After touring as support for Deftones on their massive arena tour, The Mars Volta are in the midst of a headlining tour of their own. The band released their eighth studio album, Lucro Sucio; Los Ojos del Vacio, earlier this year and used their opening set time to treat fans to the album in full. This tour has proven to take the same approach—and I’m 100% here for it.
Lucro Sucio is an album meant for pressing play and taking the ride through to the very last note. It’s only fitting that the live performance mirrors that journey. And while their supporting set for Deftones was a limited 40 minutes, this headlining set would be well over twice that length, which meant twice the amount of deep, improvisational exploration through the furthest reaches of the album’s soundscape.
Joining The Mars Volta on their tour are Kiani Medina as well as Feliz y Dada, who came and went like a fever dream with their set.
Feliz y Dada’s masks combined with the stage setup and effects had the crowd intrigued and enlightened by their experimental sound. The experience felt equal parts music and performance art; a surreal, 15-minute descent into another dimension.
Kianí Medina delivered a soulful set that felt intimate and transportive. Her voice was powerful, and she embodied the music with her movements—feeling every note and illustrating it for the crowd in real time.
What stood out most was how quiet the room became during her performance. Aside from the applause between songs, the crowd was completely still—listening. Most openers have to contend with chatter as fans get their socializing out of the way before the headliner, but Medina held the room’s full attention from start to finish.
I’ve been fortunate enough to witness The Mars Volta live a number of times and across multiple album cycles. Each tour feels like a new incarnation—musically and spiritually—and often literally, with members outside of vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala and guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López coming and going. After watching this performance, it’s clear that the lineup they have right now is truly something special.
The band performed their new album flawlessly, interweaving ambient textures and distorted outbursts in minutes-long departures from the studio versions. This was the director’s cut, and hearing the album in its extended, experimental glory only amplified the brilliance of it all.
The crowd was completely hypnotized, many raising their hands as if in a Southern Baptist church—it felt fitting, because this was a spiritual experience through and through. Every member was in their element, fully immersed in their contribution yet perfectly in sync with their bandmates. It was a beautiful thing to watch.
By the end of the album—and in turn, the set—the final words of the title track were sung a cappella by Bixler-Zavala and Teri Gender Bender, before the stage fell completely dark. The crowd erupted, as well they should, at the brilliance we’d all collectively witnessed.
The Mars Volta’s North American tour continues throughout November, wrapping up in San Diego on November 29. This is a performance not to be missed, so if your city is on the list, do yourself a favor and buy a ticket.
