Concert review: INVINCIBLE: Muse w/ Bloc Party & The Temper Trap| 07.05.26, Hollywood Casino Amphitheater (with photo gallery)

Photo of Muse’s Matt Bellamy by Jen Ruff

How I’ve waited 23 years of being a Muse fan to see them live is just beyond me. After a small lightning delay, it all really began…

FOLLOW THROUGH, MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE. DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT, YOU’LL BE ALRIGHT. ‘CAUSE THERE’S NO ONE LIKE YOU IN THE UNIVERSE.

I’m not a doom and gloom human, but it’s overwhelmingly heavy these days. In times of my life, I’ve noticed periods of unrest in this way but not to the extent of the current worldly climate. Music, though, will be this escape for those of us who have these saviors of sound, and this night would become my second favorite show ever out of thousands. Muse starts with “Interlude,” “Hysteria,” and “Cryogen,” a new song from the flawless new album that brought this tour, The Wow! Signal. Visually, the night would keep elevating, the kind of top-notch production you’d expect from a band this massive. Sonically, it couldn’t be matched, and it’d be impossible to even come up with a best moment.

DON’T BE AFRAID, OF WHAT YOUR MIND CONCEIVES. YOU SHOULD MAKE A STAND, STAND UP FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE.

Drummer Dominic Howard would have a regular solo that went into a more synth-heavy part of the catalog, his solo turning EDM-esque complete with rave lighting. With this shift we got “Nightshift Superstar,” “The 2nd Law: Isolated System,” and “Undisclosed Desires.” Lead singer/guitarist Matt Bellamy wore a multi-lit jacket that was almost timed to music and some shades that were out of this world, or any other.

DURING THE STRUGGLE THEY WILL PULL US DOWN, BUT PLEASE, PLEASE LET’S USE THIS CHANCE TO TURN THINGS AROUND.

Bassist Chris Wolstenholme would play Ennio Morricone’s “Man With a Harmonica” intro to the Guitar Hero MASTER hit song “Knights of Cydonia” where the whole band showed their entire worth. The song is easily one of this generation of rock music’s elite songs that will stand beyond any test of time. A few minutes of speech and screen of JFK opened up for “Uprising.” I won’t be political, but I will say it made you feel something for the country you’re from and how you want it to be better than whatever it is.

DO IT ON YOUR OWN, IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE TO ME. WHAT YOU LEAVE BEHIND. WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO BE. AND WHATEVER THEY SAY. YOUR SOUL’S UNBREAKABLE.

Dabbled in there was their most popular song from the Twilight soundtrack, “Supermassive Black Hole.” Toward the end we’d get to “Starlight,” we’d get “Map of the Problematique” somewhere in there, the chills that comes with “Madness.” They really selected their greatest catalog for this tour, bar none.

Just when we thought they had no more to go, the house lights wouldn’t go on. A red and black outro with their chilling “Take A Bow” was just too much as anyone heading for the gates seemed to run back. I will use this night when life wants to take my joy. That’s the power of music, the power of iconic music, the power of MUSE on one of the greatest nights of my whole life.

AND TONIGHT WE CAN TRULY SAY – TOGETHER WE’RE INVINCIBLE.

The two openers were both new to me, and each played for about 30 minutes. The Temper Trap played first but honestly could’ve been direct support. They definitely had a rock stadium sound and the guitar riffs to do so. The band, who are from Australia but now post up in London, filled their set with songs like “Love Lost,” “Lucky Dimes,” “Into the Wild,” and their two closers (“Sweet Disposition” and “Giving Up Air”) each could slay dragons. Bloc Party’s ten-song, 30-minute set featured “Coming on Strong,” “Mercury,” and (my favorite of the set) “Hunting for Witches.” | Diane Ruff