The Obelisk Presents: Mars Red Sky US Tour Dates with Greenbeard
You like symmetry? I do. Here’s a bit of it for you. In January 2020, Bordeaux, France, progressive heavy psychedelic rockers Mars Red Sky announced a Springtime return for their first US shows since 2016. I was proud to have this site as a presenting media sponsor, and happy for the excuse to reengage with 2019’s The Task Eternal (review here), because, well, I dig this band a lot and that’s a killer record. Relatively simple, I guess. So here’s the symmetry — the photo above is the same one I used in 2020 and I’m proud to be presenting this upcoming US run as well. And hey, it’s still their first North American shows since 2016! Not much has happened since then around these parts, right?
More than a decade removed from their reissued-last-year 2011 self-titled debut (review here; discussed here), it’s interesting to think of the band’s impact not only helping foster heavy music’s engagement with its own vision of thoughtful craft and artistic growth — they’re nothing if not a positive example in that regard — but also just the manner in which their blend of vocal float and tonal weight has become so widespread. They’re not the only reason for that — bands like Monolord, Elephant Tree, and King Buffalo have certainly had a say — but at least two of those have drawn marked influence from Mars Red Sky, and that’s by no means the end of that list.
The reason Mars Red Sky are so special, if you’ll permit me the indulgence, is that they didn’t stop with that central innovation/nuance. Their penchant for heavy/melodic has become more complex as their songwriting has done the same. The Task Eternal branched as far out as they’ve gone so far, and while I wonder if the forced time off the road of the last few years and the reissue of their self-titled in 2021 might see them reexamine the impact of that early work, invariably affecting their sound, whatever shape the next Mars Red Sky offering might take, I’m only keen to find out. Whichever way they go, they always seem to move forward.
Heavy music in 2022 wouldn’t be the same without this band’s work over the last 11-plus years. That is reason to show up much more than maybe an Obelisk logo on the poster or whatever. Plus they’ll be out with Greenbeard, and I just saw those guys at Desertfest New York (review here) and they tore it up. These are going to be some good-ass shows, and like in 2020, Mars Red Sky will hit Monolith on the Mesa as well. One more reason to abandon your life and roll to the desert, as if you needed another.
Dates follow, as well as Mars Red Sky‘s previously announced European summer stint, because this is the internet, damnit, and no gods no masters no borders just riffs.
Dig:
The Obelisk Presents: MARS RED SKY US TOUR DATES
– With Support from Greenbeard
9/09 Chicago, IL @ Reggies
9/10 Rock Island, IL @ Wake Brewing
9/11 Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway Theatre
9/13 Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive
9/16 Taos, NM @ Monolith on the Mesa Festival *
9/17 Phoenix, AZ @ The Rebel Lounge
9/18 San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick
9/19 Costa Mesa, CA @ The Wayfarer
9/20 Los Angeles, CA @ Resident
9/21 Oakland, CA @ Starline Social Club
9/23 Portland, OR @ The High Water Mark
9/25 Seattle, WA @ Substation
* = No Greenbeard
Previously announced European tour:
3C, Sound of Liberation, Ya Ya Yeah and Mrs Red Sound proudly present Mars Red Sky on tour:
02.07.22 SLUNJ (HR) Bear Stone Festival
06.07.22 LILLE (FR) La Bulle Café *
07.07.22 DORTMUND (DE) JunkYard *
08.07.22 JENA (DE) KuBa *
09.07.22 PLESZEW (PL) Red Smoke Festival *
10.07.22 GÖTTINGEN (DE) Vinyl-Reservat *
16.07.22 LA ROCHELLE (FR) Les Francofolies
21.07.22 SANTANDER (SP) Rock Beer the New
22.07.22 OVIEDO (SP) TBA
23.07.22 FIGUEIRA DA FOZ (PT) WoodRock Festival
24.07.22 MADRID (SP) Wurlitzer Ballroom
29.07.22 NEUENSEE (DE) Rock im Wald Festival
06.08.22 ERCÉ_EN_LAMÉE (FR) Macumba Open Air Festival
*With Witchfinder
Mars Red Sky celebrated the anniversary of their cult eponymous debut album in December 2021 by releasing an original online tool entitled “Inside MRS”, that allows to remix the album stems. Anyone who bought the record gets a private access code to log in to the website and to listen to the bass only, or to the lead guitar and vocals only, while watching footage of the recording sessions in the Bardenas Desert, Spain, about ten years ago. The band wanted to let the fans explore the entrails of the recordings. This release also features an illustrated lyrics booklet with fans artworks. Available for purchase at this location, through Mrs Red Sound Records: https://marsredsky.rocks/debutLPreissue
MARS RED SKY are:
Julien Pras : guitar, vocals
Jimmy Kinast : bass, vocals
Mathieu Gazeau: drums, vocals
