I was 19 when I was introduced to The Mars Volta – it was a very transformative period of my life and I was very impressionable young adult. I was really beginning to discover a whole sect of modern artists who were pushing the boundaries of genre and actively influencing others in their scene – both of which The Mars Volta are experts in. It took me a few years to be able to see them live, but I finally managed to snag myself tickets and stand right at the barricade to watch them at the historic Fox Theater in Oakland.

One thing about The Mars Volta, beyond their artistry, is how they elevate other artists in their community. For this tour, The Mars Volta invited artists Feliz y Dada and Kiani Medina to be their opening acts. The openers, like guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, are Puerto Rican and are also signed to Rodriguez-Lopez’s label, Rodriguez Lopez Productions.

Feliz y Dada

Feliz y Dada were incredibly interesting. Prior to the show, I couldn’t find anything online about them nor their music on streaming platforms. Come to find out, post-show, that their origins lie in a comic book by Alma L-Zayas, which has since evolved into a book, feature films, social experiment, and now, music. Their electronic beats and heavily autotuned vocals were really fun to vibe to. They were psychedelic, entrancing, and sound like they’ve got some triphop influence. As intriguing as the music is on its own, the performance aspect itself was the most interesting. Originally, I thought the performers came out in Hannya masks, but I later realized that they were wearing something closer to a rubber mold mask of a horned, four-eyed human. I’m not too clear on who is Feliz and who is/are Dada, but they commanded the stage during their regrettably short set. The singing performer flowed through movement like water, utilizing a few props, like a fish and a telephone, and got up close to the audience. They were truly mesmerizing to watch.

Kiani Medina

Kiani Medina was spectacular. I could immediately tell that she was really feeling her music. She grooved with the guitarist/instrumentalist who was performing with her and sang from the depths of her soul. I could really feel the emotion through all of her songs. I loved seeing how she connected with each note and let it reverberate throughout her body – her performance was truly a full-body experience. Her voice is rich and sultry, with a hint of rasp at the lower end of her range – very pleasing on the ear. She floated across the stage in motion with the music, rocking her body and waving her arms like willow branches along to instrumental portions. I enjoyed how eclectic the instrumentals sounded – some felt a bit more ballad-y and soulful, while others felt more rooted in psychedelia and funk. I loved her performance of “Clamores Vacíos” – I personally connected with the music a bit more, and I think she was able to lose herself in the music just a bit more during the performance.

The Mars Volta

Seeing The Mars Volta live – wow, what an experience. I’ll preface this by saying that I was unaware of their planned setlist going into the show; I wanted to let myself just experience it completely in the moment. They performed the entirety of their most recent album, Lucro Sucio; Los ojos del vacio, and nothing else (to my recollection). I was slightly disappointed at that, only because it was my first time seeing The Mars Volta live and there was a part of me that wanted to see my favorite tracks performed live. That slight disappointment aside, I did really enjoy the performance of Lucro Sucio; Los ojos del vacio. I was at the barricade, so I was right at the front and able to get an unobstructed view of the show. The live band was absolutely fantastic – obviously Cedric and Omar were amazing, but I did really love seeing other band members, particularly bassist Eva Gardner, get lost into their grooves and the music.

Providing supporting vocals was performance artist Teri Gender Bender, who I hadn’t had much knowledge of prior to the show. To my understanding, she is a frequent collaborator with The Mars Volta, especially on tour. The harmonies that Teri and Cedric made together were incredible – their voices play off of each other’s really nicely, and I love the layers of emotion that they are both able to convey through song. While Teri didn’t sing, they danced sort-of off to the side. I was a bit confused by the inclusion of their dancing – to me, it didn’t seem to fit with the rest of the performance. I couldn’t pinpoint if Teri was dancing to the lyrics to push narrative, to the melody or rhythm to accentuate musicality, or to the vocal cadence to add visual texture, but it just ended up being a distraction rather than an interesting addition.

The Mars Volta seemed to fall into grooves together and create something new apart from the studio versions on stage – it was really incredible to watch! Overall, all of the artists came together to create a kickass show and an incredible live experience.