Tonight’s double-bill showcased opposite ends of the alt rock spectrum. In one corner, you’ve got Cold War Kids - a Christian blues-rock outfit from California who croon parables of peccadilloes and subsequent redemption. In the other corner, there is Muse - a grandiose UK trio boasting epic space-rock ballads befit for Tom Cruise and his Martian brethren.
Playing to by far their biggest crowd ever, Cold War Kids were besieged by the immense environs of MSG and the predominantly European mass of Muse-heads. Performing a selection of songs off debut LP Robbers & Cowards the band, armed with tambourines and maracas, shimmied and sashayed their way through a tight, brief set. Song highlights included Cold War Kids’ ode to sobriety “We Used to Vacation,” hit singles “Hang Me Up to Dry” and “Hospital Beds” and most notably, chain-gang stomper “Saint John.” While the band delivered a solid performance, and lead singer Nathan Willett’s melodic vocals are even more impressive live, one can’t help but feel as though Cold War Kids’ brand of bluesy tunes is better suited in a smoky saloon as opposed to a packed arena.
Truth be told, there are few bands out there that possess a sound massive enough to fill an arena. Radiohead, U2 and, believe it or not, Coldplay, are just a few prime examples of “arena bands.” Add to that list the lesser-known (on these shores) Muse, whose mesmerizing live performance is in my opinion second only to Radiohead. Led by wunderkind singer/guitarist Matt Bellamy, Muse offers the theatricality of Queen combined with sonic guitars, swirling synths and a sonorous, Yorke-esque falsetto. The galloping drums and insane distorted riff of “Knights of Cydonia” begin a relentless aural assault that’s followed by rancorous sci-fi epic “Map of the Problematique,” “Hysteria,” and “Supermassive Black Hole” - a funky dancehall track sporting one of Muse’s illest riffs complete with Bellamy’s Prince-like vocals cooing something about glaciers melting and superstars being sucked into outer space. Catchy as all hell.
There’s a brief mid-set breather as Bellamy decides to tickle the ivories, hammering out four piano-driven ditties, including a brilliant cover of Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good” and “Sunburn” off the bands debut album Showbiz. The next few songs continue the trend of decelerated tracks including “Invincible,” a beauteous ballad sporting drummer-boy percussions and a colossal chorus with Bellamy’s affected vocals, cracking with feeling, shouting “During the struggle they will pull us down / But please, please let’s use this chance to turn things around / And tonight we can truly say / Together we’re invincible,” (it also boasts one of the most tantalizing guitar solos you’ll ever hear); “Starlight,” a song that’s sure to take Muse fans by surprise since it’s the cheeriest song they’ve ever made, with a piano sequence out of a cheesy 80s movie, soaring, winsome lyrics endorsing true love, and U2-esque guitars; and the finger-snapping “Time is Running Out.” Then, just as you’ve been completely disarmed, Muse returns with a vengeance, furiously shredding their way through Origin of Symmetry favorites “New Born” and “Plug in Baby.”
The lights go down, as the three lads exit stage left amid a deafening roar of applause. The arena however is soon illuminated by a flurry of cell phones and lighters raised high in the air - it’s a truly awe-inspiring sight. Muse then returns, commencing the encore with a pair of slow tracks -the melancholic “Soldier’s Poem,” followed by Radiohead-esque fan favorite “Unintended,” before bringing down the house with “Stockholm Syndrome,” and ending the night in fine fashion with their Blair-bashing signoff, “Take a Bow.” The only quibbles I have are the inclusion of sluggish sub-par tracks “City of Delusion” and “Hoodoo” off recent album Blackholes and Revelations in favor of Origin of Symmetry bangers “Bliss” and “Citizen Erased,” but regardless, Muse have cemented themselves as one of the best live acts in the world in what may very well be the most exhilarating NYC concert of the year. It was a show performed by a band at the top of their game, full of sound and fury, signifying… something truly special.
--Marlow Stern
