Queen, one of the most widely and wildly beloved bands in the history of popular music, is not an easy group to emulate. For one, their most popular songs are so ubiquitous it seems impossible to ever make them sound new again. And yet the group itself feels almost unknowable, something out of another world. Why even try?

This is what I was thinking when I arrived to see Queen Nation play The Canyon Club on Friday night. And, in a way, I was right. At no point while watching this band are you ever going to forget that you aren’t seeing the real thing. But in a more fundamental way, I was dead wrong. Because, once you’ve seen Queen Nation perform one or two songs, you just don’t care. Great music is great music, and these guys put on one hell of a show.

The biggest challenge for any Queen tribute band is, inevitably, finding a suitable lead singer. Freddie Mercury not only had one of the most distinctive voices in the history of rock music, but he was also, on a technical level, a remarkable talent. His vocal range was massive, and he could snarl like a wild animal one second, and belt like an opera singer the next.

The shoes to fill are very, very big. But luckily, Queen Nation frontman Gregory Finsley is a truly dynamic performer, managing to nail plenty of Mercury’s signature cadences without ever being afraid to make the songs his own.

Finsley is also an extremely proficient singer, and he matches Mercury note-for-note in nearly all of the songs. Given how insanely difficult these songs are, that’s no small feat. Finsley also has a funny, flamboyant stage presence, and he managed to keep the energy at a fever pitch for the entirety of the group’s very generous hour-and-a-half set.

When you’re dealing with a musical catalogue as beloved as Queen's, it’s going to be impossible to hit everyone’s favorite songs without playing all night. Still, Queen Nation managed to cover all of the biggest hits, and even threw in a few deeper cuts. Particularly memorable for me were a rollicking “Fat Bottomed Girls,” and a gorgeous “Somebody to Love” that started slow and soft, then grew into a bracing anthem. 

The group’s musicianship is so solid across the board, there wasn’t a single song that they didn’t do justice. They approximate the original sounds expertly. And lest we forget, these are some really, really great songs.

Tribute bands are an interesting anomaly. For those who have never actually seen the original group perform (a.k.a. young people), they’re often thought of as a joke, something to watch only in a state of ironic detachment. And for those who have seen the real thing, what could a tribute group ever be but a monumental disappointment?

Yet the members of Queen Nation somehow transcend these stereotypes, putting on a show that makes you love Queen all over again, yet also manages to be just a great, fun concert in its own right. And I must say, there was something rather beautiful about a room full of people, many old enough to have seen the Queen in their prime, all dancing together to these songs they love so much.

And yes, I’m sure some of them were remembering what it was like to see the real thing, just as I’m sure some were simply enjoying the music right there, in the moment. But at a certain point, when we’re all having such a good time, does it even matter?

The opener was Fan Halen, a tribute act for a certain hair metal group I don’t think I need to name. I’m not a huge Van Halen fan, so it’s difficult for me to judge them on the same standards that I judged Queen Nation. But hey, they played their music at a decible-shattering volume and had awesome outfits/wigs, so what else do you really need?

Queen Nation Members: Gregory Finsley (Lead Vocals), Mike McManus (Guitar/Vocals), Parker Combs (Bass), Pete Burke (Drums/Vocals)