In the summer of 1998, the fourth edition of the Vans Warped Tour played 34 dates across North America — including a July 18th stop in Wisconsin where the traveling festival merged with Ozzfest for a 12-hour, six-stage, 48-band extravaganza dubbed "Ozz Gets Warped."
It was a few days later, on July 21st in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that Deftones — who ranked among Bad Religion, Cherry Poppin' Daddies, NOFX, Rancid and Reverend Horton Heat as Warped's wide-ranging '98 headliners — were captured treating fans to a badass cover of Suicidal Tendencies' "Subliminal."
"We're gonna play an old punk-rock song for all the bands on this bill, and for all of you people having an opened-up mind to appreciate diversity," Deftones bassist Chi Cheng intros the 1983 rager, as seen in fan-shot video.
The young nu-metal stars, who were out supporting 1997's Around the Fur, then launched into the Suicidal classic. About a minute in, before the song kicks off full speed, singer Chino Moreno calls for the crowd to start a circle pit. You can't see it in the video, but those who were there report that concertgoers answered his call with furious mosh action. It's a great performance that spotlights Deftones' overlooked skate-punk ties — watch above.
