Deftones and System of a Down: North American Tour 2025 in Toronto at Rogers Stadium

This has, unexpectedly, been the summer of nostalgia. Back in February, my friend Chelsea asked if I wanted to go see Deftones and System of a Down on tour this summer. Deftones, of course, has been one of my favourite bands since middle school. (I remember picking up a copy of White Pony at HMV when it was just released, and 25 years later, it remains one of my favourite albums of all time.) And while I'm not as huge of a fan of System of a Down, Toxicity was one of my most listened-to albums in high school. So I obviously agreed to go.

Deftones at Rogers Stadium, Toronto
Deftones at Rogers Stadium, Toronto
Deftones at Rogers Stadium, Toronto
Deftones at Rogers Stadium, Toronto
Deftones Set List:

1. Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)
2. My Own Summer (Shove It)
3. My Mind is a Mountain
4. Tempest
5. Swerve City
6. Digital Bath
7. Rocket Skates
8. Milk of the Madonna
9. Sextape
10. You've Seen the Butcher
11. Entombed
12. Hole in the Earth
13. Change (In the House of Flies)
14. Infinite Source
15. Genesis
16. Minerva
17. Engine No. 9
18. 7 Words

System of a Down at Rogers Stadium, Toronto
System of a Down at Rogers Stadium, Toronto
System of a Down at Rogers Stadium, Toronto
System of a Down at Rogers Stadium, Toronto
System of a Down Set List:

1. X
2. Suite-Pee
3. Prison Song
4. Violent Pornography
5. Soldier Side - Intro
6. B.Y.O.B.
7. Science
8. Needles
9. Deer Dance
10. Radio/Video
11. Dreaming [Breakdown]
12. Hypnotize
13. ATWA
14. Bounce
15. Suggestions
16. Psycho
17. Chop Suey!
18. Lonely Day
19. Lost in Hollywood
20. Snowblind [Black Sabbath cover]
21. Aerials
22. Forest
23. Cigaro
24. Toxicity
25. Sugar

Oh. My. God. Both of these bands have been around for over 30 years which means they are now all in their 50s, and they STILL put on a fucking insane concert. (And they all have more energy than I do.) Both Deftones and SOAD had amazing setlists last night (they played two concerts in Toronto, but actually had different setlists for each day). They were fairly well-rounded, with songs spanning all albums. (Of course, SOAD hasn't come out with an album since 2005, so it was really between old songs and even older songs.) I guess after 30+ years of performing, they know what their fans want to hear.

I've seen Deftones several times in the last 25 years, but this was actually the first time I'd seen System of a Down live — and holy shit, these guys fucking BRING IT. I would never have been able to tell that they were on hiatus for so long. (Everybody's going to the party to have a real good time, indeed!) 50,000 fans just screaming along to every single fucking word of every single song. It was honestly a sight (and sound) to behold. I had more fun than I thought I would, to be honest. I went for the sake of nostalgia and we had the shittiest seats ever, but I ended up dancing and head-banging like I was 20 years younger than I actually am. 

That having been said, Rogers Stadium is perhaps the WORST VENUE I HAVE EVER BEEN TO. Not to be mistaken for Rogers Centre, Rogers Stadium is the new 50,000-capacity stadium that was built at Downsview Park and just opened up in June. Never mind that I had to drive to the new Highway 407 subway station just to discover that the parking lot was absolutely full to the brim (to the point where people made their own parking spaces in the surrounding grass areas) so I had to drive even further to Pioneer Village subway station because I wasn't gonna risk getting towed. Never mind that after finding parking and getting to Downsview Park station, we still had to walk another 15 minutes to the actual stadium. Never mind that there are no real bathrooms at Rogers Stadium and only portable toilets. (A real fucking nightmare for a germaphobe like me, who also takes medications that are diuretics so I have to pee every fucking hour.) 

Never mind that our seats were so fucking high up that the people on stage looked as small as ants. (NOTE: THERE IS NO LOWER BOWL SEATING AT ROGERS STADIUM. 100 sections at Rogers Stadium are all the seated sections that is NOT FLOOR. So basically, the view is like 300 - 400 levels at any other stadium. We did not know this when buying tickets BECAUSE ROGERS STADIUM WAS NOT BUILT YET and therefore there was no reference for size or distance.) Never mind that our absolutely terrible seats were $200 CAD PER TICKET. I get that it's temporary (it will be demolished after 5 years), but this shitty fucking stadium — that was built as fast and cheap as possible — has the WORST ACOUSTICS EVER. Not sure if this is only for heavy rock music, but there is a GOD-AWFUL reverb — at least when sitting in the 100 sections — that is honestly insulting to anyone playing there. So, unless it's your favourite artist of all time playing there, it is absolutely not worth coming here for a concert. 

(I sincerely hope that if Toronto is a stop on BTS' next world tour, they avoid Rogers Stadium AT ALL COSTS.)