Month: September 2017

By: Brittany Demott & Meghan Johnson  

It seems there’s a lot of tension right now in this country.  When that happens we all look for a place to go where we can find peace of mind even if for a couple hours.  Some go to church, some go to the gym, and some just take a nap. We chose to go see Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley at The Depot.  

The minute we walked in we could see the vibe was relaxed and easy.  Just like you’d expect a Reggae concert to be. The crowd was so fun.  Everyone was having a great time. It was a great feeling to see everyone getting along and singing along together.  Security was so nice and friendly at The Depot.  They stayed pretty relaxed throughout the show and let the crowd enjoy the concert.  This wasn’t really the type of show where people got too crazy so security had an easy night.  

We loved Damian’s band.  They really set the tone for the show. They sounded great!  The beautiful backup singers had amazing moves and their voices blended perfectly with Damian’s.  There was one guy on stage whose sole responsibility was to wave a Rastafarian flag.  And that is just what he did.  For the entire show!  He waved that flag back and for almost 2 hours! We were so impressed.  We thought that he’d maybe just wave it for the first song, or maybe the first few.  But nope.  He was up there all night.  It was great.  The band as a whole just seemed like they loved what they were doing and loved being up on that stage. 

Damian sounded great and seemed to be really enjoying himself as well.  He has dreadlocks that fall all the way to his ankles. Watching those is a show in itself.  He played the best songs from his catalog including “Medication”. Damian also educated us on the benefits of legalized Marijuana.  We found it very informative.  

The highlight for us was when he sang some of his father Bob Marley’s hits.  He sang “War”, “Exodus”, and our favorite of the three “Is This Love”.  When Damian Sang “Is This Love” it was almost as if we were seeing Bob Marley himself singing it. Damian sounded just like him.  It was incredible.  It bordered on being a spiritual experience for us.  The moment was that special for us and really the entire audience.  

 

 

Damian finished the show with his biggest hit “Welcome to Jamrock”.  The crowd went as crazy as they had all night and we all sang every word.  It was the perfect way to end such a beautiful night.  

With so many crazy things going on in the world right now it was so nice to spend a couple hours with Damian and his fans. The unity, fellowship, and one love in The Depot was exactly what we need it.  We recommend that everyone spend some time at a Reggae show.  

The summer is quickly transitioning to fall here in Utah.  But the temperature is still warm enough for just a few more outdoor concerts.  One of the final shows at USANA Amphitheater this season and one I had been eagerly anticipating since I bought tickets in the spring was Muse.   

Due to scheduling conflicts, I wasn’t able to see all of 30 Seconds to Mars set.  I saw the final few songs. From the little that I did see I was impressed.  The crowd was alive as if they were the headliners, and Jared Leto sounded better live than I had anticipated.  He’s also a really good front man.  He had the crowd singing along while inviting many to come on stage for the final song.  The constant thought while looking at him was, ‘This guy is an academy award winning actor, and he’s killing it on stage in a moo moo? Share some of the talent dude.’  

While the energy was high for 30 Seconds to Mars, it really did go up a notch when Muse walked onto the stage. They hadn’t made a tour stop in Utah since October, 013 so I think the crowd was happy to have them back. Truth be told it was that 2013 concert that inspired me to want to create this website back in 2013.   

Frontman and lead guitarist Matt Bellamy doesn’t say much in between songs.  He’ll say things like “How’s it going Salt Lake?”, or “Let me hear you Salt Lake!”.  But other than that, there isn’t much crowd work on his part. They play the songs, let the crowd go nuts for about 30 seconds, then get right back to playing.   

The thing I find most interesting about a Muse concert is that despite their lack of crowd interaction, it’s impossible to not be drawn into the show.  Yes, the lighting and special effects are great.  They always are at a Muse concert.  But it’s more than that.  It’s quite simply the music.  They have so many great songs.  Songs that are meant to be performed live, and in front of a large crowd. And from my vantage point, USANA Amphitheater was packed!  

Their music is a blend of so many music genres.  In one song I’m hearing indie rock, the next I’m hearing elements of funk and disco.  And of course, many of their songs feature strong elements of hard rock.  It fascinates me to watch a crowd go from a dance party to headbanging.  Sometimes within the same song!  I think that’s why there really is no need to interact too much with the audience.  Their music speaks for them.  

There was, however, a moment towards the end of the show when Muse mega-hit “Starlight” began.  I could hear Matt Bellamy singing, and I could tell it was the vocals were live.  But I couldn’t see him.  His face was on the screen and he appeared to be walking so I looked behind me and saw him walking at the back of the seated part of the venue where the seats end and the lawn begins.  As someone who has sat in the lawn many times, I was excited for those fans to get a closer look. Selfishly though, I was bummed to have the action so far away during one of Muse’s biggest songs.  So while I say that Matt didn’t say much, the music and his visit to the back of the venue made up for it.

The band closed the main set with “Mercy” off of their most recent album “Drones”.   They came back and sang two huge anthems “Uprising” and “Knights of Cydonia” to close the night.  I really like both of those songs and they are incredible live.  I remember after becoming a fan of Muse thinking ‘How are they going to top the album “Absolution” and the song “Hysteria?”’. And then I heard “Knights of Cydonia” on their follow-up album “Black Holes & Revelations” and I thought, ‘Touche Muse. Touche.”. So as I’m sure you can guess, I was so excited they closed with that song.  The place was on fire, and I was going nuts.  I looked to my left and there was this really pretty girl headbanging as if it were a Metallica concert.  It was awesome!

I’m sure it’s obvious, but it must be said that I’m a huge fan of Muse.  I used to like them, and then I saw them live back in 2013 and I appreciate them so much more. I think everyone needs to experience their live show. Their songs need to be heard in that setting.  I can’t wait to see them again. I just hope they come back sooner.  

Muse Setlist

Dig Down
Psycho
Interlude
Hysteria
Butterflies & Hurricanes
Plug in Baby
The 2nd Law: Isolated System
Stockholm Syndrome
Supermassive Black Hole
New Kind of Kick
Madness
Dead Inside
Take a Bow
Munich Jam
Starlight
Time is Running Out
Mercy

Encore
Uprising
Knights of Cydonia