Deftones Revive Rare Track Melanie in San Diego
The band performed the song for the first time since 2008 at Día de los Deftones.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Rock
Deftones played Melanie, a rare song from the scrapped 2008 album Eros, at Día de los Deftones in San Diego on Saturday, November 7. The festival setlist included 18 songs.
Why it matters
The track's revival marks its first live performance in nearly two decades and recalls the shelved Eros project that was abandoned after a serious car accident involving bassist Chi Cheng. It offers fans a glimpse into a chapter of the band's history that never reached release.
The setlist at the San Diego festival comprised 18 songs, and Melanie was performed for the first time since 2008. No information is available on whether the track will see a formal release.
The players
Deftones
A Sacramento-formed alternative metal band known for albums such as White Pony and Diamond Eyes.
Chi Cheng
Former Deftones bassist whose 2008 car accident led to the cancellation of the Eros album; he died five years later.
The details
Deftones dug out Melanie, written in 2008 for the scrapped Eros album, and performed it at Día de los Deftones in San Diego. The Eros project was abandoned after Chi Cheng was seriously injured in a 2008 car accident.
Timeline
2008: Melanie is written and the Eros album is scrapped after Chi Cheng's accident.
2010: Deftones release Diamond Eyes.
Saturday, November 7, 2026: Melanie is performed at Día de los Deftones in San Diego.
Rock Band Archives
The revival of Melanie follows the 2008 disruption that halted the Eros album, which the band later moved past with the 2010 release of Diamond Eyes. Resurfacing shelved material at a festival echoes how rock acts have periodically reclaimed unreleased work from their own catalogs.
Fans attending live shows can hear rarely performed catalog material like Melanie, which is not available on any official release. The performance offers a limited-time opportunity to hear the song live rather than through a recording.
The takeaway
Bands often hold unreleased material for years, and festival setlists can bring those songs back to listeners. Watching for rare live performances is one way fans can hear catalog work that never reached an official release.
Further reading
Explore more Rock coverage from San Diego.
