08.07.09 - Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavillion

[marcus]

Do not post in this thread unless you attended this concert(except for me of course).

[usedabused]

Same setlist as before I think.

Overall the show was great. Except for the chick in front of me who found it necessary to mime every fucking song. If you were that chick, I hate you. Lateralus kinda pissed me off. I still love the song live, but Tweakbird ruined it for me tonite. Flood was amazing and Aenema... Ohhhhh!!! It was the hi-light fir me.
Maynardisms?

"Oops... Hi."
"Welcome Home"
"Time to put your clothes back on."
"I heard this show sold out in .5 seconds. I was born in Ohio so I know that there is nothing to do here. What else are you gonna do?"
"Im stalling. "

And the whe thing with Ashton after Lateralus? "Congratulations, you win a $100 gift certificate to Tower Records." Then something else I didn't catch.. Then somethin about "All you can eat at Spencers Gifts"? He then said "as for you guys... " and I forgot the rest.

He even thanked us for coming.

Kanaduh!!!! Great meeting you!! Good luck with finding a room. Sorry I wasn't much help. We left when Vicarious started cause I had something in my contact. Did Tweakbird always do that weird chicken skit with the styrafoam peanuts??

[**Xyp**]

Jambi
(-) ions
Stinkfist
46&2
Schism
Lost Keys
Rosetta Stoned
- "10,000 Days / Wings for Marie" drum / bass tease
Flood
Aenima
- "Prison Sex" guitar tease
Lateralus
Vicarious

My sixth Tool show, and they will always bring it. MJK is exactly like everyone says he is in all the previous posts you've read here, but I didn't get the impression that he hated the crowd or anything... just that maybe his voice isn't what it once was. He was into the music, but wasn't singing high notes.

Whatever, folks... it's Tool. There's a reason you scrambled at 10am on a Saturday to get this ticket, or paid WAAAY over face value for it: it's Tool. They're one of the best live bands of our generation, and certainly one of the absolute best out on the road recently (with the possible exception of NIN, or the few and far between Rage reunion shows), with the best light show, and if they come around again, you'll get up early on your day off to pay exorbitant ticket prices to see them again.

Or maybe you wouldn't- and that would be your loss.

MJK, Adam, Danny, Justin (Junior, Rynne, Soundguys, Riggers, et al, etc.): thanks for a kick ass Friday night- you all worked it out and it was a good time.

See you, auntie.

[Goatfish]

Fantastic show. Was lucky enough to score box seats in dead center for face value. Tweak Bird's singer playing the theremin during Lateralus was AWESOME. I thought crowd was really into it and no complaints about the setlist. Stinkfist, Flood, and Lateralus were highlights for me. Aenema was cool too. I'd write more bu I'm on my iPhone.

[420scooter]

Jambi
(-) ions
Stinkfist
46&2
Schism
Lost Keys
Rosetta Stoned
- beginning to "10,000 Days / Wings for Marie" (right? anyone?)
Flood
Aenima
Lateralus
Vicarious

My sixth Tool show, and they will always bring it. MJK is exactly like everyone says he is in all the previous posts you've read here, but I didn't get the impression that he hated the crowd or anything... just that maybe his voice isn't what it once was. He was into the music, but wasn't singing high notes.

Whatever, folks... it's Tool. There's a reason you scrambled at 10am on a Saturday to get this ticket, or paid WAAAY over face value for it: it's Tool. They're one of the best live bands of our generation, and certainly one of the absolute best out on the road recently (with the possible exception of NIN, or the few and far between Rage reunion shows), with the best light show, and if they come around again, you'll get up early on your day off to pay exorbitant ticket prices to see them again.

Or maybe you wouldn't- and that would be your loss.

MJK, Adam, Danny, Justin (Junior, Rynne, Soundguys, Riggers, et al, etc.): thanks for a kick ass Friday night- you all worked it out and it was a good time.

See you, auntie.

We were also fooled by the Flood intro....sounds like the sound effects from Wings/10K Days...then we realized that it sorta made sense seeing as how it was Flood...overall a great show...I think Aenema and Lateralus were the highlights for me....tried to get a setlist from someone I think was Junior afterwards, but dickhead security shooed me away...visuals were amazing...this tour's visuals rivaled Radiohead and NIN for the best looking stage performance I have ever seen....see you in '11/'12

[Rico0076]

I heard the tease for Wings/10,000 Days. I also heard Adam tease Prison Sex a couple of times.

Great show!

[YUBitchin]

That was another great show.

Again, as in Charlotte, heard vocals all night. It's not a barber shop quartet.

What kills me are these reviews that try to pick apart MJK for anything from body language to attire to quotes to vocal range. This is what happens when you let American Idol fans in.

If you didn't enjoy that show, I feel for you. You have something in common with Maynard, you're both into making wine.

Also with the cam phones. You're told on your ticket, you're told at the gate and searched so there is no doubt that the cams aren't allowed. But of course it's security's fault when you get busted.

It's like "Hey I know I'm blocking your view behind me, but I must take this poorly lighted unbalanced blurry illegal picture from 50 yards away." And of course spend the rest of the song showing this mess to strangers, how pitiful.

I waited for the crowd to file out and heard a lot people bitchin' 'bout the show being too short, I mean a lot of people. Even those who loved the show. In Cincy, through Ticketmaster, my seat was $103, so I get it.

Great lights, great show, great venue. Thanks. Why can't we do this every weekend?

[brohar]

I've seen tool 5 times now dating back to 96 and for the first time completely disappointed. Not only did they play nearly the same set as 07, and maynard hides in the back doing nothing, both things I was expecting. But what i cannot understand is why Maynard is so low in the mix and I didnt see him once attempt a high or difficult note. He simply relied on vocal effects to carry out his yells. I thought the crowd was pretty unmoved too, but i couldnt blame them based on the performance. When i saw these guy at ozzfest the first time, they sounded great, maynard was out tearing it up, and every piece of sod in the lawn was in the air flying above a giant mosh pit. What i saw last night was crap. sorry, just my honest opinion.

[influenced]

The band came out and fucked with tweakbird during their set. Thanks to kanadah for the extra ticket at a great price. Thais to junior for the setlist even though the security guard was being a douche. Adam seemed to tease h during the intro to vicarious. Heading back home to Chicago and to lollapalooza.

[davz]

I've seen tool 5 times now dating back to 96 and for the first time completely disappointed. Not only did they play nearly the same set as 07, and maynard hides in the back doing nothing, both things I was expecting. But what i cannot understand is why Maynard is so low in the mix and I didnt see him once attempt a high or difficult note. He simply relied on vocal effects to carry out his yells. I thought the crowd was pretty unmoved too, but i couldnt blame them based on the performance. When i saw these guy at ozzfest the first time, they sounded great, maynard was out tearing it up, and every piece of sod in the lawn was in the air flying above a giant mosh pit. What i saw last night was crap. sorry, just my honest opinion.

I partly agree, but mostly because of the mix. Even if Maynard's chords weren't up to snuff, he needed to be present in the mix, which he wasn't. Just disappointed because whenever I go to a tool show I take someone who has never been exposed to tool, and if all they get is the music and can't understand / hear the words, it just becomes another metal show to them. I left halfway through. I dunno, maybe after all of these years I'm growing out of Tool. I'm sure I'll be back, who knows.

[eywillis15]

First time posting... I am a long-time Tool fan but this concert was my first. Question for those who have been to multiple on this tour: was the awful audio unique to Cincinnati or has it been at other venues too?

In general the sound quality was quite poor and I could barely hear the vocals. It drove me nuts. I just kept thinking the whole time that someone has to fix that. It can't be that difficult to change.

I would expect a band like Tool to have spectacular sound. It sounded like the audio on a bad Youtube video at times, at least from my section in the 200's.

[Surrenderedmind]

An amazing show all around!!!!

Tweak Bird blew my mind, I can honestly say that I am know a fan!

