U2 360 Tour - Part 1

I'm going to split this into two parts since this show was just too huge to explain in one single post. First, I'll start with U2's opening act, Muse, and then get to U2 later.

Of all the opening acts I've seen (and I've seen a lot), there's no doubt that Muse was the best. It was weird seeing them opening for another band, since they are usually the ones doing the headlining. It was a shame, since they only had time for about 8 songs (or about 45 minutes). I would have loved to see them play more (and play some other songs) but I'm completely happy with what I got, especially since this was the first time I got to see them play live.

Muse came on stage to the sound of Serge Prokofiev's "Dance of the Knights" and launched into "Uprising" from their new album, "The Resistance". The set covered only three of their five albums, which was kind of a letdown, but still understandable; Muse has just finally started to gain popularity on a grand scale here in America, so they wanted to play the songs most people would know. But for a die-hard fan like me, I would have liked to have heard "Plug in Baby" or "Knights of Cydonia". But I can't complain. Muse took the small amount of time they had and did everything they could to make it spectacular. They used the incredible setup that U2 had (which included a huge LED screen) to their advantage, making their set seem more than a supporting act. Songs like "Hysteria" and "Starlight" are tailor-made for stadiums, and sounded even better live than they do on disc. So in conclusion, Muse lived up to the hype as a live act, even though they didn't play a whole set. I hear they'll be on a huge tour in America next year, so I'll definitely be there.

Muse's Setlist:

Uprising

Map of the Problematique

Supermassive Black Hole

Interlude

Hysteria

Undisclosed Desires

Unnatural Selection

Starlight

Time is Running Out