The Waiting Room was rocking Saturday night (6/29) with the sweet sounds of the legendary Deftones!
Before I get too far, I need to give a huge shout out to Dave Campbell and Midwest Elite Concerts for putting this show together. If you don’t already follow Midwest Elite on Facebook, give them a like so you can keep up with all the awesome events they have coming up including concerts, trivia nights, and even live wrestling!
It was a steamy night Saturday, so stepping into the AC of the Waiting Room felt amazing! There were two locals on the bill ahead of the Defnotes. The first band of the night was Born on Leap Year. The band mentioned that it had been close to a year since their last show, and almost all of their songs were brand new. I talked to guitarist Mike before the set and he said they were going to record an album with all of the new material.
You could tell the band had practiced a lot leading up to the show. They sounded really tight and did an awesome job warming up the crowd. Most of the songs had a modern rock feel akin to Puddle of Mudd, Stone Temple Pilots, and Alice In Chains. They could easily fit between a lot of the bands you hear on 89.7 The River or even Z-92. Towards the end of the set, Born on Leap Year pulled out a ripping Nine Inch Nails cover! I can’t recall the exact song, but several folks around me mentioned it was NIN.
After Born on Leap Year was the pop-punk/metalcore band Before I Burn. These guys had a lot of energy! All the members were really fun to watch. Guitarist Bobby “Kiwi” Poehling was a total goofball, making faces and bumping into everyone. The fast paced riffs and slamming beats from guest drummer Scott Klusaw had the crowd moving! Before I Burn also had a cover in their set, “I’m With Stupid” by Static X and they killed it!
By the time the final act of the night Defnotes from Des Moines was up, the crowd was rabid! Several girls in the front shrieked with excitement as the band stepped on stage. Starting with the title track to 2010’s “Diamond Eyes,” Defnotes were off to a solid start! The lead singer had shorts with pulled up gym socks, a goatee like Deftones lead singer Chino Moreno, and even some of the same on stage mannerisms!
Defnotes worked their way through several albums playing hit after hit from White Pony, Saturday Night Wrist, Self-titled, and Around the Fur. Now, it’s impossible to completely re-create a band’s sound note for note, especially a band as legendary as Deftones, but Defnotes did an awesome job giving the crowd a unique experience. The guitar tones ripped, the drums were on point, and even the vocals shined. Deftones have a very unique sound and to be able to replicate even a fraction of what they do is no easy feat.
There’s a reason Deftones is my favorite band and I’ve traveled all around the Midwest to see them nine times over the last 20 years. So, for a while, I was transported, and just enjoyed hanging out with my friends listening to my favorite band’s music. Defnotes put on an awesome show, and I can’t wait to see them again in November with Alice Unchained and Holy White Hounds.
Once again, thanks to Midwest Elite Concerts for brining this show!
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