LIVE REVIEW: MUSE – THE WOW! SIGNAL NA TOUR @ LAKEWOOD AMPHITHEATRE, ATLANTA, GA – AUGUST 12, 2026

Wednesday, August 12, hard rockers Muse returned to ATL for the second leg of their 2026 “The WOW! Signal” tour. With support from Portugal. The Man and The Temper Trap, all three bands crafted a night full of alt-rock madness.

At promptly 7 p.m., The Temper Trap took the stage, braving the Georgia summer heat and humidity. However, the moment the Australian quartet broke into their hit “Love Lost,” the whole venue was alive in the moment. From the start, they established their iconic sound, consisting of delay-heavy guitars and spacey textures. From “Love Lost,” they went into “Fader,” then into their 2025 comeback single “Lucky Dimes.” Three songs in, it was evident that even after a nearly seven-year hiatus, the band was still as pristine as ever, especially frontman Dougy Mandagi’s voice. Next up, another new song, “Into the Wild,” which, when placed next to their oldest songs, fits right in. In the fifth spot on the setlist, their smash hit “Sweet Disposition.” Featuring heavenly harmonies and dancing rhythms, this is without a doubt their most definitive track. The band ended their set with “Giving Up Air.” Although a new song, it is one that has already established itself to the prestige of “Sweet Disposition” amongst fans. Though their set was brief, it makes me hungry to dive deep into their catalogue and one day catch a full headlining show from them.

With a speedy stage turnover, Portugal. The Man graced the stage at 7:50 p.m. Truthfully, I wasn’t very familiar with their music outside of the massive radio hit, but I couldn’t have been any more wrong about my preconceptions. Right off the bat, they delved into the raw sound of “Denali,” which was tonal whiplash from The Temper Trap’s smooth sound. Not a complaint, just an observation. They doubled down on their eclectic psychedelic art-rock sound with “Creep in a T-Shirt” and “Modern Jesus.” They proceeded with “Dummy,” “Glide,” and the Ween-esque “Shish,” all before going back in time with “Purple Yellow Red and Blue.” From there, they knocked out their two biggest hits, “Live in the Moment” and “Feel It Still.” However, they made no compromises, shaping them to be as weird as the rest of the songs. Closing out their set with “Angoon,” they gave one final hurrah with their high-powered psych sound. I must admit, prior to their set, I had no idea of the changes the band has undergone in the last few months. I won’t elaborate, but from what I understand, this seems to be a difficult time for them, leaving many longtime fans indecisive about whether or not it’s worth the time and money to see them in their current stage. As for me, I enjoyed their set and would be happy to see a full headlining show from them. However, I struggled to read the crowd. The music itself is an acquired taste, and the rawness is exemplified when played live. Personally, I think they’re worth checking out live, but I won’t fault a longtime fan for having negative opinions about the matter.

By 9 p.m., the dreadful heat and humidity were still very present amongst the crowd. However, it did not diminish the crowd’s enthusiasm and excitement for the show to come. Shout out to the venue’s security for graciously tossing waters to the audience in the general admission pit. Though slated for a 9 p.m. start time, the band did not take the stage until a quarter after, yet the crowd’s spirits were still high. When the house lights flicked off, the crowd erupted in cheers. When the trio (with the help of producer Dan Lancaster as the “fourth guy”) assumed their positions on the stage, they wasted no time building to the crescendo of “Interlude” into the crowd-pleaser “Hysteria.” Right off the bat, they gave the crowd a shot of adrenaline, which they followed up with “Cryogen,” a new favorite that many consider to be one of the band’s strongest return-to-form songs. While the studio version from their newest album *The WOW! Signal* is perfect as is, the band managed to elevate it in a live setting, expanding the crowd’s engagement.

From there, they launched into the always-popular “Supermassive Black Hole,” fueling the flame of the audience’s buzz. They rode the high into the next two songs, “Hexagons” and “Unraveling,” both exploring the heavy side of the most recent album through Matt Bellamy’s signature arpeggiating guitars and deep, chugging breakdowns. Afterwards, they maintained the heaviness by blasting into “Stockholm Syndrome,” a favorite amongst old and new fans alike. They even gave fans a treat by extending the ending, teasing the “Micro Cuts” outro before briefly playing an alternate arrangement of “Kill or Be Killed,” the only song from the 2022 album *Will of the People* to make an appearance.

