Photos by Chris Besaw
Review by Kelly Besaw
It was a windy night as fans lined up to enter the second of two sold out shows at Rogers Stadium in Toronto. I was excited to see System of a Down, a band I had not seen since they played Ozzfest way back in the early 2000s. After a multiyear hiatus, System of a Down hit the road for a limited North American tour that included six stadium shows, two in East Rutherford New Jersey, two in Chicago and two in Toronto. This show would be the last of their North American run, they will be heading to Europe for a limited leg next. With such a limited number of performances, I felt incredibly lucky to have a chance to see them.
I mentioned that it was windy. The wind caused a safety issue that prevented the two openers, Wisp and Polyphia from being able to play on the mainstage. Unfortunately, due to a missed communication, I did not see either band as I was waiting to get to my seat inside the stadium. There was, however, a notification that the Deftones set was going to be delayed by approximately forty minutes.
I have seen the Deftones a few times and this time, lead singer, Chino Moreno was in top form. I’d say it was the best set I have seen them perform live to date. There was a general concern among attendees that due to the late start, they were going to have to cut their set short, but that was not the case. They came out strong opening with “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)” followed by “My Own Summer (Shove It).” Due to the late start Moreno and company were all business and didn’t talk to the crowd much as they worked their way through an eighteen song setlist that included fan favorites, “Hole in the Earth,” “Entombed” and “Change (In the House of Flies).”
The Deftones have no shortage of tracks to choose from as they have been putting out music and demos since 1988. They are currently on tour for their latest 2025 studio album, Private Music. They did play a few songs off the new album but also worked in a nice variety including some deep cuts. After a solid hour and a half performance Chino Moreno (lead vocals, guitar), Stephen Carpenter (guitar), Frank Delgado (keyboards, samples), Fred Sablan (bass) and Abe Cunningham (drums) bid the crowd goodnight.
Setlist
Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)
My Own Summer (Shove It)
My Mind is a Mountain
Tempest
Swerve City
Digital Bath
Rocket Skates
milk of the Madonna
Sextape
You’ve Seen the Butcher
Entombed
Hole in the Earth
Change (In the House of Flies)
Infinite Source
Genesis
Minerva
Engine No. 9
7 Words
A few minutes after 10pm, heavy metal titans, System of a Down, took the stage to an electrifying response from the crowd. When the heavy riffs of “X” hit the air, the GA pit erupted, bodies moving everywhere. It was one of the largest, most active pits I have ever seen. I forgot how amazing SOAD is live. Serj Tankien moved between growls and operatic notes with impressive ability. He looked and sounded fantastic. Tankian’s operatic voice blends perfectly with Daron Malakian’s. Throw in the powerhouse drumming of John Dolmayan and the insane bass riffs of Shavo Odadjian and they will blow the roof off any venue.
Malakian, ever the jokester, looked reminiscent of wrestling superstar, the Undertaker and even made a Hulk Hogan reference, “Toronto, what are you going to do when System of a Down runs wild on you?” He also had several jokes about the windy conditions often throwing in a short interlude of “you are the wind beneath my wings.” Bassist, Shavo, looked like he was having the time of his life. He had a huge grin on his face as he effortlessly laid down the most intricate bass lines.
By the time they played their sixth song of the evening, “B.Y.O.B.” everyone was on their feet singing, headbanging and having a great time. It’s fascinating how some of their songs seem silly either because of the style or lyrics but they carry heavy commentary on social and political issues and are very deep despite the playful nature. That’s just one of the many reasons I love this band.
Curfew be damned, System of a Down did not let their fans down! Despite a late start, they played a fierce twenty-five song set. Highlights included a tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne “Snowblind” (Black Sabbath cover), the melodic “Aerials,” “Chop Suey!” and Damon Malakian’s cock blowing in the wind during “Cigaro.” You had to be there. They ended the night on a strong note with “Toxicity” and “Sugar” leaving us all wanting more.
Setlist
X
Suite-Pee
Prison Song
Violent Pornography
Soldier Side (Intro)
B.Y.O.B.
Science
Needles
Deer Dance
Radio/Video
Dreaming (breakdown only)
Hypnotize
ATWA (with “Careless Whisper” by George Michael intro)
Bounce
Suggestions (with a snippet of Rush’s “Red Sector A”)
Psycho
Chop Suey!
Lonely Day (with “Careless Whisper” by Wham intro)
Lost in Hollywood (with “Won’t Get Fooled Again” by The Who intro)
Snowblind (Black Sabbath cover)
Aerials
Forest
Cigaro
Toxicity
Sugar
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