Deftones Treat Fans at the Greek Theatre to a Powerful Performance

Matt Matasci

Over the last few decades, nu-metal and aggro-rock genres have shifted from the gold standard of commercial heavy music to being completely displaced in favor of artists with more nuanced approaches. Meanwhile, Deftones, a band considered a major part of the nu-metal and rap-metal movements, has never been more respected. Their recently released “Gore,” was met with critical acclaim and last week the band headlined Los Angeles’ prestigious Greek Theatre.

Led by the unmistakable vocalist Chino Moreno and backed by some of the most adventurous players in modern rock, Deftones’ are different than the groups they left in the dust at the beginning of this decade. During their adrenaline-fueled performance on Wednesday, they showed that they were more experimental and thoughtful than their peers.

The band’s set touched on nearly every significant point in their discography, including some of their less-exalted releases like “Diamond Eyes.” The early portion of the set included “Rickets” and “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away),” from their mid-90s commercial breakthrough “Around the Fur.” Despite having an exciting new record, the set was surprisingly heavy on their older hits with “(L)MIRL,” “Geometric Headress” and the title track being performed during their 19 song set.

“Change (In the House of Flies)” and “Digital Bath,” from “White Pony,” were included, while “My Own Summer (Shove It)” and “Bored” made it into the first and second encore, respectively.  The evening closed out with a tribute to recently-deceased musical icon Prince. The band performed “Purple Rain,” bringing the night to a close in powerful fashion.

While the last of their contemporaries hold onto whatever thread of interest remains for the nu-metal genre, Deftones continue to evolve. They may not always be at the top of the commercial food-chain, but the alternative metal band remains one of the most interesting.

Opening for Deftones was Southern rapper Yelawolf. With a new album coming this fall, the rapper from Alabama put on a spirited performance. His set included songs such as “Pop the Trunk,” “Catfish Billy” and “Empty Bottles.”

Deftones performed at the Greek Theatre on Aug. 24.