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Marc Martel Brings His One Vision of Queen to The Fisher Center For a Second Sensational Time in Nashville
by Rich and Laura Lynch
Marc Martel's One Vision of Queen triumphantly returned to The Fisher Center in Nashville, Tennessee on Friday, September 06, 2024 after last year's sold-out show at the majestic theater. Fans were treated to an energized Queen presentation along with an add on to meet Marc and the band after the concert.
Marc Martel and One Vision of Queen were impressive in Nashville.
With a little digging we found out that Marc Martel spent 13 years recording and touring the world with the band Downhere. During that time, they won four Juno Awards in their native land of Canada. In 2011, Marc cut a version of "Somebody To Love" which has now been viewed millions of times and ultimately launched Martel into the role of impersonating the late and legendary frontman Freddie Mercury - on stage and screen around the world. With all this to his credit we were really looking forward to Martel's version and vision of Queen. We and the packed house were not disappointed.
During Marc's engaging set he shared a summary of his career and how he had been told frequently that he sounded like the multi-octave singer Freddie Mercury. A friend sent an email to him for a Queen contest and Mrs. Martel encouraged him to enter it. Marc submitted "Somebody To Love" and passed the audition to become the first "Freddie" in a what would become the only officially sanctioned Queen tribute band.
Marc Martel and One Vision of Queen returned to the The Fisher Center in 2024.
Martel went on to explain that there are a lot of Queen cover bands circulating the planet. In fact, there were two other Queen related events taking place for fans to select from this week in Nashville including - Candlelight: A Tribute to Queen and More at the Parthenon or The Kings of Queen: A Tribute to Queen at the City Winery. Marc thanked folks for coming and implied that if we were seated inside the beautifully appointed venue on the campus of Belmont University - then we made the wise choice. By the end of the two-set, two-hour plus concert we would have to absolutely agree with the personable entertainer's assessment of his own act.
Marc Martel's One Vision of Queen was off to the races in Music City with a montage of "One Vision", "Seven Seas of Rhye" and "Bicycle Race". They kept the pace up with a beguiling "You're My Best Friend". Marc moved to the piano for part of "Killer Queen" one of many numbers that showcased varied vocalizations that Freddie had made famous through his renowned recordings. Throughout the night fans were encouraged to clap and sing along adding to the energy of the performance.
Marc Martel pulled out all the stops to make this a memorable evening in Nashville.
Marc thanked Queen's guitarist for helping him with the musical arrangements as well as some of the musicians in the band. Martel also acknowledged that the astrophysicist Brian May wrote many of his band's deep cuts with some featuring heavy subject manner. But, not all of them as the voice of One Vison asked the crowd at The Fisher Center - "Fat Bottomed Girls are you gonna take me home tonight?" Set one ended with the operatic "Bohemian Rhapsody". After a short break they came out swinging with high powered takes of "The Flash/Death on Two Legs" flowing into "I Want It All". Martel paid tribute to both Freddy and Elvis with "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" followed by the edgy disco inspired "Another One Bites The Dust" that took a few extra twists along the way.
More fan favorites including a rousing "Radio Ga Ga" kept folks on their feet and Marc and his talented team finished with "Somebody To Love" which is where this all started for Marc. As you would expect the encore featured two of Queen's most powerful tunes that will most likely echo in sports arenas until the end of time. Marc Martel's One Vision of Queen concluded with winning versions of "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions" leaving the stage victoriously.
One Vision of Queen was great for a second time at Belmont University.
In addition to his Queen related projects, Marc maintains a solo career that includes Christmas music. But, it is his One Vision of Queen that takes him all over the planet and he announced to the fans gathered in Nashville that they were on the eve of a European tour that will take them to Germany, Austria, The Netherlands and beyond through October. As such, he noted that they don't often play at home. But, since this was the second year in a row - perhaps a new tradition was being born at Belmont. We'll just have to wait and see what next September brings.
The elegant Fisher Center located on the campus of Belmont University in Nashville Tennessee opened in September of 2021. This multi-functional facility that seats 1,727 has hosted a wide range of performances including dance productions, musicals, operas, plays and rock shows such as Marc Martel's One Vision of Queen. Please check their calendar for a full list of upcoming events.
Marc Martel played piano and guitar in addition to his frontman duties in Nashville.
Related Links:
For more information on MARC MARTEL and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links -
Marc Martel |
The Fisher Center
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