Ben Rodriguez

Ben Rodriguez (b. 13 July 1974, El Paso, Texas) is an American guitarist and founding member of Tü Edge band. In December 1996, he joined At The Drive-In during one of the line-up changes (briefly replacing Jim Ward on guitar) alongside the drummer Tony Hajjar, who also played with Tü Edge, and veteran metal bassist Paul Hinojos. After recording on the El Gran Orgo (US 2000) (opens in a new tab) EP, Rodriguez suddenly got fired from the band and sent home just two weeks after ATDI embarked on their ambitious "100 Days Tour." With the exact circumstances of this rapid fallout never explicitly disclosed, most sources indicate that Ben Rodriguez had sociopathic tendencies, bullying and tormenting fellow musician and local El Paso artist Julio Venegas (1972—1996), a close friend of Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez until he committed suicide. One of the songs on the debut Tremulant EP by Omar's and Cedric's band The Mars Volta, "Concertina," revolved around the tragic events and indirectly condemned Ben Rodriguez for his role in Julio's untimely demise.