The Mars Volta Open Their Tour & Blow the Roof Off of Ventura's Majestic Theater
The Mars Volta chose the Majestic Ventura Theater to launch their Fall tour, and a sold-out, packed house got proof almost immediately that this band sounds even better in person than on record. In a tight, no-filler set that ran just over an hour and 15 minutes, the group tore through more than two decades of material with a hunger that made it clear everyone on that stage was operating at their absolute A-game.
Opening with "Viscera Eyes" and "Cue the Sun," the band wasted no time establishing the night's intensity, guitars and rhythm section locking into that signature chaos-with-purpose from the very first note. What made this show a genuine event was how deep the band dug into corners of their catalog that rarely get touched. "Que dios te maldiga mi corazón" got its live debut, while "Teflon" and "Miranda That Ghost Just Isn't Holy Anymore", the latter capped with its "Cygnus…Vismund Cugnus" outro, hadn't been played live since 2010. "Goliath" made its own return after a decade away, performed as an instrumental that let the band's musicianship speak entirely for itself.
For longtime fans in that room, these weren't just deep cuts, they were genuine rarities, the kind of setlist choices that turn a great show into an unforgettable one. Believe us when we say the house was absolutely rocking from beginning to end!
The tour's new single found its home mid-set, with "Reina tormenta" flowing directly into "Enlazan las tinieblas" in a stretch that showed off exactly why that pairing works so well as a preview of the band's forthcoming live album. "Graveyard Love," "Voice in My Knives," and "Poseedora de mi sombra" kept the momentum surging before the band threw in a genuine surprise, a live debut cover of The Fugs' "CIA Man," delivered with the same unhinged commitment the band brings to their own material. The set closed out with "The Widow," "Son et lumière," and a ferocious "Inertiatic ESP" that sent the packed room out into the Ventura night still buzzing. We definitely weren’t expecting it, but boy are we thrilled we got to see it.
The band dedicated their entire set to Andy Williams and Greg Foreman, a quiet, sincere moment that added real depth to a show that could have coasted purely on spectacle and still satisfied. The Mars Volta gave Ventura something that balanced raw technical firepower with genuine heart, a combination that's kept this band essential for over twenty years.
As tour openers go, this was about as strong a statement as a band can make. Tight, purposeful, and packed with moments that longtime fans will be talking about for months, the Ventura show sets an incredibly high bar for the rest of the run. And the bar is only going up from here as The Mars Volta head soon to San Antonio, where they'll open for My Chemical Romance at the Alamodome, before continuing on through a fall tour that's already shaping up to be one of the band's most essential in years. If Ventura was any indication, catch this tour wherever it lands near you!
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