It’s been a year and a half since Muse last passed through the San Francisco Bay Area but with a new album (Simulation Theory), there was good reason for a return visit, this time to a sold out Oracle Arena in Oakland.
Upon entering, fans were greeted with a massive stage setup which only hinted at the marvel that was set to unfold. Even during Walk the Moon’s 45 minute opening set, the stage was kept dimly lit to avoid letting slip any spoilers.
Doubling down on the space rock theme, the set kicked off with the band seeming to be “beamed” down to the stage while a squad of space trombonists marched their way to the end of the catwalk where frontman Matt Bellamy rose through the floor with mic in hand.
The arena, on its feet from the floor to the rafters, went nuts with what was only the start of a two-hour epic set that was full of surprises. Matt made frequent use of the catwalk before sprinting back to his main mic was fixed stage right. And while his range may have been sometimes limited, the insane visuals punctuated by a giant alien robot rising from behind the stage, more than made up for it.
The encore brought the set full-circle with “Algorithm” and, as if two hours wasn’t enough time to cram in everything they wanted to play, Muse pulled out a rapid-fire medley that ended with an explosion as Bellamy chucked his guitar into his amps. The aggression was clearly for show, but nicely teed up “Knights of Cydonia” for the set closer.
Muse’s “Simulation Theory World Tour” is flat-out over-the-top in the best way possible. The visual and sonic opus is simply not to be missed, even for the casual Muse fan.
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WALK THE MOON
Walk The Moon
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Walk The Moon
SETLIST
Algorithm (Alternate Reality Version; shortened)
Pressure
Psycho
Break It to Me
Uprising
Propaganda
Plug In Baby
The Dark Side
Supermassive Black Hole
Thought Contagion
Interlude
Hysteria
The 2nd Law: Unsustainable
Dig Down
Madness
