To say that we (Olivia DeGagne and Emma Harris) were over the moon when we heard the news that we were receiving media passes from Live Nation to see Dia De Los Deftones would be an understatement. The two of us jumped for joy, shoved, and screamed at each other with our mouths wide open with shock because our excruciating desire to go not only was fulfilled, but landed us on the field of Petco Park. It was such a special experience to be surrounded by music enthusiasts during Dia De Los Muertos. Petco Park was transformed into a beautiful display of Mexican culture, with brightly colored flags fluttering in the wind at every turn. Skeletons and sugar skulls were scattered throughout the venue, presenting attendees with multiple photo-op opportunities. Moreover, many concertgoers dressed up for the special occasion, arriving as catrinas and catrines to celebrate the cycle of life and death. Over the eight hours we spent at Dia De Los Deftones, the highlight of the festival was getting to see some of our favorite bands: Duster, Sunny Day Real Estate, and, of course, Deftones. 

Duster

Olivia: It was a huge shock to go from listening to Duster while sitting at my laptop working on essays to being 6 feet away from the band surrounded by a crowd of people slowly moshing. In my opinion, Duster had some of the best visuals of the artists that played that night. The projections of saturated colors with grainy film quality and static transitions melded perfectly with the reverb of layered guitar solos. Although they were limited to a 30 set, the indie rock band made the most of their time by pulling popular songs from their expansive discography such as “Echo, Bravo”, “Heading for the Door”, and “Orbitron”. However, my favorite song from their set was “Chocolate and Mint”, a song about escapism and the toxic cycle of abusing vices in order to regain emotion. The slow, droning guitar that introduces the track immediately conveys a sense of somberness and detachment from the world. Combined with the lyrics being richly saturated with metaphors of addiction, the song takes the listener through the journey of being consumed by vices and feelings of numbness. My one critique of the Duster performance was that the band members appeared to be indifferent as they performed onstage. But considering that their niche is relishing in uncomfortable emotions, I can understand why they were not very expressive. Overall, I had a great experience witnessing Duster live compared to listening to their music through the speakers of my computer.

Emma: Despite only having a thirty-minute set, Duster made it more than worthwhile to audience members when they took to Calaveras stage, the smaller of the two stages at the venue, starting at 5. We were able to position ourselves in the second row of the audience, which is the closest I’ve ever been to an acclaimed artist. Some of my favorites that they played include “Diamond” and “Echo, Bravo”. While they started with a good-sized crowd, the high-pitch guitar pattern of “Orbitron”, the second of their six-song set, sent people flocking to the stage with their cameras out and ready. I was more than pleased with their performance. The sound was at a perfect volume (as opposed to Sunny Day Real Estate’s performance later on which had some people chanting to turn it up) and their delivery made you think you were in the studio as they were recording it. I especially took an interest in the audience members, as their music caused an array of reactions. Some opted for swaying back and forth while nodding their head, while others felt the urge to let their body feel the instruments. By the time their last song, “Echo, Bravo” played, a mosh pit even formed, which made me laugh as I anticipated this from Deftones but not necessarily Duster. Overall, despite their set being limited, being in attendance at this performance was a must-see, and I’m forever grateful to now be able to say I’ve seen them live.

Sunny Day Real Estate

Olivia: As we rushed over from the Duster set to see Sunny Day Real Estate, my heart began to race as soon as I recognized the band playing “In Circles”. To start my experience with Sunny Day Real Estate with a song I would play everyday as I drove to start another shift at Chipotle making subpar burritos was truly a full circle moment for me (no pun intended). What made the performance even more special was that they performed the entirety of their album Diary to celebrate its 30th anniversary. The lead singer, Jeremy Enigk, put on an amazing performance. I was very impressed that despite releasing their album Diary 30 years ago, Enigk’s voice sounded the same way it did on recordings from multiple decades ago. His ability to maintain such a high register and a healthy vocal tone is the feat of a great musician, and shows that he is musically trained. Another member of the band that stood out to me was Greg Suran. Filling in the position as a guitarist, Suran gave a very memorable performance during “Pillars”, as the climax of the song led to a bright, warm-toned guitar solo. I must applaud the band’s skill to seamlessly transition from one song to the next. As one song would end, they would effortlessly jump into the next one, which provided the audience with a beautiful listening experience. During the middle of the set, light rain began to fall on the crowd and droplets were illuminated by the lights of the stage– foreshadowing the rainy conditions that were to follow the rest of the night. Although the band played with excellent form and precision, they sounded a bit quiet to the crowd. One of the remarks I remember hearing from a concertgoer during the performance was something along the lines of, “Turn up the volume! I’m at a concert, not in my living room!”. Even though I was greatly enjoying the performance, I had to agree with the attendee that it would have benefited the band to increase their volume levels so that audience members towards the back of the field could have a more enjoyable listening experience. However, this would be an extremely nitpicky critique on my end, as everything else Sunny Day Real Estate did that night was beyond my expectations.