As far as TOOL goes, incredible as always. The highlights for me were Rosetta Stoned (normally don't care to much for this song live, but last night was AMAZING!), and Lateralus. I don't think there is anything I can complain about, other than the wings teaser, I thought they were going to switch it up a bit, since the Ohio crowds are always the best!!!! Eh, one can dream! All in all, I would like to thank the band for another great evening, and Maynard I don't care what they have been posting in here, you still have it!!! Welcome home!!!

[tooldude]

pretty solid show...nice intimate venue.. would have liked to hear something different but oh well it still rocked...the band was tight.. maynard was talkative tonight. yeah, it sounded like they were gonna play 10,000 days for a second... they came out and threw packing peanuts and popcorn on tweak bird during their last 2 songs like they did with melt banana in 07.. anyone have any idea what the "new audio" is during lost keys? now im off to lollapalooza!

[apctoolfan2268]

This is really tuff for me.. I have followed the reviews of this mini-tour and have felt, as I always have, that TOOL fans can be too critical. "same set list" "sloppy old Maynard" "show too short" "mix no good".. I read all these things over and over and couldn't believe them.. not the TOOL I know.
So last night I take a close friend of mine and my daughter to their first TOOL show.... this is the hard part. Most of these reviews have been spot on. This was a good show ONLY because it was TOOL, but it was certainly not a typical TOOL show. It was my 5th TOOL show and ranks 5.
Anyone who has seen TOOL multiple times, have you ever NOT felt "HOLY SHIT" at the end of the show? Honestly, remember that feeling? I thought maybe perhaps being my 5th show that I was jaded, but when it was over my friend and daughter, both BIG TOOL fans, said "it was ok" "it was pretty good". HHHmmmm? that wow factor was missing..
I still love TOOL.. I'll still buy every piece of media they put out. But $80 in shirts, over $300 in tix and a 3 hr drive one way... and I walk out telling my TOOL "virgins" that I'm sorry, TOOL are usually a lot better than that.

sec 100 row O... gotta say hey to Jason and his pal from Detroit. Nice to meet you, hope you enjoyed the show more than I did. I gave you wrong info dude. Incubus are NOT playing the festival in Pomona. Not sure where I heard that now. But Linkin Park and Alice in Chains are playing at the Pomona show. Peace Bro, GO LIONS!!

I'm not even trying to be harsh, it just wasn't "HOLY SHIT" , you know? Last thing, I don't care much for Flood, and frankly in anticipation of this show I found myself wishing they would play Right in Two or The Pot instead... I was COMPLETELY wrong.. Flood was the highlight of the show.. it had that "thing" (whatever "it" is) that the rest of the show lacked.

See you on the next tour, yes I'll be there, because I believe that the next time I walk out of a TOOL show I'll say, "HOLY SHIT"

[420scooter]

My girlfriend was very upset about one thing...evey show on this tour, to my knowledge, Maynard has stripped down to his skivvies during the drumsterbation part, and this show he did not...it's very funny to hear your normally reserved gf screaming at the top of her lungs..."fucking take it off!!!"

[capthowdy1027]

Awesome show. I was in the pit, the closest I've ever been to the band and probably the closest I'll ever get. The venue was so small though I don't think anybody would have had a bad seat. The sound was great, everybody in the band nailed it. This was my 4th time seeing them in 12 years and I dare say this way for sure my favorite.

Everybody was cool, didn't have to fight and push people around in the pit. We were able to just stand there and enjoy the show. My wife was actually a little bit worried going into it, but aside from not being able to see the whole show just cause she's so short, everything was fine.

Hung out at Riverdowns for a couple hours before the show with fellow TDNer FrankBlack007 and his wife. Very nice people and was glad we got to meet. Ran into them again in the merch line, then again when they were headed to there seats. Very cool people, hope to hang out again one day.

But yeah, great show, solid 10 out of 10.

Favorite songs: Ænema, Lateralus and Vicarious. I'm sure I'll get hated on for this but Flood was actually probably my least favorite song. I love the hell out of that song but for some reason I just don't think it fit with this set list, especially coming right off of Rosetta Stoned. That's just my opinion, so whatever.

Had a great night, had a lot of beers and alot of fun.

[reflection1mind]

3rd show- Show was amazing, I pretty much knew what the setlist was going to be, and was still blown away. So much energy and excitement. Nice to see Maynard give his shout out to his home state. No complaints, because it's Tool...stop the bitchin it, would be nice to have an ounce of their talent. If all you do is bitch then don't go, it will give some us who wanted to buy tickets at face value a chance.

[lostmytool]

I have supported this band since '93. I am in my late 30's now and I wouldn't say I am the biggest fan but I still have them in my top 5 of all time fav's. I've seen them 7 or 8 times. Newport Music Hall in Columbus '96 on Aenima tour was the best I've "EVER" seen them. '97 Hara Arena in Dayton w/ Melvins was great too. I even had the sweet opportunity to see them at The LA Forum on Lateralus tour in '02.

I wish for my old Tool. The Tool that made me excited and pumped up. The Tool that meant something special to me. I know this is coming off as a negative rant but last night just didn't do it for me. My expectations were not met. My feelings stem from their lack of giving die hard fans a little more for the $$$. I've seen the big arena shows, seen the changes in the band. Different times, different energy, different everything. It used to be about the music, the mighty power of Tool live was something to behold. Now it's more about the mood: lighting, lasers, and imagery. Less music and performance and more about lining up the music to the stage show. I like it but c'mon for christ sakes, mix it up guys. Throw the long time fan a chestnut or two for his $100: DIG? Those time wasting noise/feedback intermissons could have been better served for one or two more songs. Good show but very mailed in and uneventful.
Last night was a let down.

I miss MY Tool

[usedabused]

So who was in the chicken get up and who was chasing him around with, what I thought was a large bone? One of them was a chick tho, she had boobs!

[croatoa]

Well, we were section 100 row M, Faaarr house right/stage left, and I'm afraid our experience suffered for it.

Had friends in the pit who said it sounded good there, not in our section. Jambi sounded horrifyingly muddy where we were sitting, it started to get a little better with Stinkfist, and then even a tiny bit better for 46 & 2, but even then still pretty awful. Could just barely hear Maynard and even then couldn't make out a single word he said/sang. Ugh.

Sounds like many of you had better audible experiences from where you were sitting and that's cool.
Don't think I can blame the band or crew for this one, I think it was the venue and our far off to the side position.

*Sigh*, 18th Tool show and I'd have to rank it right at the bottom at number 18 in terms of best to worst experiences (May of 2001 @ Detroit State Theater for Pre-Seminal 4 city mini tour was far and away #1).

*Frowny Face*

[Toolfan#1]

SETlIST:
JAMBI
STINKFIST (EXTENDED)
46 & 2
SCHISM
**NEW AUDIO**
LOST KEYS
ROSETTA STONED
AENEMA
LATERALUS
VICARIOUS

This was my sixth TOOL show and while I have seen this setlist many of times it still seems to kick ass when played. I still got chills when Jambi kicked in and during the climax of Stinkfist. There were a few tecnical hiccups such as Justin's bass pedal fucking up during the last part of Rosetta Stoned but they recovered fine and I believe Maynard said "oops." On another good note Maynard's vocals seemed more mix up into the mix than usual and not as weighed down in effects although maybe it was just me. The venue was awesome it was very small so there was not a bad seat in the place and it is no wonder why it sold out it 2 minutes . It was kind of disappointing to see Maynard leave the stage at the end when the rest of the band was clapping and throwing merchendise out. It seemed kind of wierd 3 out of 4 of the members. Personally I think this litte 15 date tour was all monetary and none of them were die hard into the show because they have done it for 3 1/2 years now so it isn't really their fault. But it was well worth the $400 spent on two TOOL tickets at that fucking rip off scalper site.
Can't wait until their next album tour.

