08.02.09 - Manchester, NH @ Verizon Wireless Arena

[marcus]

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

SETLIST

Jambi
Stinkfist
46 & 2
Schism
Lost Keys
Rosetta Stoned
Flood
Aenema
Lateralus
Vicarious

[agawamrick]

Maynard said he was late coming up from the Jersey show and he didn't have time to take a dump. He went on to say it would have to wait because he wasn't a party pooper.

Another good performance. Levels seemed to be off a bit; vocals were low. I'll have to double check the setlist but it seemed to follow previous shows. I love this band!

[eulogys]

Same setlist, nothing new, nothing lost.
Tool was extremely late going on stage, as it was at least 9:30, and more than an hour after Tweek Bird. Maynard blamed it on the airlines. He also said something about leaving the stage for an hour, but not to worry, he wouldn't be missed. Asteriods was pretty cool. Also, I really think maynard is mocking the fans during the beginning of Rossetta, because he sure the fuck isn't singing the proper lyrics. But I have a history of being wrong about a few things.

Lighting was top notch.....nice job as always junior.

Watching Danny play stinkfist and 46&2 makes seeing them play those 2 every night bearable.

Overall, not bad. Nothing special, but still worth the trip.

[Astarin Thesky]

Same setlist, nothing new, nothing lost.
Tool was extremely late going on stage, as it was at least 9:30, and more than an hour after Tweek Bird. Maynard blamed it on the airlines. He also said something about leaving the stage for an hour, but not to worry, he wouldn't be missed. Asteriods was pretty cool. Also, I really think maynard is mocking the fans during the beginning of Rossetta, because he sure the fuck isn't singing the proper lyrics. But I have a history of being wrong about a few things.

Lighting was top notch.....nice job as always junior.

Watching Danny play stinkfist and 46&2 makes seeing them play those 2 every night bearable.

Overall, not bad. Nothing special, but still worth the trip.

Yeah, he said something about being hungry. He asked the crowd if we minded him grabbing a bite to eat. Said he'd be back in an hour.

[Astarin Thesky]

I'm extremely happy with the show. I'm a 15+ year TooL fan, and this was the first time I've been able to see them. I'm guessing I thought it was such a good show because I didn't get to see them on the Lateralus tour and before.
I can die happy though. I've seen TooL.
I'm tired, will write more tomorrow.

[lostkeys]

This was my 4th Tool show overall, and 2nd on this tour. It was an amazing show, as always. Someone said before me, nothing new, nothing lost, I agree that it was worth the trip. Maynard talked a lot more at this show than the one I went to in Dallas. The sound overall was very good. The vocals might have been a little low but it wasn't that noticeable from where I was in section 120. Speaking of section 120, the security were being severe assholes, and it seemed like it was only in section 120. No one in the section next to us got fucked with at all, while I saw at least 4 or 5 people in section 120 get taken out for various reasons. All in all though it was a good venue and good show.

[nbcrompton]

Simply amazing!!! This was my 7th tool show, and I was skeptical about the setlist like everyone else. After seeing it for the second time, I realized that no bands compare live to tool even on a night where they are late, tired, and hungry.
Top notch performance like always and props to Junior those Iron man lights are crazy...

[chaosphere33]

AWESOME show! Well to start, everything sounded great except I felt the vocals were buried by all the low frequencies of everyone playing and the acoustics of this venue are "meh" anyways, so it kind it made it hard to hear Maynard sometimes, but other then that.. everyones acoustic sound and tone was prominent, and I had a great view of the whole band right near FOH. Better sound and visuals the whole night. Maynard made some funny "Maynardism". One I remember he said was he told the drummer from Tweek Bird to get the fuck off stage and said "I hope you had your 5 minutes of fun"... and then said "You know you left me your drum set in your will to me, right?" haha. Everyone was dead on and of course Danny was powerful and a beat as usual. I would say, great show, and night and the fact that people from other shows were complaining they are doing the same set from 10,000 Days tour or what not.. who cars. Its Tool, and they always put on a great show and there shows always mean something more.. not like alot of bands today. :)

[Tommyjon19]

My first Tool show for this long-time fan and avid concert-goer. Had a GA Floor ticket but sat in a seat for Tweak Bird and no one bothered me. Tweak Bird didn't impress me much. They struck me as a novelty act mostly, kind of like a noise/Jethro Tull thing going on.

Hit the floor for Tool and stood there for a long time. Was standing dead center about 10 feet in front of the sound board. The last time I looked before they came on it was 9:38.

