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I truly feel like a billboard for Muse’s street team when I talk about the band, because I talk about them to anyone who’ll listen, and they’re just so colossal & majestic, and the four times I’ve seen them perform now have solidified spots in my top ten list of concerts I’ve seen in my lifetime, and I’ve seen several hundred. Seeing Muse live is by far the best dollar for dollar value of any show you’ll ever see: monstrous confetti-filled balloons bouncing above the crowd, CGI video accompaniments on massive screens, dry ice, explosions, laser-firing chrome guitars, a full-sized piano with a glass top and flickering pink lights and a constant light show.

Muse came on stage thirty minutes after they were scheduled to begin - there seemed to be a lot of equipment adjustments going on and the roadies were double-timing it trying to set everything up so it’d be perfect.

The night before the show I told a couple of my friends that if they weren’t yet convinced of Muse’s awesome-ness, hearing Knights Of Cydonia live would cement it. I believe I said something to the effect of: “After they play Knights, I’m done. I can just go home. My heart may very well stop in a fit of excitement.” I obviously had to reneg on my promise, as the band OPENED with Knights Of Cydonia. It was an EXPLOSIVE opening to a concert and it didn’t stop there - Muse delivered a five-tiered hydra of massive hits that left my mouth so dry from singing along, I could have started a fire just by rubbing my tongue on the roof of my mouth: Knights of Cydonia, Map of the Problematique (MY FAVOURITE!!), Hysteria, Supermassive Black Hole, and then Butterflies & Hurricanes. Like, are you kidding me? Nick and I turned to each other and said, “Guys, can you give us a break? Like seriously, just play ONE shitty song so that we can take a moment to stand back and realize what the hell is happening here.” But it didn’t stop. And it was LOUD. At one point, I thought I felt all three of the human body’s tiniest bones (the ear’s anvil, stirrup and cochlea) shatter simultaneously. But no matter.

Here’s the full setlist:

Knights of Cydonia
Map of the Problematique
Hysteria
Supermassive Black Hole
Butterflies & Hurricanes
Hoodoo
Apocalypse Please
Feeling Good
Sunburn
Invincible
Starlight
Man of Mystery
Time is Running Out
New Born (fking ridiculous)

Encore:
Soldier’s Poem
Unintended
Plug In Baby

Second Encore:
Take A Bow
Stockholm Syndrome

Pic of the setlist here.

There were a lot of ‘technical difficulties’ throughout the night - the wah-wah pedal on the piano broke and Matt accidentally came unplugged in a fit of dance during one song, so the tech guys were extra busy fixing stuff up and offering replacements. But the boys did a great bit of improvisation, breaking into the circus march Entrance of the Gladiators (you’d know it to hear it) that sounded pretty comical.

The one thing that TRULY sucked was our timing at the end of the night - Muse were scheduled to play until 10:45, and after the first encore ended, I figured that was it. I ran through previous setlists in my head and couldn’t think of anything that was missing, so we bolted to the back doors to get a head start to the parking lot. THEN…as we pulled out of the parking lot moments later, Chris heard more music coming from the venue, but I couldn’t immediately recognize the song. Then I heard it. Motherfking Stockholm Syndrome!!!! It couldn’t be! A second encore…they must have played until 11pm. I AM SO FURIOUS WITH MYSELF!!!!

*sigh*

Temper tantrums aside…a phenomenal concert. Muse play Madison Square Garden in NYC and then Lollapalooza this weekend. Those shows are going to be such a treat - Muse do really well in huge stadiums and at festivals, where they can really mangle some eardrums.

More great pics of the show taken by a fan here.

Posted on Thursday, August 2nd, 2007 at 10:49 am by Kat and is filed under Concerts & Events.

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