Muse, US Airways Center, 3/16/13

English rockers Muse paid a visit to the valley last night at US Airways Center in support of their latest release The 2nd Law. Muse is considered by many to be the greatest live act in the world and seeing them for the first time is quite a spectacle, as it was last night. In reality, while the band is one of the most important alt-rock bands touring today, it almost seemed like they knew it last night and played it safe. It's hard to knock a band who played absolutely flawless, but the fire inside Matt Bellamy didn't seem to be there.

Muse was at it's best last night when it traveled back into their back catalog and annihilated "New Born" from their second record Origin of Symmetry. The Nirvana meets Radiohead version of Muse that fans fell in love with still out shines the Queen meets Muse horse they have been beating for the past few albums.

"Knights of Cydonia" sounded huge and filled the arena and fans ate the anthem up and sang along to every word. It's almost like the track has set the tone for every record since Black Holes and Revelations and everything you hear from Muse is over-dramatic. Instead studying Thom Yorke, Bellamy still hasn't kicked the Freddy Mercury itch he's been scratching for the past five years.

Photos by Jim Louvau