Omar Rodríguez-López has described his approach to guitar playing as "war." More specifically, Rodríguez-López at war with the guitar. Listening to his highly-dissonant, flailing solos, indebted to Fripp and McLaughlin, the description seems apt. Some musicians are interested in battering their instruments, making them do things they weren't meant to. Rodríguez-López is one of those musicians.
Thursday in Dallas, his side project, Omar Rodriquez Lopez Group, will flex his more avant-garde tendencies, moments glimpsed within his work for the Mars Volta but here given a much larger canvas. If this all sounds intimidating, relax. Rodríguez-López is often a very beautiful soloist, given to quiet lyrical moments (think of the solo a quarter of the way into "Cygnus...Vismund Cygnus," the opener on Frances the Mute). Anyway, he's always an interesting guitarist to watch. He has magnificent hair and immaculate clothes. He moves his hand around the guitar's neck like his wrist was broken.
Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group
Thursday, April 28
7 p.m. (doors)
South Side Music Hall
1135 South Lamar St, Dallas
Tickets $18