[FrankBlack007]

Amazing show...loved every second of it. This was my first time at PNC Pavillion and the acoustics at this place are perfect (FAR better than US Bank Arena a few miles away). The band was tight as a nun's twat with Aenima and Flood being powerhouse highlights. This was my 4th Tool show and it ties Columbus as best sound (Columbus wins with a slightly better setlist).

Visuals were awesome as usual...great job, junior. High concentration of hardcore fans, so the douchebag quotient was appealingly low. There was a friend of a friend who scored a last-second seat and was kicked out two songs in for, in his account, being next to someone who was taking pictures (someone he didn't know). Anyone else hear of anything like that happening? I'd be kicking and screaming if I had done no wrong.

Very nice to hang out with CaptainHowdy & co. before the show over at River Downs, chasing down some suds. He was able to reassure me as he walked past with his poster that I would get one too (He was right). Nice meeting you guys. We'll have to do it again.

Honestly, anyone who complains about this show should be forced to sit through an endless Jonas Bros concert. That'll learn ya, buttplugs!

[cwbtool]

Good show last night. It was my second time seeing them, and they didn't disappoint. I'd have to say Flood, Aenima, and Lateralus were the highlights for me, as well as Stinkfist. Went with three friends who had never been to a Tool show before and they were blown away. Kick ass visuals as usual, the band was on all night, my only complaint was that I had a hard time hearing Maynard... but overall great show, thank you Tool for a great performance.

[capthowdy1027]

There was a friend of a friend who scored a last-second seat and was kicked out two songs in for, in his account, being next to someone who was taking pictures (someone he didn't know). Anyone else hear of anything like that happening?

My friend was using his cell phone to record a video and one of the security guards pulled him out of the pit. I thought he was gone for sure, but he came back about 5 minutes later and said the security guard told him if he deleted the footage from his phone he'd let him back in. So he sat there and watched him delete everything and let him come back. He told my friend that usually Riverbend doesn't care but the band very much said they didn't want any pictures or video to be taken. Of course it pissed my friend off and he bitched about it the rest of the night, but I think he should have just considered himself lucky that he got to stay for the rest of the show. It's not like he didn't see all the signs that said no cameras.

[apctoolfan2268]

Well, we were section 100 row M, Faaarr house right/stage left, and I'm afraid our experience suffered for it.

Had friends in the pit who said it sounded good there, not in our section. Jambi sounded horrifyingly muddy where we were sitting, it started to get a little better with Stinkfist, and then even a tiny bit better for 46 & 2, but even then still pretty awful. Could just barely hear Maynard and even then couldn't make out a single word he said/sang. Ugh.

Sounds like many of you had better audible experiences from where you were sitting and that's cool.
Don't think I can blame the band or crew for this one, I think it was the venue and our far off to the side position.

*Sigh*, 18th Tool show and I'd have to rank it right at the bottom at number 18 in terms of best to worst experiences (May of 2001 @ Detroit State Theater for Pre-Seminal 4 city mini tour was far and away #1).

*Frowny Face*



I'll have to agree. I think the 100 section (I was two rows behind you) sounded awful and even had a poor angle of the stage screens and lights. I left during Schism (to relieve my full bladder and refill it with another beer) and I stood at the entryway for section 100 for the end of Schism. Sounded great :) I posted above detailing my experience and I have to agree it was location. I'm not hating on the band at all, but it just wasn't a good show for my daughter my friend and myself

[3rdEyeTired]

I heard the tease for Wings/10,000 Days. I also heard Adam tease Prison Sex a couple of times.

Great show!

Tease Prison Sex...haha....

4th show and like everyone knows, no matter how "disappointed" they are about MJK or how "bad" the sound is, TooL is the greatest. period.

I heard the drum pound and fade out and turned to my girlfriend "holy shit are we going to get 10,000 Days!?!?!" but it turned out to be Flood, not that is by any means a shitty replacement. I was totally amped "heeerrre comes the waaaateerrrrr" holy shit!

Stinkfist (extended) - come on, if youve seen it, even on you tube, you know that is with out a doubt one of the best performances - EVER!

LateraLus - my personal favorite song and i didnt think tweakbird did a terrible job

Lost Keys - i know theres gotta be more people that feel like i do about watching this live, but i totally just leave my body have this high thats pretty euphoric

I loved this show and the previous three shows. They are all masters of their instruments and i feel absolutly privileged to be alive in this time to witness such a beautiful masterpiece.

TooL, i hope to see you again brothers...Welcome home...

[YUBitchin]

My friend was using his cell phone to record a video and one of the security guards pulled him out of the pit. I thought he was gone for sure, but he came back about 5 minutes later and said the security guard told him if he deleted the footage from his phone he'd let him back in. So he sat there and watched him delete everything and let him come back. He told my friend that usually Riverbend doesn't care but the band very much said they didn't want any pictures or video to be taken. Of course it pissed my friend off and he bitched about it the rest of the night, but I think he should have just considered himself lucky that he got to stay for the rest of the show. It's not like he didn't see all the signs that said no cameras.

I saw security warn the same people 3 and 4 times, several people, and never took the camera or even threatened action. Two different guards apologized saying it wasn't their decision.

[3rdEyeTired]

So who was in the chicken get up and who was chasing him around with, what I thought was a large bone? One of them was a chick tho, she had boobs!

I think the chicken was Maynard, dude chasin him was Justin and Adam had a gorilla mask on or somethin

[Surrenderedmind]

I was just wondering if anyone knows who is talking during Lost Keys? The closest I have came is astronaut Edgar Mitchell, could this be right? Help! Must know! Can't sleep!lol

[ConsciousAndFREE]

Well, this was my very first tool concert, and the very best concert i have ever experienced in my life! Wow...where do i begin? I have been a tool fan since about 98. I have never had the money or time to experience them until now. I was in san francisco and i bought the tickets and i guess the ticketmaster service was all fucked up and i freaked out and thought i lost the 3 tickets i purchased but i was able to buy them somehow and got the most kickass seats! in section 102!
So i did some research on the pnc pavillion venue and found that it was quite smaller than i expected when i got here. I still wonder why they would play in a small venue. I watched and enjoyed tweak bird a little bit then waited for tool to come out, and eventually they showed. What im about to tell you all is true and you can believe what you want but i swear to god this is true: About halfway throught the concert, i see a girl with this kickass looking camera, and the guy next to me says thats danny careys girlfriend, so i stood next to her between a song and i was SOOO nervouse the only thing i could say was "hi." she replied with a "hello," then i nearly pissed myself. The greatest thing i have ever experienced next to sex...
Oh and btw.. maynardisms for the concert were
"hi"
"I was born in ohio, and it was boring, so i can see why you all came up here" (i think)
"time to put your clothes back on naked people"
and a few others i coudn't really hear.
Aenema was the highlight along with lateralus..hell they were all godlike

[ConsciousAndFREE]

So who was in the chicken get up and who was chasing him around with, what I thought was a large bone? One of them was a chick tho, she had boobs!

it was adam jones in the chicken costume
Justin was the guy in the mask chasing him
JUST TO CLEAR THAT UP FOR ALL OF YOU.

[corwinator3407]

My second time seeing the group, the last was in '07 in Cincy. I'm still debating which of the two I thought was better. But I am glad that whatever bad timing issues were being discussed in the previous show threads from this tour were gone, at least in my opinion everyone was spot on.

[JCRaven]

Usedabused: That might have been me in front of you. It was my first Tool show, sorrrrrrry for getting into the music in a different way than you do. I had a good time anyway. It was an awesome show and I hope they come back again soon.

[YUBitchin]

Oh and btw.. maynardisms for the concert were
"hi"
"I was born in ohio, and it was boring, so i can see why you all came up here" (i think)
"time to put your clothes back on naked people"
and a few others i coudn't really hear.

"$50 coupon to Chess King" for Tweak.
"I'm stalling. Let's see. Where was I? Oh yeah. Songs."
"So I heard this show sold out in point five seconds."