I knew what the set was going to be but still enjoyed the show very much. I definitely dug the interactive parts of the show and the visuals overall. It looked like a lot of people around me were being hypnotized too because they stopped spazzing out for a few minutes.

During the beginning of Rosetta I thought I caught the phrases "Patrick Swayze" and "I'm feeling lucky." I could be completely wrong on that one though. Maynard shared quite a bit of dialogue with the crowd. some memorable quotes, when referring to the drummer from TB "He's the Make-a-Wish foundation runner up" and "get your shit of my stage" when they finished.

At the end of the show Maynard said "Oh, look at the time. I still have hours of porn surfing to do back in my hotel room. Peace the fuck out."

The sound levels were definitely off and it especially pissed me off during Aenema, because I really thought I was going to have that awesome concert moment, but the vocals were so low it just wouldn't solidify for me.

If Maynard was making fun of the fans during Rosetta I wouldn't be surprised. Most of the people around me were redneck idiots that I'm sure don't actually get the music. Security was hardcore at this one. I saw a couple getting kicked out for taking pictures and some kid getting shit for smoking a cigarette.

Got a poster no problem when I first got inside and bought a t-shirt later on.

[ky_hole]

2nd show, 1st this tour

I really felt that the band was on last night. They played their hearts out. The sound was a little weird at times but everyone was on time. Maynard let the crowd sing some lyrics that I wanted to hear him belt out such as the end of Vicarious and a couple other spots. Overall, though, holy f*cking shit! excellent experience. The fan were awesome even when we were all getting restless for the hour waiting after Tweak Bird! I feel like the band made a point to make it up to us, though. Lighting was not notch. The intermission fuked with my head... which of course was awesome.

[detuned]

tweak bird went on at 7:45, ended around 8:20ish
tool went on exactly at 9:43, ended around 11:35ish

sound could have been a lot better. could barely hear maynard at all, not mention he was clearly not kidding about being tired and rather being in his hotel room, skipped/changed a bunch of parts, "peaced the fuck out" immediately when they were finished. as for the rest of the band's sound, i dont know if it was the reverb of the arena or what, but things got buried and lacked clarity. some of the dynamics of going into certain parts and such lacked power. seemed like they were going a little overboard with effects as well, most specifically justin on the intro to 46&2. a bunch of the early songs were a bit slower and sort of loose which put a damper as well.

i think lateralus was the moment where the sound and performance really hit a sweet spot and was really great. the extended intro of flood was also pretty awesome.

[Spl100]

Wow, what a great show.
Tweak Bird was great and the are the first opening band I've seen play an encore.
As for tool
Everyone really seemed to be into it tonight, but Adam stood still about half of the Performance. Maynard said a lot when Tweak Bird drummer came on for Lateralus, calling him a bitch, the runner up for the Make-a-Wish foundation, and said his usual "Let the Drum ******ry begin" line. During Rosetta Stoned Laser Show, the game Asteroids was displayed on the screen which was awesome. Overall, Tool did not disappoint and i look forward to seeing them after the next album comes out.

[kev1nm]

The show was okay. I was in 219, to the left of the stage, and thought that the sound was pretty bad. Everything sounded jumbled together and Maynard often could barely be heard. I was in the first row of 219; when I looked back throughout the show, it seemed that almost everyone else in the section was sitting the entire time.

I've never really liked Rosetta Stoned and think the shows would be better if they either completely replaced the lyrics to this song with something more meaningful or played 2 other songs in its place. It's unfortunate, I think, that a song with such interesting instrumental work has such silly and ridiculous lyrics. For me, the best thing about this song is that together with Lost Keys it gives you plenty of time to take a bathroom break. it also gives you time to get a beer, but unfortunately last night they stopped selling booze before Tool even took the stage!

Maynard didn't seem very interested in the performance, and aside from a few jokes, he would seem to be the most replaceable part of the band at this point. He rushed off of the stage immediately after Vicarious while the rest of the band stayed on for a few minutes.

Vicarious is a poor closer, especially following Lateralus. You have a very inspiring song followed by a song that, I think, is really a way of mocking the fans with its lyrics.

The highlight of the show for me was the extended Schism.

One last point: I was wondering if anybody thought it was ironic that the lighting during Aenima makes the stage seem like "one great big neon distraction".

Anyway, this was an enjoyable show, despite the complaints noted above.

