Concert Review: Muse at Great Western Forum

Last Updated on April 25, 2019

I’m taking a page from my pal TixGirl’s blog to add a concert review to the ol’ blogging mix. I was inspired to do so not just because I’m going through concert-reviewing withdrawal, having given that up when I quit the CityGuide gig back in December, but because last night’s show was phantasmagorical.

I’ve been in love with Muse since a friend gave me a copy of the band’s Absolution album just over a year ago. It quickly became one of the few CDs I just couldn’t seem to take off repeat; had it been a cassette, it would have warped to near nothingness in the first few weeks I had it.

Then came Black Holes and Revelations, and once again I was floored in a way I haven’t been in years. Their sound re-instilled my faith in the music scene, which had been waning since 1994 or so. Sure, I’ve had my occasional doses of The Killers, Suede, and a handful of other soul-lifting bands. But there was something about Muse — the Queen-like anthems, the multi-layered sound — that made me yearn for more. And so I didn’t hesitate to whip out the plastic to make my first concert-ticket purchase in several years. (My last job had also spoiled me with more press passes than I could handle.)

Because I first saw Muse with my pal Nne at KROQ‘s Inland Invasion a few years back, I invited her along for another ride. We trekked down to Inglewood for our virgin trip to the Forum (aka, the LA venue most in need of a facelift), stopping at Porky’s BBQ ($2.99 for a ginormous salad? Sure, I’ll go back) to fuel up before the big show.

Since I didn’t plan on writing a review, I didn’t bother to take notes, like I once did more studiously than I ever had for any college class. So I’ll just sum it up by saying that these guys know how to put on a show. Pyrotechnics and video imagery aside, Matthew Bellamy and company simply rawk like no one’s business. Halfway through the performance, I was tired just from watching Bellamy bound about the stage, switching instruments every other stanza.

For once, I lucked out. Our section was pretty laidback, so although we sat down a few times, we could still see because the other old farts like us were also resting their dogs. Although I couldn’t watch the sweat pour off the band member’s faces, I was much more comfortable looking down on the mosh pit, and I couldn’t believe there’d been a time where I would have killed to be smack dab in the middle of the sweaty, shoving mass of lovable delinquents.

To top it all off, the trio performed not one, but two sets of encores, with at least three songs in each set. In all, the concert lasted more than two hours. Considering the distance to the stage, I got some pretty good shots and video, mainly due to the screens and killer stage visuals. Near the end of the concert, security guards tossed a half dozen confetti-filled balloons into the crowd, which made for some awesome snaps.

During one ballad, when the arena was aglow with swaying green cell phones, like a nighttime sea come to life with bioluminescence, Nne stopped herself before commenting on the handful of odd yellow lights in the audience. “I just realized those are lighters.” My, how concert-going has changed. At least with Muse, it’s for the better.

Now, can someone tell me why my videos look so crappy and pixelated when I upload them? Is it because they’re AVI files?