Concerts Reviews
Deftones Bring Power and Poise to Vancouver’s Rogers Arena
The last time Deftones played Vancouver, they were already legends. On Friday night at Rogers Arena, they cemented it. The show doubled as the kickoff for their late-summer tour and the release day of their long-awaited tenth studio album Private Music. That kind of timing can either weigh heavy on a band or send them into overdrive. Luckily for us, Chino Moreno and crew chose the latter.
The lights dropped, and Stephen Carpenter’s unmistakable riff announced “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away).” Within seconds, Chino Moreno bounded across the stage, voice already at full throttle. Before the arena could catch its breath, they launched into “My Own Summer (Shove It),” and the floor erupted into a mosh pit (shoutout to the fan wearing a full Cat In A Cat Costume). Crowd surfers did not stopped for the rest of the night.
Then came the first surprise: “My Mind Is a Mountain,” performed live on tour for the very first time. The track, one of the lead singles from Private Music, swirled before detonating into massive riffs. Hearing a song debut in front of 18,000 people gave it an edge where half the crowd was unsure what was coming, the other half already singing along from memory.
The setlist was a back and forth between past and present. Staples like “Diamond Eyes” and “Tempest” landed with the force of old favourites, while “Swerve City” sent the floor into rhythmic chaos. But just as quickly, they pulled things inward with the hypnotic “Digital Bath” and the shimmering melancholy of “Sextape.” This balance of violence and beauty, often within the same song, remains Deftones’ greatest trick.
Carpenter’s return to full-time touring gave the night extra weight. His down-tuned guitars powered “Rocket Skates” and “Around the Fur,” while Abe Cunningham’s drumming on “Headup” was a show of sheer endurance. That track bled into a brand-new outro with “Souvenir” from Private Music, a clever fusion of old aggression and new material.
Perhaps the biggest shock of the night came mid-set with “Entombed,” a 2012 fan favourite that hadn’t graced setlists in years. Its calm hushed the arena before “Infinite Source,” another tour debut, sent everyone right back into chaos. Hearing three brand-new songs in one night proved the band wasn’t leaning on nostalgia. They came to prove that Private Music belongs in the conversation with their best work.
Of course, the night wasn’t without the deep cuts fans dream about. “Hole in the Earth,” from the often-overlooked Saturday Night Wrist, drew one of the loudest cheers of the night, its weight amplified by Chino’s delivery.
The main set closed with “Genesis” and then, fittingly, “Milk of the Madonna.” The latter, another tour debut, showed off the band’s willingness to experiment: part lullaby, part nightmare, and wholly Deftones.
When the band returned for the encore, the choices felt deliberate. “Cherry Waves” gave longtime fans a rare gem, washing the arena in guitar textures. Then came “Engine No. 9,” a tour debut that sent the pit back into pure chaos. Finally, they ended the night with “7 Words,” the furious anthem that started it all back in 1995. Hearing it live, almost 30 years later, was a full-circle moment.
Through it all, Moreno was the unshakable centre. At 51, he’s somehow sharper than ever: screaming, crooning, running, leaping, never losing breath or intensity. Carpenter’s riffs anchored everything, while Cunningham and bassist Sergio Vega (back with them for this tour) drove the songs with punishing precision. Frank Delgado’s textures added the atmosphere, the ghostly electronics that make Deftones more than just heavy.
Production was stripped back but effective. LED walls washed the stage in colours, matching the mood swings of the set. Sometimes the band played in silhouette, swallowed by shadow. Other times they were lit up harshly, every movement exaggerated against the blinding white strobes.
By the time the final notes of “7 Words” faded, Rogers Arena was drenched in sweat and euphoria. Deftones have been around long enough to watch entire genres rise and fall. Yet here they are in 2025, dropping a new album on the same day they kick off a tour, still making arenas shake, still giving their fans something to believe in.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
08/24 – Edmonton, AB @ Rogers Place *
08/25 – Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome *
08/27 – Winnipeg, MB @ Canada Life Centre *
08/29 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center *
08/30 – Milwaukee, WI @ Fiserv Forum *
09/01 – Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center *
09/03 – Toronto, ON @ Rogers Stadium !
09/05 – Toronto, ON @ Rogers Stadium !
09/07 – Quebec City, QC @ Videotron Centre *
09/08 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre +
09/10 – Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Arena +
09/11 – Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena +
09/13 – St. Louis, MO @ Enterprise Center +
09/15 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena +
09/17 – Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center +
09/19 – Atlanta, GA @ Shaky Knees
09/20 – Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life
10/03 – Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock
11/01 – San Diego, CA @ Petco Park (Dia De Los Deftones)
* = w/ Phantogram and The Barbarians of California
+ = w/ IDLES and The Barbarians of California
! = w/ System of a Down
More info on their website.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the fulle gallery!
DEFTONES
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Halestorm in Buenos Aires: A Mountain of Hard Rock
Halestorm, the hard rock band hailing from Pennsylvania returned to Argentina after a decade to launch their latest studio album, titled Everest. The event took place this past March 29 at the Teatro Gran Rivadavia in Buenos Aires.
The night began calmly; the audience trickled in slowly, likely due to the numbered seating, which encouraged many to enter at the last minute. However, as always, the most die-hard fans were inside the theater early. From that same section, and in the absence of a support band, a group of fans spontaneously began singing several of the band’s choruses in unison, delivering impressive vocal performances.
