MUSE: DRONES WORLD TOUR

Muse turned Barclays Center into a police state Thursday night… and in a good way. Soldiers straight out of “Call of Duty” and armed with blue LED glasses marched in to “secure” the premises before Muse took the stage. As the lights fell, large circular drones began dropping from the ceiling to announce the Drones World Tour. And then all hell broke loose.

Muse

The English trio led with the antiwar ballad “Psycho.” The manic strobes and aggressive playing by drummer, Dominic Howard, augmented Matt Bellamy’s demanding vocals that asked “Are you a human drone? Are you a killing machine?” The political commentary and theme of government oppression continued throughout the set.

Muse

Large opaque screens dropped from the ceiling and projections of women and androgynous androids filled the arena. President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 speech warning that the world is being threatened by “a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy” where “dissenters are silenced, not praised” set the stage for the riff-heavy “Reapers.” Though JFK was alluding to communism in his speech, Muse’s warning was clear: We are the drones. Well, message received.

Muse

The visually stunning production was matched by the band’s performance. Bellamy and bassist, Chris Wolstenholme, went mic to mic on the 360-degree, winged stage catering to the enthralled crowd. Muse vacillated between an eerie and almost ghostly presence to the drill sergeant who just punched you in the chest. The crowd gave just as much back, chanting the lyrics to old favorites, “Madness,” “Starlight” and “Uprising.”

Muse

Muse’s performance was equally haunting and remarkable. They reminded us that “we can revolt” and with the drop of a figurative grenade and a flash of confetti, they were out.