If you don't count the ill-fated 2017 Lollapalooza headlining gig, which was cancelled after 3 songs for a little rain, Friday, April 12, 2019 was my 13th Muse show. It was also the last show in the US leg of the Simulation Theory Tour, so we were kind of hoping for something extra special. We got it, in a quite unexpected way... but once again it was our fellow Musers who really made it happen.
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| Muse, with double extra Matt on the screen |
My last post here told how I got stuck with a VIP ticket, I kept any eye out for the possibility of selling it and getting a normal GA ticket, but after the VIP early entry got messed up for the first few shows on the tour, that ticket was not looking real attractive to buyers. So I figured I was keeping it and hoped I could save at least one spot for someone else. However, I didn't know how I'd pull off even keeping a spot for myself if I didn't know anyone in the VIP queue. Mary solved that one for me by providing an online introduction to Jose, barrier runner supreme! He also had a 2nd tier VIP ticket for Chicago.
The next hurdle was weather! In April? Yep, another April blizzard was bearing down on Minnesota just before my train was supposed to leave. Part of the reason for booking the train again was not having to sweat the weather & traffic, but Winter Storm Wesley looked bad enough that it could delay or cancel the train. So I quickly checked to see if I could leave a day early, yes I could, though not as convenient for my sister as she could not pick me up at the station that afternoon.
I think a few other people had the same idea because the train was packed. I had some free "entertainment" from a bizarre F bomb riddled phone convo across the aisle, and even more bizarre stories from my seat mate, who had supposedly died 3 times and come back, part of the time with a new identity he claimed! He did not look well, so I hope he made it out east to see his grandchildren.
The train pulled in on time, to drizzly, but much better than Minnesota weather.
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| Chicago skyline from the train window |
I quickly found the bus I needed to get to Diane's place, and chuckled at how much more honking goes on in the streets of Chicago than in the Twin Cities. The staff at her building had a key waiting, and then I had a few hours to myself to re-hydrate and catch up on social media ( the Empire Builder train still doesn't have wifi) . Her boyfriend was supposed to get home first, so I thought it would be nice if I got some beer. It was still light out and lots of liquor stores within walking distance, but closest of all was an "upscale 7/11" ! Very upscale- nice produce and deli stuff, plus the usual things in a convenience store, but most of all, an incredible alcohol selection for such a small space! By the time Diane and Peter both got in, we only had time for a bit of TV political comedy and then bed.
So , next was a whole day I had not planned to have free. Diane took me to a new place for lunch, Fatpour Tap Works, it turned out to be aptly named! The drink selection was fine, but it was the food that was oversized, this sandwich had 4 pieces of grilled bread, with stuff in between all layers, so it was like a burger and grilled cheese at the same time with a ton of toppings. I barely made it through half. Diane wisely got a salad, which was also big enough that she needed a box for the leftovers.
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| burger, beer, fries and salad at Fatpour Tap Works |
Then I tried to make progress in the book I was reading, "Democracy In Chains" and ended up nodding off for most of the afternoon. The book is plenty engaging, I was just that stuffed. Meanwhile, Diane was prepping sous vide flank steak and chicken wings, to be finished on the grill. Though it was snowing hard in Minnesota, it was quite spring-like in Chicago. Luckily I woke up in time for the news, first relayed by Laura (a French friend I have yet to meet) that the Jaded Hearts Club Band might be coming to Chicago this weekend!! This band is Matt Bellamy's side project, a bunch of musician friends had gotten together to do Beatles covers for a birthday party, and had so much fun they kept doing it and occasionally playing proper gigs. Chatting among fans revealed that other members of the Jaded Hearts were indeed on their way to Chicago, and for a while we did not know exactly where or when, but someone finally turned up the info- they would play Friday night after the Muse gig at the HVAC Pub, a small bar near Wrigley Field. Excitement was growing, could we get tickets? They were $50, but most of us Midwestern Musers never dreamed we'd have a chance to see them and considered it well worth it. Yes! there were advance sales! Big thanks to Jae for printing my ticket out since my sister had no functioning printer.