Taking a turn, the band took things in a pop direction with “Be With You,” which, to my surprise, the audience turned into a sing-along. It also included a giant confetti blast at its height. They then redirected the sound back to raging with “Drill Sergeant/Psycho,” featuring a nod to HAL 9000 from *2001: A Space Odyssey*. With its memorable riff and screamable lyrics, “Psycho” has cemented itself as a recurring classic in Muse’s shows in the decade since its release.

Easing the feel back to the ground, bassist Chris Wolstenholme carried his double-neck MIDI bass to the stage for the electro-rock ballad “Madness,” which, despite being a change of pace for the band’s sound, is still beloved by fans and a surefire crowd-pleaser. Bellamy brought the noise back to the stage with the fuzzy “Plug In Baby,” which, amongst fans, has been the benchmark standard for what Muse’s heavy songs should be like. Next, the band surprised the audience with the instrumental “Hanging in Victory Square,” a collaborative piece Bellamy created with composer Ilan Eshkeri for the most recent Amazon/Audible audiobook of the literary classic *Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)* by George Orwell.

Without skipping a beat, they went into “Time Is Running Out,” which seemed to be a highlight for many as the chorus kicked in. Next on the docket, “[JFK]” introduced the anthemic “Uprising,” which always manages to reinvent itself as it becomes more and more prevalent. From one hit to the next, Wolstenholme took center stage to play Ennio Morricone’s “Man With a Harmonica,” slowly building to the space-cowboy epic “Knights of Cydonia,” containing a rewarding third act and conducting everyone to their feet to jump on the beat. This was my highlight of the night, with the song erupting at its peak with the light show on full display. No one does it quite like Muse.

Moving forward, Matt and Chris momentarily departed from the stage as drummer Dominic Howard was joined by Dan for a bumping electronic rendition of “The 2nd Law: Isolated System,” with soaring lasers and sick bass drops. Even with old songs, the band knows how to hide new tricks up their sleeve. This was a fresh example of that. As the others returned to the stage, they broke into “Nightshift Superstar,” which showcases Chris’ unspoken brilliance as a bassist, holding a steady groove while also allowing room to rip melodies. Afterwards, Bellamy demoed his modular synth for the intro to “Algorithms” before flowing into the beautifully funky “Undisclosed Desires.”

Finally, they ended the set with “Prelude” into “Starlight.” By the end, the air had cooled, but the vibe was still extremely positive among the fans. They began chanting for an encore, and while it’s no surprise they’d come back out, this is one of the few shows where I feel the encore was actually earned. As they returned to the stage, Dan began playing the sequenced arpeggios of “Take a Bow.” Think about that for a second. The song’s structure feels endlessly building until it comes to the top and finally releases with a heavy breakdown. As they ended, they thanked the crowd and departed the stage right at the 11 p.m. curfew.

For a band that has been as big as they have, it’s rather surprising to see Muse embark on an amphitheater-only tour, given their record of selling out major stadiums across North America. However, in the era of expensive touring and Blue Dot Fever, I can’t blame the band for wanting to play it safe and take a step back from their maximalist theatrics. I think this show could best be compared to a festival set due to its stripped-back production and seemingly reduced length. That being said, this is all by the band’s standards. Muse continues to be one of the most entertaining spectacles in all of live music. Even at the lowest points in their career, the words “phoned in” have never been close to entering the conversation.

In terms of performance, it was obvious that the guys were having fun performing, and when I say performing, I mean performing! They continue to give it their all through and through. I firmly believe that a Muse concert is one of the best shows money can buy. Where else do you find the intersection of heavy metal and classical music?

Muse Photo Gallery

Portugal. The Man Photo Gallery

Temper Trap Photo Gallery

Setlist

• Clearest Blue
• Interlude
• Hysteria
• Cryogen
• Supermassive Black Hole
• Hexagons
• Unravelling
• Intro
• Stockholm Syndrome
• Kill or Be Killed
• Be With You
• [Drill Sergeant]
• Psycho
• Madness
• Plug In Baby
• Hanging in Victory Square
• Time Is Running Out
• [JFK]
• Uprising
• Knights of Cydonia
• The 2nd Law: Isolated System
• Nightshift Superstar
• Algorithm
• Undisclosed Desires
• Prelude
• Starlight
• Encore: Take a Bow

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Live photography by Andrew Pringle for No Flash Needed. © 2026 No Flash Needed. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without written permission.