Show Review: The Mars Volta Gloriously Return to San Francisco
The Mars Volta
w/ Teri Gender Bender
The Warfield
San Francisco, CA
October 19th, 2022
Photos and review by Jared Stossel
Earlier this year, an unprecedented wave of excitement swept over the Mars Volta fanbase. With an art installation titled “L’ytome Hodorxi Telesterion”, the psychedelic progressive rock act announced that they would be reuniting after a decade of inactivity. The initial reunion occurred in secret back in 2019, resulting in the recording in the release of the band’s seventh studio album, a self-titled effort released to the public last month. When an album arrives, a tour usually follows, and in glorious fashion, the band found themselves performing to a packed San Francisco crowd at The Warfield on Tuesday and Wednesday night. With just fourteen songs, the band captivated the Bay Area audience for nearly two hours (each song clocks in at an average of seven minutes).
The show only featured one opener, and they have gone down as the most mind-bending act I’ve ever seen: Teri Gender Bender, the enigmatic vocalist for Mexican punk act Le Butcherettes. Their performance filtered through an array of indie, alt-rock, and even electronic influences, filling the time in between each song with spoken word pieces that fluctuated between English and Spanish. I couldn’t make heads or tails of what I was supposed to be watching. Days have gone by, yet I’m still thinking about their performance. I can’t tell you whether I loved it or hated it, but all I know is that I was thoroughly entertained. Their set kept me on my toes, and I didn’t know what was going to happen next. The comparisons to artists like Björk and Siouxsie Sioux are accurate; Teri Gender Bender is a puzzling act, but that’s the point. And it was a lot of fucking fun to watch.
Saying that The Mars Volta has great musicianship would be an understatement; they’re beyond incredible. The only constant members in the band have been vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala and guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López, and the two have rounded out the band’s current lineup with an immaculate selection of performers like bassist Eva Gardner, percussionist/keyboardist Marcel Rodriguez-López, drummer Linda-Philomène Tsoungui, and keyboardist Leo Genovese. The sextet transitioned seamlessly from section to section, working through tracks from five of the band’s seven albums. A majority of tracks in Wednesday night’s show came from De-Loused in the Comatorium, their dazzling 2003 debut co-produced by Rick Rubin.
At one moment, you’re watching a rock show. Seconds later, they’re playing jazz. Ten minutes go by, and the room is filled with the sounds of Latin rhythms and powerful guitar licks. I was never bored at any point during the show, and I’m thoroughly convinced that Omar Rodriguez-López is one of the finest guitarists of our generation. With sweat dripping from his brow, he attacked the guitar with ease, ranging from harmonious melodies to percussive dissonance, and it always worked. I could have easily watched this band play for another hour, but I guess I’ll have to wait until the next show.
There are many “progressive rock” acts out there, but there are none that can match The Mars Volta. Call them progressive, call them metal, call them any other journalistically-concocted genre that will help you gain clicks, it doesn’t matter; they’re fucking good.
The Mars Volta Set List
Vicarious Atonement
Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)
Eriatarka
Graveyard Love
L'Via L’Viaquez
Empty Vessels Make The Loudest Sound
Cygnus…Vismund Cygnus
Blacklight Shine
Drunkship of Lanterns
The Widow
Cicatriz ESP
Televators
Son et Lumiere
Inertiatic ESP
The Mars Volta
www.themarsvoltaofficial.com
www.facebook.com/TheMarsVolta
Twitter:@themarsvolta
Instagram:@themarsvolta
Teri Gender Bender
www.facebook.com/TeriGendrBendr
Twitter:@TeriGendrBendr
Instagram:@terigenderbender