[PapaSmurf]

I have been a fan of Tool since I first saw/heard Sober on MTV. I've bought all their records the day they were released, but never was able to catch them live, until last night. They have been on top of my "must see list" for years. But after reading all the nitpicky, negative reviews on this site I was a little concerned. Now, I've been to hundreds of show over the last 20 years, and maybe last night was a fluke. But I saw one of the most original,inventive and uncompromising bands of all time last night. The venue was unique to me (fuck lawn seating!), the crowd was into it, and Tool rang my bell. Just how I like it. MJK did what he has always done - bridge the gap between wierd and beauty. He is the " bizzaro-world's David Lee Roth. And Danny Carey done what only Danny Carey can do. He is the only drummer I can think of who assumes the role of "lead guitarist", know what I mean? Not bad for a big ol' white boy from Kansas. Anyway, all the whinning crybabies on this page should just be glad that ,in a nation of idiots, a band like Tool was able to rise up with the cream, and continue at such a high level for all these years.

[Pallone99]

Drove 5 hours from Detroit. Bought a $100 signed poster. Show was good, vocals were muddy except for a few songs, Lateralus was a highlite for me.

Anyway, my wife and I ran into Maynard later in the evening at our hotel. It was 1:00am and we were getting into an elevator, Maynard and I guess a body guard walked on before us and I said "hey Maynard", the body guard says "we'll get the next one" and they quickly exit the elevator. WTF? I wasn't stalking him, didn't ask for an autograph or picture, just said "hey" it was a total coincidence. Jesus what a dick... Sorry for recognizing you. Next time I'll avert my eyes and keep my mouth shut. Oh well, my wife and I got a good laugh out of it later.

[vestal]

This was my 3rd time seeing the band. The first time was on their last tour in St. Louis. I was so completely blown away that as soon as I came home I went online to see when I could see them next, which happened to be in Chicago 2 days later.

At that first show in St. Louis, I thought literally that I was going to die, that my heart was going to be pulled out of my chest and that at the very least, the powerful vibrations from the sound would cause an irregularity in my heart rhythm and I would surely die of a heart attack. Once I came to the conclusion that no one had yet died at a Tool show, I relaxed and allowed myself to become completely overwhelmed and had one of the best nights of my life. Ditto in Chicago a couple of days later. After the show I was walking on air, as was everyone around me. People were talking to one another with expressions of wonder and happiness.

Not so much this show. I had what I thought was the best seat in the house. First row dead center section 101. The sound was terrible. I could hardly hear Maynard at all. I brought my friend with me who is a Tool virgin. She was determined to get up to speed with their music, listening intently and a lot--with lyrics, all of their music, then, specifically their setlist once I saw what it was going to be. Even though she had listened to Anema for weeks prior to the show, because it was not on the "setlist" mix cd I made for her (as I did not expect it to be played) the sound was so bad, she did not even recognize the song.

Don't get me wrong, I did love the show and I love the band and I'm glad I went however, that special something was missing for me too. Maynard did not do the difficult parts, which was a disappointment for me. Also, I would have hoped that the band would have done a very different setlist from the last time they toured.

That they have toured again and don't have a new cd and there is no talk of them in the works for a new cd make me fear they may just have jumped the shark. If that is so, I am very sorry as Tool is a wonderful band with really inventive, magical ideas, both musically and lyrically. I hope that this tour reminds them of the magic that they can create and this will inspire them back to the studio so the world can once more be crazy happy.

I'm happy for the folks who said they had good sound and that this was their best Tool show ever. I wish I could have said the same. I'm not giving up though. Come to St. Louis guys! You sold out there too, remember?!

Reading the prior note about Maynard in the elevator saddens me. I know there are lots of nutty folks in america but geeez, Maynard...... I know you're great and all, but please try to get over yourself a little bit.

[usedabused]

I personally thought the vocals sounded bad too. Just all muddied up. It was like that last time I saw them in 07. I thought it was the venue then. Apparently it's not.

[usedabused]

Usedabused: That might have been me in front of you. It was my first Tool show, sorrrrrrry for getting into the music in a different way than you do. I had a good time anyway. It was an awesome show and I hope they come back again soon.

Section 200 row I ?

[vestal]

Yes, that's too bad about Maynard. I hope he gets his head back together soon. It can't be comfortable carrying around all that load.

Oh, and one more comment about their setlist, when they played Lost Keys, instead of having the original audio (conversation of the nurse and the doctor in the er) from the cd, they played some other audio of people talking and the video screen showed kind of smeared/blurry, black & white pictures of people's faces. I could not understand what they were saying and almost thought it was George Bush on the pix. Seems to me that if they were going to pipe in some audio, it would have been nice to play what was in the original song. At least it would have made sense. Then again, had the audio been clear, I might have gleaned what they were attempting to communicate this time and been thrilled with the change.

[LeahFaye]

Last night was my second live show (I also saw APC in '06). I've heard a lot of mixed reviews, but for me it's always a pleasure. I'm thankful that there was a Cinci show with Lollapalooza right around the corner. Maynard did kind of hang out in the back but hey, it's not like his job's easy. the rest of the band tore it up. Danny did some things that I had to see to believe. I nearly got a drumstick when a security guard nabbed it he held it above my head and the guy behind me got it. Speaking of security, there was one guy who kept standing on the barricade directly in front of me scoping out smokers and would be photographers. Dude, I paid $100 to see my favorite band, not your dumb ass.

The set was similar to the US Bank Arena show ('07) with a some variations: Flood and Aenima (which were both amazing). Also, I loved that Maynard was wearing a Puscifer shirt (good advertising for a great band) .

Something else worth noting: during an instrumental break, I noticed Maynard was scanning the crowd (I was in the very front at this point). It seemed like he was looking around at the people and very subtly he flicked the devil horns at people and waited to see if they were paying attention and if theywould do it back. I don't know if he was looking at me when he did this because of his shades, but I like to think so...

Can't wait til next time. I would love to hear Bottom, H., or most of all a version of Pushit like the one on Salival. One can hope...

[jtf456]

First, I would like to say that I don't understand all of the criticism from these posts. This was my first Tool concert and the band seemed spot-on to me including Maynard. At first, I was concerned about how Maynard was going to sound considering that I read some of the reviews prior to this show and Tweak Bird's vocals kind of sucked. I couldn't make out any of their lyrics. Then, when Maynard sung the first words of Jambi, I was completely relieved. From my seats (section 204 row e seat 22, pretty much a little left of center), the music sounded as if I were listening to music that was recorded in a studio. I absolutely loved every bit of the music and the art, lights, and lasers made this an unforgettable experience. I'd also venture to say that nearly everyone else around me felt the same way considering they were all screaming one more song even after Maynard left the stage. My favorite songs of the night were definitely Jambi (the burning sun background and the lights that lit up the crowd when Maynard sang "shine on forever shine on benevolent su(o)n" were incredible) and 46 & 2 just because I LOVE that f*cking song.

For those of you who are complaining about how the setlist has been the same over this tour, seriously get over yourself. The band does not travel the country to play to the same group of fans each and every night. Do you really expect that they are going to change things up just for that small minority? They put together a kickass show and travel all over the US and Canada to give EVERYONE a chance to see them play and, to be honest, I would pay another $140 a ticket to see the exact same show again.

As for complaints about how long they played, I guess they could have thrown in a couple more songs like Eulogy, Sober, or even Jerk Off. Still, they played for a little over 2 hours which satisfied me.

I'd like to thank them for all of their music and for a great live experience. I hope that Maynard doesn't get too side tracked with puscifer and that the guys get another album out realisitically in the next 3 years.

[hbynoe]

just got back from OH...after a 19 hour bus ride.

i have a couple words

Holy Fucking Shit...the show was insane. more to come.

[rembrandt_q_einstein]

solid performance. flood, lateralus, and jambi were my personal favorites. this show really made me want a new album.

[laddin]

The good. It was TOOL. Tweakbird was okay, you couldn't get a real sense of the vocals, but I was intrigued by them being a 2 man group.

