Monday, March 15, 2010

Muse



Tonight was the kind of show that I love to write about. I had no idea what to expect from Muse except some Radiohead comparisons I had heard and the abundance of skinny jeans and hair dos that suggest they are popular amongst the kids. It was kind of like seeing a movie that people have told me was good without having even seen a preview. I wasn't sure if they were worthy of playing the recently renamed Bridgestone Center, the local enormo-dome, but they drew a pretty good crowd, more than Green Day by my estimation. From the Pepe Le Pew hipsters to the cool Joe Six Pack and his girlfriend next to me, the kids seem to love them some Muse.

The opening band was an emo 4-piece called The Silverspun Pickups. They were Webster's definition of mediocre. The drummer was energetic as he could be but even that couldn't get the crowd to bob their heads even the slightest bit. Sure there was the obligatory applause after every song, but during the numbers, not one fist in the air, not one teeny girl scream, not so much as an ass out of a seat. Not even in the very front row. They seemed like they were pretty into their songs, even a little proud that they had written them, but they sucked. My God did they suck.

After a stint on the smoking line and a fresh beer, I made my way to my seat and noticed that the stage was set but there seemed to be a lack of any musical equipment whatsoever. The only things on stage were three skyscraper looking props. When the lights went down and the show started with "Uprising", I was excited to see what they had in store. With the first notes, the covers came off of the props and each member of the band was positioned atop a riser that was previously a skyscraper. All in all it was a pretty cool setup, which raised and lowered periodically throughout the night, something I had never seen before. The light show was spectacular with a mix of your run of the mill arena lights mixed with lasers flooding the hazy room and bouncing off of the back walls. The screens in the back ground showed random flashes of unidentifiable images and brief shots of the band, giving no competition to the amazing lights.

Like I said before, the three piece Muse is often compared to Radiohead, although I would tend to differ. This band made the most of their trio by playing real instruments, even if a lot of the sounds were from a mostly hidden fourth member keyboardist. The drummer did a great job of filling in the extra space with Larry Mullin-esque drum lines and the singer/guitarist had a certain Bowie/Bono bravado that made his vocals boom, as opposed to the Thom Yorke wail whine. The guitar sounds were strong and unique, much different than your typical Les Paul-ocaster tones you usually hear from most current popular bands. I was too far away to see the brand of guitar but I could tell that I had never seen anything like them before. The bass player was adequate. That's it, adequate. Lisa Simpson would give him a "Meh". I guess everyone can't be spectacular. I will give him props for the short solo in which he and the drummer spun around on the center riser while he strummed intricate chords in overdrive while the drummer wailed. The one song I recognized was the one with the chorus "I want it now." I guess I've either heard it on the radio or seen it in a Mountain Dew ad on T.V. The show climaxed with a rousing version of "Plug In Baby" complete with huge eyeball balloons dropping from the sky and bursting with confetti. Truly a mohawk raising experience.

Over the course of the night I went from "this sounds an awful lot like Blur" to "is this a Cher song?", all the while bobbing my head and tapping my foot and loving it. I didn't know what to expect but I did know that everyone I had talked to about this band had nothing but good things to say, even some of my most musically opinionated friends. I also know that they didn't disappoint. This show was pretty awesome, from the lights, to the stage, to the music and performance. I can almost guarantee that this show was heads and shoulders above the AARP-fest Clapton show that I got shut out of, choc full of energy and feeling and no one behind me telling me to sit down.

10 comments:

  1. Obviously, you weren't playing very close attention if you'd go so far as to describe Chris Wolstenholme as 'adequate.' It's clear that you don't know a whole lot about the band.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh, And Matt Bellamy plays custom made Manson guitars.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ouch, I wouldn't describe Chris as adequate, but to be fair that is your opinion and I will respect that.

    It's refreshing to read a good review like yours... from someone that knows little about the band except the usual "this band is good" gossip. I was really happy to hear that you enjoyed the show and you got to experience, well, the "Muse Experience", in a big venue too!

    I first fell in love with the band 4 or 5 years ago after seeing them in a small venue. They are so powerful musically. It makes you wonder if they are really from another planet as some would say :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ohh Anon...don't hate. Everyone has their opinions! Chris is a fantastic bass player, but I can see how some would think he's adequate.

    Great review! I'm a hardcore Muse fan, and I really like seeing views through other people's eyes! Great review :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Chris is a good bass player, he's just often overshadowed because Dom is furious on drums and Matt is a guitar/piano/vocals god.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Chris Wolstenholme? Adequate?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow, all this controversy over a bass player?

    Hey everyone, he's a BASS PLAYER.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jvl8rs95pU

    ReplyDelete
  8. first of all i must pay homage...

    happy st. paddy's day!

    second, i'm stoked that you liked them. although you did have some criticism, i believe what makes an awesome band is their talent and drawbacks.
    example:
    robert plant: seriously?
    john bonham: undeniable best part of zeppelin

    now....lets get pissed!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I thought Silversun Pickups were pretty awesome, quite honestly. Good enough to make me come home and check out all their music. I knew about them, but I never really checked them out, and now I love 'em. I was in the pit, head bobbing, because I knew no lyrics or musical cues. And I still had a blast. Their energy on-stage got me going, at least.

    Anyway, Muse left me speechless afterwards. Always good to see a sensible bashing on the "Muse is the same as Radiohead" comparison; I'm a fan of both, but that comparison is awful and outdated.

    P.S.
    Wolstenholme is a beast, but glad you enjoyed the show!

    ReplyDelete
  10. btw, spoke with a fellow-Who fan who said Daltry was outstanding the other night.

    ReplyDelete