|
indie-snob>+!#
the mars volta @ the riviera (10-14-03)
with saul williams |
 Wow, how much money did I spend on the week that shall ever be known as: "THE WEEK OF TERRIBLE SHOWS [THAT COST A LOT OF MONEY]"? The fact is: too much. Last time the Mars Volta played here in Chicago, I saw Rhett Miller instead (my love for alt-country FAR surpasses my love for spazzed-out jazz-punk-metal-latin-funk (it even rhymes)). After that day, all the kids who went would only talk about how amazing the Mars Volta was, and I swore that never again would I miss them. I liked the album, but didn't particularly see what the gigantic deal was. Yes, it was interesting. Yes, it was original. Yes, it's At the Drive-In, but NO, their show was not worth it. My friend and I got there roughly 30 minutes before show time. We weren't too psyched to be waiting around for hours with the Q101 crowd. Nonetheless, we got some pretty good spots (maybe around fifth row?) and I spotted all the local scene kids. Bandannas for all! Saul Williams, a fairly notable poet/spoken word artist, opened the show. I was quite impressed with the quality of his poetry, and the fact that a real poet was performing his work. I get so sick of the terrible hip-hop artists who tend to open shows, but really have no talent. (I think of Grand Buffet when I say this.) His message was quite overtly political and he took a strong, immediate stance on political and social issues, which for the time period seemed welcomed, although slightly over-done. Saul performed four or five pieces, but spent the majority of his set talking to the crowd. Quite honestly, this was one of the better moments of his performance, because he really did have interesting things to say about the 2004 election and other events. It was just nice to have someone educated on stage preaching politics, but I can't say that his performance itself was especially mind-blowing, but I was entertained. Grade: B- I have an idea: let's get the crowd's attention by playing seven-minute solos during our live show. YEAH! Great idea Mars Volta!! That sure helped me retain my interest! By the first song, I had already been pushed to the back after a mosh pit broke out in the middle of the floor by two metal/industrial/something guys at the show (one had really shiny silver pants on!). For the rest of the evening, these men continued to ram into each other in a completely non-sexual way. That's what they tell themselves as they grind down the other guy (HARDCORE!! XXXCORE!!XXX). The Mars Volta only played five songs that night, due to their insane improvisation. Obviously, I realize this is what makes the Mars Volta special and amazing. Unfortunately, they were executing it terribly tonight. The playing was sloppier than the structure of the Mars Volta could ever allow. This created some problems. I mean, not only does ten-minute solos really push the amount of time I can take of high-pitched distorted guitar, but the fact that it wasn't even done well just made me cringe. I kept staring at my watch, wishing for the night to be over. I'd like to contribute their terrible playing to drugs, alcohol or sex. I'm not sure if any apply, but it would be nice not to lose all my respect for them. (But by the way, it's February now, and I haven't listened to De-Loused in the Comatorium since that night.) Setlist as transcribed by my friend, Sam O'Brien: Roulette Dares Grade: C+ |