I recently made up a frame with a bunch of my favourite laminates/passes for one of the hallways in my home. It really made me stop and reflect what I’ve done in my life, and being only 22 years old, I feel extremely fortunate to have experienced what I have.

This Deftones show was easily one of the best experiences shooting photographs that I have ever had. It took place on March 1st, 2013 at a venue called Kool Haus in Toronto, Ontario. The venue is actually going to be demolished in the near future so they can build condos and apartment complexes. Before this show, I of course knew who Deftones were, but was never really a “huge fan” per say. Going in, I didn’t know what to expect, but I was excited as it was sold out and I heard they were an awesome live band.

They opened their set with Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away), a song I had heard a bunch of times. As soon as the music began and Chino, their vocalist, began to sing, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. They were FLAWLESS. The energy, the music, everything was so in line with one another that it was just incredible to witness. I had my good ear plugs in, and it honestly sounded like I was listening to an iPod. At a few points during the first song, I actually caught myself just standing there and watching with my camera at my side. I was so locked in to what the band was doing, I completely forgot why I was even there. I was on cloud nine the entire time.

After realizing I needed to quit just simply watching and “do my job” per say, I spent the rest of my time in the barricade looking through my viewfinder and simply trusting my instincts with settings. I didn’t want to miss anything, so I didn’t even look at the photos I had taken until after the show. This was one of the first times while shooting a concert that I left the barricade and instantly went to the back of the crowd to watch. Songs like Diamond Eyes, Minerva and Swerve City absolutely floored me. Their set is so perfectly outlined that it keeps you wanting more and more, song after song. At most shows, I usually just hang out beside the barricade for a song or two and then go on my way. I had roughly an hour drive back to Guelph, where my friends were letting me crash for the night, but instead of leaving after shooting, I stayed up until the encore.

This show alone actually changed the way I take photographs at a concert, and ever since, I listen to a Deftones song almost every single day. They have become one of my favourite bands and I regret not getting into their music earlier in my life. They turned one individual from someone who barely knows their music into a person that can’t stop listening to them, from just one show. To me, that is pretty incredible and also rare for the newer generation of artists. Moulding a person into a life long fan is not easy, but Deftones did it with ease.