Muse Bank of America Pavilion 8/15/06
Let me get this out of the way. I have been a Muse fan since 2001. I bought Origin of Symmetry when it cost $24.99 on import. I lamented the fact that I could never see Muse in concert, because they never toured the U.S. I was an Original Fan. When Absolution made its splash on this side of the pond, and Muse finally finally finally played a Boston date, it was as awesome as I expected. The band played at Axis, and it was a show that had a life of its own – Axis is obviously kind of teeny, and while Muse are only a three-piece band, everyone knows how big their sound is. At Axis, the sound took on a life of its own and at times threatened to burst right out of the venue and run screaming down the street.
This was not so much the case at the Pavilion, a much bigger venue where the sound has more places to go (including out on to the Harbor). Muse still made some incredible noise, but something about the band’s performance seemed a little…off, at least to me (I’m sure that the pretty much sold-out crowd, who were seriously getting into the performance, would disagree with me). Ah, well – such is the life of a reviewer. Let’s see if we can figure out the source of my consternation.
It certainly wasn’t lead singer Matt Bellamy’s doing. Bellamy was in fine form, and his operatic voice reproduces remarkably well live. His register-hopping vocals were the most powerful instrument of the show, hands-down, particularly on “Knights of Cydonia” and the highs and lows of “Plug in Baby,” and he wowed the crowd (90% of whom apparently didn’t know that he also played the piano like a mad genius) by adeptly flitting back and forth between the piano and the guitar.
I’m realizing right now that my problem wasn’t the show itself – the band sounded great: tight, practiced, calculated and climactic at the same time (which has always been one of my favorite aspects of the band’s sound). I know that this will probably make a lot of people shake their heads, but it’s the band’s newest material that I take some issue with.
Do not get me wrong, Absolution and Black Holes and Revelations are two great albums. I will not deny these things. However.
However, I think that Origin of Symmetry is where you can find Muse at its peak of creativity, energy, and…well, I honestly think it’s the album where they rock out the most. Absolution and Black Holes are amazing albums, and for bands of lesser caliber than Muse, these albums would probably represent the pinnacle of their creativity. And while these albums find Muse branching out in new musical avenues, I think that en route to a new sound, some of the raw energy that drove their earlier material has fallen by the wayside.
As I read through this, I honestly feel like I have to qualify some of my statements. Muse is a fantastic band – they are intelligent, complicated, and extraordinarily talented. They put on a truly stellar live show, full of passion and fervor, and tonight’s show was no exception. My overall concern is that the band, on its quest for change and growth, is slowly treading into less exciting waters – a definite change for a band with such raw potential as Muse, but not necessarily an evolution.
-- Jessica Netishen
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