A two day spectacle with two of the biggest bands in metal? What a great way to kick off September in Toronto.
Back in early December of 2024, System Of A Down announced that as part of their Toronto stop on in their North American Stadium Tour, they would be sharing the Rogers Stadium stage with fellow nu/alt-metal band Deftones on September 3rd. It only took three days for them to announce a 2nd show on September 5th after the first one sold out in minutes – always a good sign if you’re expecting a good show but always a bad sign if you’re trying to score tickets. Either way, the show already felt like one for the books even when it was nine months away at that point.
SOAD’s 2025 tour saw a stadium run that would invite different bands to pair up with for different cities. Something we saw My Chemical Romance do for their 2025 Long Live The Black Parade Tour and definitely a welcome formula for any fan trying to kill two birds with one stone. This run included Korn in NYC as well as Avenged Sevenfold in Chicago before bringing the tour back to South America. Especially with the buzz around their show back in mid-August 2024 at Golden Gate Park, Toronto was super lucky to see these two powerhouses grace the stage together a little bit more than year after.
By the time September hits, it would mark the unofficial end of the summer in Toronto which means getting closer to the end of the shows that would be happening at Rogers Stadium. By this time, word has more than circulated about attendee experience at the venue which seemed to revolve around challenging the patience of patrons that made the journey out to Downsview Park – overall just horror stories about logistical-related things especially during the first few shows to happen at Rogers Stadium. SOAD + Deftones’ two nights there were the 2nd last shows to happen (with Hozier being the last musical artist to play there the week after) and so it also was a good litmus test to see what has been done to mitigate those issues or if there were even any issues left to complain about. And so, after about 30 minutes on the subway and another 15 of walking from the station, it was time to see what the fuss is all about.
NIGHT ONE
For the North American leg, Polyphia and Wisp were set to tag along as consistent openers.
The clear skies looked primed for a warm summer night to remember and when 5:30pm hit, Wisp kicked the show off on the stadium stage complimented by a bright sunlight. Natalie Lu who goes under that moniker comes out on stage ready to go, blonde hair shining with a pretty off-white guitar. Joined by a couple more guitars and drums, her music pushed a super dreamy type of shoegaze (or “nu gaze” so to speak). It was a sound that was satisfying to hear especially for fans looking forward to Deftones hitting the stage because of a lot of the fuzzy guitars and reverb that seemed to be influenced by their sound with some Title Fight and Cocteau Twins mixed in. In fact, she had mentioned mid-set how one of her dreams was to open for Deftones and so the audience were treated to seeing this joy in real-time. And being in her early 20s, it’s incredible what she’s already achieved including 2 EPs already under her belt: Pandora from 2024 and most recently, If Not Winter that came out August 1st. The San Fran-based artist played various hits from those albums including Pandora that easily built a lush soundscape with tracks from the newer EP such as Sword, Save Me Now, and Mesmerized (dedicated to SOAD) in the later part of the set. A memorable highlight was the song Your Face where the layers of vocals and guitar effects combined to immerse the audience in music that just breathes – like you can’t help but get the mood her tracks build. And for her age, there sounds to be a lot of maturity in her work in general and it could largely be because of the great shoegaze bands she draws inspiration from combined with her connection and understanding of more modern influences while still leaving her unique thumbprint through her songwriting overall. Definitely a musician to keep up with, especially if you want to be in your feelings but bang your head at the same time.
Polyphia was next as the GA pit started to fill up more. Formed in 2010, the 4-piece instrumentalists from Texas took the stage looking comfortable and excited to show the crowd what they do. And what do they do exactly? I think the band’s name says it all – it comes from the word polyphony, meaning “music whose texture is defined by the interweaving of several melodic lines” and you honestly can’t explain it better than that. Having no one on vocals since 2013, the band focuses on guitar-driven music in a general sense with Tim Henson and Scott LePage leading the way. Every band has evolved throughout the years and their growth is an interesting one. Naturally, they started out with lots of guitar virtuosity and heavier inspirations, but over the years they’ve incorporated more melody, electronic elements, hip-hop/EDM-style production, and even trap‐style percussion which made their set at Rogers Centre an interesting one to say the least, especially if you’ve had the privilege of learning any string instrument before. They were extremely tight with the technically complex guitars complimented by groovy bass from Clay Gober and clean drumming from Clay Aeschliman. They’ve mentioned how they practice “a sh*t ton” in past interviews and it honestly showed because simply put, they made it look easy. And with any instrumental band, a lot of their performance relies on dynamics around their songs: how they build and progress, how the guitars interact, and what textures and tones drive everything together. Seeing them live, you can confidently say Polyphia can rock with the best of them and with a feature from Steve Vai on one of their newest tracks on their most recent studio album, Remember That You Will Die from 2022, I think they can feel some validation there. Their song Bloodbath from the same album also features vocals from Deftones frontman Chino Moreno which makes Polyphia’s appearance before their set feel like a full-circle moment for sure.
