Muse, on the other hand, has gained an infinite number of new fans as their music has been exposed to different audiences. Being the inspiration for the "Twighlight" series has a way of getting you known.
Last month in Atlanta, these two musical titans began a tour together, and it's no doubt destined to be the tour to see this concert season.
Since commencing this tour as Muse's opening act, Silversun Pickups are set to achieve new levels of distinction and renown. Formed in Los Angeles' Silverlake district, the group has been touring off and on for several years, alternating between headline smaller venues and playing festivals.
The group has been playing the role of opening act for larger commercial recording artists, ensuring a wider audience will embrace them. The Pickups' performance on Saturday at the Palace served to cement the group's work ethic and dedication to craft.
The band was rock solid and locked in the tip top of the pocket, wearing its influences proudly on its sleeves. The ghosts of the Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine hung from the Palace rafters.
The understated energy that Silversun Pickups brings to the stage is unforgettable -- this is one of those bands whose live sound mimics the act's recordings perfectly. They are genuinely talented with undisputable intelligence, which is displayed in deft songwriting and musicianship.
Silversun Pickups uses overdubs and distorted guitars and create a sound that is uniquely their own -- not the easiest of tasks in the overcrowded shoegazing genre. Often compared to Smashing Pumpkins, this is a band that has really come into its own.
During Saturday night's performance, lead vocalist/guitarist Brian Aubert commented on the band's modest stage set, and pointed to a set of enormous towers behind the band in place for Muse. Aubert quipped: "Those big skyscrapers behind us? We didn't bring them. You know who did? Muse."
The crowd erupted and Aubert then directed the near-capacity audience to set their camera flashes to go off in unison. As the DIY light show flickered like fireflies, Aubert joked: "We don't have a light show. This is our light show!"
Hundreds of flashes produced a strobe effect and illuminated the arena. Aubert engaged the audience as if he were in a smaller venue, pausing to thank the faithful for their adoration.
Bassist Nikki Monniger rounded out Aubert's harmonies, and her rhythmic cohort, drummer Christopher Guanlao, is a fiery, skilled percussionist. He didn't settle in the background; he was a force of his own.
And then there's keyboardist and sampler Joe Lester, who enhances Silversun's signature sound. He and his bandmates -- led into battle by Aubert -- exceeded expectations and not only delivered an exhilarating performance, but also set a frenzied tone for headliners Muse.
Muse is one of Great Britain's most recent great rock exports. Possibly not since the 1960s has there been such an exchange of musicianship and performers across the Atlantic. The U.S. birthed Elvis, Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry. The U.K. fired volleys back across the waves and gave us the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and The Who.
This give-and-take relationship of rock 'n' roll between the U.S. and the U.K. has birthed a great tradition; like Kings of Leon exploding in Europe before their native U.S. fell in love with their charm, now audiences in the States are enjoying the style and sound of one of England's most explosive trios ever in Muse.
Hailing originally from Devon, England, Muse is comprised of Matt Bellamy (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Christopher Wolstenholme (bass, backing vocals), and Dominic Howard (drums and percussion).
The band is on the precipice of becoming one rock's major players, and they have achieved that status with a recognizable sound and intense live performances.
The group cites Queen as a major influence, but the band clearly draws inspiration from decades of music history. The band borrows from Ziggy-era David Bowie, Gary Newman, Pink Floyd and Spacehog in crafting glammy rock songs that are all attitude in a live environment.
Muse plays hard. They actually sound more like a hard rock band when they're making an arena crowd sway and surge in unison. The albums are excellent, but Muse is all about dazzling a throng.
Their stage setup and visual effects are spectacular and massive, evoking big arena rock shows of the 1970s. There's a Pink Floyd-style laser light show, and the band is often dwarfed by two massive boxes of video screens hanging from the ceiling.
The risers rose and sank into the stage a la KISS, and geysers of steam blasted from the stage at the concert's coda. In Pink Floydian fashion, giant balloons painted like eyeballs floated from the ceiling and over the crowd, popping confetti when they settled on their destinations.
As Muse's set began, the stage lit up the screened skyscrapers and digital images of men climbing a staircase were projected on the video screens. A hum filled the arena as the marching men abruptly began to tumble downward.
As the band launched into a surging version of "The Resistance's" radio hit -- the powerful protest anthem "Uprising" -- the skyscrapers dropped like the twin towers of 9/11 and Muse was off to the races.
Bellamy was decked out in silver shoes, pink trousers and louvered glasses (like an English Kanye West). He was the antithesis of political protest, but no matter. Bellamy was there to entertain.
Muse's entire performance leaned heavily on the massive stage set; each song was emphasized with specific imagery played on the screens. Films of war and destruction were interchanged with shots of the audience and binary code.
Bellamy and Wolsenholme stood like soldiers on their platforms when they emerged from the stage floor, and drummer Howard played on a round riser that would also rise and fall when it wasn't spinning full circle during a brief drum solo.
Muse performed several songs off their recent album "The Resistance," including "Unnatural Selection" and "MK Ultra." But the crowd sang loudest on favorites like "Our Time Is Running Out" and "Supermassive Black Hole." The crowd shouted at the top of its lungs, singing along with the lyrics in exuberance.
Muse is a band that connects with its fans on a visceral level -- the audience not only sang and pounced up and down, but they also punched their fists in the air in unison. The fans are dedicated and loyal, and that's why the name Muse will be smack dab on the tips of the lips of the mainstream by spring's end.
Muse is the real deal. It's not just a concert; it's an experience.
(We here in the ABC12 Listening Room offer sincere apologies for not having pics of Muse; we just couldn't get on Musey's guest list in time thanks to our boss' bout with pneumonia last week. Way to go, Chez. -- The ABC12 Listening Room staff.)
The ABC12 Listening Room staff: James Chesna, editor-in-chief; Josh Daunt, managing editor, photographer; LeeAlan Weddel, contributing editor, staff writer, photographer; Beth McEnroe, staff writer, photographer; Gwen Mikolajczak, staff writer; Chris Harris, photographer, staff writer; Eric Fletcher, chief photographer; Randy Cox, photographer; Chris Carr, photographer; Norm Fairhurst, photographer; Jessica Reid, contributing photographer.
