Anna WebberThe Deftones held a two day extended super jam at the Avalon on Thursday and Friday to raise money for their bass player Chi Cheng, who has been in and out of a coma since a serious car accident on November 4, 2008.
Chi, whose dreads and 360 bass swinging stage habits were just as much of a given at a Deftones show as Chino Moreno's melodically ranging vocal gradients and stunning flannels, returned home in early September but is still in a semi-conscious state.
“I miss my friend but you know what? He's here man, and he's gonna fuckin' be back,” said Chino.
Credit: Anna Webber
At Friday's show, no one actually had any idea what to expect, aside from the fact that Deftones minus Chi would be playing a rabid set, and Deftones original bassist Dominic Garcia would be standing in. Then rock stars, friends, and rock star friends began billowing out from backstage in surprise attacks.
Credit: Anna Webber
Opening with a very astringent version of “Bored,” they were just getting locked and loaded when the guards began having trouble keeping people on the ground. The energy swelled higher, heads — whole bodies, even — began launching from one side of a hot photo pit to the other. We were half expecting Chi to stroll out at any time.
Surprise guests included Tommy Lee, Xzibit, Cypress Hill, Ben Kinney, Mike Shinoda and Mark McGrath. McGrath with Tommy Lee did a pretty eccentric cover of Thin Lizzy's “Jailbreak,” but needless to say, they get an A for Effort, and later the Deftones shrugged it off with a haunting version of Sade's “No Ordinary Love”.
Credit: Anna Webber
You can visit The One Love for Chi Special Needs Trust and donate to help, or find more information on Cheng's condition and recovery.
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