Sunset usually starts right before 8pm during this time of year and with Deftones hitting the stage before then, we were treated to their moody aggression as the light started to say goodbye. Opening with Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away) immediately set a dreamy yet emotional tone. It was a clear statement that the band was going for atmosphere before the heaviness and then pairing that with My Own Summer (Shove It) right after gave fans an early classic one-two punch. After setting a foundation of nostalgia, they dove headfirst into the present with my mind is a mountain, the first single from their newest album private music released in late-August a couple weeks before this Toronto stop. All members of the band on stage appear on the album including touring bassist Fred Sablan making the songs from the album (including milk of the madonna and infinite source) sound complete live. Before halfway through the set, Chino had used every part of the stage and felt like he’s jumped off every monitor he could stand on by that point – energetic vibes overall. The show swerved constantly between moods with shimmering moments on tracks Digital Bath and Sextape that included ocean wave visuals to really match the mood, and then whiplash-inducing mayhem with tracks like Diamond Eyes and even Headup, a song of legend and decades later, it still crushes like a truck. A definite highlight was including Cherry Waves that gave longtime fans the kind of goosebumps that only come when a rare track helps close out a show. The band closed with 7 Words making the night felt like a curated trip through both dreamscapes and demolition sites alike. It felt like for Night One, Deftones aimed for a volatile set gearing up fans for more uncommon tracks while still making sure the hard-hitters are there.
Following suit, it seemed like System Of A Down had a similar idea with their performance. Historically, this can’t be a surprise with the band always keeping the fans on their toes in general throughout their tenure thus far and this set did not hold back. Like most legendary bands, it made sense that Night One was basically a journey through their entire catalogue. Kicking things off specifically with Soldier Side – Intro into B.Y.O.B., it was hard not to feel like there was some relevant social commentary there. A blend of sharp political edge and full-on chaos right from the start. Already with somber dramatics and then instantly chaotic, it might just be SOAD up to their usual antics too. You never (think you) know! Suite-Pee and Prison Song complimented the beginning of the set even further, and keeping things raw and energetic. It’s crazy how much energy Serj, Daron, and Shavo brought to the forefront of the stage to this day while John predictably holds it down on the drums as per usual.
Toronto also got local flavor: Suggestions featured a snippet of Rush’s Red Sector A, which felt like a wink to the city and the Canadian rock-heads in the audience. Toward the end, the emotional weight of Lonely Day was also framed by Merle Haggard’s “I’m a Lonesome Fugitive” while Lost in Hollywood carried extra bite with The Who’s Won’t Get Fooled Again as its intro with John giving Keith Moon’s chops a run for their money. Darts satisfyingly had some play-time too which is a fan-favorite although not a regular tour staple, and Dreaming got at least its breakdown teased which was fun for diehards that could spot it. The real treat though was the band playing DAM, a track they last played in the aforementioned 2024 Golden Gate Park show and a great gift to the sold-out Night One crowd. That run of covers and snippets had this set staying true to that playful, unpredictable theme of sorts while peppering deep cuts all over the place.
With their set closing off on the lethal combo of Toxicity and Sugar, it’s safe to say that Night One was a great success which made Night Two something to look forward to. However, Mother Nature had kind of a different idea.
NIGHT TWO
A full day split the shows, and with that, Night Two brought a variable change in weather. Environment Canada had issued a special weather statement earlier in the day for the Greater Toronto Area warning of possible wind gusts of 70 to 90 km/h, starting in the morning then easing by evening. Well, “possible” was right as both the bands and the Friday crowd were left to deal with all of the turbulent side-effects of a breezy and noticeably chillier day than Night One.
Firstly, the stadium stage was off limits due to safety concerns from the strong winds and so both Polyphia and Wisp had to perform on the smaller “Sirius XM” stage outside of the stadium – an open space that acted as a sort of entertainment and concession hub where fans could grab merch, order a wide variety of food, enjoy drinks on a patio, and even ride on a small ferris wheel that towered over it all. Talking with the LiveNation staff, it was apparently one of the ways they can regulate some of the traffic problems they faced in the initial shows there. The space encouraged people to make the most out of their trip to Rogers Stadium by hanging out and enjoying the different amenities instead of just being there solely for the show and rushing out when it was done.
Despite the wind, the two openers definitely still got the job done, powering through the same sets although the weather continued to challenge things. For Wisp, the weather seemed to cause some of her band’s equipment to stop working mid-set and needed to take a quick break to figure things out. Thankfully, the issues were resolved and she was able to get through it. With a larger crowd, Polyphia also managed to do their thing and with more people now at the show, crowd surfing was able to kick off easily in the later half of their performance. This is an energizing thing to watch because even with the last minute location change, fans still showed up to party. The downside though is because of the rain that hit Toronto the day before, the concert grounds were muddiest near the stage and some crowd surfers unfortunately had to walk away with some stains before the headliners even finished setting up.
