MUSE LIVE NYC

Mon, Mar. 8 2010

I gotta say, I had mixed feelings going into this one. I like Muse, but it's far from an unequivocal love - I probably skip as many songs as I listen to. Their sound is typically big and heavy and undeniably catchy, but it too often slips into full-blown opera (think Queen)–and that's where they lose me. On the plus side:

  • There are few songs better for late night driving on the West Side Highway than "Map of the Problematique." 
  • I saw them perform on television at last year's VMA's (yes, the one hijacked by Kanye West) and I was struck by the precision and confidence of their crunchy performance.
  • Ever since, the buzz has been building, culminating in a glowing firsthand concert report from Artgig Australia at Big Day Out in Sydney just a couple of months ago.
So when the Garden gig was announced, I felt an immediate tug and grabbed some tickets. If I had any doubts going into Friday night, Muse smashed them to bits with a powerhouse performance that quite simply kicked ass. This is a band made for the big stage and they used every inch of it, up and down, to put on one hell of a big show. See them now if you can. You won't regret it.