Live Review - Crosses @ The Eastern

I don't know why it takes me so long to write live reviews, I used to just bust it out the following more, but the more time that passes between me and the show the harder it is to get motivated so here it goes. I might be an even bigger fan of Shaun Lopez's other band Far than I am of Deftones, though I think Chino's first three albums with Deftones are modern rock classics, and they managed to transcend the nu-metal bandwagon they rode in on. The combination of the two musicians was never what I expected it to be when this project came out, but I like Depeche Mode, who has always been one of Chino's influences, so respect what they do, I might prefer Team Sleep due to the Pinback connection but was curious to see how Crosses translated live. The results were not far off from my expectations. 

My first time at this venue which, was nice tucked back into one of the gentrified corners of the East Side. There was an abundance of Tool shirts, this was not a metal show, so not surprising this was on the periphery of a more open-minded metal fan base, Crosses is at times darker than Deftones, but not a huge "goth' crowd either. Seemed like a collection of people who are online a great deal but do not play World of Warcraft, as they were more into Bitcoin and podcasts. Sure great deal of IPAs were sold this evening. A Sacramento DJ who worked rock music into disco tracks spun at set before Crosses went on which seemed fitting enough. He worked things like the Cure into a set followed by Shabazz Places, and then maybe some Siouxsie. 

Crosses had impressive stage production given the size and budget of this tour, and considering they rarely tour, carried a great deal of energy. It was mainly the  Chino show. He looked healthier and was more capable of pulling off screams, though these were mainly done as accents where Deftones uses a more aggressive vocal approach. Also, the vocal cords are like rubber bands the warmer they are the more pliable, so Chino has been on stage more for the past year, whereas at the Rockville show, he had not been singing much previously. He worked the stage well, and his stage presence is more present, rather than being crouched down screaming at the floor like Defontes early days. 

Much like their albums after the initial bombastic energy they took the stage with waned, they grew on me throughout their set, Most of their songs drone on one groove, due to the drum programming that was triggered by backing track more than likely run from the sound booth, as Lopez played guitar more than he lingered by the synth setups that lanked either side of the stage. But for two guys on stage, all by their lonesome they managed to create something that resembled a rock show and Chino sounded perhaps better than the last time I saw him with Deftones. If you are a fan they are certainly worth seeing when the opportunity presents and more than a placeholder for the next Deftones show. 

pst103