Muse is apparently really angry about something, but I’m still not sure what. The English alt-rock band Muse just wrapped up their Will of the People Tour in support of their ninth studio album of the same name. It was an indulgent showcase of technically proficient musicians and every shtick in the “big concert” playbook, but it still didn’t say much.
For their Sunday night set in Portland, Muse filled the stands of the Moda Center. Their opening act, the iconic goth rock band Evanescence, probably helped with that. For their opening set, Evanescence frontwoman Amy Lee took the crowd through newer singles “The Bitter Truth” and “Broken Pieces Shine.” Still, with her once-in-a-lifetime set of pipes, Amy Lee hasn’t seemed to age a day since the release of her breakthrough album Fallen 20 years ago. An acapella lead into 2011’s “The End of the Dream” was absolutely thrilling. And B-side gems like “Imaginary” and “Lithium” were pleasant surprises. To close, the band of course indulged the crowd with their biggest commercial hit, “Bring Me To Life,” with Johnny Stevens of Highly Suspect taking over for Paul McCoy on vocals.
When it was time for Muse’s set, the foursome emerged in metal masks, like Daft Punk disciples caught in an apocalypse. As they launched into the tour’s title track, totems burned on the LED screens behind them while rock ‘n roll chords and crowd vocals called out for populist revolution. This narrative continues throughout the night in animated interludes: a group of futuristic radicals rise up against a devilish overlord in a steampunk fantasy land all for “the will of the people.” Whatever that will may be. All the while, Matt Bellamy & Co. meander through their newest album with grandeur.
It was an undeniably great show. Muse pulled out all the stops. Pyro, confetti cannons, fake snow, ominous floating rectangles, and a mammoth, animatronic statue pulled straight from their imaginary team of revolutionaries. Hell, at one point, Bellamy even dipped backstage to throw on a sparkly jacket.
The music was great too. Bellamy is an absolutely wicked guitar player. His iconically melancholic falsetto soared over the thick sludge of their electro-art-rock. Highlights of the evening included their classics “Supermassive Black Hole”, “Uprising”, and the total rock opéra grandeur of “You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween.” There were plenty of moments that made my jaw drop in surprise. By the time they closed with an encore of the Guitar Hero banger “Knights of Cydonia,” I was almost sold on the rock ‘n roll Mad Max fantasy.
Honestly, the Muse Will of the People tour was great. For a nearly 30-year-old rock band, they’ve still got wicked chops. Whether or not those chops are strong enough to incite a vague revolution, let’s ask the audience of middle-aged white people who couldn’t even be bothered to stand up for the entire 90-minute set.
