RavenMad

MUSE | U2 360° Tour (1 of 2)

October 14, 2009

Part I of the Evening

We got off work early and headed to Houston. Our mission: to make it to the Reliant Stadium to see one of our favorite bands MUSE open up for the monumental U2. We hadn’t seen MUSE since April of 2007. Although I heard them play at Austin City Limits in October 2007 as we left the festival for the day since my mother wasn’t well – I hadn’t truly seen them in two and a half years. They opened up for My Chemical Romance[i] in San Antonio then and their talent and zeal won me over for life.

We parked our car downtown and purchased tickets for the train to Reliant stadium. We endured a long walk up a sidewalk to the center, only to find that we had to climb 3 levels to our section. Our first stop was the merchandise table where we waited in line for 20 to 30 minutes getting more anxious by the second. Finally we made it out of there with a “The Resistance” wristband for me and a new t-shirt for my man, along with a U2 pin to share. As we purchased our water, we could hear the show beginning! Taking our seats at the end of the arena, the swooping balconies of the modern structure were reminiscent of the Imperial Senate from Star Wars. MUSE came on stage playing Uprising. I had never heard it before and didn’t even know they had a new album about to come out. I was awe-struck and beside myself. Everything that was shitty about life faded away as I became a part of the evening with MUSE. There were emo kids whose style mimicked that of MUSE in the front of our section near the balcony and we lit up with joy watching them revel in their experience of the show. When Undisclosed Desires came on, their images on the screen coupled with yet another new song for me was almost too stimulating to handle. I was reminded of Daft Punk’s Face to Face in the Dance Tent at Coachella[ii]. I was being seduced by Matt Bellamy’s lyrics, voice and guitar. We were all drinking up the performance like we had been starved of this elixir and hadn’t known - or forgotten we needed it - until that night.

SETLIST:

Uprising
Map of the Problematique
Supermassive Black Hole
Interlude
Hysteria
Undisclosed Desires
Starlight
Time is Running Out
Plug in Baby

When Time is Running Out came on, I started feeling nervous that indeed it was. MUSE only played 8 songs the night before in Dallas but for Houston they added one more with Plug in Baby as the finale. I hadn’t planned on the explosion of emotions that came with that. Map of the Problematique is one of my favorite songs and KAOSVISION[iii] took some great video of the song that night. I’ve watched his video at least 15 times since and I just keep shaking my head “no” because I can’t believe how lucky I was to witness this band play. I would not have been able to experience this in such a beautiful way had it not been for my favorite person being there with me that night. It was one of the most mesmerizing nights we have had together and I will remember it always.

[i] My crew and I did not stay for this band. We were there for one reason only.

[ii] Thank you deanx0r for your Daft Punk video. I knew there would be someone out there who could capture the madness I saw that night as well as you did.

[iii] Thank you KAOSVISION for taking such amazing video that night!

MUSE | U2 360° Tour (2 of 2)

October 14, 2009

Part II of the Evening

But what’s that you say? Was MUSE the headliner that night? OMFG NO! But they are the reason we drove all the way there that day. So as MUSE left the arena and the lights came back on, of course we ran out to get our nicotine fix and confirm what just happened and philosophize about it. I had to sit down. The stress from the day and drive having mashed right up against the release of endorphins almost took it all out of me. Yet I had to go on. Thus far we had only eaten the sundae and now it was time to enjoy the cherry on top. That cherry was U2. It was fucking Bono, it was THE EDGE and those two other guys J (Just kidding Adam and Larry!) They came out on stage with Breathe. It was moving. I had never heard it before, or any of their latest album. It didn’t matter. Bono stood before me belting out the tunes with his head back and sunglasses on – the piercing sounds of the Edge’s guitar and the bright lights flashing and glowing created a scene from a dream. I didn’t know where I was in this musical realm, but I knew not to be scared. I knew it was a good place.

I had seen U2 once before in Dallas April 2001. I stood/waited/ate in line for 6 hours the day of the show so I could be a part of the intimate “heart” seating (which is standing). I’ve been 15 feet away from all the members of the band. I’ve seen Bono dance around on the edge of the heart in his cowboy boots singing Sunday Bloody Sunday up close and personal.

But 9 years later, I was across the arena on the upper level and I felt like Bono was serenading us, sealing our hearts together with his truth and his song. It was during Until the End of the World that the venue turned red and the spot light was on us as we danced together in front of our seats for the entire crowd to witness our homage to music, to love and to each other. U2 is a massive entity. They have the ability to put on a grand production, one that you should see in your lifetime. The set, the talent, the lights and images…and of course Bono’s stories. Their intent is to make the world a better place. I believe they do that.