With a VIP ticket, I got to sleep in a little since I did not need to be at the venue until 3:30 at the earliest. I had hoped to visit the regular GA queue with snacks, but they didn't have to queue all day either. The United Center finally got wise to the numbered wristband idea, so people came as early as they could, got their number, and went off to relax elsewhere, or in Mandy's case, go to work! I showed up at 3, hoping to find someone, and quite accidentally ended up inside by going into the Bulls' team store and asking where my entry gate was. This gate used to open to the outside, but is now enclosed with the Michael Jordan statue in the center of the area. Not many people were around, but I did run into a few of the Muse dancers!
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| Muse Dancers |
Jose arrived soon after this. I went back outside for a while to join him and we hoped to see some other Musers we knew, but they had not come back yet. So we went in, checked in for our poster and lunchbox gifts and started the tier 2 VIP queue. Only one couple was ahead of us, so I am still glad I showed up early. We had nearly 2 hours to kill, so we got to know the people near us in our much smaller queue. Contrary to what many hardcore Musers feared, they were mostly enthusiastic fans, too, if not long term ones. Jose and I held our spots for bathroom and merch buying breaks; I have to say it was nice to be that close to a bathroom! I was still waffling on what spot to go for on the barrier. Jose liked the end of the B stage. Others had told me it was easier to see everything from the catwalk sides, and others liked being by the main stage though that barrier was set back farther. I think it was Maria's photos of "full frontal Matt" that she took from the B stage barrier at an earlier show that convinced me 😁 I had told Mandy I would attempt to save her a spot, so I let her know I was going to that place first, but if it was too high and I could not see, I would move to the catwalk. After a lot of being herded around and waiting in a couple more spots, they finally let us on the floor! Jose and I easily got center end of the B stage, a great spot. I felt I was tall enough to see , so I spread out and stayed there!
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| Jose and I snag the B stage spots |
Mandy went for the catwalk with some of my other Muse friends though, so I un-spread and let a short girl behind me get to the front. After what seemed like forever, but was probably only 90 min, Walk the Moon took the stage. I had heard them often enough on local radio to know about half their songs.
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| Walk the Moon |
They are quite good live, a real rock band with energy and stage presence, and excellent musicianship. During the break, Jose got ready for Muse!
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| Jose in Moonglasses |
At last, we heard the opening notes of Algorithm and saw the Muse Dancers! Then Matt rising up from under the stage right in front of us. His Power Glove is part of the light show.
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| Break It To Me, one of my favs on the new album |
The dancers were back for Propaganda, which has a bit of Prince influence, but my eyes and camera tended to stay on Matt.
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| Propaganda includes an acoustic slide solo |
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Most likely during Plug In Baby
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I sometimes put the phone down, so I have no photos during Pray, Matt's new song for The Game of Thrones soundtrack. He was back in a jacket for The Dark Side, think he must have used 4 different ones!
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| a more basic leather look |
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blurry, but I love the slight smile
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Matt has been doing a guitar solo with his tongue during Supermassive Black Hole lately, 😈 This happened on the main stage, and was shown on the big screen, this is someone else's video.
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| Thought Contagion |
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| "You've been bitten by someone who's hungrier than you" |
Not the best photo of Chris during Hysteria, but I kept if for having a good view of Dom's Bulls jersey on the screen. The United Center gave the band Bulls & Black Hawks jerseys.
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| Chris in lights, Dom on screen |
Dig Down , the gospel version, was a quieter moment, where I could capture all 3 of our boys, though we were singing the choral parts.
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| Dig Down, gospel version |
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with extra Dom!
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Some of us knew what to expect during the next song, Mercy. Matt comes off stage to greet people along the barrier, and we get blasted with confetti and streamers. I didn't get to touch him this time 😞 but I did get this rather amazing shot. I am not sure how it managed to be in focus!
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Mercy!
