Live Review: Muse at Madison Square Garden [08.06.07]

Watching Muse in the monstrous MSG felt foremost like a spectacle, secondly a concert. But what a spectacle it was. There were giant screens flashing graphics, gigantic confetti-filled balloons, light panels, fluorescent tubes, a lighted drum platform, and even an illuminated piano.

However, it wasn’t just the band that contributed to the massiveness of the performance. After their set, the masses beckoned the band back on stage by holding up their cell phones and lighters. Seeing the Garden alight and twinkling was one of the thrilling moments of the night—to not just witness the spectacle, but to be a part of it. All of this underscores the messages in the songs. Bearing heavy tunes with heavy ideas, Matt Bellamy delivered his signature wailing while screens in the background flashed apocalyptic images of deserted cities, robotic armies, and human suffering throughout the night. With Chris Wolstenholme plucking out hypnotic basslines and Dominic Howard thundering on the drums, the songs hit hard. Right before the trio left the stage, geysers of cold steam shot upwards, an appropriately theatrical touch.