The Mars Volta just wrapped up their US tour in support of their new album, Lucro Sucio; Los Ojos del Vacio, and on their run, they brought their show to the Riverside Municipal Auditorium. It was Black Friday and the holidays were in full effect around downtown Riverside where the venue sits, as the city celebrates its Festival of Lights. Concertgoers were among the many roaming around downtown. Traffic made it difficult to find parking in time for the first opener Feliz Y Dada. I wandered in just in time to catch the uniquely costumed Latin artists finishing up their set.
Next up was Kiani Medina. The vocalist was accompanied by her brother Javius to serve as her multi-instrumentalist backbone. They performed a short set, but it was packed with beautiful vocal melodies that were soaring through the room while Javius maintained the rhythm.
Despite being a long-time fan of The Mars Volta, this was my first time catching them live. I went in with expectations based on past videos and second-hand accounts, but I was not prepared for the extravagant show they put on. Cedric kicked off the night with the a capella opener, "Fin," from the new album. The setlist would go on to consist of the entire new album played front-to-back. Fans of the old material were going to be out of luck, but The Mars Volta made it clear that it wasn't about playing a set of hits or fan-favorites. It was about celebrating the power of music through an experience that transcends a traditional live show.
With Cedric stationed in the middle of the stage with nothing but a blue light shining on him, he let his airy vocals entrance the audience before the rest of the band joined in on "Reina tormenta." A welcome addition to the live performance was Le Butcherettes' Teri Gender Bender. She shares the vocal duties with Cedric while also offering her form of interpretive dance.
Throughout the night, the band would go into a jam and improvise. Moments to let themselves go and feel free with Omar showing off his fancy fretwork. The crowd welcomed the sensory overload and allowed the music to take over. Before leading into "Morgana," Cedric let his voice ascend and harmonize with the ambiance that surrounded him. The set reached its crescendo in "Cue the Sun (Reprise)" as the band threw everything they had at the audience. After finishing their nonstop playthrough of Lucro Sucio; Los Ojos del Vacio, Cedric took a moment to address the crowd by thanking them for being so accepting of the openers and for their attention. The band then said goodnight and walked off. It was one of the more mesmerizing shows I've seen this year.
