The Mars Volta are back. The band has shared its first new music since 2012’s Noctourniquet in the form of “Blacklight Shine,” and has also revealed dates for its first tour in a decade.
“Blacklight Shine” finds Mars Volta principals Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zaval at their most accessible, as it rides a Caribbean-flavored vibe far removed from the frenetic art-rock for which the group is best known. The music is showcased in a short black-and-white film that features Caribbean dancers.
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As for the reunion tour, it kicks off Sept. 23 at The Factory at Deep Ellum in Dallas and wraps Oct. 21 at the Hollywood Palladium. The Mars Volta last performed in July 2012 at the HMV Forum in London.
And though “Blacklight Shine” officially came out today, Mars Volta fans in Los Angeles may have already heard the song. On June 19, “L’YTOMEHODORXÍ TELESTERION,” an audio-visual art installation, was erected in Grand Park to tell the story of the band’s return. Inside of the cube, visitors were taken on an immersive journey to outer space and were able to listen to the new single before it was released worldwide. Those who weren’t able to visit “L’YTOMEHODORXÍ TELESTERION” will be able to experience it digitally on July 1.
The return of The Mars Volta comes after Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zaval reunited, then again dissolved, their previous band At The Drive-In in 2017-18. A limited-edition 18-LP boxed set featuring The Mars Volta’s entire discography plus some unreleased music was released last year.
The Mars Volta 2022 Tour Dates
Sept. 23: Dallas (The Factory at Deep Ellum)
Sept. 25: Atlanta (Tabernacle)
Sept. 27: Philadelphia (Opera House)
Sept. 29: New York (Terminal 5)
Oct. 1: Boston (MGM Music Hall at Fenway)
Oct. 3: Washington, D.C. (Anthem)
Oct. 5: Toronto (Massey Hall)
Oct. 6: Detroit (Royal Oak Theatre)
Oct. 8: Chicago (Aragon Ballroom)
Oct. 11: Denver (Mission Ballroom)
Oct. 14: Seattle (Moore Theatre)
Oct. 18: San Francisco (Warfield Theatre
Oct. 21: Los Angeles (Hollywood Palladium)
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