Muse – Live at the Staples Center
3 min read
So don’t judge me too harshly, but up until two years ago, I had never listened to the band, Muse. I was perfectly content to listen to my favorite 90’s power ballads and uninterested in investing in the unknown. But it was one day in the car on the way home from work when I heard “Supermassive Black Hole” and thought, “Hey that’s kinda cool.” Whoever this band was, they sounded like something out of a campy science fiction movie. Thus opening the door to something new and different.
Muse is hardly new, but certainly different. Since its inception in 1994, the trio has sold more than 10 million albums and built upon their popularity with its truthful lyrics and strange composition. But that one spacey song from two years ago led to buying Black Holes and Revelations (my personal favorite), Absolution (unusual and epic), and eventually, The Resistance (an eclectic tribute). And in those two years, my mind and body has completely opened up to a new genre of music and Muse has been my go to group for inspiration and entertainment. A live performance from such a band became an imperative next step.
And who knew that our $35 dollar obstructed view tickets to the Muse concert on Saturday night would turn out to be the best seats in the house – and arguably, one of the top three shows I’ve seen in my concert going life. I must admit, it was a little disconcerting as we headed into the venue to listen to opening band, Passion Pit, but not be able to see them. All that changed with one drop of the drape.
Full disclosure: U2 being my favorite band of all time, I gamely confess, Muse could certainly give them a run for their money on the west coast leg of their concert tour. Known for its spacey type of alternative musical score, frontman guitarist-keyboardist Matthew Bellamy, bassist-keyboardist Christopher Wolstenholme and drummer Dominic Howard put on a laser light show fantastic like nothing I’d seen before.
I’m thrilled to report that there wasn’t a bad seat in the sold-out crowd at the Staples Center Saturday night. Starting off with Uprising, the band set the tone for the evening: exhilarating energy and thunderous music on an almost 360 stage. Muse gave the euphoric throng in Staples ample attention performing off their new album, The Resistance, and delivering on fan favorites such as “Supermassive Black Hole” and ending with “Knights of Cydonia.”
Electrifying the crowd, the trio first appeared on three dazzling sets of risers, giving the crowd a panoramic view of the band. The risers themselves looked similar to boxes covered in metallic glass that mirrored camera images of the band and those fans lucky enough to score floor seats. Matthew Bellamy played off his own frontman status materializing in a reflective metallic suit, emphasizing the laser show and lighting effects.
Christopher Wolstenholme played the straight guy moving fluently around the stage and Bellamy with drummer Dominic Howard dominating at percussion. The three lived up to their name and image orbiting as satellites do, around the stage and each other in perfect unison. It was true poetry to watch the band taking in the exhilarated fans, and rather than taking time away to offer up political messages and mindless chatter, Muse gave the crowd what they wanted; a 90 minute passionately executed performance.
U2 has been the one band in my life where I would willingly buy concert tickets to multiple shows instead of paying for groceries. Instead of the cell phone payment this month, I’ll gladly fork over the cash for a second hit of Muse.
