It’s been 10 years since I’ve seen Deftones live. I’ve seen them at least 12 times in my life before last night. I had taken a bit of a break from seeing them for a myriad of reasons but, I’m really glad that a couple friends said “Brian, I got an extra ticket and you are going to Deftones with us.” And what a show it was. Before I get into all the fun of the night, I will say this was one of the best Deftones shows I’ve been to. There is something special about this new run for them and I’m quite excited to hear what’s to come.

Just before 9pm the hype music started and all sorts of 80’s dance songs started pumping through the Forum. The looks on peoples faces was quite a sight to see as you could tell people were most definitely getting hyped up and ready for the onslaught. Then the lights went down, and Stephen Carpenter appeared on stage and then you heard the start of it all and BAM… “Be Quiet And Drive” kicks it all off and with a trademark Chino scream to really kick it off. The groove of that song had the entire crowd on their feet and immediately drawn into the show. From there it was just classics and fan favorites throughout the night. Songs from every album were played making it a well rounded set. Some of my favorite highlights were “Diamond Eyes,” “You’ve Seen The Butcher,” “Rocket Skates” the tour debuts of both “Around The Fur” and “Headup” (both of which are on the Audioeclectica Instagram page for you to view) as well as “Rosemary,” ” Hole In The Earth” and “Bored.” The production behind the band was quite awesome too. I think this is the biggest production they’ve had in a long time. The visuals playing behind the band and the different camera angles of each member made for a pretty visually stunning background. Abe Cunningham is still a beast on the drums. I find myself watching him a lot at Deftones shows cause he’s so damn good. Frank Delgado’s textures and keys really do add to these songs and live it’s even more fun to hear those nuances. Stephen Carpenter looked like he was genuinely having fun on stage more so than I’ve seen in years. Chino sounded great and his energy is absolutely infectious as it’s always been. The cardio workout he does must be something else! Then you have new comers Fred Sablan on bass who did a great job of holding that low end down. It is still a little weird not to have Chi or Sergio up there but Fred is doing a great job. And I want to give big props to Lance Jackman who has been joining the band on the road for a bit now on guitar and backing vocals. He really adds another layer to these songs that was sort of missing for a bit. All these pieces together really made for a great Deftones show and experience.

Now, this is the part of the review where I’m going to get serious. Having The Mars Volta as direct support on paper was a great idea. Whoever in their camp that came up with the idea to play only their upcoming album really needs to be slapped upside the head. That was one of the most insufferable sets I’ve sat/stood through. I’ve walked out on The Mars Volta in years past for just basically jamming on stage for however long they were on. This was a total self indulgent set. And while I get they wanted to try something new and different, it didn’t work. In fact it damn near sucked the energy out of the entire arena. It’s a shame too cause as musicians they are fantastic but, good lord are they boring. I’d rather be watching paint drip off a wall than see The Mars Volta ever again. Seriously guys, get over yourselves and play at least a good chunk of songs people would know. Selfishness as direct support is ridiculous.

The opening band Fleshwater was cool and had a fun sound that is reminiscent of more mellow Deftones and Siamese Dream era Smashing Pumpkins. They had a good energy on stage and tried their damnedest to get the crowd going but, when you have too much of a shoegaze sound it does tend to all bleed into one and it gets lost. Again, that’s not to say they aren’t a good band, they are a good one, they just need a bit more of an edge to push those songs into your chest. Also, considering that a few of the members are from the band Vein.fm, I did expect a little more but, I did enjoy what I heard.

Basically, I was there to see Deftones and they delivered a great set and one that was chock full of some of my all time favorite songs of theirs. Selling out two nights at the Forum at this stage in their career is a great accomplishment and one they should be quite proud of. This was seriously one of the best Deftones shows I’ve seen since I started to see them live back in 1998 (yeah I know I’m getting old hahaha). I look forward to the new Deftones album when it comes out and seeing them again. Hopefully next time with openers that bring it!

Review and Photos By: Brian Lacy

DEFTONES PHOTOS (not many as I was too busy watching the show):

DEFTONES SET LIST:
01) Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away)
02) My Own Summer (Shove It)
03) Diamond Eyes
04) Tempest
05) Swerve City
06) Feiticeria
07) Digital Bath
08) Prayers/Triangles
09) You’ve Seen The Butcher
10) Rocket Skates
11) Sextape
12) Around The Fur (Tour Debut)
13) Headup (Tour Debut)
14) Rosemary
15) Hole In The Earth
16) Change (In The House Of Flies
17) Genesis

ENCORE:
18) Minerva
19) Bored
20) 7 Words