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The confetti was glow in the dark multi-colours this time!
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Matt in a blizzard of confetti
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In this production there is no real encore break, the last part kicks off with the original version of Algorithm including Matt on piano, then the Metal Medley. Jose got a much better photo of Algorithm, showing Matt's LED jacket.
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| photo by Jose Fernando Ochoa Coello |
Then Murph the giant inflatable robot appears! No picture does him justice, he looks much more awesome in person!
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| Murph |
Murph tries to grab Matt throughout the Metal Medley, especially during the Handler, but Matt either evades him or attacks with his guitar.
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| a safe distance from Murph |
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| possibly during Newborn |
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Reapers fingers!
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Man with a Harmonica is still the beginning of the finale with Chris looking heavenly.
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| Chris in the vapor |
One last epic song to rock out to, Knights of Cydonia.
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| Knights of Cydonia |
They came down to the B stage to toss out picks and drumsticks, and Jose got a drumstick! For those who haven't been following this tour, here's the set list, it has been the same at all the American shows.
Mandy quickly made her way over, we had another show to get to! But Jose got separated, I think he may have had a faster trip grabbing an Uber anyway. We had to catch a train to get to Mandy's car, and since she lives near the 2nd venue , it only made sense to take it there.
I don't think I had fully processed that I was actually going to see Matt Bellamy in a tiny dive bar. It truly was, complete with liquid of unknown origin on the bathroom floor and servers having to shove past you. It was super packed in the HVAC Pub, but Mandy wiggled us close to the front of the stage, and Jose was already there, phew! One of the servers miraculously managed to bring me a club soda, I was so impressed I gave her $10 for it! Not long after we got in place, the Jaded Hearts began with I Saw Her Standing There. Matt stayed mostly behind Ilan Rubin, between that and the crowding, my photos are very poor, but I could see he was having a great time playing bass and not being the frontman. Chris joined them to play guitar on She Loves You, and Dom was watching this time- he has stepped in on drums before.
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| Matt Bellamy with the Jaded Hearts Club Band |
Someone up front got a much better photo. Good thing, because I had given up and was singing along and dancing my ass off!
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| Matt, possibly looking up at Dom? |
We got 11 songs, not bad for an aftershow! Muse Historical Society has them all on
YouTube. Some free drinks were being passed around as we made our way out, so I downed a celebratory Jameson's, but booze was quite unnecessary, we were all on cloud 9 as you can see here!
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| Beth, Jae & me after the Jaded Hearts |
There was some slight hope of meeting the band by the back door, so a small crowd gathered there, but most of us knew we needed food and water at this point. I decided to head back to my sister's for that, but would hang out by the door until my Lyft arrived. It only took 2 minutes! So I had to say good byes fast, and was soon headed south with a friendly yet professional driver, a foreign student at one of the local colleges. I heard later the band finally came out at 4 am, and only a couple fans had stayed that long!
I chugged 3 large glasses of water, nibbled on leftovers and had a first look at my photos before going to bed. I'd forgotten my real camera, but the phone did OK.
Recovery day at my sister's included another quick trip to Fatpour, just for drinks this time, and we grabbed our Pizano's pizza on the way back, real Chicago deep dish- Diane does know how to send me off right! The next day it started snowing in Chicago, not a blizzard, but kind of annoying, and a factor keeping Peter from getting the car back in time, so I got to Uber to the train station. My trip back was quiet & calm and I finished "Democracy In Chains". My tour poster is on the wall, and my lunchbox is just the right size for my hair scrunchies. Post Muse Syndrome has not set in yet, but I don't know when I'll see them again. Will there be fall shows in Denver or maybe even Minneapolis? Or will it be Chicago again when I see them next?
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| Lake Michigan from my sister's high rise |
it was indeed Chicago where I saw them next, with a whole pandemic in between! I got lucky again getting a ticket to the Riviera in October 2022, and then Muse actually returned to Minneapolis in February 2023. It had been 10 years!
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