It was unseasonably hot and humid outside at White River State Park’s TCU Amphitheater on Tuesday night. The freshly renovated venue, which manages to feel both gigantic and intimate all at once, was absolutely buzzing with fans from all walks of life and made for great people-watching in between sets.
The first opener was Vowws, a self-described “death pop” duo hailing from Sydney, Australia. Their stage presence left a lot to be desired, which was disappointing because their music truly is great to listen to. Lead singer and guitarist Matt Campbell stayed planted in one spot the whole set; backing vocals and keyboard Rizz Khanjani did engage with the audience a bit, but otherwise the pair was very reserved. Campbell’s deep, chanting vocal style coupled with the dark, brooding pop stylings showcase why Deftones frontman Chino Moreno recruited them for the tour. I do think that they missed out on an opportunity by not including “Structure of Love II” on their setlist, which featured vocals from Moreno and has a charming Evanescence-like quality to it.
Next up was Gojira (formerly known as “Godzilla” until they were forced to change it to the Japanese iteration of the movie monster due to copyright infringement), a French heavy metal band specializing in prog and and tech-death. During the set change, a huge projector screen was dropped down, effectively obscuring the stage. They had a countdown on the big screens when it was almost time to begin, and strobe lights projected the band members’ outlines onto the screen while their signature bass-thumping and monk chanting played in the background. The screen was dropped on the first downbeat of “Born for One Thing”. The crowd was noticeably more perked up and focused on this performance, and there was a good amount of people in the seated area who were up on their feet. The band really came into its own by the fourth song, the eponymous “Flying Whales”. The sound was heavy, but the stage was electric and high-energy and drummer Mario Duplantier and bassist Jean-Michel Labadie kept the beats tight.
My only complaint about Gojira’s set was the almost comical overuse of strobe lights; I am by no means photosensitive, but there were a couple of times when they were just going off so brightly and for so long (and of course they were directed straight into the audience) that I had to look away. On the other hand, I really loved their thunderstorm ASMR atmosphere that they employed while switching instruments toward the end of their set. Lead singer Joe Duplantier was interactive with the audience throughout, and dedicated “Love/Remembrance” to Deftones for allowing them to come on tour. Precious.
Deftones faked out EVERYONE, bringing up the stage lights and amping up the music volume a good five minutes before they actually came on. Everyone was up on their feet and cheering, and there were definitely some confused looks shared by people when the band didn’t appear right away. It was extremely obvious when they did start, though; thick, dark swirls of fog obscured the band members, and the entire venue started thumping with an earth-shaking bass. This low bass frequency permeated so deep, it felt like everyone’s hearts were beating in rhythm. The guys started out with “Genesis”, a slow-burner that almost showcases frontman Chino Moreno’s signature screams.
Stephen Carpenter was absolutely majestic on lead guitar, not only because of his technical skills, but also his flowing hair, which somehow had a perfect amount of wind on it the entire concert. The band suffered before the tour when longtime bassist Sergio Vega left the band; Fred Sablan, Marilyn Manson’s former bassist, was tapped in for the tour and absolutely killed it.
Other highlights of the night included Chino busting out the most dad-like dance moves ever, while still managing to be a hardass at the same time, and the dedication of the song “Beware” to someone in the crowd named Scotty for his birthday.
The visuals utilized in the show were so stunning. The geometric overheads made you feel like you were in a futuristic mine shaft, and there were white panels that would come down during certain songs and had the sickest, sexy, dark visuals. “Knife Prty” specifically had my favorite background, which was very reminiscent of Eyes Wide Shut.
Crowd favorites were definitely “My Own Summer (Shove It)” and “Diamond Eyes”, and the band came back out for an explosive encore featuring “Lotion” and “Engine No. 9”.
This tour may have been rescheduled numerous times, but it was definitely worth the wait! Note that these guys rock LOUD, through. Earplugs are definitely recommended, especially if you’re sitting close or up in the pit.
Deftones Setlist:
- Genesis
- Rocket Skates
- Prayers/Triangles
- Royal
- Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)
- My Own Summer (Shove It)
- Tempest
- Swerve City
- Digital Bath
- Knife Prty
- Beware
- Sextape
- Diamond Eyes
- Rosemary
- Bloody Cape
- Change (In the House of Flies)
- Ohms
- Lotion (Encore)
- Engine No. 9 (Encore)
Gojira Setlist
- Born for One Thing
- Backbone
- Stranded
- Flying Whales
- The Cell
- Love / Remembrance
- Hold On
- Grind
- Silvera
- L’enfant sauvage
- Amazonia
The Lineup:
Deftones – Chino Moreno, Stephen Carpenter, Abe Cunningham, Frank Delgado, Fred Sablan (Touring), Lance Jackman (Touring)
Gojira – Christian Andreu, Joe Duplantier, Mario Duplantier, Jean-Michel Labadie
Vowws – Matthew ”Matt” Jaems Campbell, Arezo ”Rizz” Khanjani