Incubus vs. Deftones: Pick a side
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A few weeks ago a friend asked me if I wanted to attend the Incubus & Deftones concert at PNC Music Pavilion on a Sunday night. At first I was hesitant about the band mash-up, but then thought, why not? Tickets were cheap, I hadn’t seen Incubus in years, and thought it might bring back some good childhood memories.
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Prior to the show, I asked a good friend and avid Deftones fan to send me some songs to check out. I wanted to become acquainted with their music, at least enough to enjoy the show.
Unfortunately, I could not get into the slow, depressing metal sound of this band. This rarely happens to me. Aside from Nickelback and One Direction, I can normally find a little gem in even the worst groups. However, there are bands that record horrible albums, yet are magical live… and vice versa. I was hoping this was the case for my upcoming concert experience.
We arrived at the venue about three hours prior to show time. The lot was fairly empty at this time, and everyone was setting up tents and grills for a pre-show tailgate. I was glad to see that we were fitting in… so far.
As the lot filled in, I noticed that the crowd was becoming more and more, well, interesting. It was hard to pinpoint the type of fan that was attending this show – the diversity was immense. With this being a combo-rock show, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised.
After heading in and claiming our spot on the lawn, Deftones took the stage almost immediately. They opened with Be Quiet and Drive, a song I actually recognized. I was becoming hopeful that the energy of lead singer, Chino Moreno, would change my tune.
The show went on, and our group became less and less amused with the music. As we looked around, it became very clear that people were either there to rock hard to some Deftones, or they were there as bored Incubus fans. We were obviously part of the latter group.
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After a short set break, I made my way to the lower level for better viewing of the main event.
A five-minute show countdown timer appeared on the screens and the band members of Incubus slowly joined one another on stage. They each began playing a single drum, creating a melody. It wasn’t long before frontman Brandon Boyd arrived, and we were able to recognize the opening song as Wish You Were Here, a classic and nostalgic tune.
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Seeing them up close brought chills to my body. I was immediately taken me back to high school and college, when I was a more active fan.
They continued through their set with other fan favorites such as Pardon Me, Are You In?, and Anna Molly. The rock group also debuted a couple other songs off their new EP, Trust Fall, which made a perfect circle of songs that span across their entire repertoire.
Brandon Boyd owned the stage, head banging and singing passionately – his energy being one of the best qualities of the band. During In The Company of Wolves, Boyd appeared from backstage with a black, demonic, glowing mask over his head. It was a little weird, but also a little awesome, which is kind of what this band is all about.
Overall, I had a great time. However, my fun was delayed because of this dual-performance show.
The moral of this story is that bands don’t always mesh well together, and neither do the crowds they bring. Not to say that there weren’t people that were fans of both, but they were the exception.
I’m #TeamIncubus ‘til I die. Which side are you on?