Photos and Review by Jeff Palmucci
Muse photos HERE
X Ambassador photos HERE
OK, I’m typing up this story and looking at the title line above. Muse and the X Ambassadors at the TD Garden. Holy Crap! The Garden! I’ve photographed at almost every other venue in the Boston (and extended) area. I’ve shot small intimate clubs like the Jewel and the Middle East and larger venues like the House of Blues, XFinity, DCU and Dunkin Donuts. The Garden is on another level.
It’s not just because of the size. The cost and scale of the productions are also much bigger. Muse had an incredible set up based around a circular center stage with two side stages. That left room for a huge general admission area along two sides. IMHO, general admission is the only way to go when seeing a rock show. Seats just get in the way. Given the bands, there was no moshing or crowd surfing. Still it’s fun to be able to look around and see everyone enjoying the show, rather than just your prescribed neighbors.
Muse’s set started with these strange floating globes doing a choreographed dance in the air, while pointing spots down to illuminate the crowd. Looking down from the box reserved for photographers, I had no idea how these things were doing these maneuvers. It wasn’t till later, after I took my seat in the crowd, that one flew close enough for me to get a look. Maybe in reference to the most recent album, they were basically custom drones with little propellers spaced around the equators. The precision and coordination of these things made the show opening pretty creepy, especially with the Revolt stormtroopers hanging out around the stage.
The drones, however, were just a small part of the overall production. Translucent screens dropped from the ceiling at times on which videos and special effects were projected to give a hologram like feel. The stage itself had tons of LED lights that went off in intricate patterns. LCD projector spots augmented the regular lighting with intricate on stage patterns. And, of course, there were the confetti / streamer cannons. It was all pretty cool.
On top of all this, you get a ton of great music. Six of the 20 song set was off the new album Drones, including Mercy, Dead Inside, and Psycho. Bellamy lead the crowd in a singalong during Starlight.
Openers X Ambassadors also put on a great show, albeit with less visual effects. Unfortunately, I was only able to see the first three songs because of a snafu at the ticket window. That meant I missed Renegades. Fortunately, I’ll be able to hear it anytime I get in the car with my wife while she is driving the stereo. Frequently. She’s a huge fan. She wanted an X Ambassadors hat, so I picked one up for her. It’s a black cap with a huge XA stitched into the front.. in exactly the same color as the hat. This makes it very understated (illegible?) until you get close enough to see the stitching. Then it shouts at you.
I had an incredible time shooting these two bands at this huge venue. Next up, Fenway.
Muse and the X Ambassadors at the TD Garden – Boston, MA
