Almost Queen has been chasing Freddie Mercury’s ghost since 2004, and twenty-two years in, the band has turned the pursuit into an argument of its own. There are Queen tribute acts — and then there are tribute acts that perform “Bohemian Rhapsody” in full, no backing tracks, four-part harmonies intact, the entire edifice rebuilt from scratch every night. That distinction matters more than the hairpieces.
About the Show
The band closes its fall 2026 run with a New Year’s Eve booking at The Vine Showroom at del Lago Resort & Casino in Waterloo, a pairing of the right catalog with the right occasion. That run took them through New Jersey in September, The Paramount in Huntington in October, and Goodyear Theater in Akron in November before landing here for December 31. Joseph Russo handles lead vocals and piano; Steve Leonard, lead guitar; Randy Gregg, bass; John Cappadona, drums. Between them, they’ve logged sold-out runs at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, headlined Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park, and played Party in the Park in Rochester. Gregg’s résumé before joining Almost Queen included stints with Thin Lizzy and Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, with performances at Madison Square Garden and 80,000-seat arenas. The technical ceiling on this band is higher than the usual tribute circuit.
Founder Steve Leonard has been candid about the philosophical tension the band inhabits: what he calls “the distance between tribute and truth,” and “the inherent contradiction in what we do — striving for an unattainable perfection while finding our own voice in the process.” That self-awareness sharpened in 2024 when, for their 20th anniversary, they released an original composition called “Almost,” a track inspired by a conversation with Gloria Jones — the original “Tainted Love” vocalist and T. Rex member — who suggested the band write in Queen’s style rather than simply reproduce it.
Venue & Logistics
The Vine Showroom at del Lago Resort & Casino sits in Seneca County in the Finger Lakes region. The show begins at 8 p.m. The venue describes itself as “acoustically superior to any other entertainment site in the area” and holds a Gold designation as Best Night Club in the Finger Lakes. The box office opens at 4 p.m. on show nights only. Admission is 21 and over.
Tickets
No ticket price was available from sources at the time of publication. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster. Buy tickets