[dennis]

this is my frist review ever,and my 17th tool show,awesome show tonight!
yes they came on late,but glad it did not cut the set down any. i was in section 206 and during the wait for tool to take stage there was a brawl,some giant asshole started going off on this guy and ended up hiting him (which in this section is very bad since of the vertical-ness,i could see things could have gotten very bad quick, the whole arena was witness to this fight. i have a problem though,the guy who got hit and people around him got booted and as far as i witnessed they just stoped the two from fighting and hurting lots of people in that section,why would you kick out people that didnt do anything(which had 3 entire sections booing and screaming at event staff. any way
tool is still amazing. and the lost keys intro was like being on an acid tripp,which to be able to pull off with sound and visuals is astounding. does any one know what that audio and who the guy on the back screen talking was? great set,flood was killer. free parking(cant beat that) all around great show(minus the some minor fuck -ups and that vibration coming through the sound system,it really ruined some parts. thanks Adam,Danny,Justin,oh and that guy from puscifer. as always when you come again so will I

[dennis]

this is my frist review ever,and my 17th tool show,awesome show tonight!
yes they came on late,but glad it did not cut the set down any. i was in section 206 and during the wait for tool to take stage there was a brawl,some giant asshole started going off on this guy and ended up hiting him (which in this section is very bad since of the vertical-ness,i could see things could have gotten very bad quick, the whole arena was witness to this fight. i have a problem though,the guy who got hit and people around him got booted and as far as i witnessed they just stoped the two from fighting and hurting lots of people in that section,why would you kick out people that didnt do anything(which had 3 entire sections booing and screaming at event staff. any way
tool is still amazing. and the lost keys intro was like being on an acid tripp,which to be able to pull off with sound and visuals is astounding. does any one know what that audio and who the guy on the back screen talking was? great set,flood was killer. free parking(cant beat that) all around great show(minus the some minor fuck -ups and that vibration coming through the sound system,it really ruined some parts. thanks Adam,Danny,Justin,oh and that guy from puscifer. as always when you come again so will I

-just searched and found Apollo astronaut Capt. Edgar Mitchel videos on youtube and he looks like the guy on he back screen talking during lost keys?

[browntoolstain]

Another great tool show. Number 13 for me and first for my child to be born in December. He hasnt moved a whole lot since Aenema but I think he will make a full recovery :). Not a whole lot to add from the billion other posts from this tour, its all positive from me in regards to I understand the same set list. They put on such a huge show, to go change or throw in a different song would take the crew and tool a lot of time to make it flow and sync as well as the rest of the set. I think Maynard was alright for the show, started off strong but maybe the dump he had to take slowed him down. He was a good vocal level at the beginning but the rest of the band was a bit muddy. Once they fixed everyone else, maynard's level went down. But for not having a sound check and maynard just getting up there I think they did the best they could. The rest of the guys are perfect every show, you could tell they want to be up there more than maynard but they have it easier than him. Maynard is up there laying it out night after night, people wanting to hear about the dark days of his life and all he really wants to do is relax and drink wine. Who can blame him? It seems like he's accomplished a lot on a personal level and he's like a poet who's pen has run of out ink and who doesn't really see the need to get another. I hope he does find a little more inspiration to do another album and put on a final tour to close out the TOOL book. I will miss them when they are gone but I think its important to go out with passion rather than to go out trying to pay the electric bill. The guys should put something together and play forever. I hope they feel like they can exist without maynard and do some jazz space exploration oddessies.

the set they played are probably the best songs they have ever written (from a song writing and maturity level) of course... their are other songs, you know which ones I am talking about you would all like to hear. But what if every day you had to go to work and someone went, hey tell me about the worst day of your life and please tell 10,000 the same story. i know its his job, but he has a lot of stories to tell.

When I left i heard this kid bitching about 60 dollars and the same set list. I wanted to tell him, i bet you knew the set list and you still went but you went just so you could complain and say tool sucks. go F yourself. stop liking tool and stop breathing.

Finally, i must have read a ton of reviews about the colorado show and widespread panic being better than tool and because "panic" played 44 different songs over two nights they are better. people are idiots. all i am going to say is the last 2 minutes of 46&2 even on a bad night for the band, has more emotion and passion than ANY second of a widespread panic song.

Thank you TOOL, hope to see you again someday.

