With the release of the album Simulation Theory in early November of 2018 came a reason for Muse to return to San Diego for the first time since the last time I saw them at Kaaboo roughly a year and a half before this. In my eyes Muse is a band that can simply do no wrong. Their music is diverse, dense, thought provoking, inventive and fresh. They are a band that does not seem content to rest on their laurels now that they have reached a certain level of fame and recognition. Instead they keep pushing the boundaries of their music and more importantly their live presentation of that music.
I was originally supposed to attend with Ingrid, Larry and Christi but due to it being a “school night” Ingrid changed her mind. Ironically it was an actual school night for Larry and Christi’s seven-year-old music-loving son Brody who they decided to bring along as a birthday present. This is one lucky kid because this was already the sixth concert he has attended. After meeting up with Kyle and Chris at Buffalo Wild Wings for some beers (don’t fret; Christi did not drink) we walked over to the dare I say historic San Diego Sports Arena.
I guess this is the year of me sitting side stage but as stated before I cannot believe it took me this long to realize that sitting there puts you much closer to the band than sitting center stage all the way at the back of the arena and still sounds every bit as good. I was slightly disappointed that they did not set up the stage in the center of the arena like the first time I saw them at the very same venue. Instead the stage was more of a traditional arena rock setup with a giant catwalk that was made to look like a giant spaceship to go along with their brand of sci-fi rock and the theme of the album which proposes that all of reality, including the Earth and the universe, is in fact an artificial simulation, most likely a computer simulation. Truth be told, from our vantage point the stage kind of looked like a giant space penis or the number three with a lying nose ala Pinocchio.
The beginning of the show was marked by Matt Bellamy popping up through a hole in the “tip” of the space penis around an army of 10 “backup dancers” dressed in lit up outfits to go along with Matt’s lit up glasses. These “backup dancers” roamed the stage in various outfits and props throughout the show including going up and down the backdrop on cables, utilizing giant fire extinguishers that shot steam and even contributed to the drums on a few songs.
Muse concerts are epic and should be a rite of passage for all concertgoers. They take this shit seriously and the visual element of their shows is breathtaking. From the confetti during “Mercy” to the giant creature that emerged during the medley to the giant balls released during “Knights of Cydonia” it was sensory overload.
Matt’s voice sounded incredible live as did the instrumentation handled by Dominic Howard, Chris Wolstenholme and a person hiding in the shadows that alternately played guitar or keyboard depending on the song. The show rightfully showcased most of the new album and the stripped down version of “Dig Down” was especially nice. Something tells me Brody will remember this concert for the rest of his life. I know I will.
SETLIST: Algorithm (abridged), Pressure, Psycho, Break It to Me, Uprising, Propaganda, Plug In Baby, The Dark Side, Supermassive Black Hole, Thought Contagion, Hysteria (with Back In Black outro), The 2nd Law: Unsustainable, Dig Down, Madness, Mercy, Time Is Running Out, Houston Jam, Take a Bow, Prelude, Starlight, Algorithm, Stockholm Syndrome/Assassin/Reapers/The Handler/New Born, Knights of Cydonia
Thanks Youtuber SD Boy for the stellar footage for all to enjoy.