The solution of an alternative stage for the openers unfortunately posed a new problem – how do you move a sold-out crowd gathered outside to watch the openers into the stadium before the headliners start? The race against time was also a race to get to your seats apparently. Like on Night One, Deftones was set to play at 7:20pm and with what looked like the entirety of the crowd still outside the stadium space at 7pm, it wasn’t looking good. Eventually, everyone started trickling into the stadium and slowly filling up the general admission area as well as the bleachers. Anxious front row fans had their questions answered when the screens beside hanging speakers swinging in the wind displayed the unfortunate words:
“UPDATE: We appreciate your patience. Deftones will now take the stage at 8:00pm. Please note, these times are subject to change.”Some fans took this as an opportunity to grab a drink, buy merch, or even take that strategic washroom break during this calm before the storm. By 8:20pm, the band walked out on stage with the sun already set and although behind schedule, the fans showed up once again with cheers and as ready to go as they would’ve been an hour before.
For Deftones, Night Two felt heavier and maybe a little moodier. The structure was similar at first, but swapping Diamond Eyes for Tempest completely shifted the energy into a slower build, and more ominous feeling which felt right with quite a chill in the air (because the wind did not ease up despite the weather statement especially high up in the bleacher seats). Stef had one of those scarves that made him look like a he had a lumberjack beard so you know the band was feeling the weather too. Later on, You’ve Seen the Butcher and Minerva made the set feel more massive and cinematic than the first night, while Engine No. 9 yanked it back to the scrappy rawness and honesty of their beginnings. It was like the band wanted to remind us where they started before slamming into 7 Words again for the closer. Overall, the two nights carefully balanced their catalogue with unpredictable moments in Night One, while Night Two brought the power to make sure Rogers Stadium was overflowing with their sound. Thinking about it, the band has always dealt with blending contrasts – dreamy versus crushing, beauty versus chaos. They showed Toronto every side of the band and with their newest release, it still feels like they’ve got more left to show.
Sadly, Toronto wasn’t treated to a performance of Mein by Deftones from their 2006 album Saturday Night Wrist which featured Serj on the bridge and outro. It would’ve made a lot of sense but these feelings might be built on false hope considering there doesn’t seem to be a clear record on if this song was ever played live with Serj or even at all. Nonetheless, it’s easy to imagine a parallel universe where the weather didn’t cause any issues and the bands had more than enough time to squeeze in what could’ve been an incredible collision of the two iconic groups on stage right before the last set of the night.
The mood of System Of A Down’s Night Two set was different. The band skipped the cinematic intro and instead launched straight into X, and the shift was immediate. Their performance felt heavier, rawer, and less sprawling like they wanted to bulldoze through Toronto and maybe even more, through their set to make up for lost time. This isn’t to say that the show felt rushed at all. In fact, the band played past midnight despite murmurings of the stadium having a pretty strict 11pm cutoff based on past show experiences as well as previous reports of noise complaints from nearby residents who had issues with the amount of racket blasting out of the stadium as the summer shows rolled through. It was truly a statement of how much the band wanted to make sure that the fans got what they came to see and didn’t have to make the lengthy trek home with a bad taste in their mouths.
By the time Violent Pornography hit, it was clear this wasn’t going to be a repeat of the show two nights before. The pacing was relentless too with Prison Song, B.Y.O.B., Science, Needles, and Deer Dance. It was just one hammer after another and just when things felt like they might settle, Forest and Cigaro made it even rowdier. Obviously, System can never resist a joke either. Maybe Daron was just full of emotion by that point but ATWA came with a snippet of Careless Whisper and Lonely Day got the same Wham treatment too. If you had an ear for it, you might’ve also noticed Daron playing that very sample-able part of Kraftwerk’s Trans-Europe Express right before going into Bounce. And the biggest curveball of Night Two? A Black Sabbath cover of Snowblind. The band looked like they were having fun the whole way through, and the crowd ate it up. It was a reminder that SOAD are metal lifers but never afraid to fool around – an endearing trait of the band since the very beginning and one of the many reasons why they’ve always stood out in the nu-metal circle.
Once again, the show closed with Toxicity and Sugar, but this time, the release was for the end of a night of non-stop pummeling. People were dripping with sweat in the chilly summer evening, but still had arms around each other, and still screamed every word back at Serj.
To sum it all up, fans were just happy to see their favourite bands play at the end of the day whether you caught them on Night One or Two despite all of the weather-related mishaps and logistical issues that couldn’t be helped unless you sprayed it with money. It says a lot about a band’s status that fans will still show love and return the energy tenfold even when things are running late or when people are visibly underdressed for the very chilly summer evening. I guess when a show feels like a once-in-a-lifetime moment, there isn’t anything that could get in the way of that especially when you’re busy banging your head to music that has stood the test of time.
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