When your tour has been postponed several times due to Covid, the anticipation and anxiety of getting back on the road can seem a bit daunting. That’s exactly what happened to the Deftones tour. But, after nearly 2 years of planning, postponements and disappointment, they were finally able to kick things off in Portland, OR. The Moda Center was in the Theater of the Clouds configuration giving every sold-out seat a great view of the show.
Originally planned with Poppy opening, the multiple postponements meant that adjustments and sacrifices had to be made. With the show finally hitting the road, Poppy would be replaced by Australian “Death-pop” duo Vowws.
Gojira followed and put on an incredible display of sheer power and artistry. Lead singer Joe Duplantier spoke about having to shake off the dust after not touring for so long. “The first show of the tour is always fun because you get to see all the mistakes” he went on to say. Well, if there were any mistakes, they were not apparent. The band sounded as tight as ever. Drummer Mario Duplantier’s prowess on the drum kit is unparalled. All of the drumming accolades he’s received over the years are very well earned.
Headlining, the Deftones played a set of nearly 20 songs spanning their more than 30 year-old catalog. Being the first stop on their worldwide tour, and their first opportunity to get in front of their fans since the release of Ohms, they opened with “Genesis”, the opening song on their latest release. Lead singer Chino Moreno looked absolutely enamored to be back on stage. He stated several times how thankful he was to be back out playing music again. Clearly, the pandemic still taking it’s toll on the music scene.
Although this tour was a long time coming, it was well worth the wait. Deftones, Gojira, and Vowws will be on tour worldwide through the summer of 2022.
