The Mars Volta @ The Electric Factory

The time on the tickets read 8:30pm.  This usually means the doors open at 8:30.  Not for The Mars Volta.  As we walked into the Electric Factory in Philly, Cedric Bixler-Zavala was already wailing into his trademark white condenser microphone and writhing around the stage.  The house was already packed as we made our way to the upstairs bar area.   I had not read much about the tour and was not surprised by the lack of an opening band. I just assumed that there would be one.  The Mars Volta live show is like clockwork.  Show starts at 8:30pm and not one minute later.

My only concern leading up to the gig came from their opening set with System of A Down at the Wachovia Center, also in Philly.   Of course, opening bands are usually not given the ability to manipulate the sound board to perfection. As a result, the wall of noise that emanated from that 2005 set was disappointing.  I gave them a pass because nearly impossible to sound good in a stadium, unless, of course, your name is Trent Reznor. I skipped the band’s last tour in support of the epic record Amputecture, for just that reason.  They opened up for the Red Hot Chili Peppers on that tour, and I had no interest to see Volta in a stadium show again.  However, when I heard that The Mars Volta was playing a club tour, I was excited to see them as the headliner.

After grabbing a $5 Yuengling, we decided to stay upstairs since I was with the gimp.  Fifteen minutes later, the band had not yet finished their first song. While the sound was much better than my experiences in the arena, some elements of their complicated arrangements were just lost.  Omar Rodriguez-Lopez’s relentless  tidal wave of guitar is deservedly high in the mix, and the drums in front of the new 24-year old drummer, Thomas Pridgen, were pounded to flawless precision.  At times, even Pridgen became the spotlight in the 15-minute-plus jams, and added a new complexity to the Volta rhythm section.  Bixler-Zavala’s vocals sounded sharp, but low at times, beneath the mix-heavy drums and guitar. With the exception of Juan Alderete’s bass lines, the other four musicians were completely drowned out.

The Mars Volta are a great studio band and amazing song writers, but their music does not translate well when mixed live.  Although their performance of ‘Tetragrammaton’ on the Henry Rollins Show was one of the best I have ever seen, so much is lost when you open that sound to a club environment.

The energetic set was two hours long. At 10:30pm the house lights came on, and it was over.  The audience started clapping and yelling for an encore, confused by the lights.  Even as fans were walking out the front door, many peered back, hoping that the band might come back.  However,  two hours is longer than most bands’ live sets.

Overall, there were moments where my mind drifted off.  For instance, somewhere around the 13th minute of ‘Cavalettas,’ the band was jamming over a very simple riff that quickly became repetitive after minute 19.  This happened about three times throughout the set. I appreciate the talents of the performers, but three jams over fifteen minutes is excessive.  The Grateful Dead could get away with 40-minute james because their fans were acid zombies, and the music was secondary.  To their credit, The Mars Volta sets are unapologetic, and the sophisticated songwriting is astounding.  To their detriment, the music is just too complex for most venues to handle.   Perhaps they would sound better at a concert hall like The Met or Sydney Opera House. I don’t see that happening any time soon.  With that being said, The Mars Volta continue to be one of my favorites. I look forward to their next masterpiece, just not the accompanying tour.

Nine Inch Nails @ Wachovia Center

I avoid arenas at all costs ever since The Mars Volta played an inaudible set opening up for System of a Down a few years back at the Wachovia Center. Generally speaking, large venues like outdoor festivals and arenas do not produce the sound or intimate setting one desires when seeing your favorite band. Although I still believe in that notion, recent events have made me realize that certain acts can pull it off. My last concert review raved about the sound that Radiohead was able to achieve at their recent All Points West headlining gig. This past Friday, Trent Reznor and company pulled off what I thought was just not possible at the Wachovia Center (and I’ve been there a bunch times).

