by Ivana Markotic
Photos by Cathy Sliwka

Muse and Silversun Pickups 2-for-1 deal at the A.C.C. March 8th. Two great live bands, one venue! Except, I got jibbed; the problem being the early start time and a ticket that said “7pm”—obviously when doors open, right? Wrong. Instead, that was the start time of the opening act. Therefore, your reporter extraordinaire missed Silversun Pickups, but made it just in time to get her amusement.

Three pillars stand covered by a thin curtain. As the curtains fall from the pillars revealing each member, “Uprising” explodes in sound. The latest hits were saved for the introduction, as Muse played “Resistance” second.

The three-piece band from England released their fifth album, The Resistance, in 2009 and found a comfortable audience of Canadians who shrieked in recognition at the opening cords of every song. You would think this was Wembley Stadium in London, not the Air Canada Centre.

As the band made their way down to the regular stage, the whirling cords of “Hysteria” and Matt Bellamy’s impressive vocals made many skeptical about whether it was live. Rest assured it was live and phenomenal; Muse is known for always singing live, once switching instruments and making a joke of their performance on an Italian TV show that wouldn’t let them perform live.

The hit from their second album, “Feeling Good” was followed by a striking drum solo on the centre pillar that kept elevating in anticipation for the song “Undisclosed Desires.”

“Starlight” seemed to have the most recognition as fans frantically sang the lyrics ‘Our hopes and expectations/ Black holes and revelations’ over Muse’s instrumentals. Along with the impressive light show and stage set-up, large balloons that looked like eyeballs were released into the crowd to go with the album’s theme of George Orwell’s 1984.

“Time is Running Out” was set towards the end of the show to tease the crowd for the epic encore. The riffs forcefully explode into “Stockholm Syndrome” in the encore then mellow down with a harmonica that turns into an anthem with “Knights of Cydonia.”

Vocally impressive, visually spectacular, I was easily amused.