[Mhorrigan]

- 9th show...??

with every show- i like to be *seated* in different areas to get the vibe of show and energy of each musician

up close and personal w Binoculars....... u see so MUCH


first show i recall being late 944?
I think the audience was rather subdued- cudos to the ones on the floor for waiting- gosh- how do u get a drink or use facilities---?

perhaps theband chould consider some visual-artful videos- flying ravens- alex grey- and basic heartbeat puslating tracks while fans were * waiting*

the audience appeared to be young- prob just out of diapers when Opiate came out- nice to see the young ones blissed out by Tool-

however- saw some inappropriate behaviour near - and IN the mosh pit
- hey you w the Celtic Jershey- try some meditation- and listend to CONJURING w headphones :)


maynard appeared pissy- seems to be very rigid- lining up water bottles, fumbling and touch objects and putting them back in *line*
- some movements at the keyboard were fake-

after Vicarious- abruptly leaving the stage - while te rest of crew soaked in all of the cheers-

****** what was with the end before the "encore"******
they all stood in line for some time- no expression- no movement- any thoughts?????

**********whats with the Shamanic CHicken??*************
man in white coat--Justin...?..? holding a rubber chicken---
going to the corners of the stage and shaking it- appearing to mumble---some incantation! sweeet!

..i knew the mesmerizing shamanic chicken would get on the tour bus!!

ok the gig-


never been to this *arena* before- was informed that the sound would be the best-
i disagree-


i sat in 210 w my binoculars glued to my eyes
did not miss one shadow

music- tight-
vocals skimmed off the metal roofing- to tinney- and low
i could feel my seat vibrating- :) which was nice-

this *arena* is not acoustically prime



ya-- there were alot of songs i *wanted to hear* but was fulfilled w a decent hit list-
am grateful for such a gorgeous ass view of Maynard- Ripped biceps of Danny

watching adam and justin tweek their sound boards ......



--- so i am just a fan-
Tool is a Pantheon of Demi-gods

i am blissed out- and grateful

[seeveedee]

Unimpressive. Uninspired. Taking money ungratefully. Maynard needs a good ass-kicking, something to sort him out. I no longer consider him an artist - it's the artist formerly known as MJK. Tool needs a new lead singer. That setlist is mildewed and smoldering. The pieces certainly don't fit anymore. The Flood intro was tight - all the best moments happened without Maynard. A sad day for me. They were so brilliant. Time to spend less money to watch better shows.

[bobbutts]

The Bass and Guitar were way too high causing muddy loose sound and the vocals were really almost completely missing. Acoustically this was just horrible. My seat sucked too (high up to the side), so that didn't help. Maybe it was better in the center.

[ChrisV]

i was dead center on the floor, probably about 60 or 70 feet back from the stage, and the sound was great. i must have been in the perfect spot. vocals sounded fine, everything just sounded awesome and LOUD. i was already disappointed going into the show, knowing the setlist was the same as its been, but once they hit the stage, i didnt give a shit. show was awesome. everyone bitching about maynard, must not have been to many Tool shows...he always wanders and does his own thing. he's just a weird guy i guess. awesome show. if they come around again, even with the same setlist, i wouldnt hesitate one bit in buying a ticket.

[KwizatzHaderach]

Unimpressive. Uninspired. Taking money ungratefully. Maynard needs a good ass-kicking, something to sort him out. I no longer consider him an artist - it's the artist formerly known as MJK. Tool needs a new lead singer. That setlist is mildewed and smoldering. The pieces certainly don't fit anymore. The Flood intro was tight - all the best moments happened without Maynard. A sad day for me. They were so brilliant. Time to spend less money to watch better shows.

Very well said. While it's true we can't be sure what detained him, there is a major airport right down the street from this venue that he could have taken a helicopter to had he given enough of a shit. I'm no accountant, but I bet he could have afforded it. And then perhaps he could have given the loyal audience a bit more in the way of emotion during the performance to make up for his tardiness? Would it have killed them to do something special for us in light of the shorter show? And who did they have doing their sound? A chimp? That had to be one of the shittiest mixes I've ever heard in a major concert venue. All bass, low vocals and you could barely hear Danny's kit.

They need to either kick it up several notches or quit while they still have fans willing to defend them against the naysayers.

[DickDastard]

I was let down by this show. They only played a handful of songs. They might have been late for some reason or other but that does not explain all of the 15 minute pauses between songs that were just loud music and lasers. What the hell is wrong with these assholes. It was not worth 62 bucks. Play some fucking music next time instead of all the peripheral bullshit! What a waste of money. Those corporate assholes don't know how to put on a good show. People want to hear songs not look at bright lights while the band stands there staring at the crowd for ten minutes. The songs they did play were played well even though the sound was shitty. Too bad they didn't play more songs. It was disappointing.

