The inclusion of Juan Alderete as a bassist in The Mars Volta marked what is considered by most, if not all, fans as the best and most recognizable lineup in the band's history. It is not just that ended up finding a permanent bass player, but they also were slowly building up a strong onstage chemistry that would flesh out the potential that the band had in order to expand their tracks and flesh out their musical ideas even further with live jams and improvisation on certain segments. This provided for some really energetic and intense shows, where all the members were giving the best of their instrumental abilities. During this period, the band was in the middle of a tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Queens Of The Stone Age in order to promote their image and their upcoming debut album, but this would also mark the inclusion of some onstage features during certain songs. The tour was really intense, and the reception of that new band with "At The Drive In" members was mixed, but when the ambient was positive it truly showed as a whole. This tour culminated on a small performance on Brooklyn's Northsix that was partially recorded in order to be used as footage for a MTV news segment, but that ended up being leaked to fans.
This is one of the band's most essential concerts, and one that was truly special considering what would happen not so long after. One week after this performance, Jeremy Michael Ward would be found dead in his LA home due to a heroine overdose, one month before the release of De-Loused In The Comatorium, something that stroke a big chord with all the members of the band, who were starting to form a big bond at that point. Omar, Cedric, and Juan are on record of saying it was their best show, numerous times in print or audio interview for their own various reasons (the one that is the easiest to find in audio form is on this interview with Juan), and the reason why can be easily understood just by listening to it.
Sadly, this is an incomplete recording, since it cuts just after the beginning of Eunuch Provocateur, meaning that the rest of the track, along with Drunkship of Lanterns, Eriatarka, and Cicatriz, are missing in film and audio form. The audio quality isn't the best, since there is a lot of loud noise buzzing around, making some segments loud and some vocals getting lost on the dense atmosphere, and it can end up being annoying at first, but one ends up getting used to it eventually. But still, the instruments can be appreciated in how well coordinated and energetic they feel, and Cedric's vocals manage to be on point during all the performance.
It is a shame that the audio quality is not better, because what can be found here is one hell of a performance, a great, almost perfect, rendition and expansion of the tracks during that specific era, with the band giving their all in order to provide one great concert. Apparatus, Roulette Dares, Concertina, and Take The Veil are all incredibly polished and energetic here, only affected by the poor audio quality that doesn't let all the details be appreciated. Ikey's haunting and accelerated keyboard melodies, Juan's dynamic bass, Jon's explosive drumming, Omar's versatile use of pedals to create bridges to other songs and his talent with the guitar, Cedric's frantic but measured vocals, and Jeremy's complementary soundscapes and manipulations that give everything a complete feeling. This would also be the first instance of John Frusciante joining the band onstage during Cicatriz, to show his involvement with the band and how much they had grown in chemistry and onstage presence during that point, offering a performance that must have been fantastic but that sadly was not recorded on its entirety (but snippets from this particular moment can still be found online).
Northsix was a concert were all the elements that the band had to offer came together on a bootleg that, while incomplete, is definitely worth a listen for any Mars Volta fan. Intense, energetic, talented, coordinated, charismatic, jaw-dropping. This was the statement of a band that was getting more and more comfortable with their career, and that was coming with their all to offer impressive shows. It helps to explain why Jeremy's passing brought the band's spirit down for a long while, with them almost considering to break up, but still moving forward to carry the memory of their friend along side their artistic desires to express themselves. The footage from this recording would be used on a The Wrap news segment, showing how much Cedric and Omar were willing to change and evolve from what was At The Drive In, and how special they were despite the experimentation that they were trying to bring on board. The full recording of this bootleg can be found online, and while it is not complete, it is definitely worth watching in order to comprehend how special was, and still is, The Mars Volta, carrying a unique point of view on the shoulders of talented and special artists who were determined to push their ambitions forward with their energy and attitude.
Truly essential.
R.I.P. Jeremy Michael Ward
This is one of the band's most essential concerts, and one that was truly special considering what would happen not so long after. One week after this performance, Jeremy Michael Ward would be found dead in his LA home due to a heroine overdose, one month before the release of De-Loused In The Comatorium, something that stroke a big chord with all the members of the band, who were starting to form a big bond at that point. Omar, Cedric, and Juan are on record of saying it was their best show, numerous times in print or audio interview for their own various reasons (the one that is the easiest to find in audio form is on this interview with Juan), and the reason why can be easily understood just by listening to it.
Sadly, this is an incomplete recording, since it cuts just after the beginning of Eunuch Provocateur, meaning that the rest of the track, along with Drunkship of Lanterns, Eriatarka, and Cicatriz, are missing in film and audio form. The audio quality isn't the best, since there is a lot of loud noise buzzing around, making some segments loud and some vocals getting lost on the dense atmosphere, and it can end up being annoying at first, but one ends up getting used to it eventually. But still, the instruments can be appreciated in how well coordinated and energetic they feel, and Cedric's vocals manage to be on point during all the performance.
It is a shame that the audio quality is not better, because what can be found here is one hell of a performance, a great, almost perfect, rendition and expansion of the tracks during that specific era, with the band giving their all in order to provide one great concert. Apparatus, Roulette Dares, Concertina, and Take The Veil are all incredibly polished and energetic here, only affected by the poor audio quality that doesn't let all the details be appreciated. Ikey's haunting and accelerated keyboard melodies, Juan's dynamic bass, Jon's explosive drumming, Omar's versatile use of pedals to create bridges to other songs and his talent with the guitar, Cedric's frantic but measured vocals, and Jeremy's complementary soundscapes and manipulations that give everything a complete feeling. This would also be the first instance of John Frusciante joining the band onstage during Cicatriz, to show his involvement with the band and how much they had grown in chemistry and onstage presence during that point, offering a performance that must have been fantastic but that sadly was not recorded on its entirety (but snippets from this particular moment can still be found online).
Northsix was a concert were all the elements that the band had to offer came together on a bootleg that, while incomplete, is definitely worth a listen for any Mars Volta fan. Intense, energetic, talented, coordinated, charismatic, jaw-dropping. This was the statement of a band that was getting more and more comfortable with their career, and that was coming with their all to offer impressive shows. It helps to explain why Jeremy's passing brought the band's spirit down for a long while, with them almost considering to break up, but still moving forward to carry the memory of their friend along side their artistic desires to express themselves. The footage from this recording would be used on a The Wrap news segment, showing how much Cedric and Omar were willing to change and evolve from what was At The Drive In, and how special they were despite the experimentation that they were trying to bring on board. The full recording of this bootleg can be found online, and while it is not complete, it is definitely worth watching in order to comprehend how special was, and still is, The Mars Volta, carrying a unique point of view on the shoulders of talented and special artists who were determined to push their ambitions forward with their energy and attitude.
Truly essential.
R.I.P. Jeremy Michael Ward
Sound Quality: 6/10
Overall Rating: 9/10
Favorite Track: Take The Veil
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