Reunited progressive-punk heavyweights the Mars Volta return to San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO -- One of the most creative and unlikely musical ventures of the millennium, the Mars Volta has confounded expectations with its collision of progressive rock, punk energy and jazz-influenced improvisation. The band was founded in El Paso, Texas, in 2001 by principles Omar Rodríguez-López (guitarist, producer, songwriter) and Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocalist, lyrics) after their ambitious post-punk band At the Drive-In imploded just as the group approached a mainstream breakthrough.
Taking a decidedly different approach than the Fugazi and Rage Against the Machine-inspired punk of its predecessor, the Mars Volta combined the kinetic bombast of Led Zeppelin, the dense storytelling concepts of Peter Gabriel-era Genesis and the dissonance of King Crimson with the ecstatic improvisational heights of classic '70s Santana and electric Miles Davis. The self-released psychic blast of the band's Tremulant EP in 2002 quickly got the attention of fans and major labels alike, as did the Mars Volta's fiery live performances featuring high-octane instrumental support from players including monster drummer Jon Theodore and keyboardist Ikey Owens.
The band would sign a deal with Universal and begin working with noted producer Rick Rubin on their first full-length album. Issued in 2003, the complex, hour-long De-Loused at the Comatorium that purportedly detailed the internal battle of a drug-overdose victim trying to emerge from a coma was was widely hailed as a stunning debut by critics who celebrated the outfit's bold sonic attack. The recording also featured Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea filling in after the departure of original bassist Eva Gardner (Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante also played on the album).
The Chili Peppers were also one of the established alternative-rock bands who would take the Mars Volta out on tour as a support act, eager to get the band's ambitious music and explosive stage show maximum exposure (they would later tour with System of a Down in a similar capacity as featured support). Sadly, the band would also lose "sound manipulator" Jeremy Ward to a drug overdose during the tour with the RHCP that led the band to quit the road and regroup.
They emerged two years later with their spectacular sophomore effort Frances the Mute which featured a similarly dark conceptual storyline (this time reportedly drawn from a diary penned by an unknown author that Ward had found during his time working as a car "repo man"). The album would have similar chart success as the band's debut despite the challenging material and subject matter. The commercial success led the Mars Volta to be invited to play alternative-rock radio station shows where they would frequently unleash hour-long improvisational jams -- sometimes including parts that would later be developed into new songs -- instead of playing their more recent tunes.
The continued success led the band to become a frequently invited guest at music festivals -- they headlined the Twin Peaks Stage at the 2009 edition of Outside Lands in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park -- as they made a quick leap from playing larger clubs to theaters and outdoor venues, an impressive feat for a group producing music with limited commercial appeal. The Mars Volta's next two efforts -- Amputechture in 2006 and The Bedlam in Goliath two years later -- dialed back the conceptual aspects to a degree while pushing boundaries musically. The band would also see shifts in its line-up with Theodore departing in 2006 (he was eventually replaced by powerhouse Oakland drummer Thomas Pridgen) and Owens leaving in 2010. The prolific Rodríguez-López also released a torrent of his own albums during the decade with over 20 recordings credited to him or his solo group.
The band's next two albums showed significant changes, with Octahedron in 2009 stripping the sound down for a more pop-minded approach and Nocturniquet in 2012 taking the music in a far more heavily orchestrated direction in addition to happening during the first high-profile reunion of At the Drive-In. After the latter album's release, the Mars Volta announced it had split, reportedly over growing tensions between Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala. Despite those rumors of animosity, the pair would mend fences and collaborate again in the band Antemasque for a single album and tour before a second At the Drive-In reunion two years later. Rodríguez-López also worked extensively with his wife Teri Gender Bender (the charismatic singer and guitarist for Le Butcherettes) in the band Bosnian Rainbows and Crystal Fairy, a one-off project with the Melvins' Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover, in addition to his voluminous output of solo records.
Rumblings in the Mars Volta camp that gave fans hope of a reunion began last year when it was announced the European record company Cloud Hill would handle the vinyl reissue of the band's catalog. As it would turn out, Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala had reconvened to work on new material as the Mars Volta in 2019. Earlier this year, the band teased new material in typically cryptic and artful fashion, directing fans to an art installation in Los Angeles where they could hear new songs before releasing "Blacklight Shine" and announcing the group's first tour in a decade. The band's latest self-titled effort takes the Mars Volta into a completely different, far mellower musical space drawing on pop, Latin and electronic influences, but their recent shows have found their new line-up playing career-spanning sets that lean heavily on De-Loused at the Comatorium. For these two shows at the Warfield in San Francisco, Teri Gender Bender appears as a special guest.
The Mars Volta
Tuesday-Wednesday, Oct. 18-19, 8 p.m. $65-$125
The Warfield