RECAP: DEFTONES KICK OFF THEIR 2025 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR IN VANCOUVER

Backspin Canada
9 hours ago
4 min read

After a 13-year absence, Deftones made their long-awaited return to Vancouver Friday night with a set that was as blistering as it was historic. The band kicked off the second leg of their 2025 North American tour at Rogers Arena in support of their newly released album Private Music, debuting several tracks for the first time in front of a live audience and reminding the city exactly why their name still echoes across generations of heavy music.

Photos by Tage Stenner / Backspin HQ

The last time Deftones played Vancouver was October 14, 2012, at the Commodore Ballroom. It was a different venue, a different crowd, and a different era. Friday marked their nineteenth performance in the city, dating all the way back to August 30, 1995, when they played Warped Tour. Since then, few bands have remained this relevant while continuing to evolve their sound. With the launch of this new chapter, Deftones made it clear that Private Music is not a detour. It is a mission.

By 9:15, house lights cut and the crowd erupted. One by one, the band walked on stage to a wall of noise. Last to appear was frontman Chino Moreno, who stormed onto the catwalk and wasted no time diving straight into Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away). The reaction was immediate and deafening. My Own Summer (Shove It) followed, turning the floor into a pit of bodies, movement, and crowd surfers. Vancouver has seen its share of heavy shows, but Rogers Arena has not experienced this level of physicality in quite some time.

Deftones used Vancouver not just to launch a tour, but to introduce their newest sound to a live audience for the first time. Three tracks from Private Music - my mind is a mountain, infinite source, and milk of the madonna, made their live debuts, each showcasing different edges of the album’s personality. my mind is a mountain opened with a hypnotic, layered riff that eventually gave way to a crushing breakdown. infinite source leaned dreamlike before tearing wide open with explosive clarity. milk of the madonna was the darkest of the three, a slow-building crawl that erupted with noise and grit.

Classic tracks were woven between the new. Diamond Eyes, Tempest, Digital Bath, and Sextape each served as emotional resets between the heavier moments, pulling the audience into quieter reflection before Chino pulled them right back into the fire with Rocket Skates, Around the Fur, and Headup.

Midway through the set, Chino stepped forward and took a breath. “I dedicate this song to a very dear friend,” he said. “Mr Brent Hinds.” The crowd fell silent as he referred to the Mastodon guitarist who tragically passed away two nights earlier in a motorcycle accident. The band then launched into Entombed, a haunting 2012 cut that felt especially heavy in that moment. It was the kind of tribute that did not need flowers or projection screens. It just needed honesty.

For the encore, Deftones returned with Cherry Waves, a deep cut that floated across the arena in waves of echo and delay. That gave way to Engine No. 9, which lit the pit back up for one last surge of chaos. They closed the night with 7 Words, a track that still hits like it did in 1995, but somehow feels more charged now than ever before.

This is the second run for Deftones in 2025. The first came earlier this year with The Mars Volta and Fleshwater. In between, they hit select festivals and returned to the studio to finalize their new material. This fall, they continue across North America before eventually heading to Europe and the UK in early 2026.

But none of that mattered Friday night. What mattered was the sound, the sweat, and the fact that Vancouver waited over a decade to see this band return. It was worth every second.

North American Tour Dates

August 24 - Edmonton, AB at Rogers Place

August 25 - Calgary, AB at Scotiabank Saddledome

August 27 - Winnipeg, MB at Canada Life Centre

August 29 - Minneapolis, MN at Target Center

August 30 - Milwaukee, WI at Fiserv Forum

September 1 - Buffalo, NY at Key Bank Center

September 3 - Toronto, ON at Rogers Stadium

September 5 - Toronto, ON at Rogers Stadium

September 7 - Quebec City, QC at Centre Vidéotron

September 8 - Montreal, QC at Bell Centre

September 10 - Cleveland, OH at Rocket Arena