — It’s been 28 years since Freddie Mercury, lead singer for the 1970s super-group Queen, passed away. But thanks to films like “Wayne’s World” and the Oscar-winning 2018 bio-pic “Bohemian Rhapsody,” his music remains at the top of pop culture consciousness.
And thanks to Killer Queen, a British tribute band that continues to keep Queen’s music alive — and live — in arenas and concert venues around the world.
Under the leadership of front man Patrick Myers — a dead ringer for Freddie Mercury in both looks and voice — the group will bring the sights, sounds, atmosphere and excitement of a Queen concert to the Paramount Theatre, 1124 Meridian St. in Anderson, at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
“The whole point of the show,” Myers said, “is to try and get everything as physically right as they possibly can.”
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Myers and his bandmates have been working at their craft since 1993. As huge fans of Queen, they were devastated when Mercury passed away in 1991 from AIDS-related pneumonia. It seemed as if their dream of someday seeing Queen in concert had also died.
With the realization that if Queen wasn’t performing its music, then nobody was, they decided to create their own concert.
“Without even realizing that we would be a tribute band,” Myers said, “we decided to give ourselves the experience we’d wanted — to be in a room with that live music.”
In June of 1993, the newly formed Killer Queen — named after the 1974 Queen song — played London University, following in the footsteps of the original Queen, which had played there 21 years before.
Myers and his bandmates thought they’d do one, maybe two shows, but that turned out not to be the case.
“It led to a tour immediately,” Myers said. “A whole university tour with 25 dates. It turned around on that one night.”
“This was a time before tribute bands,” Myers explained. “We did this without even realizing we would be a tribute band.”
More than two decades later, Killer Queen is playing 130 tour dates a year.
The group has toured Europe and Russia. In 2006, Killer Queen headlined with an ABBA tribute band, Bjorn Again, and the Bootleg Beatles at Waverly Stadium in Edinburgh. Killer Queen also recreated Freddie Mercury’s iconic Live Aid performance for a restaged tribute to that 1985 charity concert.
In 2016, Killer Queen came to the United States for a tour that included stops at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre outside Denver, Colorado; and Sun Valley, Idaho.
Myers was especially pumped about his return visit to Red Rocks since the Beatles, U2, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan have all played there.
“It’s really got its own kind of magic going on there,” Myers said.
Reflecting on his unexpected life in the spotlight, Myers recalls the impetus behind that first concert.
“We wanted to get close to the music we missed out on,” he said. “Queen is an amazing band.”
It’s no surprise that Myers thoroughly enjoyed actor Rami Malik’s performance as Freddie Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody.” But as fate would have it, Killer Queen’s 2019 tour dates were already booked before “Bohemian Rhapsody” was released.
“We couldn’t fit in anymore date,” Myers said, “but the tickets have sold even faster.”
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What: Killer Queen, Queen tribute band
When: Friday, July 12 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Paramount Theatre at 1124 Meridian St., Anderson
Ticket link: theandersonparamount.org/event-directory
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