Team Sleep, Phallucy & Buku One

So there I was, with a couple hundred screaming Deftones fans; I got to see a perfect, classic setting. The youth of Chico had brought with them posters, CDs and other little tidbits just in case they got close to either Abe Cunningham or Chino Moreno. When they did, both men were swamped with people asking for autographs, hugs and pictures.
For those of you who don't know, Abe Cunningham is the drummer for Deftones and Phallucy; Chino is the lead singer of Deftones and Team Sleep. These "side projects" of theirs seem to have just as much of an impact on the music scene. I had the pleasure of talking to Chino for a brief moment before the show and to tell you the truth, I could say nothing more about him than that he seemed more normal than any "normal" person I've met. As if he wasn't the least bit famous, he simply and calmly talked to me; it was like I asked a guy who just happened to be standing on the curb some questions about rock n' roll. Soft-spoken Chino kindly said that all of their shows have been their "favorite." That he "loves everything about life and life in general." Then a drunken lady walked up and ruined the interview.
As Oakland's Buku One warmed up the crowd with DJ Shadow-ish mixes, I spoke to guitarist, Sonny and lead singer, Dave of Phallucy. Jokingly, I told them that I like to fit Van Halen into my concert reviews for the hell of it whenever possible. Both Sonny and Dave jumped on the comment, enthusiastically professing their love for Van Halen. "Everybody, in both bands, brought Van Halen CDs with them on tour on the bus," screamed Sonny, who played "Panama" during his sound-check earlier that night, which they admitted to covering at The Viper Room.
By no way do I intend to compare any band to any other band, or "label" a form of music with my following comment…but, if The Smashing Pumpkins could fuck Tool, their kid would probably be Phallucy. I've never seen so many people so amazed at a local concert; so many mouths and eyes left wide-open at the same time. Towards the end of Phallucy's set, the crowd remembered they were at a concert and slowly picked up their wild sides.
When Team Sleep finally hit the stage, the crowd was adequately crazy. It seems to me that with Chino leading, they sport a Deftones sound, though they have pinned an extra electronic edge to the ass of every one of their songs…. and it was cool. Complete with body surfing, kids moshing, a really pissed off guy getting thrown out by bouncers, a boyfriend nearly fucking his girlfriend on the bar in front of me and Chino throwing his guitar out into the audience; I'd have to say the night was an all-around great night.
-Andy Harvey
-Photos by D.C. Ramirez

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