One of the many good things about a Mars Volta show is that
there are no poseur fans in attendance, partially because all of
the pop-punkers (and mall punks) were at the Saves The Day concert
on the main day of the show, but mainly because the Mars Volta
isn’t easy to pretend to like.

When At The Drive-In died in late 2001, two phoenixes rose from
the ashes: Sparta and the Mars Volta. While Sparta took the safer
route and stuck to a stripped-down ATD-I sound, the Mars Volta
pulled out all the stops and did whatever they wanted to.

When the Mars Volta came on stage, the sold-out crowd went nuts.
After a blast of distortion, the band ripped into “Roulette Dares
(the Haunt of)” off of its new album De Loused In The Comatorium.
The song started off with a blast of electrifying hardcore, then
broke down and gradually picked up again.

After the song was over, it was evident that earplugs would have
been very helpful. This is why the Mars Volta is not heard on the
radio. Rock radio can’t handle it.

Lead singer Cedric Bixler Zavala sings with insane ferocity and
moves across the stage as if being electrocuted. It was incredible
to see that much passion and intensity being shown on stage.

One of the major highlights of their set was the incredible,
12-minute “Cicatriz ESP,” which is the most original of all the
songs because it changes so many times–from blistering, to
chugging, to smooth, to pure distortion, to near-dub guitar
manipulation then to an awesome Santana-esque guitar solo.

Another highlight of the show was “Drunkship of Lanterns,” which
showcased the band’s Latin flair (they are from El Paso, Texas,
after all).

The next song was the soft-yet-powerful “Televators.” The first
few minutes of “Televators” were almost all sparse keyboards, but
it was one of the most powerful songs of the evening.

“Televators,” more than any other song in their set, gave an
insight to what the theme of Deloused in the Comatorium is.
The album follows the tragic life and suicide of a close friend of
the band and Zaraia paints really vivid and clear while using
abstract imagery. He has greatly improved his vocal abilities since
his ATD-I days. The Mars Volta is definitely the most original band
of the past five years, and their live show reflects their
originality and their creativity.