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08/02/2015 Incubus, Deftones (Darien, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center)
By Eric | August 4, 2015 9:36 am
Just a few days after the big Slipknot / Lamb of God show, I was right back at Darien Lake for another twin bill. Instead of 50/50, however, this was about a 95/5 in favor of the Deftones. There was an opening band [The Bots], but I didn’t see them, making it into the venue during set change. In fact, I had assumed that it was going to be anyone but the Deftones up next, and I was casually strolling back to my 5th row seat when opening riff of Diamond Eyes started. Can’t say I’ve ever made it back to the front of the amphitheater that fast in all of my concert-going!
Once ensconced up front, I was able to enjoy the rest of Diamond Eyes, and then the first of many nods to the old-school, My Own Summer followed by Lhabia (just like on the album!). There was a great flow to the set, working in the highs and lows, and a great mix across the entire catalog. The band sounded fantastic, Chino was hitting most everything, and the crowd for the most part was into the entire set. It was readily apparent that having an aisle seat on the left hand side was the place to be, as there were easily way more enthusiastic fans on my side. Way more people jumping in the seats, jumping in the aisle, and generally trying to make it like a “regular” general admission Deftones show. Seeing them in a seated environment is nowhere near as fun. (Why they didn’t do a GA pit (ala Slipknot) for this show is a bit of a mystery, although Incubus these days would have no use for it.) Anyway, Chino kept coming over to our side with the crowd pandering, probably a good 70% of the time; I’m pretty sure he could tell there were more “die-hards” on our side. Made the experience that much better! Nowhere was it more apparent than towards the end of the set, as after the mass appeal of Change and Be Quiet And Drive, it was time for arguably my favorite concert moment of the year… Stef hits the opening riff of “Headup” and the entire side of the crowd I was on went BONKERS. (Check out the 7th video in the playlist below, halfway through) There were a number of us that tried to make it as GA as possible. Speaking for myself, I don’t think I stopped jumping the entire song, and I wasn’t alone! Most fun I’ve had in awhile! That would have been great as the closer, but noooooo… they weren’t done! Next was Birthmark (which I’d never seen live!), and they closed with Engine No. 9, which was almost as much fun as Headup. And I even caught a drumstick at the end of the set! Kinda, sorta, not really. More like ripped it out from under the foot of a girl who had been sitting down the whole show (the exception to my “crowd going wild” statement above), and was sitting even as the drumstick came close to her. She was none too pleased. But I explained it to her a bit less eloquently than I’m writing here, in so many words saying “Sorry hun, your lack of care during the entire set equates to my lack of care for your proximity to the drumstick, or your foot, for that matter.” YOINK. Yes, I’m going to say it, she didn’t DESERVE that drumstick. The set was great, the band was great, the crowd was great. Slipknot/LoG may have been the best overall show of the year, but this individual set has to take top billing for the year.
Even better, someone that *didn’t* feel like jumping captured the entire set from just behind where I was, so not only can I relive the show essentially from my perspective, I can watch my lanky, dorky self jumping around and going crazy the whole time. (Ohhh, so that’s what I look like when I’m getting my money’s worth lol). Thanks dude!
Deftones setlist:
Diamond Eyes
My Own Summer (Shove It)
Lhabia
Beware
Bloody Cape
Sextape
You’ve Seen the Butcher
Rocket Skates
Tempest
Swerve City
Knife Prty
Digital Bath
Change (In the House of Flies)
Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)
Headup
Birthmark
Engine No. 9
After a set like that, there wasn’t going to be much of anything that would equal the excitement in my eyes, and Incubus didn’t. I had retreated back to the 400’s to hang out with Dave and his crew, catch a beverage, and catch my breath. I never really got into Incubus, and I’d only seen them once before, years ago opening for Limp Bizkit back in 1998 (on SCIENCE). Of course, I know all the radio hits, but that’s really about it. The only older song they played was Vitamin (I really only know Certain Shade of Green and New Skin, so even Vitamin was meh to me.) The show as a whole was okay, they sounded good, but there didn’t seem to be much movement among the band members, they just kind of stood there and played the songs. As a non-fan, it didn’t really make me like them any more than I already do. After they played Drive as part of the encore, I slipped out the back and beat all the traffic out of the venue. Obviously I’m biased, but compared to the Deftones, there was no comparison. Incubus didn’t have it, and the Deftones did.
Incubus Setlist:
Wish You Were Here
Anna Molly
Circles
Absolution Calling
Are You In?
Vitamin
Trust Fall
In the Company of Wolves
Nice to Know You
Here in My Room
Sick Sad Little World
Pardon Me
Make Out Party
Megalomaniac
(Nirvana’s Come As You Are snippet)
Encore:
Dig
Drive
A Crow Left of the Murder
(Beatles’ I Want You (She’s So Heavy) closing)
Topics: Concerts | Tags: 2015, Darien Lake PAC, Deftones, Incubus | Comments Off on 08/02/2015 Incubus, Deftones (Darien, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center)
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