[MrDiggler]

12th show and probably the worst one I've been too. And I'm sad to say this is probably all due to Maynard.

Setlist was:

1. Jambi
2. (-) ions/Stinkist
3. 46 & 2
4. Schism
5. Lost Keys/Rosetta Stoned
6. Flood (with the intro)
7. Aenema
8. Lateralus
9. Vicarious

Tool took the stage around 9:45 after an UBER long wait. MJK mentioned something about his delayed flight from New Jersey. Whatev.

The band was in tip-top shape with an energy about them. They were almost glowing. Adam moved around more than I've ever seen him do. Justin always looks into it and is having fun. But the highlight of course, is the force that is Danny Carey. What an "octopus" behind the kit. Added tons of fills to all their tunes and seemed to be hitting harder than any other tour. Kudos to these 3 gents.

Now on to Mr. Keenan. To me, it just seems like he'd rather be doing something else, whether it be Puscifer or squashing grapes in Arizona. In June when he was here to promote his wine signing, he said something on WBCN along the lines of the band set up this summer tour and to just "show up," saying he didn't have any say in the matter. And this felt like punishment for that.

Man, he's just lost so much on his voice (i.e., walking to the front of his riser and holding the mic out to the crowd to sing the highest lines). Sure, he's getting older. But to that I say, how about Paul Rodgers? That dude is 60 and sounds better than he did in the 70's. Or the vocal chameleon Mike Patton, who's close in age with Maynard and screams a fuckload more. No probs for him. Or how about Tony Bennett who's in his 80's and still killing it with his soprano? Something is just not right there.

I love this band with all my heart, been a fan since 1993 and I take it hard when it's anything less than spectacular. So for me there's no reason for a set list that dates back to 3 years ago. And Maynard's voice seems like reason for this. If that's the case, then stay home and write new material. Don't jip your fans out of their hard earned money with a repeat 9 song setlist and $45 tee shirts.

I've always hated when bands eventually lower the keys of songs so the lead singers can hit the notes that they used to be able too. But with Tool, I wouldn't mind if they did it. In fact, I'm encouraging it. So maybe the band lower the tunings of their instruments. Go from "Drop D" to a half step below.....or even a whole step. Maynard won't struggle to hit the high notes, it'll open the avenues of old that have since been detoured and we'd get songs that haven't been performed in years. And we really need it. Please!!!

[Tommyjon19]

Something more to add...I always keep a list of the band t-shirts I see people wearing at shows. Here is a list of what I saw last night:

KISS
Led Zeppelin (at least two)
AC/DC
Pearl Jam
Flogging Molly
The Shins
NIN
August Burns Red
Slayer
White Zombie
Rob Zombie
Guns N Roses
Melvins (me)

Feel free to add any if you recall seeing any others. I noticed quite a few hippies last night; is this typical for a Tool show?

[MrDiggler]

Something more to add...I always keep a list of the band t-shirts I see people wearing at shows. Here is a list of what I saw last night:

KISS
Led Zeppelin (at least two)
AC/DC
Pearl Jam
Flogging Molly
The Shins
NIN
August Burns Red
Slayer
White Zombie
Rob Zombie
Guns N Roses
Melvins (me)

Feel free to add any if you recall seeing any others. I noticed quite a few hippies last night; is this typical for a Tool show?

Between The Buried and Me (me)

= )

[atomic40]

I thought this show was rather mediocre - Maynard being the main reason. He didn't want to be there. Boo hoo about the travel problems. People paid 60 bucks to get in and do not want to let you have them sing some of the best parts of your songs. After Vicarious he just bounces off the stage. Keep your 40 dollar T-shirts you pretentious ass. I know that's just the way he is but seriously, you gotta give a bit more to the ones who keep you in business. I think it is time for him to hang up the skates and concentrate on making wine.

[weathermantom]

Unimpressive. Uninspired. Taking money ungratefully. Maynard needs a good ass-kicking, something to sort him out. I no longer consider him an artist - it's the artist formerly known as MJK. Tool needs a new lead singer. That setlist is mildewed and smoldering. The pieces certainly don't fit anymore. The Flood intro was tight - all the best moments happened without Maynard. A sad day for me. They were so brilliant. Time to spend less money to watch better shows.


pretty much exactly what I said as we were walking out of the venue.

