The Deftones

Orlando Fairgrounds • August 6, 1998

Shad Clark

The Deftones are, by far, one of the hardest bands to have emerged from the whole “new metal” scene. This isn’t to say they lack less aggressive moments. Songs such as “Mascara” manage to show a somewhat softer side. It’s the Sacramento-based quartet’s penchant for pushing rock to rhythmic extremes, however, that has brought them to the forefront of this genre.

I was really looking forward to experiencing them live. Unfortunately, it took this year’s Vans Warped Tour to bring them here.

Someone, somewhere along the way must’ve thought it was a brilliant idea to book over thirty bands to share one venue on a single day. The flaw in this concept, however, lies within the thirty minutes sets each band is allotted. Thirty minutes. That’s roughly like each band performing half a concert. That means that the band you really, really wanted to watch will only have time to perform about six or seven songs.

The coordinators of Lollapalooza had a good idea. They allowed each artist ample time to play an entire show. The mastermind(s) behind the Warped Tour, however, seem to have gotten a little carried away. Despite genuinely good intentions, nearly three dozen bands shouldn’t be crammed into a single day event, though. It becomes overkill.

Oh, well.

The Deftones filled their thirty minutes with pure energy. At least that’s what I’ve been told. Y’see… Considering the facts that the Warped gates opened at 11:30am and the Deftones were slated to perform fourth, I figured I should get there no later than three. That’s a generous estimate, isn’t it? Shows generally start an hour after gates or doors open, don’t they? Bands generally play close to but rarely more than an hour, right? Little did I know that the Warped Tour was actually a relay race, with entire musical groups as its athletes and an enormous audience as that thing real relay racers pass to one another. I arrived just shy of 2:30 PM, and managed to hear the very end of the Deftones set.

Thrilled? Me?

Anyway…

I know I’m not the only one who’d be overjoyed to see the Deftones return to Orlando without 30+ peers. Perhaps their Warped excursion will show them that there is indeed an audience here for them to return to. ◼