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THE WOW! SIGNAL Tour
Live from Chula Vista
September 2nd, 2026 Review by Jimmy Alvarez
As the Saturday sun began to set over the warm Pacific Ocean, droves of music fans poured into North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre in Chula Vista.
They were all there to see a music powerhouse, a band from London called Muse. Soon enough everyone would feel the power of having great openers on a bill.
Truthfully, it’s been a minute since I caught the Wasalia wonders – Portugal. The Man, and for some inexplicable reason, I had not seen Aussie / Londo alt rockers, The Temper Trap. I was eager to see the two openers, and the crowd was more than ready to get the show going. Before we knew it – it was showtime!
It didn’t take long for the capacity crowd to fill the venue, the sun wasn’t all the way down just yet so the light show wasn’t a factor.
First out to the stage were bassist Jonathan Aherne and lead guitarist Joseph Greer.
They waved to the crowd as Toby Dundas took his place behind the skins. Then, sporting a red hat, out came lead crooner, Dougy Madagi.
Despite their indie rock billing, immediately their sound was electric and packed a punch. They opened with “Love Lost,” and a quick segue into “Fader.” Honestly, I was impressed on how powerful a sound they had, and Madagi had a very booming voice. He thanked everyone for coming out early and dove into “Lucky Domes,” then “Into the Wild.”
Both Greer and Aherne put out a sonic boom with their guitars; it was really impressive, and when Madagi dove into their uber-hit “Sweet Disposition,” the crowd came to life. The voice was subtle, then he recited a scale that only masters can do and delivered an opus. The crowd responded with an enthusiastic roar.
As we were all getting settled for more, The Temper Trap left with “Giving Up Air.” It was an abbreviated set, what you expect with openers, but the crowd would have loved to have heard more. That’s when you know the night was destined to be epic – when the opener sounded like that!
By now, the moon had come out and overtaken the jealous sun as Portugal. The Man was now front and center. The crowd was ready as lead guitarist Liv Slingerland and bassist Tilley Komorny were first out. Then they were joined by Ryan Wiggans on trumpet, and drummer Vincent LiRocchi. And of course, guitarist and lead singer John Gourley took his place behind the main mic.
Gourley was stylin’ in cool threads capped off with a black Suicidal Tendencies bolero hat.
Gourley gave the crowd a wink and a smile and opened with a bang with their enormous hit, “Feel It Still.” It was as if their immersive video had somehow come to life and the crowd erupted, it was almost deafening, and it sounded magnificent.
PTM also sounded larger-than-life and they powered through their set in almost no time. Featuring other hits, “Creep in a T-Shirt,” “Purple, Yellow, Red and Blue,” “Dummy,” and “Modern Jesus.”
Backup vocalist David Marion served as an old-fashioned ska themed toaster; he was fun and all over the place, while Komorny and Slingerland showed off their guitar hero skills. Before we all knew it, PTM was closing with “Live in the Moment.” I know it’s been a minute since I last saw them live, but wow, they killed it.
Hats off to the road crew because they got the stage ready in no time. After a very brief intermission, the lights went down and we saw the silhouette of Dominic Howard behind the drums, bassist Chris Wolstenholme, and guitarist / lead singer Matt Bellamy. From the jump, they did not hold back opening with “Hysteria,” which sent the crowd into hysteria.
If you have never seen Muse before, trust me when I tell you this – their sound is soul piercing. It is hard to believe that three dudes can make so much noise! As evidenced by their next segue going into “Cryogen,” with a slide into “Supermassive Black Hole.” I literally saw concertgoers (both men and women) screaming at the top of their lungs to that one.
The show was electrifying with their light show, coupled with the music, vocals and their pounding sonic vision with “Hexagons,” and “Map of the Problematique” sent the crowd orbital. Bellamy was volcanic to say the least as the hit parade continued with “Psycho,” “Madness,” “Time is Running Out,” and “Uprising.”
Wolstenholme can slap bass, he was on fire, and their collective musical madness was highlighted when Bellamy launched us into “Undisclosed Desires” and “Starlight.”
This show really was something to behold; just when you think Muse can’t get any better, they prove you wrong. This night, they appropriately closed with their aptly named closing song, “Take a Bow.”
Muse is intense, hypnotic and simply put – they are utterly unforgettable.
Catch them on their Wow! Signal tour while you can; it really is out of this world.
SHOW PHOTO GALLERY
by Green-Eyed Blonde Photography
TO FOLLOW
SID 260902 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR
