The Mars Volta Plays 1st Show Since 2012

The Mars Volta multi-instrumentalist Omar Rodríguez-López and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala held the band’s first show in a decade last night in Dallas. The home state show kicked off a tour in support of their first album in 10 years, the recently released, self-titled The Mars Volta.

Thursday’s concert at The Factory in Deep Ellum saw only two songs from the new album make the setlist as “Graveyard Love” and “Blacklight Shine.” The other song that debuted last night was the show-opening offering of “Vicarious Atonement,” from their 2006 album Amputechture.

According to Setlist.fm records, Thursday’s setlist included The Mars Volta’s first performance of “Televators” since 2007, the first “Cygnus….Vismund Cygnus” and “Drunkship of Lanterns” since 2009, and the first “Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of),” “Eriatarka,” “L’Via L’Viaquez,” “Viscera Eyes” and “Cicatriz ESP” since 2010.

Joining Bixler-Zavala and Rodríguez-López for the tour is Rodríguez-López’s brother, percussionist Marcel Rodríguez-López, bassist Eva Gardener, drummer Linda-Philomène Tsoungui and keyboardist Leo Genovese. The Mars Volta’s tour continues tonight with a second concert in Dallas at The Factory.

Watch audience-recorded video footage of The Mars Volta’s first show in 10 years below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-Lceros2Lo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKRQCqroajA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB9gotPtt_8