The moment that Stephen Carpenter came one and took a picture a crowd with his camera, we all knew we are in for one hell of a night. As the rest of the band members walk on stage, the crowd screams grew louder. The moment they played the first song, the crowd went absolutely wild as the band kicked off the show in strong fashion.
In this concert, there was no room for disappointment. The superb musicianship from the band was clearly obvious. There was no distinction between their live presence that night from the six records they have recorded. Every note and every word was rendered perfectly that brought thrill and excitement everyone in the crowd. On top of that, they played a solid set which features fan favorites such as “Change (In The House of Flies)”, “My Own Summer (Shove It)”, “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)”, “Minerva”, “Hole In The Earth” and including “Rocket Skates” from their latest release Diamond Eyes
(this was Future Phonograph’s Cream of the Crop 2010; read it here). Again, there was no room for disappointment. It was certain that every fan left with a smile on their face because more likely they have heard one of the favorite songs played live that nightOne of the high points of the entire concert was when vocalist Chino Moreno stepped off the stage and into the crowd. As the crowd savagely rushed toward where he was standing at, my girlfriend and I was standing front and center as she grabbed his leg while I held on to his long sleeve. Between furious screams and melodic singing, everybody pushed and shoved all wanting a piece of the Deftones frontman. However, Chino showed great composure in the midst of all the chaos and broke free of the demonic release of the crowd to get back on stage. To add to that, Chino Moreno was extremely dynamic on stage. He was never idle for even a second as he ran around on stage like a madman. For someone that has been performing for 10 years, it’s great to see that he has not lost his touch.
The only sad note especially those who have followed the Deftones their entire musical careers (including myself) was the absence of their bandmate and dear friend Chi Cheng. For those that don’t know, Chi Cheng was in car accident in 2006 that left in a coma. His condition resulted in the band having to enroll in the duties of former Quicksand bass player Sergio Vega. Keep in mind though, he is not Chi’s replacement. Sergio is merely helping out his friend in their time of need. Although, Chi was not physically there on stage, in our hearts his was presence was felt. As we and the rest of the Deftones family miss him dearly, our prayers go out to him and family in hopes that he will one day return back on stage with his comrades. For more info on how you can help, visit oneloveforchi.com.
All photos were taken by Melissa Kumano of Bamp Project. You can follow her Twitter and look up more of her work here.
is probably my favorite album.
that things have started to change. By incorporating elements of electronica, ambient and trip-hop, the band’s raw sound began to evolve and diversify. It was a moment when their love for experimentation began to unfold. Combined with Moreno’s poetic lyricism and the band’s keen musicianship, White Pony has become their most innovative and most groundbreaking work to date. From then on, the Deftones make to a point to always push themselves musically on every album.
will always be known as the record that not only raises the bar in rock music, but also serves as a reminder for many bands out there to not be afraid to push their music to the next level.
. This will mark the first album without drummer/vocalist Aaron Gillepie, the last remaining original member of the band. With Gillepie's departure, this meant big changes and new musical opportunities for the band. First, they enlisted an old friend of theirs, Daniel Davidson, formerly of the metalcore powerhouse Norma Jean to man the kits. Second and perhaps the band's biggest challenge is Spencer Chamberlain taking complete control of all songwriting and vocal responsibilities. With these changes, creates a whole new dynamic to their music.
. With their newest release (please bear with me),
, they utilized these elements a little further in hopes that it would expand and diversify their sound. As a result, their latest work is perfect mix of heavy and complexity. But what blew my mind the most was the appearance of electro-pop sensation 
.
. The video was directed by 
.
2005 and 
in 2008, which I will be talking about one of them in the near future.
next week. Not only does the release have an album cover that reaps total awesomeness and have a really cool live set, but it is chuck full of bonus materials. The tracklisting is listed below as well as the album cover and bonus material. If you have not listen to this band yet, I highly recommend you check these guys out.