At 9:00 PM, with surgical precision, the first to appear on stage was Arejay Hale (drums), followed by Josh Smith (bass) and Joe Hottinger (guitar). Finally, the frontwoman, singer, guitarist, and keyboardist, Lzzy Hale, made her entrance.
They chose to open with their 2009 debut single, “I Get Off.” They followed up with two more classics, “Love Bites (So Do I)” and “I Miss The Misery.” After these three tracks, it was clear that both the band and the audience were ready to give it their all.
Halestorm continued the set with “Watch Out!” from their latest album, followed by “Black Vultures” from the Vicious LP. Once finished, Lzzy addressed the crowd to recall the band’s participation in the 2025 Black Sabbath tribute in Birmingham. She asked the audience to raise their hands with the classic “metal horns” in memory of Ozzy Osbourne, leading into a cover of “Perry Mason.”
After a massive round of applause, the Americans continued presenting tracks from their new album with “Shiver.” Then—with a dedication from Lzzy to the women in the house—they played “Like a Woman Can,” closing the trio of new songs with “I Gave You Everything.”
At the midpoint of the concert, Lzzy took the mic to sing a fragment of “Familiar Taste of Poison,” showcasing her incredible range and clean high notes, before seamlessly transitioning into “Rain Your Blood On Me.” This highlighted her grittier, “broken” vocal style, proving her immense versatility as a singer.
After a brief break for the rest of the band, Arejay Hale took the spotlight for a drum solo that included his signature giant sticks. The band then returned for “Back From The Dead” and “Wicked Ways.”
The set continued with “K-I-L-L-I-N-G” and “Uncomfortable.” True to the song’s title, the beginning of the latter was the only moment where Lzzy seemed slightly “uncomfortable,” possibly due to a sound issue or a brief memory lapse with the lyrics—nothing serious, and it was resolved within seconds. They closed the main set with the title track of their new album, “Everest.”
After a few minutes of the crowd chanting for more, the band returned with “Freak Like Me,” a true anthem that had the “Freaks” (as the fans are called) jumping in unison. To wind down the night, they opted for “Fallen Star” and the ballad “Here’s To Us,” during which Lzzy Hale donned the Argentine national jersey with Lionel Messi’s number 10.
Thus, Halestorm concluded their third visit to Argentina, delivering a solid, polished, and high-energy show with top-tier sound. They gave their all to both long-time fans and the many new ones in attendance. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait another 10 years to see them again.
Words by Martin Cervetto
Photos by Tute Delacroix (@tutedelacroix)
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Evan Honer Turns the Commodore Into a Living Room Singalong
On March 30, 2026, Commodore Ballroom felt less like a historic venue and more like someone’s packed house party with Evan Honer at the centre of it all.
The night opened with Sam Burchfield, whose warm, rootsy set eased the crowd in. His style leaned into folk and Southern textures, setting a tone that fit neatly with what was coming next.
Honer’s rise still feels a bit unreal when you line it up. A few years ago, he was balancing college life and Division I swimming. Then his cover of “Jersey Giant” by Tyler Childers exploded online, pulling in hundreds of millions of streams and flipping his life overnight. Fast forward to now, and he’s running his own label, recording out of a garage studio, and touring internationally with a catalogue that keeps growing.
That momentum showed up immediately on stage. Honer kicked off his set with a burst of energy (and yes, a backflip!) setting the tone for a night that bounced between chaos and quiet reflection. Backed by a 5-piece band, he moved easily between acoustic moments and full-band arrangements, switching guitars and moods easily.
A big part of the set leaned on his latest album, Everything I Wanted, which marks a shift in his sound. The Americana roots are still there, but there’s a stronger pull toward indie pop and mainstream country. Tracks like the title song turned into full-on crowd moments, with the audience shouting back every word.
What stood out most was how little it mattered whether a song was new or old. Fans knew everything. Tracks from West On I-10 landed just as loudly as newer material, and songs like “Foolin’ Ourselves” and “Too Far Gone” felt like staples rather than throwbacks.
Mid-set, Honer slowed things down and stripped it back. Alone on stage, he played “Brother” and “Mr. Meyers,” both heavy, personal songs. You could feel the room quiet. It’s a risky move in a high-energy set, but it paid off.
He didn’t let things stay heavy for long with “Jersey Giant.” It’s still the song that introduced him to a massive audience, and live, it feels like it belongs to both him and the crowd now.
The encore leaned unexpected, with a cover of “Sugar, We’re Goin Down” by Fall Out Boy that somehow worked perfectly. Honer closed with “IDK Shit About Cars,” sending the room out on a high.
Beyond the music, the night carried a bit more weight. Honer has partnered with PLUS1, with $1 from every ticket supporting the Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance. It’s a small detail, but it adds context to an artist who clearly thinks beyond the stage.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
Upcoming Tour Dates:
March 31 – Seattle, Wash. @ Showbox
April 1 – Portland, Ore. @ Crystal Ballroom
April 3 – San Francisco, Calif. @ The Fillmore
April 4 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ El Rey Theatre
April 5 – San Diego, Calif. @ The Observatory North Park
April 7 – Flagstaff, Ariz. @ Orpheum Theater
April 10 – Tucson, Ariz. @ La Rosa
April 11 – Phoenix, Ariz. @ The Van Buren
April 15 – Tulsa, Okla. @ Cain’s Ballroom
April 16 – Dallas, Texas @ The Echo Lounge & Music Hall
April 18 – Georgetown, Texas @ Two Step Inn
More information on Evan Honer’s website.
EVAN HONER
SAM BURCHFIELD
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer