Having created over 35 records since 1996 — the majority of which he produced, in addition to writing every song — the Puerto-Rican born, Texas raised Omar Rodriguez-Lopez has a Grammy, is one of Rolling Stone‘s Best 100 Guitarists of all time, and generally makes the rest of us look like couch-bound slobs. One of his projects is the Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group: the live outfit that accompanies Lopez on tour in support of his solo work. The band is like a rotating Mars Volta reunion: currently its members are Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, vocals, band leader), Juan Alderete de la Peña (bass), Marcel Rodríguez-López (drums & percussion, keyboards & synths), Deantoni Parks (drums), Lars Stalfors (sound manipulation, keyboard) and Cedric Bixler-Zavala (lead vocals). Lopez’ long-time girlfriend, Grammy-nominated singer Ximena Sariñana, was the lead vocalist until 2011. This is truly a family affair.

Lopez’ first serious band — At the Drive In — a post-hardcore group from his native El Paso, found a big enough audience (remember “One Armed Scissor”?). But it wasn’t until he broke off and spawned the group Mars Volta that he gained any commercial success (their debut sold half a million copies). The group would go from their huge ’03 hit De-Loused in the Comatorium, to win a Grammy for “Wax Simulacra” in 2009.