I think this is definitely a show best seen from a mid-range seat. I decided to go for the rail this time, but it almost detracted from the performance. Not only was I standing 4 feet in front of a subwoofer stack, but the visuals were [expectedly] not as impressive and I could see, in great detail, Maynard deciding to pussy out on every single scream or high note. The only bonus: Danny.

[turbidblue]

Hey all. So I was too scared to bring in my camera/phone and got nothing. I had great seats and wanted to show a friend how close we were. Anyone get any good pics or vid, especially from Section 108? Alot of people around me were taking some great pics. I was the girl with the hat and the pigtails and I'm dying for pics! Thanks!

And yes, Maynard was not up to par last night. Playing imaginary keyboard? What's up with that? I love the man but he clearly wanted to be elsewhere.

[nbourque]

Something more to add...I always keep a list of the band t-shirts I see people wearing at shows. Here is a list of what I saw last night:

KISS
Led Zeppelin (at least two)
AC/DC
Pearl Jam
Flogging Molly
The Shins
NIN
August Burns Red
Slayer
White Zombie
Rob Zombie
Guns N Roses
Melvins (me)

Feel free to add any if you recall seeing any others. I noticed quite a few hippies last night; is this typical for a Tool show?

I was wearing a Lamb of God shirt. Didnt see anyone else wearing a LOG shirt :).

This was the third time i've seen Tool, my second at the Verizon wireless arena. I was in section 202 with my cousin and the sound was great, at least alot better than when I saw them back in '06 and I was on the side in one of the upper sections.

Everybody was spot on ,but I must say Danny Carey just flat out impresses me. The man is a machine behind the kit. He looks like he isnt even trying up there, everything looks so effortless. He is the drummer of our generation, I don't care what anybody says.

To all the negative posts about MJK.....what do you guys expect? This is the same Maynard that's always been on stage. He says some weird shit on stage, hangs out in the back and doesnt show his face much. Same ol Maynard....why are people getting on him for the same guy he's been for the last 20 years?

Overall great show. I hope to see them again.....

[ringa101]

Maynard was a shadow of his former self last night. He just didnt seem like he wanted to play (work). He did speak alot last night, more than Ive ever seen him speak. This was my 5th show.
He started by saying, "good evening humans". He stated that they spent 5 hours in a van driving there because their flight was cancelled, he was a little hungry, back was a little sore and he had to take a crap. He went on to say that he would wait to take a crap because he didnt wanna be a party-pooper. He gave the drummer to the openeing band some shit as well, telling him to get his drums off his fucking stage.

What the fuck is Maynard singing during Rosetta Stoned, because he sure as hell wasnt singing the lyrics.

I had front row stage left, and was about 20 feet from Adam. The sound did seem way off at times, muddy low end and Maynard's voice was drowned out a bit. Adam and Justin did at one point both tweak their soundboards and the following song(s) sounded better.

Adam actually showed some movement last night, he didnt remain perfectly still like past shows. Justin appeared to be having alot of fun, stomping his feet, motioning to the crowd and tipping his beer to a fan during Danny's drum solo.

Danny is remarkable and looked like he was hitting the drums with with alot of energy. Emphasizing on specific chords to keep the guys playing in unison. Hes definitly the general on that stage.

After the lights came on, Maynard dropped his mic and casually walked off stage while the rest of the band waved and took in the crouds cheers for a moment. I took my camera phone out at was trying to take a picture when Danny walked over to the corner of the stage, look right at me and threw his drumstick. I put my hand out to catch it, it clipped my hand and dropped to my feet. 3 people from the row behind me dove head first over my chair onto the floor to try to grab it. My apologies to the guy whos hand I stompted on. :) You may have retreived the stick, but I guarantee your hand is sore as hell today. :)
Lightning was top notch, and the lazer show is always impressive.
All in all, It was a decent show, I would gladly see them again. 6.5 out of 10.

[200L]

Let me begin by saying that Tool is by far my favorite band.

Last night was a terrible performance by Maynard.

I saw flashes of his voice and then I saw pure sloth. His holding out the microphone during Stinkfist made me lose all hope. His finishing "in the water" during Flood made me shake my head. He ruined Rosetta Stoned. 46 & 2 was the strongest performance of the night out of him, but the rest of the songs were extremely tainted by his lack of vocals . The rest of the band, however, was filthy.

Maynard should no longer perform live. He has become a shell of his former self and I think he knows it. Puscifer sucks and his voice is gone. By the way, Maynard is not funny. At all. He's actually trivializing his piss-poor performances even further by delivering 5th grade level jokes. His 'dancing' was pathetic. He has no sense of humor, I'm convinced. He's just a jackass.

