The highly anticipated Deftones concert came and went in Orlando on March 20. Last September, Deftones announced an upcoming tour with Fleshwater and The Mars Volta. As a huge Fleshwater and Deftones fan, I knew I had to go. I was prepared with a presale code, and I got tickets. Here’s my recap of the concert that was like no other.
PRE-SHOW
I had originally planned to attend the concert alone until a stranger asked to go with me. While stranger danger is a thing I typically take part in, I didn’t that night. We met at the venue, and it was so much fun. Additionally, being in general admission, I met so many incredible people and made a lot of friends. I got inside at 6:40 p.m., only 20 minutes before the first opener, Fleshwater, went on. I still managed to get a great spot. I knew that my beginning-of-the-show spot would be very different from my end-of-the-show spot, so I didn’t mind.
OPENERS
The first to perform was Fleshwater. I have been a Fleshwater fan since last year. My favorite song is “Closet,” which, unfortunately, was not on the setlist. However, the band played other incredible songs like “Linda Claire,” “Standalone,” ‘Woohoo,” and “Enjoy” (which is a Bjork cover).
After Fleshwater, The Mars Volta came on stage to perform its setlist. Before the band’s set, many people said it was incredible, heavy, and upbeat. This was not the case. The Mars Volta played only slow, unreleased music. If we are talking technical, I thought it was great. A Puerto Rican alternative band that incorporates bongos in their music is awesome. The stage presence between the two singers was good, giving a dark, mystical vibe. I loved the last song they played, “Lucro Sucio,” but it did not match the energy of Fleshwater and Deftones. I found the set to be boring. I would have liked it more if I had sat down rather than standing for almost an hour.
Nonetheless, it made the entrance of Chino, lead singer of Deftones, that much better.
DEFTONES
After all of the moshing during Fleshwater, I managed to move closer to the barricade just in time for the Deftones to come on. It started with a bang, “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away).” The crowd went from zero to 100 right after they walked on stage.
Around the middle of the set, my new friend and I decided to get closer and more centered with the stage. The perfect way to go about this is to pass people and say you are going to mosh. They typically say okay and let you pass, making it to the center of the stage. The optional next step is to actually mosh for a bit. I made my way to the outer part of the circle, and with everyone still moshing, the only place you can go is forward. That allowed me to get to my ideal spot.
I was able to be front and center while they sang “Hole in the Earth.” Of course, “Change (In the House of Flies)” was unreal. For the encore, “Minerva,” “Bored,” and “7 Words” were performed. Screaming the lyrics of “7 Words” is something I will never forget. On a less positive note, something else I will never forget is a crowd surfer getting dropped on my head.
Luckily, I lived to tell the tale.
Overall, I would say my favorite songs to hear live were “You’ve Seen the Butcher,” “Minerva,” “7 Words,” “Hole in the Earth,” “Tempest,” and “Diamond Eyes.”
I had the most incredible time at this concert. I loved meeting new people and seeing everyone’s incredible outfits. I think Deftones will be Nirvana-level popular in the future, and I urge everyone who’s a fan to see them live!