Muse!

I've never been to a concert quite like this before....it may be the closest I've ever come to a stereotypical "rock concert." And maybe this shows my naiveté in high school and how much of a good little molly mormon I was, living in my little bubble, only going to concerts that featured artists such as Bryce Nuebert and Afterglow. I was a fan of KISN 97 and their top 40, certainly. But it wasn't until my senior year that I was introduced to and started buying tapes (yes, cassette tapes....this was just before CD's burst onto the scene) of such groups as Depeche Mode, OMD, Alphaville, Information Society, U2, and the like.

Bryan and I attended an Alphaville concert in 1999 at the state fairgrounds....the only U.S. venue Alphaville was playing because SLC just happened to sell the most albums back in Alphaville's heyday. (Side note: Alphaville's "Forever Young" was mine and Bryan's "song" when we were dating. There is still and always will be a special place in my heart for that song....) We also went to the Depeche Mode concert when they toured back in 2009. They had just released a new album. But when it boils down to it, Depeche Mode is an 80's band. So the arena was filled with 30-somethings head bopping and dancing to oldies but goodies....very few teens in sight.

I've been to multiple concerts for Josh Groban and Michael Buble....I even hit a Garth Brooks concert way back when he was "entertainer of the year." (A short-lived country music phase.) But mostly the concerts I attend are a little more "cultural" in nature...music that is more at home in concert halls rather than arenas.

That doesn't mean I'm not a fan. I may be a drooling Josh Groban junkie, and giddy when I get to see Broadway star Audra McDonald perform live....but my musical tastes are varied. Some of my very favorites....Coldplay, Blue October, Secondhand Serenade, Muse. We're fans also of Katy Perry, Sara Bareilles, Regina Spektor and Adele at our house...just to name a few.

But Muse. Muse is a current alternative band from England. They're in the midst of a huge worldwide tour and when I heard they were coming to Salt Lake City, I queried on facebook as to whether or not I should go. Bryan not being much of a Muse fan, I really had no one to go with. But then my friend Joelle saw my post and said she'd more than happily join me if I decided to buy tix. Clearly that is what we decided to do and excitedly joined the throngs of concert goers a couple of weeks ago.

And wow. I mean really. WOW!

Cage the Elephant opened for Muse. The name sounded vaguely familiar, as did one of their songs. They were harder rock. But I found them entertaining mostly on the sole basis of watching their front man and his quirky dance moves. He even crowd surfed.

Finally about 9:00 Muse took the stage. And blew me away. Muse is known for their phenomenal concerts but I wasn't sure what to expect. A laser light show, projections on a pyramid of screens, Matthew Bellamy playing grand piano like a prodigy....I mean, seriously. The beat pounding so loud and hard that it felt like it was inside of me. A treat for the senses. And after taking it all in and taking it all in and taking it all in, finally I let myself go.....put my hands up in the air, closed my eyes and just let it wash over me.

Which maybe sounds melodramatic. But it was what it was. And what it was was a-ma-zing.
(I wish my iPhone took better pictures. I am patiently awaiting my new iPhone 5s which supposedly has a better camera. Here's hoping....)

In true Sarah fashion, my next concert-going experience will be Josh Groban next week. And Michael Buble next month. But darn if I'm not supremely glad that I got to experience Muse!!