Adam Lambert 24/7 News

Adam Lambert promises that his inaugural headlining tour will give his fans a chance to enjoy his music in a new context.

"My fans have been incredibly supportive of me and the show is really built for them," the "American Idol" runner-up said during a recent teleconference.

"And I think that it really talks about the exchange -- and I feel like, from the top of the show, I'm inviting the audience to take a journey with me into this emotional and thematic world. And the basic through-line of the show is: in the beginning, it's more about seduction and venturing into the unknown and taking chances and mystery and intrigue and sexiness; and then the midpoint of the show really explores heartbreak and vulnerability and honesty; and then the latter half of the show is celebration, joy and love and connection."

He said he had a hand in designing his debut headlining jaunt, which he described as a blend of turn-of-the-century New Orleans meets psychedelic classic rock -- with a surprise cover thrown in. The production was also inspired by "big pop tours" by people like Michael Jackson, Madonna and even former "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul, he said.

"They take their music and they create a visual and a story and a theme and they … reinterpret maybe a song musically and visually to give it a context, and that is something that is really important to me.

"And also, I think that my background in musical theater really came into play a lot with this production. I definitely wanted it to be first and foremost about the music, but a close second is giving the audience something to look at and giving them a reason why: 'OK, this is the next song in the set, this is the next song.' There is definitely a thematic through-line throughout the show."

Appropriately enough, he said he kicks off his concerts with "Voodoo," a track he wrote for his remix EP with Sam Sparrow.

"It's a real fun kind of sexy, modern disco-type song with a lot of visual references to New Orleans and mysticism, and it's kind of kitschy -- not to be taken too seriously -- and very sexy," he said.

"I kind of fell in love again with the song and was like, 'I want to do this for my concert.' And then realized slowly but surely that the more I listened to all my music, I was like, 'They could all live in that world' -- that kind of turn-of-the-century New Orleans meets modern New Orleans, voodoo, crystal balls, magic kind of look. And there is a lot of psychedelic, classic-rock visual references. People like Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison and Keith Richards: these are all people that have kind of inspired the look and the feel of the show."

Fans who were shocked by Lambert's highly sexualized performance during the American Music Awards -- during which he kissed a male dancer -- can ease up a bit about this jaunt.

"I definitely think [fans] will be comfortable [at the show]," Lambert said. "That was kind of an artistic experiment, the AMAs, and I learned a lot from it. I learned kind of what my limitations are. I learned what my audience wants to see. The concert definitely is sexy. But I feel like, if anybody felt that that was not tasteful, this is tasteful."

Lambert, who is openly gay, explained that he thought it was "funny" that so many critics and fans were wound up about his AMA performance, but at the same time he almost apologized for it.

"Maybe, with that performance, maybe it was a little too much," Lambert said. "I think that, for me, it's like I can't sit and make my decisions and worry about, 'What if people don't like this?' I feel like that is not art. I think that art is just expressing yourself."

Lambert is still backing the late 2009 release of his debut album, "For Your Entertainment," which found success with the title track and "Whataya Want From Me." The set debuted at No. 3 on The Billboard 200, selling 198,000 copies in the United States in the first week.


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