The bad. I agree with the opinion that Maynard seemed a little removed. This was my first live event for them and I kept waiting for this MJK persona that I keep hearing about to show. Part of why I go to concerts is to get that experience you can't get from buying a CD. I've heard so many road stories during concerts - it's great.

The Ugly. There was very little variation from the way they played the songs on their CD's. I didn't get much more out of it than that. I absolutely love it when they cover something from another band. It really lets you know what influenced them.

[chefjennkcc]

This was my 14th TOOL show... and although I knew exactly what the set list would be before I arrived, I still thought it was a GREAT performance.. unlike another person reported, I felt the crowd was TOTALLY stoked about their performance, and sang along with every word. I am an old school TOOL fan. No matter what they play, I will always feel like it is a privilege to be able to see them perform. They are musical geniuses and will always be my favorite. I will be living off the high from this show, and anxiously awaiting the next. Thank you TOOL for the wonderful evening....

[jonf]

it was adam jones in the chicken costume
Justin was the guy in the mask chasing him
JUST TO CLEAR THAT UP FOR ALL OF YOU.

actually adam was the one in the werewolf mask throwing packing peanuts into the fan and justin was wearing like a troll mask chasing the tweakbird chicken around...whom i believe was the guitar tech. also two guys set up a tableon the right, also wearing maks, with a bucket of stellas and poured drinks for everyone. oh and just was holding a giant wrench when he was chasing the bird around stage.i think it had some sort of meaningless meaning behind it. you know, beating up the 'tweabird with huge tool./
/
anways one interesting thing, justin came up and barrowed my lighter about 20 minutes after the show lol. i thought that was carzy.

[spyrilautte]

I, personally, had a magical night.

To those who are criticizing Maynard's vocals, you have to remember that they are a bunch of middle aged men. Give the guy some slack. While, sure, he doesn't sound like he did 10 years ago, the little man's still got it.

Like others have posted, I was in section 100 and the vocal levels were very low. It bothered me for a little while but then I realized that it was a unique way to experience Tool. It reminded me that I wasn't here to see Maynard show--I can't wait to experience Puscifer for that-- but I was here to see the band Tool which is the sum of four equally weighed parts. I was able to hear Maynard's vocal melodies and his accompanying emotion but was mostly unable to make out what he was saying. This resulted in a new experience for me: hearing Tool as one entity without focusing on words as I have done at past Tool shows. This resulted in a powerfully overwhelming sound produced by each band member contributing to a strong unified sound. I know the words. I can pop in any of their albums and hear a crystal clear vocal performance any time I want and sing along. For me, this new experience allowed me to bask in the sound of Tool in a completely new and refreshing way.


As for the way Maynard acted at the show: I felt a lot of love coming from him. It was really nice to be welcomed home and at home I felt. Maynard did his little Maynard dances showing that he *was* into it.

One of the highlights for me that pleasantly surprised me was Flood. Rosetta Stoned is always awesome live, and there's not much to say about Stinkfist other than holy fucking shit. Lateralus is an important song for me, personally, and is always the climax of the show for me. I felt Tweek Bird's contrubition to Lateralus was a great addition! Loves me a theremin!

And, I totally heard teases of Prison Sex and 10,000 days.

I also felt a lot of love from Justin, Danny, and Adam after the show. They seemed generally grateful for us as we for them. The lack of Maynard's presence was no big surprise. He's a peculiar guy. That's just not his style. No biggie.

[reflection1mind]

Did anyone score one of the Tour shirts with the band's pic on the back, that want to get rid of or trade for? Looking for an XL

[eywillis15]

I had what I thought was the best seat in the house. First row dead center section 101. The sound was terrible. I could hardly hear Maynard at all. I brought my friend with me who is a Tool virgin. She was determined to get up to speed with their music, listening intently and a lot--with lyrics, all of their music, then, specifically their setlist once I saw what it was going to be. Even though she had listened to Anema for weeks prior to the show, because it was not on the "setlist" mix cd I made for her (as I did not expect it to be played) the sound was so bad, she did not even recognize the song.

Thanks Vestal. I was hoping to get someone's opinion who had been to prior shows. My complaints on the audio and vocal mix are nothing against the band. They had a lot of energy and I'm sure that they were playing amazingly, I just couldn't make it out from my seat. I was expecting pristine audio and got far from it. It was my first time at PNC Pavilion so I wanted to see if the bad sound was because of the venue; sounds like it is.

Also, it wasn't just muddy vocals from my seat. There was a guitar solo where I couldn't even hear the guitar other than the higher notes. Not very happy with PNC Pavilion...

[Bogart]

Awesome concert. My fifth time seeing them. I was in the pit and thought it sounded great. Maynard is always low in the mix like he's always been when i've seen them.I was right in front of Danny and Justin, Danny seemed really into the oerformance. Justin was getting drunk as usual. I held up my joint and pointed towards him and he gave me a nod and thumbs up. It was great hearing Flood. I personally don't like Jambi as an opener...I think something like Sober would be a better fit. Tweak Bird was better than what I was expecting. I met some dude that posts here...so if youre reading this..hope you enjoyed the autographed poster. Good night indeed. Cant wait to see them again when the new album drops.

[JCRaven]

Section 200 row I ?

No, 202 row C.

But from the comments, it sounded like you could have been the guy behind me.

Weird coincidence, huh?

[YUBitchin]

There are no sharks in the Ohio River

I saw the Rolling Stones on a mini-tour no album to promote.
I saw The Who twice and they hadn't released an album in over 10 years then. I've seen CSN and DMB between albums and on and on.

So they should only tour to sell an album and they are sell outs if they tour without an album? I'm confused, so are the sharks.

[hughes.1265]

the sickest band in the world; ive seen tool 12 times & with the exception of bonnaroo 07', this was by far the best show ever.All the reviews on maynard's voice can go blow. your seats must of sucked; i was in the pit about 8 people back on adam and maynard's side and the sound was phenominal as was maynard's voice. i'm surprised that everyone that holds on to his every little word between songs dosent acknowledge when he takes a step back with his arm on his side and his foot/boot tip is pointing up as he leans on his heal to assess the sound situation(they do have monitors). i'm just being sarcastic of course and kinda poking fun at his critic's for over-anaylising him all of the time.YOU ARE ALL SEPARATING YOUR BODY'S FROM YOUR MIND'S!!! back to the show-danny was amazzing and stared at me the entire length of the sick tobla part of rosseta; bobbing his head to the poly-beat flawlessley. adam also on point; not taking as much of a back role as he used to; he stood out quite often absorbing the crowd. justin i think was in to the show the most though. i heard all kinds of ad-lib improvs out of him that may take tool into a new dirrection in new albums. the wings/10,000 teaser and prison-sex teaser's were great but we knew the set-list weeks ago. the lights, back drop and new visuals were off the hook. the gigantic see-thru human torso thAT spiralled into what i percieved as an alien on stage was super sik.Tweak bird was amazing as well.i normally dont like opening bands (im there to see the headliner)but as i stood outside the place drinking my $3.50 fruit punch waiting for something i ingested to take effect i was drawn to the floor with their music. i knew instantly that it was tool and co. who came out with foam and peanuts, tweak bird is a lucky band to have gotten to open for such an entity like tool.the stuff they performed during lateralus (some weird clarinet and drums was awesome.i didnt think anything could top MORRELO'S performance at bonnarro but this exceeded my expectations.only downside was i wished they would of played all nightlong,but we can only wish.tool is the pink floyd of our time and then some. i will be at every show they do in my area for the rest of my life, thanks for the healing guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what in the hell is the new alien stuff before rosseta???

[bizeekizay]

Anyone who has seen TOOL multiple times, have you ever NOT felt "HOLY SHIT" at the end of the show? Honestly, remember that feeling? I thought maybe perhaps being my 5th show that I was jaded...

