Every January I feel extremely excited because that is the glorious moment when I start getting press releases about up-coming shows, or I get reminders about shows for which tickets went on sale months before, and are coming up.
My very first concert of 2013 was none other than Muse (one of my favorite bands in the history of blissful music.) The band was kicking of their The 2nd Law World Tour, and one of the Northern California shows was at the Oracle Arena in my hometown of Oakland.
I attended the show as a fan, I didn’t have to tweet about it, or take pictures. I was just there to enjoy the incredible show that Muse puts on every time they are on stage (the last time that I saw them was back in 2010 when they played at Coachella.)
If you have never seen them live, oh my! You are missing out! There is something extraordinary that happens when they go on stage. Take for instance the show in Oakland – Muse opened up the show with Matt Bellamy and a kick-ass instrumental rendition of the Star Spangled Banner (what band does that? MUSE! They do!)
The whole night was magical, colorful and musically mesmerizing – the way the stage was utilized, the lights, the screens, and how the band engaged with the fans. My only itty bitty complaint, they kept saying “San Francisco”, when the show took place in Oakland. While I understand that they are doing a world tour, and they are tired from playing numerous shows back to back. I think that the city where the show is taking place deserves respect and recognition.
In all, the show did not disappoint! The guys played songs from pretty much ALL of their albums, here are some of the songs that were part of the repertoire for the night:
Origin Of Symmetry: “New Born”
Absolution: “Hysteria”, “Our Time Is Running Out”
Black Holes And Revelations: “Supermassive Blackhole”, “Starlight”, “Knights Of Cydonia”
The Resistance: “Uprising”, “Resistance”, “Undisclosed Desires”
The 2nd Law: “Madness”, “Follow Me”, “Panic Station”, “Unsustainable”, “Supremacy”
Photos Courtesy: Placebo1988
Fresh off a five award win at the Latin Billboard Awards, Maná brought their "Drama Y Luz" tour to the Oakland Arena. A sold-out crowd enjoyed the concert which lasted a little over than two hours.
I am one of those music lovers who have enjoyed Maná’s music for years now. I have never seen them live, so I was beyond excited to be able to attend their show and check out what the tour would be all about.
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| Photo: Claudia Guzman |
Maná has had a long-lasting career, which many bands only dream of. The guys have been together for over twenty years now and show no sign of slowing down – with 11 albums under their belt (and an additional 2 under their former name of Sombreros Verdes), Maná are currently touring with the latest addition to their discography "Drama Y Luz".
Fher, Alex, Juan and Sergio brought down the Oakland Arena, the people in attendance waited outside to catch a glimpse of the band when their tour bus arrived and once the concert started, everyone and I mean everyone was brought to their feet to sing along every single song. The crowd was so diverse, from the older fans who have followed Maná’s career from early on, to young kids wearing the band’s shirts.
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| Photo: Claudia Guzman |
The setlist for the night did not disappoint, the band sang some of their classics (they opened the show with the song Oye Mi Amor), while also performing a few of the songs from their latest release Drama Y Luz like Lluvia Al Corazon & El Dragon. There was a memorable moment during the show, like when Fher addressed the audience and told them about the passing of his mom and how he wrote a song for her called Vuela Libre Paloma.
Another highlight from the show was when Alex did a drum solo, it was out of this world (the only other two times I have been “wow” by drummers were with Travis Barker from Blink-182 and Mike Dirnt from Green Day.) Alex has the nickname of El Animal, and it could not be more appropriate, he was terrific on the drums.
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| Photo: Claudia Guzman |
After Alex’s solo, the band appeared in the middle of the arena to perform some of the songs in a more intimate ambiance- they even serenaded a lucky fan who was brought up on stage with them. At the end, the lucky fan walked away not before a mini make-out session with Fher.
During the concert, the guys also advocated for all of those in attendance to please register to vote. Voto Latino has been traveling to every tour stop and have set up registration tables to make sure that those who have not, take advantage and do it while at the concert. Fher talked about how the band is against the racist laws that have passed in recent months in several states. Fher emphasized the urgency to make sure everyone votes when it comes to election time in November.
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| Photo: Claudia Guzman |
The final song to close out the show was a favorite of mine, Labios Compartidos, some of the other songs that were part of the setlist were: De Pies A Cabeza, Mariposa Traicionera, El Muelle De San Blas, Bendita Tu Luz, Clavado En Un Rio, Latinoamerica, among many more.
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| Photo: Claudia Guzman |
If you missed the concert at the Oakland Arena, do not fret! Maná is scheduled to come back to the Bay in September, tickets will go on sale soon – check out the band’s website for more info.
Credits: Rogers & Cowan
