It's quite obvious that the larger the venue a band plays, the tougher it is for them to engage and entertain the audience. There are handfuls of bands, of course, that can take the stage in an arena-like setting and keep the huge crowd before them completely captivated. Consider Muse not only to be one of these bands but also one of the most enticing of the bunch.
Matthew Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard brought their own brand of British rock to Cole Field House at the University of Maryland last Saturday, as part of MTVU's Campus Invasion Tour.
The band's music can be described as Britpop on the verge of melodic metal (or as Coldplay's overshadowed, visceral and more talented younger brother), and the current tour is their first headlining gig.
Razorlight, an up-and-coming Strokes-esque act from Britain, is tagging along for the month-long stint. Their set, however, would be much more suitable in a venue at least half the size of the one they played last Saturday. Even though only half of the Field House was set up for the show, the space was still too big for Razorlight.
They sounded like a less genuine version of the Libertines (who subsequently sound like a less genuine version of the Clash) and their lead singer/guitarist Johnny Borrell came off a bit too "rock star." To explain, he came out in a suit, and by the end of their set, he was wearing nothing but slacks and wingtips. I don't think Cole Field House got that hot, Johnny.
When Muse took the stage, with frontman Bellamy donning a nicely-pressed red Oxford, dark pants and silver shoes, it was overwhelmingly clear that the crowd was ready for them.
What followed was an intense 14-song set with very little time between songs (other than quick "thank yous," the modest Bellamy didn't say anything). For the first song, "Apocalypse Please," he sat in front of a very authentic-sounding keyboard and beckoned "Declare this an emergency/ Come on and spread a sense of urgency!"
Although there were only three men on stage, the sound they produced and spat out to the crowd was incredible. Bellamy spent about a third of his time behind the keyboard, pounding out intense combinations of heavy chords and arpeggios during songs like "Butterflies & Hurricanes" and "Ruled by Secrecy."
The setlist was composed mostly of songs from their last album, Absolution, which was released just over a year ago, and 2001's Origin of Symmetry, which has yet to be released over here in the United States. The crowd was also treated to a couple of new songs that will hopefully end up on their next record.
The frenetic "Stockholm Syndrome" closed the show accompanied by giant white balloons filled with confetti. When one of them landed on the stage, Bellamy waited for an appropriate musical moment and quickly popped it with the head of his guitar.
This tour will, without a doubt, be responsible for picking up quite a few more fans for Muse. There's absolutely no question as to whether they deserve it or not.
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