The Bots, Death From Above 1979, Deftones, Incubus; August 23rd, 2015

The Bots, Death From Above 1979, Deftones, Incubus
August 23rd, 2015
Starlight Theater
Kansas City, Missouri

What an amazing day for a concert! The drive to Kansas City was calming and gave us the chance to collect our thoughts and prepare for an afternoon and evening of rock and metal. The weather was perfect. A cool breeze fought the sun as it peaked out from behind the scattered clouds. Most importantly, Kansas City was ready to rock.
Since the bands would be playing Red Rocks in Denver the following day, and Starlight has a 10 o’clock curfew, today’s show would be starting an hour early, giving the fans a chance to enjoy the show without having to stay up past their bedtimes on a Sunday night.
Sadly though we missed The Bots’ performance. People that I spoke with said the band put on a great set, and put the early crowd in a great mood while prepping them for the rest of the bands.
Canadian rockers Death From Above 1979 followed. The band’s 10 song setlist was heavy with tracks from their release “The Physical World”. Only two tracks off of their 2004 debut “You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine” release were mixed into the set and were a great introduction to the band’s earlier recordings. DFA1979, consisting or drummer and vocalist Sebastien Grainger, and bassist/synth Jesse F. Keeler, picked the heaviest tracks from their catalogue to pump the crowd and prepare them for Deftones’ and Incubus’ sets. Even though people were still making their way to their seats, I saw a bunch of people stop short of the reserved seating area, pausing to listen to DFA1979’s set before taking their seats.
After a brief set change, Deftones were ready to take the stage. It wasn’t long before the band teased the crowd with the intro for Bored. Screams and cheers erupted from the amphitheater as a few thousand rabid fans jumped to their feet.
Deftones’ set was an amazing mixture of tracks from each of the band’s six studio albums. I spoke with dozens of fans who’d be seeing the band live for the first time tonight, and even more hardcore fans who’d seen them live numerous times. Chino Moreno was in a great mood, joking with the crew and band during their set.
Former bassist Chi Cheng was missed though. This would be my 7th time seeing the band live, but only my second since the untimely death of Cheng. In his memory, the whole band brought it strong. The band’s 17 song setlist was a perfect mixture of tracks from their extensive catalogue. Deftones started strong, and kept their high energy pace throughout their time on stage.
Having the opportunity to co-headline with Incubus gave both bands the time to play what would be considered a headlining set list. That also meant that the stage performance was bigger. Two full stage length LCD screens flashed video clips and various images during each of the band’s tracks. As the sun began to set, the stage lights flashed and burst, heightening the mood and intensity of Deftones’ set.
Deftones and Incubus are bands that have grown musically with their fans. The newer tracks from both bands’ catalogues mixed perfectly with their older releases. Hearing Deftones’ 4 tracks off of their most current release, “Diamond Eyes” each played back-to-back, then to switch into the heavier tracks off of “White Pony” and “Around the Fur” gave us a whole new perspective of how far the band has evolved in the past 3 decades. Closing with “Engine No.9” gave Chino and the boys once last chance to push the fans over the edge.
The first time I saw Incubus was 1998 at the Safari Club in Des Moines, Iowa. The band opened for Snot, and System of a Down. If I remember right, there were maybe a dozen of us there to see the show. Since then, I’ve been lucky to have seen Incubus half a dozen times, and each time the venue gets bigger, the crowd more into their set, and the show’s more elaborate. The same LCD screens that Deftones used during their set served to project some of the band’s videos, splashes of color and images of traveling through a brilliant star field.
Incubus have mastered the art of a live show. They utilized the visual elements at their disposal to enhance the overall experience of their music. I couldn’t think of two bands that compliment each other’s art and messages as much as Deftones and Incubus do.

DFA1979 setlist;
Turn It Out
Right On, Frankenstein!
Virgins
Going Steady
White Is Red
Trainwreck 1979
Gemini
Government Trash
Always On
The Physical World

Deftones setlist;
Feiticeira w/ Bored intro
Lhabia
Knife Prty
Mascara
Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)
My Own Summer (Shove It)
Diamond Eyes
You’ve Seen the Butcher
Sextape
Rocket Skates
Swerve City
When Girls Telephone Boys
Tempest
Passenger
Change (In the House of Flies)
Headup
Engine No. 9 w/  snippet of Wicked

Incubus setlist:
S.T.A.Y. (Hans Zimmer cover)
Nice to Know You
Anna Molly
Circles
Absolution Calling
Are You In?
Sick Sad Little World
Vitamin
Trust Fall
In the Company of Wolves
Wish You Were Here
I Miss You
Love Hurts
Pardon Me
Megalomaniac
Dig
Drive
A Crow Left of the Murder

Dear Deftones,
You were awesome. You made my Sextape moist.
Sincerely,
Adam & Liz