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Nov 26, 2023

Muse masters misdirection at fiery Oakland Arena spectacle

Muse performs live at Oakland Arena, in Oakland Calif. on April 14, 2023. Derek

Muse performs live at Oakland Arena, in Oakland Calif. on April 14, 2023. Derek Tobias/STAFF.

OAKLAND — U.K. alt-rock superheroes Muse brought the firepower and a full bag of trips to Oakland Arena on Friday. The band has played the East Bay venue at least a half dozen times over the years and each time find a way to thrill fans with an innovative stage design and masterful musicianship. This night would live up to that once again with the band delivering a fiery two-hour set.

Minutes before showtime, the stage seemed fairly straightforward. There was little clutter beyond a drum riser and lighting rigs at the sides and back. But over the course of two dozen tracks, that stage would undergo a metamorphosis, including everything from massive characters, mirrors, flames and confetti cannons.

Opening with "Will of the People," the title track of Muse's latest album, the trio took the stage in hoods and reflective masks as a fiery logo ignited behind them. The show followed a loose narrative, as if the band was soundtracking to a video game telling the story of a band of resistance fighters overthrowing demonic oppressors.

Muse performs live at Oakland Arena, in Oakland Calif. on April 14, 2023.

Singer and guitarist Matthew Bellamy riled the near-capacity crowd in raucous singalongs to fan favorites like "Hysteria" and "Psycho." The band mixed in "Map of the Problematique," from 2006's Black Holes and Revelations, before launching into the thumping bass drone of newer track "Won't Back Down." As is customary, Bellamy let the music do the talking, only briefly addressing the crowd a handful of times throughout the set.

The set infused the video-game-style (or K-pop-like) interludes on the video screens to advance the story narrative of revolution. On "Compliance," a humungous masked protagonist appeared at the back of the stage, looking back and forth and raising a lighted hand. The figure would change ever so slightly between songs, giving the feeling of a living stage. While the majority of the night's material would come from Will of the People, the remainder was a fairly even journey through the band's expansive catalog.

Cell phone lights illuminated the arena on ballad "Verona" and Bellamy again led the crowd through rousing tracks "Time Is Running Out" and "Resistance." Bassist Chris Wolstenholme and drummer Dominic Howard remain one of the best rhythm sections in rock and roll. Wolstenholme aptly held down the low end (still looking cool while doing it) as Howard delivered energetic and urgent drumming.

Muse performs live at Oakland Arena, in Oakland Calif. on April 14, 2023.

Pyrotechnics roared from all over the stage on the punky "We Are Fucking Fucked," with columns of fire shooting high into the sky. The stage would once again transform, with large rectangular mirrors lowering from the upper reaches. The mirrors would twist and turn, rise and fall in all directions, sometimes sitting just feet above Wolstenholme and Bellamy.

Muse's biggest strength remains infectious and larger-than-life anthems about the struggle for power. The crowd was ignited by set staples "Supermassive Black Hole" and "Plug in Baby." Bellamy emerged in a LED-lit hoodie and a neon robotic glove that doubled as an instrument. Bellamy took full advantage, playing the intro to "Uprising" before stalking around the stage, and a long catwalk that led into the middle of the floor.

Bellamy seemed to be having a fantastic time, jumping up and down, prancing during "Hysteria" and hopping his way around the stage as he led the handclaps of Muse's biggest hit, "Starlight." Attendees were ready for a good time even before the band took the stage. As a CHVRCHES song played over the P.A., thousand of people armed with phone flashes performed a synchronized dance, lifting and lowering their lights in unison.

In the final act of the show, the massive antagonist pictured in videos (a demonic being) appeared, with massive arms spanning far beyond the stage. The lights darkened to a red hue, lasers fired and flames shot high on hellacious metal riff-rocker "Kill or Be Killed."

Evanescence performs live at Oakland Arena, in Oakland Calif. on April 14, 2023

The show ended as every Muse show has for about 15 years, with Wostenholme playing the harmonica intro for the rollicking and dramatic "Knights of Cydonia."

Along for the ride on this tour are hard rock standbys Evanescence. Two decades after the release of the band's breakout debut, Fallen, Amy Lee and co. are hitting their stride on stage. The band's lineup has undergone some tweaks over the years, but this current format just seems to click. Guitarists Tim McCord and Troy McLawhorn traded off down-tuned riffs while drummer Will Hunt expressively kept the beat. New bassist Emma Anzai looked even more comfortable in her role than in the band's set at Aftershock Fest in Sacramento last fall, carrying a heavier share of back-up vocals.

Lee's message of resilience and individuality meshed with Muse's theme. As a vocalist, she remains a true powerhouse, with one of the most dynamic and powerful voices on the circuit. While the band is the sum of its parts, its Lee's voice that stirs the drink. In some ways, it seemed like being the featured opener energized her even more as she attacked the stage.

"If you have hope that …. things can change, share it. Because hope is worth fighting for," Lee said ahead of "Use My Voice." Earlier in the set, she described "Lithium" as about, "Taking the bad with the good and not being afraid to feel, even when it hurts. Because you can't have the light without the dark."

Most of the band's material came from its latest album, The Bitter Truth —"Take Cover" was a highlight — with a handful of older selections mixed in. Songs like "End of the Dream" even infused some of the orchestral influence of the band's Synthesis album, offering another opportunity for Lee's voice to shine.

Highly Suspect performs live at Oakland Arena, in Oakland Calif. on April 14, 2023

The singer thanked fans for the support over 20 years before launching into piano ballad "My Immortal," the song's message transforming in some ways to include the connection between the band and its fans. The band finished with mega-hit "Bring Me To Life," with Johnny Stevens from Highly Suspect handling Paul McCoy's rapped vocals in the bridge. It's an aspect of the song that Lee has said she grapples with, though it was definitely fun hearing Stevens take the song back to as close to the original arrangement as it's been in years.

For their part, Highly Suspect brought the energy during its 30-minute opening set. Stevens brings an eclectic array of influences, anywhere from grunge to down-and-dirty blues, making for an interesting sound.

Stevens’ raspy voice was strong and his guitar playing was impressive to go along with it. At one point, he placed his guitar down on the stage and turning it into a slide guitar. The band flourished on tracks like "Natural Born Killer" and "My Name is Human."

"Bath Salts" was grungy and distorted; "Lydia" heavy and percussive. "Serotonia" sounds like a more psychedelic version of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man." Over screeching guitars, the song slowly built to a cacophony.

Editor Roman Gokhman contributed to this story. Follow writer Mike DeWald at Twitter.com/mike_dewald. Follow photographer Derek Tobias at Instagram.com/simmonstobias.

Mike DeWald is a Northern California journalist and reporter. Mike has been a Reporter with the Bay Area's KCBS Radio since 2022, and on staff since 2020. Previously, Mike produced KSRO's "The Drive with Steve Jaxon" drive-time radio show since 2008, covering news, music, pop culture, politics and more. Mike has contributed to a number of digital music podcasts and publications including the Rock’N Vino Podcast and The Download Parlor. He is an avid live music fan and photographer.

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Did you notice any issues with the vocals? At times I couldn't hear him sing and him asking the audience to sing along didn't help. I was really taken out of the show due to the poor sound quality. He is clearly an unbelievable singer.

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