...See you on the next tour, yes I'll be there, because I believe that the next time I walk out of a TOOL show I'll say, "HOLY SHIT"

Agreed with you on this. I've always been left standing there when the lights come on thinking to myself, "HOLY SHIT, WHAT JUST HAPPENED?" But this time, though I still had the HOLY SHIT thought, it was due to my ears being completely blown out. Now I was in the pit about 10-15 ft in front of Justin, and Jesus Christ [why don't ya come save my life now] it was by far the loudest show of any kind I've ever been to. By about halfway through the show, I could barely make out anything besides the drums and bass. But even though my ears were destroyed I still noticed Maynard not putting much into it, and during a few songs setting up some effects to carry his 'screams'. During Vicarious, flat out not even singing a couple lines early in the song and [like he usually does] not singing the last couple lines of screams and pointing the mic out into the crowd.

I'm trying to keep this as positive as possible, as this was a Tool show, and no matter what I feel about a show, I'll ALWAYS come back for more. Besides my ears being raped, I still can't believe how close we were to the band. The venue was surprisingly small for a Tool show. So I'm sure everyone had a great seat/view.

The system/speakers for the bass was incredible, I don't know if anyone else was able to see them, but where the security guards are, there were at least a half dozen 5 ft tall speakers that I believe just kicked out the bass. And being about 5 ft from those is an intense feeling. Especially during some of the iinterludes, where Danny would be fucking around with his computers making the ambient noises, then all of a sudden a huge "cloud" of bass comes in and nearly knocks you on your ass.

I have a question, cause I really don't think I imagined it, but haven't read anything on here about it... did anyone hear Justin play the guitar riff from Voodoo Child before a song, I think either Aenema or Vicarious during the interlude.

Anywho, the Tweakbird skit was high;ly amusing. Justin and Adam were part of it, Adam had a skull mask on, and was one of the people filling the cups with beer. And Justin was the guy with the huge wrench chasing the "Tweakbird" around stage, eventually beheading it. Adam threw out some bottles of water and my friend ended up catching one, and it was a Fiji bottle filled with pink 'juice' that tasted like ball sweat to be honest... But if it was Tool's ball sweat, I'm glad I drank it, haha.

This was my least favorite show aurally, but favorite when it came to being in the pit and everything else. My ears are still ringing two days later, but it's a reminder of how fucking close we were to the greatest band of all time.

[ufopancakes]

This show was far better than Lollapalooza the next day. The intamacy was more fitting and the band was much more "on it".

I think during lost keys that was Jordan Maxwell talking... I'm not sure. But I'm fairly sure they did show video footage of him. Any thoughts?

[tonguedrop]

the sickest band in the world; ive seen tool 12 times & with the exception of bonnaroo 07', this was by far the best show ever.All the reviews on maynard's voice can go blow. your seats must of sucked; i was in the pit about 8 people back on adam and maynard's side and the sound was phenominal as was maynard's voice. i'm surprised that everyone that holds on to his every little word between songs dosent acknowledge when he takes a step back with his arm on his side and his foot/boot tip is pointing up as he leans on his heal to assess the sound situation(they do have monitors). i'm just being sarcastic of course and kinda poking fun at his critic's for over-anaylising him all of the time.YOU ARE ALL SEPARATING YOUR BODY'S FROM YOUR MIND'S!!! back to the show-danny was amazzing and stared at me the entire length of the sick tobla part of rosseta; bobbing his head to the poly-beat flawlessley. adam also on point; not taking as much of a back role as he used to; he stood out quite often absorbing the crowd. justin i think was in to the show the most though. i heard all kinds of ad-lib improvs out of him that may take tool into a new dirrection in new albums. the wings/10,000 teaser and prison-sex teaser's were great but we knew the set-list weeks ago. the lights, back drop and new visuals were off the hook. the gigantic see-thru human torso thAT spiralled into what i percieved as an alien on stage was super sik.Tweak bird was amazing as well.i normally dont like opening bands (im there to see the headliner)but as i stood outside the place drinking my $3.50 fruit punch waiting for something i ingested to take effect i was drawn to the floor with their music. i knew instantly that it was tool and co. who came out with foam and peanuts, tweak bird is a lucky band to have gotten to open for such an entity like tool.the stuff they performed during lateralus (some weird clarinet and drums was awesome.i didnt think anything could top MORRELO'S performance at bonnarro but this exceeded my expectations.only downside was i wished they would of played all nightlong,but we can only wish.tool is the pink floyd of our time and then some. i will be at every show they do in my area for the rest of my life, thanks for the healing guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what in the hell is the new alien stuff before rosseta???


I am in COMPLETE AGREEMENT. We were in the middle of the upper section. perfect view. the mix was great. the band was THUNDEROUS. My intense LSD trip snuck in right around the end of 46 and 2. I've seen Tool around 13 times dating back to Spring '97. While I can still think of a couple better Tool shows I've been to, this recent one blew any of the 5 times that I saw 10,000 Days tour out of the water.

great fucking job guys, cant wait for the new album.

WHEN IS ADAM JONES GOING TO MAKE HIS FEATURE FILM DEBUT WITH TOOL'S NEW ALBUM BEING THE SOUNDTRACK????? : )

[Breadman94]

This was my first concert, and I'm glad it was Tool. Aside from being my favorite band, they give you more than just a "Concert". It's a full fledged assault on your senses. I was more than satisfied. Yes, Maynard was a drowned out, but just seeing him there at the mic made me cringe. His voice blended in more as an instrument I thought.

I was so tempted to but a signed poster, but then I wouldn't have enough for a shirt. I ended up with a poster and the tongue shirt. I can't go the merch booth with a credit card... ever. I would spend way too much.

[vestal]

it was a Fiji bottle filled with pink 'juice' that tasted like ball sweat to be honest... But if it was Tool's ball sweat, I'm glad I drank it, haha.


I don't think you are alone in this. We all know the guys are cool and smart and talented and creative and great but no one is saying how HOT they all are. And Maynard has such a unique stage presence, without hardly moving at all, he blows away all these "rock stars" who dance all over the stage, looking like little girls. From a female perspective, the way Maynard moves makes me nutz! OMG! My imagination.......oh jeeezzzz......

And given how the guys around me were acting, I wouldn't be at all surprised if there are more than a few of them who feel the same. He is one hot tamale! hahahaha!

[Breadman94]

what in the hell is the new alien stuff before rosseta???

Tool's crew went out to Route 66 and found a bunch of cool stuff for the background video if I'm not mistaken. Unless you mean the spinning alligator/alien thing. Then I have no clue.

The route 66 thing is in the newsletter for last month I believe, on their site.

[millermt]

This was my 15th show. The venue was awesome. The people I met were all awesome. The chick in the sound booth who gave me a hard time but ultimately gave me a little tease with her tits and then gave me the setlist was awesome. Danny, Adam and Justin were awesome. Maynard was not awesome. He was just okay, and that made what promised to be a great show only mediocre. He definitely was not completely into this show. Sang pretty much the bare minimum. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I hope the guys take some time off before writing the next album and doing the next tour because maybe by then Maynard will be interested.

[vestal]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I hope the guys take some time off before writing the next album and doing the next tour because maybe by then Maynard will be interested.

I believe in the creative process and all but how much more time do they need to take off before writing the next album and doing the next tour? 10,000 Days was released in 2006 and the last time they toured was 2007. And it's not like they're not doing anything. They're just not doing Tool stuff. Seems like Tool is just not their priority and that's really really too bad as they are so monumentally talented working together.

What with Maynard not singing the hard parts live, the band playing almost the same set list for 2 tours, no talk of a new album and the last one having been released in 2006.......doesn't that bring one to begin to imagine the worst? I hope I am entirely wrong but the evidence suggests otherwise. They're not getting any younger and it's not going to get any easier.

