It’s Friday night at Ace of Spades with Chino Moreno, lead vocalist of the Deftones, and Shaun Lopez, guitarist of Far, crossing over to a new experimental era with †††.

A line of tattooed girls with skin tight jeans slink through the crowd as fans trickle in. Over 500 people paid homage filling the bar, to near capacity with a mix of high school students, collegiate couples, 80’s heavy-metal fans, punk rockers and adult film models.

There were two openers Secret Empire, a six man band from Los Angeles and Dawn Golden and Rosy Cross from Chicago.  Both bands were the opposite of the other, balancing a yin that sided on the side of heavy metal and the yang on the side of experimental electronic fusion.  

Connor Ragan of Secret Empire unveils Plastic Wrist. (Image by: Steven Chea)

The first, Connor Ragan (24), wrote all the songs for Secret Empire including “Plastic Wrist” and “Alien Burial.” His bizarre mohawk, a deep blond, contrast with his black long-sleeved threads and jeans evoked a dark confidence in a young idealist wanting to be noticed in a conservative world.

Dexter Tortoriello of Dawn Golden and Rosy Cross explore the limits of electronica with Blacks. (Image by: Steven Chea)

The second, Dexter Tortoriello (25), of Dawn Golden and Rosy Cross was more understated. In a gray t-shirt and plastic-rimmed glasses, he tested the limits of a synchronized drum machine, a Mac, and a microphone hypnotizing the crowd with "White Sun" and  “Blacks.” The entire set included a civil rights speech and the song Ave Maria layered with electronica sounds.  

Connor Griffith, a senior from Mira Loma High who scored tickets through an online guitar site was in the audience impressed by the varied styles of music.  He was excited to finally see Moreno, the former Deftones vocalist, who is not only a role model to teens everywhere but also his own fourteen year old son.

Chino Moreno is back in Sacramento entertaining fans with his moving lyrics. (Image by: Steven Chea)

An altar of crosses await.  The †††’s color change from hot pink to turquoise blue to a pure white light. The fine line of rock music and religion dilate. The audience is almost inclined to dunk their fingers in holy water. Then again, within these walls, there is plenty of sin.

“We’ll drink from the waves and feel our souls. We’ll fall asleep on the graves and seal our souls,” Moreno’s deep melodic tone shrills in “Holy Ghost.”

Dino Campanella and Chris Robyn then elevate with drums, facing each other to the lyrics of the song, “This is a Trick (Hello Hello I Know)."

On keyboard and guitar, Jono Evans and Chuck Doom summoned a calypso rhythm to “Bermuda Locket.” The lyrics ignite a light, "just come this way and I will bring you to life." 

Lopez lures the audience deeper with the forbidden “Frontiers,” sailing off into the sun to rediscover the height of “Prurient.”

“Back in Sac, what's up?” Moreno yells at the top of his lungs. The crowd jumps at his beckon, the light of their phones waving in recognition, seizing the moment to welcome a hero.  They wave their hands in empathy, accepting their star with “Telepathy.”  

After all Moreno, originally came from Sacramento.   A moved fan snuck on stage to pay respect, then hurled himself at the spectators. As long as you let me play, I’ll let you win.

The mood then changes as the synthesizer blaze to a somber, “1987.”

“A shoebox of ashes, a silver casket, a mother dressed for eternities, breathe in the waves.” His words reminise on identities, lost, and graves.

Shaking it off, Moreno says, “I want to dance. This is so much fun. I’m so glad that we are here. This song goes out to my pops and Uncle Chi (a tribute to Deftones bassist Chi Cheng who was left in a coma after a 2008 car accident),” as he transitioned to “Trophy.”

He then embraced fans, holding their hands to the call of “Option.” Moreno’s profound evolution, with Crosses, his fear surrendered to what is dear.

“Just open your heart and say, ‘I swear on the cross. Can you promise this to the grave?’”

Lights dim to the ringing of church bells.   The music is his calling.   A promise to give it all as Crosses return with an encore, the “Years” and another EP in the works for 2012.