30 SECONDS TO MARS
MUTE MATH
NEON TREES
STREET DRUM CORPS
House of Blues in Boston, MA
April 2010
30 SECONDS TO MARS Live Show Review and Live Photos by Lena Lamoray

What a perfectly put together show with all talent and no fluff bands. STREET DRUM CORPS opened the sold out 30 SECONDS TO MARS show at the House of Blues in Boston, MA. Unfortunately, I only managed to catch their last couple of songs since the show started ahead of the scheduled time. I was pretty bummed about that since it was my third time seeing them and they sounded better than ever. Their musicianship and showmanship gets stronger every show and they were channeling the power of ADAM ANT in a couple of numbers. They also joined 30 SECONDS TO MARS on stage and that always adds an extra elegance to the show. NEON TREES is a small band from Provo, Utah that sing songs about roommates, love, sin, name calling and more and the singer questions how MORRISEY handles certain situations. They are very pop orientated and musically reminded me a bit of THE KILLERS. The singer of NEON TREES, TYLER GLENN was very energetic and through in some interesting dance moves.

MUTE MATH is amazing live and the singer, PAUL MEANY ended the show by doing a handstand and flipping over his keyboard. Of course any acrobatics in a show always ups the excitement level for me. The drummer, DARREN KING began the show by duct taping his headphones to his head. I would like to be there for the removal process because I’m sure it doesn’t feel very good. Duct tape is a bands best friend! MUTE MATH sounded so full live and they were the band that really got the audience going. What a great band and the perfect complementary act to support 30 SECONDS TO MARS. I would love to see them on one of their headlining shows so I could experience a full set.

30 SECONDS TO MARS are always a win live. JARED LETO has one of the best voices in the business and I’m so glad that they have made such an influential mark in the music community. Their sound is distinct and always evolving. The first time I saw them live I fell in love with everything, the performance, the eloquent mood lighting reflecting off of Jared’s DARKMAN style getup topped off with the perfect classic hat. I am still partial to their self titled debut album and BUDDHA FOR MARY is by far one of my absolute favorite 30 SECONDS TO MARS songs and of course they didn’t sing it live but I will certainly say that the band as a whole has improved tremendously and Jared’s voice only gets stronger as time progresses. SHANNON LETO is an astounding drummer and is exciting to watch but for some reason, perhaps he was being punished, he was put in the dark corner for this show. Shannon Leto is awesome and should be highlighted and not hidden! Shannon did get to be front and center towards the middle of the show when he was playing a special instrument that reminded me of a cotton candy making machine, but that is just me. Jared Leto was sporting his new pink Mohawk and I have to say I like the long hair better but it has been confirmed that this man can pull off any look. He made a Mohawk mullet look cool in HIGHWAY. He just has one of those faces that is a perfect match to his beautiful voice. Jared Leto can sing and no one can take that away from him. He has succeeded on pure talent and the ability to write and perform songs that inspire a new generation. Jared has a superb vocal range that reminds me of my favorite singer of all time, GEORGE MICHAEL.

They mostly performed songs from their new album, THIS IS WAR and several from their 2005 release, A BEAUTIFUL LIE. Some song highlights for me were A BEAUTIFUL LIE, THE KILL, FROM YESTERDAY and NIGHT OF THE HUNTER. Halfway through the set Jared made his way to the soundboard and he sang a couple of songs there as he discussed how old he felt. I don’t know what he is talking about since I figure that Jared has the JOHNNY DEPP disease and only looks better the older he gets. 30 SECONDS TO MARS attract fans of all ages because their music is timeless and covers multiple genres. Tomo Miličević is a fanatical guitar player that you can tell is just waiting for his turn to shred. He was dressed in a jumpsuit that looked like he is going to be stepping off the stage and going to perform in SLIPKNOT, who knows he could be one of those guys hiding under a mask. Towards the end of the show they allowed pretty much half of the venue on stage with them. At a 30 SECONDS TO MARS show they always encourage audience participation and Jared is famous for taking a break and allowing the fans to sing for him and help him out with the lyrics that he has “forgotten”. Everyone has to see 30 SECONDS TO MARS live to really appreciate the raw intensity of their material and they are all sensational performers. You will not be disappointed! In the future I would love to see 30 SECONDS TO MARS tour with KARNIVOOL and SEMI PRECIOUS WEAPONS, now that would be another sensational tour! I think they could make it work! Pick up a copy of THIS IS WAR and make sure you check out their tour with MUTE MATH, STREET DRUM CORPS and NEON TREES!