Fans have been raving about the lights, set lists and sound on Nine Inch Nails’ recent Lights in the Sky over North America tour. I had seen YouTube videos of the lights, read set lists on EchoingtheSound, but was reluctant to believe that good sound was possible in that building. I don’t like to admit it often, but I was wrong. And I wouldn’t expect anyone else to shut me up. Let me just say that sound was mixed to perfection. Although you can’t overcome all of the downfalls of playing in an arena designed for sporting events, it just worked this time. Take notes System of a Down, The Mars Volta and Tool.

On a poor tip I overheard at a parking lot tailgate, we planned to enter the arena at 8:30 in time to hit the general admission floor at 8:50. As we entered I heard the opening riffs of 999,999/1,000,000 and rushed to the gate and entered the floor. It actually sounded so good, we first thought it was the PA system. “What arroagant bastards would play their own songs before a show?” I thought to myself. That was not the case, as an amazing 31-song set list would follow the opener.

The lights were something I’ve never seen used before. And, honestly, I could not explain how they worked if I tried. There are some YouTube videos that highlight some of these techniques but will not do them justice. You simply have to experience this for yourself. I’m posting one of those videos here anyway:

My favorite was when the lighting tech used a flood light to erase the images on a screen that is dropped in front of the stage. It makes me wonder how much money all of these lighting rigs cost.

The setlist was as satisfying as any NIN show I’ve been to (and I’m in double digits now). I’ve never heard Down In It played live before, and it was certainly a treat. Trent introduced it, saying,”This is an old song, a really old song.” Down In It was the first NIN single ever released. It came out in 1988 and preceded the 1989 release of debut album Pretty Hate Machine. Another rare track that surprised the crowd was Reptile. From what I can remember, it received the loudest cheers, both as the song began and after it was finished. Several songs from the Ghosts I-IV album were performed in chunks, highlighted by Trent playing a giant xylophone and new bassist Justin Meldel-Johnsen (formerly of Beck) on stand-up bass.

The new players represent the strongest overall lineup of the live band. Robin Finck plays a much meaner lead guitar than Aaron North did. North’s acrobatic antics on stage lost their novelty rather quickly, and Finck’s presence is menacing. Meldal-Johnsen is better known as being Beck’s bassist for years and looks a bit strange with his super-fro dyed black. However, he has a lot more energy than Jeordie White (formerly of Marilyn Manson) presented in the last incarnation. And what can you say about Josh Freese. This guy is on something. It’s not because of his physique but his relentless intensity. Some of the songs played on this tour have some complicated percussion arrangements that not many drummers would be able to pull off so effortlessly night after night. For now, I will forgive the fact that Josh is also the studio drummer for the Inidigo Girls, Daughtry, Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne, and Miley Cyrus.

Trent looked awkwardly buff as usual and should definitely be tested for steroids. He’s sporting a dark beard now, which could only explain that he is hard at work on Year Zero 2 and the HBO project (and doesn’t have time to shave). He was more talkative than usual and described how he had tried to escape Pennsylvania for 18 years as a youth and now finds himself back where he started. He went on about how at the beginning there were all dudes at his shows, and now he notices more chicks (which I’ve heard him say at least three times before). He also mentioned that he talks too much and will stop at future shows.

Overall, the show was great, especially considering the size of the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. It’s interesting to see how the theatrical side of NIN live, as well as the lineup, has evolved over the years. And it’s difficult to imagine how Mr. reznor will possibly top these concerts. Then again, I remember saying that two years ago. Here is the full set list:

1. 999,999 [Intro]
2. 1,000,000
3. Letting You
4. Discipline
5. March Of The Pigs
6. Head Down
7. The Frail
8. The Wretched
9. Closer [The Only Time Breakdown]
10. Gave Up
11. Me, I’m Not
12. The Great Destroyer
13. Ghosts 5
14. Ghosts 17
15. Ghosts 19
16. Piggy [Ghosts]
17. The Greater Good
18. Pinion [Interlude]
19. Wish
20. Terrible Lie
21. Survivalism
22. The Big Comedown
23. Ghosts 31
24. Only
25. Down In It
26. Head Like A Hole

ENCORE

27. Echoplex
28. Reptile
29. God Given
30. Hurt
31. In This Twilight