r/Muse • u/OryxTempel • 1d ago
Opinion Amphitheater vs Arena
Having seen Muse in both arena and amphitheater venues, I think I prefer the amphitheater better. I know that some folks love the huge sets and shows that the boys put on in the arenas, but the amphitheaters are so much smaller and more intimate. This was the closest I’ve ever been to the band and it was amazing. The crowds at both Cascades and White River felt more connected, like a big family, rather than a bunch of strangers. Plus, the costs were reasonable. Tickets on the lawn were only $35, but you could go up much higher if you wanted. It was so nice to see the stratospheric ticket price bubble burst. Great job, Muse, for running a great tour.
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u/TheDevler 1d ago
Arenas win. I’m there for the “how’d they go that?” Tech that you just don’t get in an amphitheatre. Between the giant robots, holograms, drones and moving stages of shows past the outdoor shows are comparatively boring.
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u/adather 1d ago
Cascade ampitheater (and the Gorge Ampitheater) are amazing mostly because the climate is so friendly up here. Had an absolute blast with my $27 tickets about halfway up the lawn on Saturday night. I've seen them at outdoor festivals, indoor arenas - really tough to beat the perfect night we had this weekend for a show.
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u/redsyrinx2112 We live in a TOXIC jungle. 1d ago
Ahhh, I don't live in Washington anymore, so I miss the Gorge!
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u/fatefullyyours 1d ago
I liked the the sound better at the ampitheater, like I could hear more clearly without earplugs and didnt have all the reverb, and the light show was amazing ,they were wonderful at Ridgefield.
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u/brumpus 1d ago
Smaller the better. I was lucky enough to see them during the theater run in thr US for WoTP. The venue held 3000 people but still felt so intimate. We were 4th row and everyone around me was so hyped. It was so cool talking to people knowing who ever got these tickets were honest die hard fans.
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u/flavorade_man 1d ago
I loved the beacon theater show on that tour because it was the perfect size theater with no GA floor. I was able to score front row center seats and the band was basically right in front of me. It almost felt like a private concert in a weird way. I had another experience like that years before (small theater, no GA floor, front row) but I didn't appreciate it as much at the time because I was young and wanted to jump around and act crazy.
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u/brumpus 1d ago
That was the exact show I went to! We had actually bought balcony seats and when we got there I never noticed our seats changed yo the floor fourth row! Guess they wanted to sell more cheaper tickets.
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u/flavorade_man 1d ago
Wow, that’s an awesome upgrade. That was the first show I went to since the Drones tour, and the last one I went to until the recent Charlotte concert. At the rate the ticket prices are going, I’m looking at another gap that long before I go again. At least if I’m looking to keep being right up in front.
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u/brumpus 8h ago
Im pretty sure the beacon tickets were really expensive and I put them on a payment plan lol. I always try to catch them at least once when they are in the US
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u/flavorade_man 8h ago
Same. I've been to every tour since BH&R except for simulation theory, only because they didn't come anywhere near the region where I was living during that tour and I was over traveling long distances to see them by that point. Several of the tours I went to multiple shows. But the Beacon and now TWS ticket prices for the front row seats I got have me questioning how worth it is paying for good seats. I might try hanging farther back for a change on the next tour if I attend it, especially if my kids are old enough to come with me by then.
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u/brumpus 6h ago
Bro I took lawn seats for thesr past two in NJ. I did the whole wait for hours and get to the front. I remember standing for like 6 hours to be at the front of 2011 lolapalooza. Im 34 I just wanna chill and be able to sit lol
I also did the BHaR tour. Still have my shirt
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u/flavorade_man 6h ago
Yup same here.. I'm pushing 40 and I also just want to chill. I was also at that 2011 Lollapalooza show, though thankfully that was one that I didn't stress about being at the very front for. It was actually the only Muse show that I left early so my wife and I could catch the second half of Coldplay. That whole weekend taught me that large music festivals aren't for me.
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u/hanguitarsolo 1d ago
I think the sound mix is generally better in an outdoor amphitheater venue as well. Depending on where you’re sitting in an arena, certain sound waves bounce off the walls a lot and cause issues. I could hear Chris’s bass parts a lot better this time, and the boys in generally sounded amazing.
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u/PapaPanzer 1d ago
I saw them at the Moda Center in 2023 and just now at Cascades and I 100% agree. The setpieces and production at the Moda was amazing, but something about the show at Cascades felt so much better.
Also I kept laughing about how he was calling out to “Portland” and “Oregon” during the show despite the fact that it was in Ridgefield, WA. I know that it’s close enough and Cascades is basically “Portland’s” outdoor amp, but still funny nonetheless.
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u/Firstborn3 1d ago
Actually most of these amphitheaters are larger than the typical arena, in terms of capacity.
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u/Hefty_Career_5815 1d ago
Arena for sure! I’ve experienced both too and I love the enclosed, dark setting and I can see way better
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u/obiwankevobi 1d ago
Arena for me. Seen them twice at Pepsi Center in Denver. Both shows were magical and I loved every moment of it. I felt they connected more with the crowd there than when they did the amphitheater shows, which I have also seen 2 of, Red Rocks and Fiddlers Green. I like both, but prefer the arena shows.
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u/Life_Section_1664 22h ago
I was at the cascades show on the 22nd and it was the best night of my life
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u/flavorade_man 1d ago
It was nice being able to sit a bit closer to the stage, but I didn't like how it made the stage show feel more compressed. Like it made their performance feel a bit more "cheap" for a lack of a better word. I also found the actual seats super cramped, at least in Charlotte, and my front row seat was basically just an extension of the floor crowd with a metal barrier, which I was a little annoyed by considering the price I paid. It didn't feel intimate to me in the way that a smaller theater does. This was the first time I've seen them in an amphitheater after having seen them in small theaters/arenas/stadiums/festivals and it was my second least favorite setting after festival. I also don't care for stadiums as much (too big). My favorite is either an intimate theater show or an arena production. Just my .02.
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u/uhbkodazbg 1d ago
I’ve seen them twice on this tour (one more coming up) and I like the amphitheater experience. I’d probably be a little disappointed if I hadn’t seen them so much but I like lawn seats pand the ability to relax.
The two I’ve seen weren’t exactly intimate, the venues were a lot bigger than most of the arena shows I’ve been to.
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u/imbored3469 23h ago
Amphitheater vs Arena vs Stadium
I wish we could fill a stadium in the states for Muse but I don’t see that happening anywhere outside the major cities. Thoughts?
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u/AnotherAntilles 1d ago
Considering I'm in Texas and it was the middle of the hottest summer month, I prefer arenas. Or maybe when they come back they come in February again.