[aviguy100]

First I have to say that this is my first post ever... I typically don't take the time to express myself but I cannot stop thinking about my experience at this show. So many people feel the need to bitch about everything, something, anything because this is the information age and we can and others will hear us... I am not that kind of person. I remember the last time I saw Tool back in 2007 I was reading the reviews of shows and a good majority of them were negative: "Same set list", "Maynard doesn't move around like he used to," etc. I found that show to be one of the most incredible live music experiences of my life. Like I said, some people just love to bitch. So it didn't surprise me when I began to read the reviews of this tour prior to my experience and hear all the negativity; I expected it and dismissed it as the usual gripes. Unfortunately I found myself shockingly disappointed after leaving the PNC pavilion.
Overall my wife and I had a GREAT time. We drove 4 hours from the Cleveland area and got a hotel nearby, this was our anniversary present to ourselves. We were incredibly excited as it has been over two years since we last saw them and as our 7th Tool show we knew what to expect (top notch performances, amazing visuals, emotionally moving, and almost supernatural experience). Although Adam, Justin and Danny gave their all it did not seem to make up for the lack of Maynard's involvement in the overall output. See, what makes Tool so amazing is that they are more than just the sum of all parts. When each member gives 100% the result is what we have come to adore about the band... musical perfection and emotionally moving. I don't think it was that Maynard's vocal level (mic volume) was too low in the mix... sound board operators for bands like this know what they're doing. You can only turn up one's mic so loud before feedback occurs. The only logical explanation is that he simply was not singing very loud. Not once did I hear any considerable effort given to achieve the unmistakable vocal presence that is Maynard. And although, as I said, I believe the rest of the band gave their all the collective output was hollow sounding, empty. I kept expecting (hoping) that he just needed to get warmed up or feel the energy of the crowd (which by the way was an awesome crowd, no retards that I encountered and a great, respectful response) to get into it. It did not happen. Then after Vicarious, when all was said and done, the group goodbye was down a member. I'm not sure if anyone else saw it but it looked like (as soon as the song was over) Maynard walked right in front of Adam and was going to give him an exaggerated, perhaps spiteful high-five to which Adam did not reciprocate. Maynard then made a fidgety motion to Adam's hand holding his pick and then walked right off stage. This sealed the deal for me. I knew something wasn't right.
I'm not going to speculate why this happened, no one but the band and those close to them really knows. All I can think is that I understand if Maynard did not want to be there and/or do the tour... touring isn't always fun and games. But there are obviously a multitude of respectful, faithful Tool fans that paid a considerable amount of money to be there and expect/deserve the real Tool experience. If you're going to show up give it your all, please. How could you not feel the energy of the 1000's of fans looking to you, hungry for your emotional outpouring, and not feel compelled to deliver? In a way it reminds me of how Roger Waters began acting with Pink Floyd towards the end.
I hope I'm wrong. I hope that this is just a phase and that next time around the animosity is absent. For Christ's sake who are we going to turn to when Tool is no more?

I would like to say in closing that ultimately I had a good time and if it wasn't for seeing them at their best, knowing what they are capable of, it would not have affected me that much. Perhaps next time around... Also, thank you to Rynne who when I pointed her out to my wife very cordially engaged in a short conversation with my wife wanting to thank her for her photography of the band as well as asking to tell Danny he's the shit. Thank you Rynne!

[Christopher-GOBLIN]

did anyone hear Justin play the guitar riff from Voodoo Child before a song, I think either Aenema or Vicarious during the interlude.

Yeah dude, I heard that, and I started going nuts (well, more nuts than I was already going) and it ended...everyone prolly thought I was crazy, but I heard it too man.

To anyone who thought this show sucked, you should have saw them in North Carolina. The Cincy show was 1,000 times better, at least. I thought Nard was into it, he actually sang, he looked at the crowd, moved around and got most of the words correct, 100% opposite of NC. The crowd knew that in NC too man, and the energy really fell off, but I felt like the energy stayed high the whole time in Cincy.

And dude, Tweakbird is cool....yeah, I yelled "tweak turd!" a bunch, because it was funny, but I thought that they rocked for primariliy 2 dudes.

I was one of the giants in the Pink Floyd shirt in the pit like 7 rows back from Justin. The people were great. Security tried to get this guy we were talking to/smoking up with for smoking some trees and I like...dove in front of the security gaurd to slow him down and kept yelling "security, security!". The security guy was like "dude, I am security. I'm right here". He didn't get that I was trying to block him and look out for people smoking, I guess. It felt like a scene out of The Matrix, like slow mo', but it probably looked like a monkey trying to fuck a security gaurd. Whatever though....the dude didn't get busted because of me....high 5's and fist knocks went on for at least a full minute afterwards. Very Rad. These were Tool Army kids though, so, I'm sure they're too important to read posts on Tool Navy. ;]

Fucking great show man, best Tool show I have seen out of my 4. Best time I have had at a Tool show too, one of the best times I have had at any show and I've seen a ton of live shows. I danced like a hippie...

All in all....WAY better than the show in NC, WAY, WAY better.....the set list was the same but the experience wasn't. It was so much better man, and I can't really explain why other than MayNARD actually sang.....great music, great people,....just awesome man......150% awesome.

Anyone notice Nard had on a Puscyfur shirt? Hmmm.....

[HookerWithADick]

This was my forth Tool show. And though I did not think it was the best performance I have seen of theirs, it was not the worst either. This was my first time being in the new PNC pavilion (which was excellent I thought. I don’t think that there could have been a bad seat in the house unlike the Riverbend pavilion that has many seats with obstructed views). It was my first time seeing Tool out doors, which I was excited about because I hate the acoustics in arena shows. I could never understand what Maynard was saying between songs at any of the arena shows. I could hear his comments on Friday night without strain. However the mix was not good at all I felt. Most of the time you really had to focus really hard to even tell if Maynard was singing at all. I have always respected the fact that Maynard sticks to the background and lets Adam and Justin have the spotlight and dominate the mix but I still want to know that Maynard is contributing. From what I could tell he was not hitting any of the high notes, and he did not even sing the last two lines of Vicarious. He just held out the mic on his megaphone to the crowd as if to say, “Okay now you sing!!” which in many cases would be cool but on this night it just seemed to be another example of how Maynard was half-assing his performance.
Tweak Bird was pretty entertaining. I thought is was really funny when Adam and Justin came out and dumped the foam peanuts all over them and chased the chicken during their set. And I thought their contribution to Lateralus made it the best song of the evening. The guy playing the Theremin was really good at it, I thought and it was a very interesting addition to the song.

[HookerWithADick]

The security at the venue was fucking annoying. Every ten seconds it seemed one of them was pushing past me or blocking my view to give people shit about their cell phones or smoking. I have never been so annoyed by an event staff. If I could make a small recommendation to the guys in Tool about that matter I would explain that I understand and respect their need to minimize the piracy of their shows, it is their art and video taping it is the same as stealing from them. But insisting that the event staff pester the shit out of the crowd about it in a way ripping us off from the experience. I’ll bet that just about anyone in that venue who has an isle seat was annoyed my the staff constantly pushing past them to tell someone to put their phone away or put your cigarette out.
One other major detail that really disappointed me was that there was no new material of any kind that I could recognize. Not even and instrumental teaser between songs, nothing to hint about what to expect on the upcoming album that they have been recording. I’m sure that all the synthesizer duets between songs will not make it to a recording, and if it I would question WTF is this!!
My favorite Tool show by far that I have seen was in Cincinnati back in ’02. I thought the Lateralus stage was better, I thought that the band played better, the mix was probably better too. They played Opiate which was fucking kick ass and the all jammed what seemed like an improve jam at the time but actually turned out to be “Wings for Marie”.
It was a good show at the PNC Pavilion on 8-7-09, but I found it to be rather disappointing compared to past Tool shows I have seen. The stage was the same as ’07 the set-list was almost identical to’07 (common guys aren’t you sick of this tired ass set list yet, I know you have been jamming and recording new material for a few months now) and the mix was awful (your sound tech really needs to take a lap around the venue a few times a night or Tool should fire your ass!) but it was Tool and they shit brilliance.

