Muse Commands Tinley Park on the Wow! Signal Tour

Jul 11

By Christopher David

Securing their spot as one of the top headlining rock bands of the current era yet again, Muse returned to Tinley Park on Friday as the Wow! Signal tour landed with pyro, modular screens, and a setlist that spanned the band’s impressive catalog from nearly top to bottom.

Australian quartet The Temper Trap opened things up with a short and sweet set that highlighted the band’s ability to craft U2-esque choruses that had people dancing before the sun went down, and U.K. favorites The Bloc Party followed with their unique blend of danceable pop and winding lyrical narrative in a set that also previewed a song from their upcoming record.

But there was no denying that the night belonged to Muse.

Muse are one of those rare bands who, over years of reinvention and pushing of musical boundaries, have firmly staked an identity that no other band can copy, a singular achievement in the modern era. Taking the stage to a pair of tunes from 2003’s Absolution, columns of modular, moving screens gave each song its own atmosphere and presence; new song “Cryogen” featured icy-blue lights and geysers of mist, while “Be With You” (two of the four played from the new album) turned the diamond-shaped screen pods into the angular walls of a church before launching streamers into the crowd. “Madness” had the entire place singing in one voice, and a crushing version of “Uprising”—never more thematically appropriate than it is now—showcased, as so many other songs did, vocalist/guitarist Matt Bellamy’s stunning range, from angry wails to fragile falsettos that were picture-perfect across the board. Bassist Chris Wolstenholme and drummer Dominic Howard are a formidable rhythm section and surely underrated in the modern arena-rock landscape, along with Bellamy’s guitar work that created its own wall of sound showcased in the stomping drive of “Stockholm Syndrome” and the crunchy swagger of “Hysteria.” Together, the trio have crafted some of the most unique sounds of the last twenty years in rock music, and their one-of-a-kind live show is a masterclass in balancing sonic innovation with anthemic melodies.

If you’re a fan, do not miss this tour. If you’re not, this show will make you one.