Just more than one year ago, U2 rocked out Scott Stadium in a fashion that many University students probably look back on fondly. Something that people might not remember was the opening band for that show. It was only a year later - Oct. 27 - that the English alternative rock band Muse got its own chance at headlining at the University, this time at John Paul Jones Arena.
The concert began with an awkwardly short opening act by the Canadian, female-led rock band Metric, made quasi-famous by appearing in the latest Twilight flick. The band performed well and sounded just as they do on their album, but by no means was it an extremely memorable feature of the night.
After waiting nearly an hour for the crew to set up, it was time to move on to bigger and better things. The show began as curtains dropped from the three giant pillars on the stage to reveal Muse's three members, as the unmistakable opening beats of the single "Uprising" began. The audience was, in a word, rapturous, as fist-pumps immediately commenced - and did not cease until the final beats of the final song - and the pillars on which each member stood slowly began to sink to the floor.\nAs if the sheer talent and enthusiasm of the band wasn't enough to keep my full attention, the general ambiance of the show was absolutely enthralling. From the laser lights that occupied the whole venue to the variety of coarse graphics, the show made you feel as if you had made the ethereal step into a different dimension. During the final song, enormous balloons meant to look like eyeballs were released into the crowd, with some even making it up onto the stage, where frontman Matthew Bellamy stabbed and popped them with his guitar, releasing masses of confetti. It was 100 percent true to Muse. And 100 percent awesome.
Similarly, the group did an impeccable job with selecting its setlist, pleasing every member of the audience, from the group's freshest fans to its long-time devotees. The list included songs off of the band's recent 2009 album, The Resistance, as well as songs like "Feeling Good" and "Plug In Baby" that took us back to 2001.
Having been in the business since 1994, Muse genuinely knows how to put on a brilliant and thoroughly entertaining show. Rather than playing songs one after another, the group stopped between every few songs to have 'jam-out-sessions,' which were frankly just as fun and exciting as its standard songs. At one point, the Brits even turned "The Star-Spangled Banner" into an impressive rock ballad.
Two encores and about 1 million fist pumps later, the show sadly came to its close. Bassist Chris Wolstenholme waved goodbye while casually smoking a cigarette as drummer Dom Howard tossed a drumstick into the audience, literally causing an aggressive fight among about 15 riotous fans. Bellamy extravagantly waved goodbye, before finally waltzing off the stage as the lights came up. And for a moment, the audience simply paused to take it all in.
As a whole, it was a fantastic show that absolutely exceeded the standards for a rock concert. My advice: If you ever have the chance, a Muse concert is an unquestionable must.
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