Danny, Justin, and Adam are being held back. They were fucking incredible last night and I definitely think they could have played more if Maynard could sing. He is either embarrassed by his lost voice or he is simply not trying.

The UFO light show was way too long. It was cool for a couple minutes.

The filler was long-winded and wasteful.

2-3 minutes, okay. 5-7 is outlandish.

I thought Asteroids during Rosetta Stoned was extremely ironic and fitting. Distractingly perfect.

My subjective opinion.


Edit:

*Danny Carey is an Alien*

[mjr]

got there early, ended up 6-7 people back in the pit right between danny and justin. was ideal for smoking a j and taking cell phone pics. the nazi ass security were shining flashlights into the pit all night trying to catch people in the front few rows with cell phones.

tweak bird was interesting. definitely a cool opener and the bouree jam on the flute was pretty sick. better than expected...

i guess tool came on later than at any other place all tour and this made for some interesting buildup. the rubber chicken and that same set guy standing on stage for 25 minutes holding a bass but not really doing anything definitely was intentional...though for what purpose us mortals may never know. keep in mind that last time they were in the boston area they played an "impossible" setlist that, for all intents and purposes, should not have existed. pushit and flood in the same set was pretty unreal and the tardiness and odd things at the start definitely was leading some of us to believe that something just MIGHT be up after a tour thusfar devoid of anything interesting.

alas, the same setlist. once schism came on i had accepted that we were not going to see eulogy or opiate or even any of the other songs that they rarely played in '06/'07 (swamp song). i would have even been thrilled to get 10k days even after having seen it 3 times already. but, alas, nothing new or different.

i dont know if i had just never noticed it, but the double helix spiral of humans fucking during lateralus was one of the highlights of the visual experience. everything else seemed like extensions of concepts that they've previously done. the spinning body-without-a-head during the pre-lateralus intermission was cool as well. i get the feeling that they are going to release these and the '07 concerts on a dvd eventually. how sick would it be to have the concert recordings as the soundtrack to these visuals with the option to do picture-in-picture and have close ups on each of the band members at all times or any combination thereof. definitely something they would do and DEFINITELY something they would keep under wraps.

the only thing that continues to bother me is that it is woefully obvious that the only thing holding them back is maynard. his comments don't bother me and neither does saying random shit during rosetta stoned. during '06, he tried to say the lyrics through the megaphone and it worked well sometimes but most often ended up slightly out of line with the music as he couldn't say it fast enough. so now he's saying random shit and he's fucking with everyone. the clearest parts of the lyrics were still there but i did feel like the song was cut short at the end (anyone else confirm? maybe i was too blitzed). anyway, like i said...this doesn't bother me. what does bother me, however, is that it is clear that they are not changing the setlist ENTIRELY for his sake. yeah, yeah, the visuals but that doesn't mean you can't have 1-2 songs a night with unique and/or toned down visuals. nobody would give a flying fuck what you put on the screen during eulogy, h., undertow, swamp song, 4 degrees, opiate or even fucking sweat. he cannot hit the high notes anymore and so most of their pre-lateralus songs with any sort of scream are immediately wipped from contention even before the tours begin.

on the one hand, im glad that this tour happened so that i could experience tool right up close and in a pit for the first time. the pit was completely entranced and thats the way it should be - fuck any of the assholes that tried to start some moshing BS during aenima...LOL 'tards. i saw things with the visuals that i havent seen before and overall it was worth it. on the other hand, why the fuck even do this tour with maynard in his current state? they should be spending this time making an album before his voice and abilities are completely and totally shot and spent. they have at least one more left in them and playing the same setlist each night seems like a slightly pointless waste of time...(for the diehard fans, at least, which id assume includes the band themselves.)

[mjr]

also i wouldn't exactly call what was before rosetta stoned "lost keys". the visual of the guy talking and what he was saying definitely have nothing at all to do with the album version of lost keys. what was before stinkfist was some sort of (-) ions bridging into something else bridging into the song. extended stinkfist is the best part of this setlist and has been since '06

[canorus]

5th tool show and def the poorest. I was on alot of drugs so who knows what really happned. delay was gay...w/e. tweak bird made alot of sound for 2 guys...not bad. jambi was the best song of the night, then after that I could not hear maynard, then after seeing him not move at all i stopped looking at him. i was up in the balcony and during stinkfist some stupid bitch fell over a couple of rows and knocked me into the row in front of me. the guy looked at me like I did it on purpose...I put my finger right up to his face and said..."fuck you". that was the end of that. setlist was gay, sound was fucked up, too much time between songs. this was a lame lame tool show. thank god I was fucked up. also in my section the first 8 rows in front of me had asses in them, everyone sat for the whole show. it was fucking disgusting. i tried to rock out as best I could and I probably looked like a weirdo, at least I moved more than maynard.

