C=T contributor, Molly Müeller, risked getting multiple elbows to the face for this review. In the end, her camera was the battered party and in the end, Molly’s teeth are intact.

Deftones-Drive (the Cars cover) [mp3]
Funeral Party – Just Because [mp3]
Dillinger Escape Plan – Parasitic Twins [mp3]

Funeral Party, Dillinger Escape Plan and Funeral Party 04/22/11

Friday night was the first night of two sold out shows at the Ogden Theatre. The show opened with Funeral Party and unfortunately the sound wasn’t very good (the venue, it seemed, not the band, was the problem) because I’ve heard other live versions of their music and it was much more clear. The set was very short, in fact it seemed as though it was over before you could really get into the vibe of the band. All of the band members were very energetic but due to the fact that the entire front area of the venue was filled with fanatical kids and adults waiting to see the Deftones (the show was 16 and up and by 7:15pm the entire pit was loaded with Deftones fans in some cases violently defending their spot for the band that would be playing later that night (I witnessed some fights before Funeral Party went on.) It was difficult to make out the songs they played because of the sound but they did perform “Finale,” “Where Did It Go Wrong” and finally “New York City Moves to the Sound of L.A.”For some reason all of us there to see Funeral Party swear that it was introduced as “New York can Suck My Dick.” Strange. Either way, Chad Elliot got up on the amp and inserted an ode to Oasis by singing “Where were you when we were getting high?” from Champagne Supernova. It was a great show but I wish the sound had been better.

Dillinger Escape Plan had a fairly large following there; these people seemed to be gathered towards the back of the venue near the bar area and this was definitely an older following. I was told by a friend that this is a “musician’s band” because they are so complex but honestly I couldn’t understand any of the vocals or instruments; it was more screaming and noise than anything to me. Not my style but they are for plenty of people who showed up for the show. I can tell you this much; they have some really cool LED lighting going on. Most of the time it was like a constant strobe light and it looked pretty cool.

By the time the set changed occurred the place was buzzing with excitement. You could actually feel the sweaty anticipation. A giant ego box (the biggest I’ve seen so far) for Chino Moreno was set out and the band came on in full force with “Diamond Eyes” from the new album of the same name. I swear there must have been some hidden announcer who shouted “Let the moshing begin!” because begin it did! During the first song I was in the photo pit and some kid decided to crowd surf to the stage; a brilliant idea especially to me because he kicked me in the side of the head and managed to use his other leg to toss my camera five feet in the air before it smashed on the floor. Obviously that was the end of his Deftones experience and of course the end of my camera. They played a long set that included “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)” from Around the Fur, “Hexagram” and “Minerva” from the album Deftones.

Highlights were definitely “Change” (the whole venue sang along to this song) and “Passenger” which normally includes vocals from Maynard James Keenan from Tool but there was someone else doing those lyrics this night. Apparently this song is about having sex in a fast car, and the fans go crazy for it. It has a MUCH different sound and meaning than Iggy Pop’s famous song of the same name.

All in all this was a fun, energetic show. I do think Funeral Party might have been misplaced in this line up due to the hardcore nature of the other bands (there was no moshing during their set.) Later this spring they will be opening for Panic at the Disco and perhaps this will be a better mix. I’ll be at the show on June 28, 2011 and am looking forward to seeing Funeral party again under different circumstances.

–Molly Müeller