SETLIST[i]:

Breathe
Get On Your Boots
Magnificent Mysterious Ways
Beautiful Day / Here Comes The Sun (snippet)
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For / Stand By Me (snippet)Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out OfNo Line On The HorizonElevationYour Blue RoomUntil The End Of The WorldThe Unforgettable FireCity Of Blinding LightsVertigo
I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight / Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (snippet) / Two Tribes (snippet)
Sunday Bloody Sunday, MLK, Walk On / You’ll Never Walk Alone (snippet)

encores:

One / Amazing Grace (snippet)
Where The Streets Have No Name
Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
With Or Without You
Moment of Surrender

[i] Setlist provided by u2setlists.com

ACL Replacement Options

I have lived in Austin for the past 10 years, but only been a part of ACL since 2007. So I am pretty new to this festival scene, but I plan on attending every year from now on. One thing about these festivals is that the tickets go on sale before the bands are listed. I don’t like to spend money on hope, so I usually wait until the lineup is up to throw down that cash.

When this year’s lineup was announced, I raced to the website and my eyes scanned the page eager to find words that were familiar and fantastic to me! I saw LILY ALLEN and I saw BEASTIE BOYS for Friday and that was all I needed…I am pretty sure that within the next 30 minutes the 3-day passes sold out. I had limited funds and since I was buying for 3, I bought 3 Friday tickets. I felt ok. I felt fucking fantastic!! Saturday has Dave Matthews (yawn - talented yes, but I’m over it, and already saw him in San Antonio in 2001). Ghostland Observatory is also playing on Saturday and that is the only thing that makes me sad. But I have seen them twice: 1st at ACL 2007 and 2nd at Austin Music Hall in 2008 (this show was out of control, ridiculous. the encore brought out part of the UT band). Sunday’s lineup has Pearl Jam (again, yawn). Dead Weather will be there though. This I don’t want to miss. A plan is currently being concocted to scrape up the cash for this. Knowing how the ACL music scene is, though, I kinda think that Dead Weather will do a Saturday show at Stubbs. I would rather see them there for more intimacy of course! I love Jack White.

So I have Friday tickets and was so excited about seeing the Beastie Boys. I saw them at Lollapalooza in 1994. They were amazing! They wore suits and were jumping all around on stage…their music is classic, old school shit. But now Adam Yauch (MCA) has cancer, so they have cancelled all of their shows. I am very sad for Adam and his family and wish him peace and recovery. I am sad I won’t get to see them. That being said, who the hell is C3 going to get to replace them? Thank God Lily Allen is going to be there and Bassnectar!! Those two alone would be enough for me, actually. But I am super excited thinking about some great replacement options for BB. They are as follows:

1. Animal Collective - They are currently on tour and played a sold out show at Stubbs earlier this year. I missed that and think their energy level is that of BB.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxhaRgJUMl8

2. Radiohead - This is one of the best bands ever and they have not been at ACL at least in the past 3 years if ever that I know of. This would be spellbinding.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmNG2D81x3Y

3. White Stripes - I know this isn’t possible really since Dead Weather is touring. But since The White Stripes cancelled their ACL slot in 2007 and haven’t been back to Austin since, it would be nice of them to redeem themselves. And I love Jack White :) So Meg could just fly to Austin for the weekend and they can play Friday while Jack and Alison can play on Sunday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xsF9fHdAfo

4. Scissor Sisters - This band would not disappoint. Their music is quite entertaining and would get the crowd going. They always make me smile and that is what ACL is all about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxwIWt9_Uqc

I will most likely add to this list later. Time to live life away from the pc for a bit.

1st Post - Tori Amos, Long Center, Austin, TX

Tonight I saw Tori Amos in Austin, TX at the Long Performing Arts Center. I was in the east balcony - row 1 seat a. I had a perfect view of Tori and the pianos, but I would have liked to be a little lower so I could see her face better. I still really enjoyed the show, and I took pictures, made a list of the songs. I will post those tomorrow :) I will say that I predicted her first song would be “Give”. I knew it would be since it is so mysterious and sexy and sets the mood just right…

Here is the set list:

Give
Bouncing Off Clouds
Cornflake Girl
Beauty Queen/Horses
Liquid Diamonds
Carbon
Flavor
Spacedog
Doughnut Song
Winter
Starry Night
1,000 Oceans
Digital Ghost
Fast Horse
Precious Things
Strong Black Vine

Encore:
Raspberry Swirl
Juarez
Big Wheel

During Winter, the 6 foot tall man next to me and I both started tearing up and then crying. He was a lot louder than me with his sniffles, though. I was able to get myself back together during Starry Night, but once 1,000 Oceans hit, my neighbor basically just lost it… Tori is amazing :)