Deftones @ Metropolis

The American ‘metal’ band Deftones reigned over a full house on May 4th. Metropolis was at full capacity; people could barely walk to the bar without bumping into someone. Personally, I had never seen the venue so crowded. Fans flocked from all over the country just to see these guys perform live. “I bought my ticket off some dude from Vermont,” exclaimed one fan that had searched craigslist for a ticket after he found out that the show was already sold out.

Even though the Deftones were popular back in the nineties, they are anything but outdated now; they are one of those bands that gain new fans with every album. The set list consisted mainly of songs from their latest album Diamond Eyes; however, this power band still played some of their older stuff, one being the very popular "Knife Party."

“I felt that the show started slow but then each song got better and more exciting,” said one of many concert goers who were a bit apprehensive when the Deftones first took the stage, and with good reason. The Deftones came onstage uncharacteristically. They were quiet and subdued; it took them a couple of minutes for the crowd - myself included - to realize that they had already begun to perform. However, after the third song, people were dancing, cheering and singing along.

Chino Moreno, the Deftones' hyper-lively front man, is the definition of a human energy drink. His boundless vigor was endless; from start to finish, he bounded wildly around the stage. Moreno screamed, cooed and sang melodically while simultaneously head thrashing. His voice is amazing, and it sounds better live than on album; he has been blessed with magic vocal chords. The band was flawless, and they all seemed to really be enjoying themselves onstage. One of the things that impressed me most about the Deftones was their stage presence and ability to get the crowd going wild. Moreno took barely a minute to pause. He was constantly running around stage. I was exhausted for him. At the very end of the show, during the last encore song, he stood up on the drum set and danced as though he had been hit with an extra hit of caffeine…complete madness. The good kind of course.

These guys are not youngins anymore, and yet they play like it is their first and last show; they are one hundred percent a band to catch live! If Moreno doesn’t inspire you to move…well, then I don’t know what will.

-Abby Schachter hosts The Reaktor on Fridays from 2-4pm