Muse & Cold War Kids - Patriot Center (8/9/07)

Metro D pretty much hit the nail on the head. What a concert!

Yesterday was an eventful day and the concert almost didn't happen for me. At about 10am, a water pipe in the office busted, creating a Niagara Falls-like atmosphere for almost 30 minutes. Since the pipe was part of the HVAC system, the A/C had to be shut off. And for a man who sweats a lot (me), that is something I never like to hear - especially when the DC-area is in the middle of a 100+ degree heat wave. My overactive sweat glands were given a reprieve though, as we were allowed to leave early.

Fast forward to the evening. I had a nice little night planned. I was going to take off for the concert a little early and stop at a used-CD shop on the way (I had already purchased a few CDs in my mind). I also wanted to make sure that I arrived at the Patriot Center in plenty of time since I didn't have a ticket and wanted to see the Cold War Kids open. Unfortunately when I headed to my car to begin my journey, it wasn't where I had left it earlier that afternoon - illegally parked in an apartment complex parking lot. After scrambling for a few minutes I found out my ride was towed but luckily, the impound lot was only a few blocks away. Dropped a Benjamin to get my car back and off I went - only a 1/2 hour behind schedule, but no time for the CD store. Traffic wasn't bad and I arrived at the Patriot Center a little lighter in the wallet, but in plenty of time for the concert.

I had visions acquiring a ticket for below face value from a desperate last-minute seller, but it was not meant to be. Instead, I picked up a surprisingly good seat from the box office (saving the $9 Ticketbastard fee) and headed to my seat just before the CWKs took the stage.

The CWKs were good, but I think the venue might have been a bit too big for them. I'd love to see these guys at the 9:30 Club or Black Cat - I think that would be a perfect size for them. They tested out quite a few new songs that sounded pretty good and played their f-ing hearts out for about an hour... you can't ask too much more from a band.

Then came Muse. To say it was a concert would be an understatement. It was more like an experience. Light shows, smoke, balloons filled with confetti, large video screens and a huge sound. I think the only thing the show lacked was pyro/fireworks (and that was probably because the Patriot Center didn't allow it). There are some bands that use all of the extra visual "stuff" to take your attention away from something - most of the time it's a low-energy performance where the band just stands around (i.e. the Cure and Tool). Muse does it to enhance their concert - there is no lack of energy in these guys. They came to rock and they did a damn good job of it for almost 2 hours.