Spartan Daily - Serving San Jose State University since 1934

Issue date: 9/24/04 Section: Undefined Section

Ecstasy and intensity were the prevalent emotions at The Warfield on Tuesday when rock band Muse brought their "Absolution" tour to San Francisco.

The band was welcomed by a sold-out crowd of roughly 2,000 people. Fans representing all races, ages and fashions displayed their affection for this British trio in a melting pot of diversity.

"I'm so happy right now," a misty-eyed, burly, tattooed man said while settling into one of the upper balcony seats.

In 1999, Matthew Bellamy (guitar, vocals, keyboard and lyrics), Chris Wolstenholme (bass) and Dominic Howard (drums) released "Showbiz," the band's first album.

Even though it had fi ve successful singles in the United Kingdom, it was a mere blip on the radar screen in the United States.

At last, and thanks to Taste Media, the band's UK label, Muse's third album, "Absolution," has spawned much-deserved success in the United States with the radio play of the album's fi rst single, "Time is Running Out."

Yet, with all the rave reviews and the release of "Absolution," people are still only discovering just a glimpse of their talent through airplay on the radio station Live 105. Not to mention the fact that they deliver a heartpounding, non-stop, adrenaline rush of a show, which is actually affordable.

The stage setup was a monstrosity. Decked out with custom Marshall cabinets, custom microphones, a drum stage, a keyboard synchronized with multicolored lights to play each time a note sounded (all encased in bulletholed aluminum), a fog machine, flood lights, directional lights, spotlights, and a backdrop, the stage looked like it was ready to take off.

And it may as well have.

The house lights dimmed and the strobes started to flash -- the song

"Hysteria" took flight. Starting systematically with heavy bass and drum lines and gradually progressing into a world of distorted guitar squeals, the song's emotions are captured with guitarist/keyboardist Bellamy's falsetto voice.

Even before Bellamy began singing, the fans -- new and old -- were thrown into a frenzy.

Half of the audience in the balcony rose and those with floor tickets began to sway.

With the attention of the audience at full stance, and adding the piano to their performance, Muse went back in time to introduce the band's first album, "Showbiz," with its single "Newborn."

Don't be afraid. By no means did the piano slow anything down.

In fact, it was at these moments during the show that the crowd roared on for more improvisational scales and chord progressions.

The height of Bellamy's astounding piano talent may include "Newborn," "Bliss" and "Absolution" -- to name a few -- but the albums are a mere scratch on the surface of Bellamy's talent showcased during his live performance.

On Tuesday, Muse brought the stage of The Warfield down and the house to life.

There was a connection between the band and the audience that night. While most concert sets are either too short or the bands talk more than they sing, everyone, including the band, was there for the music.

Song after song after song, an hour and a half had gone by but the crowd wanted more.

Muse incorporated all of its groundbreaking work -- from guitar-fueled opera rock with ethereal vocals to atmospheric piano and synth melodies -- for an explosive show.

The range of the band's performance that night cannot be described in just one word.

The most astounding aspect to Muse is their ability to encompass the breadth of human emotions we all experience with a very intimate touch.

"It's bugging me, grating me / and twisting me around / yeah, I'm endlessly caving in / and turning inside out," Bellamy sings during "Hysteria."

While "Absolution" is a ground-breaking album, the unpredictable performance that Bellamy, Wolstenholme and Howard created that night elevated their creative abilities to epic proportions and will echo on in the years to come.

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