Emma: With Duster ending at 5:30 and Sunny Day Real Estate starting at the same time on the All Souls Stage, we had to hustle to the field of Petco Park with the rest of the Duster audience to miss as little of their performance as possible. This was especially unfortunate for us because as we pushed through the crowd we heard no other than “In Circles” starting to play. We managed to end up somewhat center to the stage, although we definitely had to fight to keep our field of vision clear as people rearranged themselves throughout the performance. I loved that they played “47” and “Song About An Angel”, particularly because I was moved by lead singer Jeremy Enigk’s performance. He performed the lyrics of each song with passion-fueled momentum that enticed even those who seemed to have never heard of the band. All of the band deserves their flowers really. I found myself captivated by Wiliam Goldsmith, drummer for the band as well as formerly for the Foo Fighters. The raw emotion on his face throughout the set made it almost seem as though he was possessed. He and the rest of the band performed in a devoted fashion, which made their performance moving (dare I say almost as much as the original releases) which is big for me because not all artists bring the same energy to live performances nowadays. Their set lasted until 6:45, and much to our surprise even started to rain towards the end of the set, which definitely added to the ambiance and ended the set on a memorable note. 

Deftones

Olivia: Although there were slight technical issues before the set and rainy weather conditions, nothing could stop the alternative metal band from putting on a stellar performance. To no surprise, the energy of the crowd remained electric throughout the band’s 20-song setlist. Attendees moshed, screamed, and sang their hearts out as Deftones played one classic song after the next. It was an amazing experience to see everyone dancing in their Dia De Los Muertos attire as rain fell down on them and Deftones serenaded everyone on stage.

Throughout Deftones’s set, lead singer Chino Moreno kept thanking the audience for their support, whether they were returning concertgoers or newly introduced to the alternative metal band. Considering Moreno is a huge rockstar, I thought it was very admirable of him to continually show his gratitude for his fans and recognize that they are responsible for the success of Deftones and his passion for what he does. For the 5th annual celebration of Dia De Los Deftones, the band went all out and played songs from their discography that had not been on their regular live performance repertoire. These included “Lhabia”, “Beauty School”, “Hexagram”, and “Rickets”, all of which had not been performed live in around 5 to 6 years. But what really sealed the deal for me with Deftones’s set was their amazing visuals. Scenes such as women dancing in synchronicity during “Change (In The House Of Flies)” and flocks of crows flying over a desolate highway during “Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away)” were some of my personal favorites. 

Emma: Deftones came on at 8:55, and although initially experiencing some technical difficulties and having to accommodate the unforecasted rain, brought an unmatched energy that reminded attendees why they’ve been hosting this event since 2018. The band did a nice job of mixing classics with surprises, kicking off the set with “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)” followed by “My Own Summer (Shove It)”, and including a handful of songs that haven’t been performed in years such as “Beauty School” and “Lhabia”. I was infatuated by lead singer Chino Moreno’s performance, which was filled with emotion and an immense amount of gratitude for his fans. He continually checked in on audience members, and I appreciated how he paid homage to all of his fans regardless of how long they have listened to them. I thought the visuals, such as the animated clips of faces accompanied by strobe lights, were creatively placed, and helped to etch the performance into my brain. There wasn’t a single song that I felt fell short in execution, and there were 20 in the set. After experiencing their set, it comes as no surprise that they’re able to sell out seats 30 years later.

All in all, we had an amazing experience at Dia De Los Deftones. Although we did not touch on all of the artists who performed, they were all incredibly talented and brought unique musical perspectives to the festival. The bands Duster, Sunny Day Real Estate, and Deftones particularly enamored us and we wanted to highlight their artistic integrity and performances. Thank you so much to KCR College Radio and Live Nation for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!