The Mars Volta @ Gigwise

[Photo Credit]

JK posted this in a comment, but it is a great article (with some kickass photos) and deserves a post of its own. While I am saddened by Cedric's disparaging thoughts on their opening slot with the Chili Peppers, I am not surprised. And, I agree with him. Some things that I learned: "Tetragrammaton," the best song I have heard this year, was written in Poland; Jon Theodore was booted for a pretty good reason; and The Mars Volta are an uncompromising, principle-based band (wait, I knew that). Here is a peak:

Amputechture is the band's most challenging album to date, and it's oddly ironic that it is currently being premiered across the US to seated audiences of gawping "soccer moms." Speaking to Gigwise from somewhere between Toronto and Montreal, Bixler-Zavala sounds like he's very nearly had enough. Pinning down what's making the Amputechture tour unique, he says, "Trying to look like you're having a good time when nobody else looks like they're having a good time."

It's a sense of alienation that seems very much at the forefront of what it's like to be involved in the Mars Volta - whether as a band member onstage, or as part of the crowd trying to make sense of the formidably harsh sound of zero compromise that makes their latest album so powerful, if not immediately likeable.

The feeling of an entire arena struggling to make sense of what the hell you're up to is palpable to Bixler-Zavala, who has little interest in holding anyone's hand. "We'll play something like 'The Widow' [single off 'Frances the Mute']," he says, "and then you kinda have this sigh of relief like, 'Oh, it's this band!' At that point they're kind of like, 'Ok, we're supposed to like this, I guess?' and then we launch into more Amputechture material."

The image of Bixler-Zavala as the stern prophet mercilessly sifting the true fans from the confused dilettantes is a hard one to shake, and his elitist tendencies very nearly become distasteful as he chuckles at the Chili Peppers fans who "don't even own a p-funk album." But he does care about the people who come to see the Mars Volta, or at least is more aware of them than the band's relentlessly self-indulgent urge for exploration would lead you to believe. [Gigwise.com]

Continuing the TMV talk, some interesting things have been taking place lately. On September 25th, John Frusciante played guitar for the entire set. Whether or not he played in place of Omar, or with Omar is debatable. According to my source, Cedric was sick and John and Omar played an entirely instrumental set.

About a week later, they kicked their Boston set off with a cover of Pink Floyd's "Interstellar Overdrive." Now, anyone that has listened to ScabDates knows that Omar and Cedric are Floyd fans, and perhaps, more importantly Syd Barrett fans. Frat recently mentioned how some of the tracks in ScabDates bend into reflections of Piper At The Gates of Dawn, the Floyd album with the most creative input from Barrett (he wrote or co-wrote all songs, save one). I will have to talk to Frat for specific references, but there you have it. Apparently, from night to night, anything can be expected from TMV's set. Here is their setlist from Boston:

Boston, 10.02.06
"Interstellar Overdrive"
"Day Of The Baphomets"
"The Widow"
"Tetragrammaton"
"Viscera Eyes"
"Rapid Fire Tollbooth"

"Rapid Fire Tollbooth" is a new song, debuted live in Chicago, and explained here. Supposedly it is all over YouGoogle-y.

I was about to end this post and then discovered this. First off, this guy's site has amazing photos. Second, one of the comments notes that Cedric guests on Mastodon's album. I did not know this. Neither did you. At least, you didn't tell me. Shame.