The Mars Volta | Nashville, TN
On the first day of October, Nashville had the pleasure of hosting the energetic duo The Mars Volta. The Ryman started to welcome fans a little over 6:00 PM, and by 8:00 PM the venue was filled with ecstatic fans waiting for the performance.
The night started with Teri Gender Bender - the genre-warping project by Le Butcherettes’ Teresa Cosío. From Spanish poems recited in between songs to electric beats and raw lyricism, Teresa got the attention of the crowd very quickly. The band mixes a variety of elements such as unicorn outfits, bright lighting, and interesting dance moves. Teri’s emotional moments on stage quickly changed to interpretive dances and made the fans both curious and excited. What I appreciated the most was how each song has its own style, and the theatrical Teresa brought each of them to life. If you are obsessed with cohesiveness, Teri Gender Bender might not be for you, but if you are interested in breaking the concept of genres, you have to check them out. Their short setlist had some hits like “ya no soy” and “syria ignore”. At the end of the set, Teresa high-fived a little girl who was wearing a fake mustache in her honor, and thanked everyone for being there.
The anticipation was high and could be felt from every corner of the Ryman. When the lights went down and the stage was filled with fog, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala walked onstage wearing impeccably stylish outfits. When the band started playing “Vicarious Atonement”, you could feel the energy building up throughout the entire venue. The experimental prog rock duo released their first album in 2003, but their electrifying performance has the same impact as when they first started. Cedric’s vocals and stage presence is what every frontman should aim for. He feels the music while he sings and dances onstage. The impressive microphone throws and acrobacies add to the duo’s energy. The setlist was almost two hours long and included a mix of new songs and fan favorites. Some highlights include “Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)” and “The Widow”. Even with Ryman’s structure often making it difficult to move much, we could see fans headbanging and dancing around. It was an honor to see Omar playing the guitar with such raw energy and passion. His difficult riffs left the audience in awe, and fans would follow his hands with their eyes, anxiously waiting for the next amazing moment to happen. This performance at Ryman was a gift to all fans that have been following the band for the past twenty years. It was an elegant performance by one of the best progressive rock duos of all time. They still honor their latin roots, keeping their promise to bend genres and incorporate whatever feels true to the band. Cedric closed the set thanking the fans for all their obsession and loyalty, saying that if it wasn’t for them, they would not be here. Fans were standing and applauding the astonishing performance for a long time after the band exited the stage. Here’s to another twenty years of The Mars Volta.
