Chino Moreno of the Deftones at Roseland Ballroom, NYC, 11/19/00 Photo by Glyn Emmerson © 2000 NY Rock

The multi-cultural Sacramento, California quintet was on fire the entire evening, virtually defining their own genre of music. Despite the demise of Rage Against the Machine and the fratboy/kiddie rock sounds of Limp Bizkit's bullshit topping the charts, the real stuff was out on the town tonight. No "fuck this, fuck that," stupid-ass lyrics from the Deftones. Just sincere, guttural, kick-to-the-balls melodic fuzz, coupled with thumpy undertones and feedback-drenched guitars reminiscent of the best of Radiohead.

Singer Chino Moreno took to the stage like a rock-n-roll shaman intent on exhorting the demons within all in attendance. Eliciting the ghosts of Stooges-era Iggy Pop, Moreno screeched forth the gospel with his pants slung low like a homey, butt-crack and all. On "Around the Fur," Moreno took the message to the people with the band's crunchy, phat rhythms punching the music forward. Whereas Rage Against the Machine's Zack De La Rocha preached and ranted from behind the velvet rope, Moreno got dirty with the fans, sweating and grunting to a chaotic crowd.

Talking to the V.I.P. section just off the main stage during the intro to "Lotion," Moreno quipped to an unfortunate tuxedoed gent, "What makes you so important!?!" as he proceeded to dedicate the song to all of the "sick mo' fuckers out there." Guitarist Stephen Carpenter's thick and twisted lines countered, adding a dark texture to the band's mix, taking it well beyond clichéd hardcore into a higher orbit. With dreds whipping left and right, bassman Chi Cheng kept the bottom grounded, earthy and in sync with drummer Abe Cunningham and DJ Frank Delgado on the tables.

See this band before it self-destructs, breaks up or grows up.