Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Muse & Cage The Elephant @ Time Warner Arena


So I think technically this is my first real arena rock show.  I've seen bands in big venues (Tool, Pantera, Rage Against Machine, Midnight Oil etc) before but not a show with a large arena in mind.  While I have an interest in seeing Muse, and finding out why they are so popular, my main interest in the show is to see the awesome Cage The Elephant.

Amy & I met Mike and Laura at Villa Francesca for a quick snack before the show started.  When I say quick, when your babysitter arrives 25 minutes late and the opening band is the most important part of your night, you scoff down the food and skoll your drink to get to the venue.  Good food though, will come back and try it properly one day.

Was surprised to arrive at the venue and see the whole top floor curtained off.  Seems like Charlotte may not love Muse like the rest of the world.  We were close to the back (at the top of the U shape) but seats weren't too bad.  I just kept thinking about all those shows I missed in Vegas because of my reluctance to get into a big venue show.  Oh well! - lesson learnt - at 40.

Cage The Elephant came out and did what they do best. Rocked it!  Man I love this band!  While an arena is not suited to their shows - a more intimate setting I think gets Matt Shultz' going - CTE worked with what they had and gave it everything.  From the back the sound wasn't so great but songs like In One Ear, Back Against The Wall, Tiny Little Robots and Ain't No Rest For The Wicked (yeah I'm a huge 1st album fan) are just superb live.  But the performance adds to these songs.  The band plays tight while Shultz channels his inner Iggy Pop to explode all over the stage and shake up the Muse-waiting crowd.  I am getting more and more used to the new single, Come A Little Closer and thought It's Just Forever fit perfectly into the set.  I hope they come back through Charlotte soon - maybe tear up the Fillmore or the Chop Shop.  Just read that they are opening for Foals in England early next year.  What I wouldn't give to see one of those shows.

Cage the Elephant Setlist Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC, USA 2013, Melophobia


Except for Kings of Cydonia I am Muse illiterate.  Not sure how that happened but Mike assures me that as much as Cage is perfect in a club setting, Muse is made for an arena - and boy was he spot on.  Not only did I see an hour 40 minutes of great musicianship, but my senses were overloaded by the visuals.  Matt Bellamy's voice is incredible - a range which made me wonder if I was at Queen show at some points.  Not to mention the sounds he gets out of his guitar.Wild!  I think because my knowledge was limited, some songs sounded a bit samey to me, but Supermassive Black Hole, Kings Of Cydonia and Madness were favorites of mine.  Not sure I'd go out of my way to look for there albums but definitely glad I got to see them live.

Muse Setlist Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC, USA 2013, The 2nd Law


The Crap Facts:
This is my 359th concert.
Time Warner Arena is the 99th venue I've seen a concert.
Time Warner Cable is the 50th venue in the US I've seen a concert.
This is my 10th concert in Charlotte.
This is my 13th concert in North Carolina.
This is my 167th concert in the USA.
This is my 4th Cage The Elephant concert.
Muse are the 426th band I've seen.

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