The Stereo Lounge

I don’t remember the first time I heard Muse. I do, however, recall the first time I recognized that it was Muse I was listening to. It was probably around 2006 or 2007. I was in my friend Nolan’s car, driving around when he played “Hysteria.” I told him  I recognized the song, that I must have heard it on the radio before. I said, “Who is this?” His answer was Muse, of course. So, then he played “Stockholm Syndrome”, which I also had heard. I repeated the question and again, it was Muse. I stopped asking and I listened to most of their album Black Holes and Revelations. I freaking loved it and I wanted more. Little did I know at that time that they already released four studio albums. Eventually, I got my hands (and ears) on their back catalogue and delved deeper into the greatness. Ever since then, Nolan and I talked about seeing Muse live. It was somewhat of a pipe dream. They never played California. They opened for U2 one year…but only on the East Coast. The West Coast leg of the tour featured the Black Eyed Peas, a band I was not even remotely interested in seeing. We watched the DVD of their live album, HAARP in 2008, filmed in their home country’s own Wembley Stadium, which only served to intensify our (certainly not undisclosed) desires to see them live. It was never going to happen, was the sentiment we had. In our early twenties, it was an item on our bucket lists. Then came 2010. In support of their 2009 release, The Resistance, Muse included two dates at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on their Resistance tour. I found out and snapped up three tickets right away. Looking back I’m not even sure how I afforded them at $45 a piece before fees and my not at all prestigious salary, but I didn’t care, I was finally going to see Muse. So on September 26th, 2010, my friend Nolan, my then girlfriend (now wife —score!), and I went to what to this day I still rank as number one on my personal list of best concerts attended. Muse at Staples was not just a concert, it was an experience. Each song was a self contained event well worth the price of admission.

It had everything. The band, consisting of only three relatively unassuming British dudes, descended from the top of the arena on pedestals, enveloped in curtains designed to look like skyscrapers and made a grand entrance. It was not a case of “pay no attention to the men behind the curtain.” It was a brilliant spectacle and although we were literally at the very top of the arena, in the cheapest seats available, it was a blast. There really wasn’t a bad seat in the house. On one song, hundreds of transparent beach balls designed to look like giant eyeballs fell down and were passed through the crowd, undulating to the music of the band. I left that night utterly fulfilled and satisfied. I would be satisfied if I never got to see Muse again, because it was just that good. On a side note, a band called Passion Pit opened for them and for whatever reason, I personally was not impressed with them. But here in 2013, they are all over the radio and very popular, so what do I know?

Several months ago, Muse announced they would play two nights at Staples Center again in January 2013. Having seen them before and being eager to see their new album, The 2nd Law, performed live, I knew it would be a great show and I knew it would quickly sell out. I didn’t exactly have the funds to pay for tickets at the time, but definitely contemplated it anyway. I decided I was not going to go and just felt happy I got to see them once. Months passed and a coworker told on a Monday in January that she was going to their show Wednesday night. I had completely forgotten about the concert. Fast forward to the next day and Muse posts on their Facebook page that a limited number of tickets have gone on sale for their shows Wednesday and Thursday night. Just out of curiosity, (and honestly a strong desire to still go), I checked for tickets. Only, I checked for tickets for Saturday night, the 26th, their additional show added due to demand. I went through the Ticketmaster prompts and got two tickets on hold. Quickly, I asked my first term pregnant wife (who accompanied me to the 2010 Muse show) if she wanted to go. Of course her response was something groggy along the lines of “it’s up to you, Babe” as she was already half asleep in bed. I was going to buy two tickets. I knew there was a possibility she would not feel up to going come Saturday, but I had to. I was timed out. I started over again and still managed to secure two tickets. I was going, but was she? A few days later, after not having said much at all about it, my wife texted me and said she heard Muse on the radio and was “really excited.” So off we went. Muse part II!

Opening for Muse this time around was Band of Skulls. Our seats were “limited view”, which means we were on second level of the arena, but behind the stage, so for most of the opener, their backs were to us, but we could see them pretty clearly. I was at the very top, against the wall in 2010 and the seats weren’t bad because everyone in the arena was involved in the show. They sounded decent and the crowd seemed to enjoy themselves and they even played a song I recognized (at least I thought so, but trying to find the song now I can’t place it.) Either way, it was fun and short, which was good because everyone came for the main event.

Here is the set list I compiled from the show (It’s possible I missed something in there, so let me know, people who attended.):

“Unsustainable”

“Supermassive Black Hole”

“The Resistance”

“Panic Station”

“The Star Spangled Banner” (Interlude)

“Hysteria”

“Knights of Cydonia”

“Explorers”

“Time is Running Out”

“Save Me”

“Madness”

“Follow Me”

“Undisclosed Desires”

“Plug in Baby”

“Stockholm Syndrome”

“Uprising”

The Encore

“Starlight”

“Survival”

As you can see they focused mainly on the new album, but played a good mix of older favorites too (even “Plug In Baby.”) We didn’t have an issue with our seats once Muse came on, as they were very mobile, walking around the stage and involving the whole crowd, making sure they could be seen. Both singer Matt Bellamy and bassist Christopher Wolstenholme made good use of the stage. Then drummer Dominic Howard had his set on a giant lazy Susan circular rotation, so again, there was no bad seat in the house. The normally three-piece also added touring member Morgan Nicholls on keys, additional percussion and backing vocals.

The set-up was grandiose, but simpler than the 2010 show. It was great to hear a mix of songs from throughout their career and they did some fun stuff for the new songs, such as having the lyrics displayed marquee style on Matt Bellamy’s sunglasses during “Madness” and a huge, multi-tiered inverted pyramid composed of video screens, which contained separate tier pieces, that transformed throughout their set. It was cool to hear them play the Star Spangled Banner, and even cooler so to hear Matt Bellamy may be headed toward American citizenship soon.

It was a fun show and I am definitely glad I saw them again. That said, I don’t know if it’s just nostalgia talking or what, but this still does not top their 2010 Staples Center performance. No matter where you are and what year it is when they come to a city near you, you should definitely, hands down, see Muse perform live. That is all.

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• Behind The Song: Muse’s “Madness” (dfw.cbslocal.com)
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• Review: Muse delights fans in Oakland (mercurynews.com)
• Muse Take over North America with 2nd Law Tour (vividseats.com)