[btravis311]

Thanks to Tool for a great show. It's a honor to see pros at work, and I certainly hope it's not the last time. PNC was a nice venue.

I should say that the COSM "Tool Shrine" shit is a bit ridiculous. Can part of the proceeds from my $100 pit ticket not be allocated for the cause? Sheesh. If there's some angle to this that I'm not seeing, please enlighten me.

[veikley]

That show was sweet. I loved PNC Pavillion...the last show at US Bank Arena didn't do it for me at all. And the only thing I can say to anyone who can complain about this show.....did you ever think you would see TOOL play live in 2009??????? Enjoy it while you still can...hopefully a new album is in the works.

Not sure what was buggering up Justin's feedback for lost keys but he was fighting it like hell to keep it goin...must've been the humidity...

[egatimra]

This has been the 5th Ohio Tool show that I have attended since '98. This time around, my husband and I took a 2.5 hour trip to Columbus, where a good friend of ours lives, and the three of us trucked it another 2 hours to Cincinnati. Not at once, though. We made a mini-vacation of it.

My husband has an account here as well, so hopefully he'll post his opinions of the show at another time.

We purchased an unsigned show poster (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2488/3810962402_9ee1ef7051.jpg) at the PNC merchandise kiosk for $25. I took a photo of the poster, including a macro of the Tool Notary Stamp (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2432/3810941680_05ef949d40_b.jpg). It's killer.

We sat in section 102, Row P. We were approximately 22 rows from stage left. As far as sound goes, unfortunately it did, on occasion, become difficult to make sense from one tone to another. I'm not sure if it was the architecture of the venue or not, but it surely did not lessen the overall experience.

Tweakbird is interesting. Things must be feeling really good for them right now. I wonder what the story is, even if it's nothing extraordinary. I hope they get a record label if they want one.

I will always be incredibly thankful to experience Tool play for a live audience. It was especially awesome to watch Tool play for 4K people. Most of the shows I have attended could hold 10-40K people. It was a huge treat to hear how freakin' LOUD 4K people can be compared to 10K. It was a great crowd, too. Even those schizophrenics.

Thank you, Tool. Thanks for being there while I navigate a lot of interesting maps.

[ewall09]

I've seen tool 5 times now dating back to 96 and for the first time completely disappointed. Not only did they play nearly the same set as 07, and maynard hides in the back doing nothing, both things I was expecting. But what i cannot understand is why Maynard is so low in the mix and I didnt see him once attempt a high or difficult note. He simply relied on vocal effects to carry out his yells. ......

Keep in mind MJK is pushin' about 50. He's about 46 now I think? TOOL VERY rarely does Ticks and Leeches anymore because MJK f'd up his voice from getting too into it. Also, hitting some of the high notes in Vicarious would kill too. And also keep in mind that this isn't Opiate/Undertow days where he was trippin' and just lost in the music (NO I am NOT beating him down.)

TOOL is an amazing band and ALWAYS will be in my books.

This show was INSANE. I drove 5+ hours from Pittsburgh, PA with a few friends to get 'mindraped'. The show was EPIC. The setlist was pretty killer too. It was a great experience...I didn't run into any assholes. Everyone was really cool and I chatted with a few people too.

[notOGT]

I'm not OGT -- I'm a Tool noob, basically.
This wasn't my 147th Tool show -- it was my third.

It was also the best Tool show I've seen yet.

To all you OGT's out there who feel sorry for me for believing this to have actually been a really good show, and to those who are lining up to tell me I'd feel differently if I'd been around to witness 'the OLD Tool' when Maynard painted himself blue and screamed himself hoarse...don't bother.

I don't need your pity.

Afterall...I can still enjoy the hell out of a Tool show, and you can't. You need pity more than I, friend.

You see, it wasn't just this show that was bad for you...it could have been any show. It wouldn't have mattered if the sound had been better, or if that girl hadn't done that one thing that ticked you off, or if that security guard wasn't such a porksword with eyes.. It wouldn't matter..

The magic is gone for you...it's gone. You can't get it back. It's over. I know you hate that, but...

Well, just fuckin' deal with it.

If you don't, Tool may decide to hang it up for good and the rest of us -- those who aren't whiney bitches -- will never get our chance to get totally burned out on Tool shows like you did.

So, skip the next show, Negative Nancies, and let the tickets go to people who are actually capable of appreciating something that *is* amazing.

[joe6212]

This was my first Tool show even though I have been a fan for years. Words could not describe how much I enjoyed that show. For starters, I had a nice blend of tea in the parking lot that really enhanced the lights and sounds. Tweakbird I thought was absolutely terrible with the exception of the drummer. I did notice that Maynard was not very loud however there were enough positives to outweigh that. This was by far the best concert I've ever seen. I felt at home as I saw lots of other hardcore Tool fans there. I don't think I've ever seen so many people on trips in the same place ever but we all have the right idea. I think some people might have done a little much though because when Adam and Justin hit some of those high screechy notes in between songs, I saw people wiggin out and runnin out of the pit and from seats. I just embraced the fuck out of every musical note they made. Highlights of the show for me were Lost Keys/Rosetta Stoned along with 46 and 2, Schism, and Aenema. I think they really rocked the shit out of Rosetta Stoned. My buddy and I traveled from Cleveland to see that show. We rocked out Tool in our rental car all the way back to the hotel and rocked out more Tool when we got in the hotel room. I won't complain about setlists at all because just about anything they play live is AMAZING!!!!!

[LAGEAR1]

Seen Tool 9 times now, never been disappointed.

Cincinnati was my 5th time for the 10,000 Days tour, b/c these shows are all part of the same tour IMO.

Although you could call this the Alex Grey Tour, b/c I think he is the main reason for doing this small tour. Raising money, and Awareness for this Great Artist seemed to be the main motivation for this mini tour.

In any case this show was not the best that I've seen, but was still awesome, w/ many highlights. Flood was performed at an out of this world Level, they nailed it "Hard". And musically everything was very tight, loved the extended part of StinkFest, and Schism. The Band face off was also very cool, gotta Love Lateralus.

MJK sounded pretty clear to me, except RS, which is nothing new for this song. Still I understand why people complain about the mix, it's always different, but not quite right.

I hope for many more years of seeing these guys, but you never know what the future holds. I know that they still got it, and will for at least another 5 to 10+ years, after that...all things good, or bad, come to an end.

Can't wait for New Album, New Tour, and a DVD, ya right LOL!!

Oh yeah, I would love to see the Next Tour Played "IN THE ROUND". For those of you who don't know what I mean, Tool would Play in the center of an Arena, and the Stage could Rotate. Or they could just move Around, I'm sure they could come up w/ some Amazing Visuals for this knid of a Stage Set up.

Until next time,
Peace the F Out

[Bogart]

I dont know what all of this animosity is towards Maynard. We all know he doesn't have the voice he used to, but to say he doesn't enjoy performing or gives a half ass performance is just crazy. He has the same stage presence he's always had and is still reclusicve on stage as always. Hell, I saw them on the Lateralus tour and his back was turned to the audience the whole time...I didn't hear anyone crying back then. Ive seen them several times during the course of the past 3 albums and hes been pretty consistent i've thought. People just have high expectations of Tool and when those people see them live they're going to be let down...quit expecting to have this mindfuck experience where they will play all of your favorite songs and have your life changed. They could play a different setlist every night and people would still bitch because a song they played the night before wasn't played the night they caught them. Tool fans have to be some of the most obnoxious people I have met....always bitching about something. "Dude...I saw Tool last night, and Maynards face wasn't painted...what a waste of money" What a waste of life. I just enjoy going to see them...I don't expect it to be the single greatest concert of mankind...I don't expect the sound to be crystal clear...and I dont expect Maynard to belt out ticks and leeches vocals...I go to enjoy some classics i've grown to love and thats it. Why don't all you whiners change your tampons and join a Jonas Bros forum so you can fit in with the other whining maggots.