The Mars Volta @ Echoplex

ARTICLE BY OSCAR RANGEL
PHOTOS BY ED FREY

DEC. 29 | ECHO PARK—Once again in 2007, The Mars Volta managed to get its legion of Los Angeles fans into a frenzy. Tonight was their second “secret show” of the year here, and this time, Mars Volta chose Echo Park’s Echoplex as a warm-up for their upcoming club tour to promote new album The Bedlam in Goliath. Seeing that this would be one of the first shows to fully feature Mars Volta’s new material, tickets were snatched up in minutes once they went on sale. Since tickets were will call, this insured not only that mostly fans would get to see the show, but that there would be a long wait to get in. While ticket holders lined up for hours before doors, hoping to secure a good spot inside, other fans lined up hoping that a few tickets would still be released, despite the fact that the show was beyond sold out.

Once the clock hit 8:30pm, fans were slowly but surely trickling into the Echoplex. Those near the front of the line were even lucky enough to catch a glimpse of lead vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala hanging out near the venue’s outdoor smoking lounge. Some fans walked up to thank him for his contributions, but most were respectful and concentrated on securing the coveted first few rows in front of the stage. The photographers who were let in early to get in the front row were preparing for the imminent crush once the show started. And while we all waited (and wait we did), the music of The Low End Theory DJs filled the venue with the sounds of J Dilla and other underground hip-hop heroes. At about 10:30pm, the venue was finally filled, and a surge of people engulfed the front of the stage upon realizing it was time for the show.

When Mars Volta hit the stage, they started with “Roulette Dares,” from 2003 release De-Loused in the Comatorium. The band was energized and electric for this warm-up show, in preparation for their New Year’s Eve show in San Francisco. The band was fully charged, and they looked like they were having fun. Omar Rodriguez-Lopez smiled throughout most of the songs, while their newest drummer, Thomas Pridgen, blew up with an intensity that Mars Volta is known for. Bixler-Zavala belted out their trademark sound and danced as if that was the only way to power his vocals. He did stop at times to acknowledge and thank the crowd for coming out. And the audience happily fed off of the 15-song set, dancing, flailing and, for those in the front rows who were unable to move, bobbing their heads. Every song felt like it flowed through your ears and out of your soul. For two and a half hours, The Mars Volta treated the crowd to a true rock opera, touching on all their albums as well as their impressive new material.

Once the show was over, Mars Volta left the stage to high-fives, handshakes and screams for an encore. The encore never came but neither did the DJ sets that usually end the shows at the Echoplex. Then again, who could keep dancing after the performance Mars Volta just gave? All you could think of while leaving the venue was how special the show felt and when you could see them again. Lucky for us Southern California fans, they play the UCI Bren Events Center on Jan. 30. The show couldn’t come any sooner, as the fans who went tonight might need about a month to recover.

Set List
Intro
Roulette Dares
Viscera Eyes
Wax Simulacra
Goliath
Conjugal Burns
Tetragrammaton
Agadez
Metatron
Cygnus Intro
Cygnus
Ourobouros
Ilyena
Meccamputechture
Aberinkula
Day of the Baphomets

For more photos of the show, click here.

Comments

[cheryl]

great review oscar!!!

[Dez]

Your review gave me an insight as if I was there...Too bad I'm a Floridian now... Great job, Oscar..

[eden]

this review sucks. JKKKK
::thumbs up:: ::5 stars::

[paulag]

floridian: save your soul!!!SSAVE YOUR SOUL!!