[CBJB]

Thought the show was great. Not sure what you expect from Maynard but I heard him just fine tonight. From what I have read I think the expectations are just a bit much from some of you. Danny was fantastic as always, Justin an Adam were very good tonight as well.

After Jambi, Maynard spoke about his trip up to the venue, "Just got out of a car from NJ, my back hurts, I'm hungry and I need to take a dump"

Experienced this setlist 4 times on the 10,000 days tour but it never gets old for me. The extensions on Stinkist an Schism are great and Flood is an awesome song live. Hope to see them again soon.

[canorus]

Thought the show was great. Not sure what you expect from Maynard but I heard him just fine tonight. From what I have read I think the expectations are just a bit much from some of you. Danny was fantastic as always, Justin an Adam were very good tonight as well.

After Jambi, Maynard spoke about his trip up to the venue, "Just got out of a car from NJ, my back hurts, I'm hungry and I need to take a dump"

Experienced this setlist 4 times on the 10,000 days tour but it never gets old for me. The extensions on Stinkist an Schism are great and Flood is an awesome song live. Hope to see them again soon.

I expect to hear him and see him maybe rock his head back and forth, at least fake it, if he would fake it maybe people would have stood the fuck up, worst crowd ever.

[Evdoggydog]

My 3rd tool show and it was a slight disappointment.

I was on the floor right by Justin. This was my first time being on the floor at a Tool concert so it was a great experience being in the action. The bands performance was definitely lacking, mostly because of Maynard. Danny justin and adam were all tight as hell but maynard usually brings it all together. With the bitchy attitude, leaving stage, barely singing, low volume (deffinitly on purpose), hes just paying dues to the rest of the band.. No way he wants to be there.

I was glad i was on Justins side because he was having a great time. He was smiling at us and really getting into the music. I was totally getting the rock out vibes from him. I came into the show knowing the setlist and what the show was going to be, but it still didn't happen for me. The setlist was of course disappointing because i have seen it two times, but i expected it so i tried to get into the songs as much as possible. But, Dont get me wrong, i had a great time but to keep us waiting for an hour after Tweak Bird played? and to not change any of the set to make up for it? and Tweak bird....They absolutely suck. Tool is an arena band and they cant book any1 but a couple of burn outs who can barely play? The drum duel could have been cool if the drummer for Tweak Bird was actually any good. I was starting to believe the make a wish foundation joke. If anyone knows why they booked this band, please tell me. I know some 15 year olds who can play like that.

The crowd on the floor was kind of annoying. There were a few jerks near me who were yelling at Tweak Bird. I didnt care for them at all but give them some respect and let them play. They started swearing at the saxophone player when he came out. I thought he was the coolest part of their performance. I didnt see many people rocking out near me, and by rocking out i dont meen pushing each other around. A lot of people were just standing still.

I thought the sound was pretty good and the lights were amazing. I could hear danny drums and justins bass really clear. I would deffinitly go back to this venue.

Rant finished

[v13]

from my seat in the Sam Addams bar last night i saw the same band i have always seen for the last 15 yrs , MJK first is 45 second i have heard more then once he does not like the north east combine. that with travel issues and he mailed it in, everyone mails it in so he did in front of 9000 people. I'd rather him mail it in then say a Cardiac surgeon. I cant speak for the world but after 5 hours in car would u want to move around on stage or dance I for one would not. Also in the past TOOL has postponed shows because MJK had blown out his voice, i bring this up because most bands no longer play back to back days most band do one on, one off. one on so MJK voice was not 100% last night Manchester just my thoughts. overall last night was a 7 out of 10 and

[booda2b]

Having been to at least one show for every tour since 1997 (on west coast, several now on east coast, best being 5/21/06 at Orpheum, Boston) and never seen a less than spectacular show, it is hard to say this, but last night's show had disappointing moments. I don't know if Maynard's mic was not able to handle the intensity of the screaming parts in Rosetta Stoned or he just shut up and saved his voice, or was incapable. It was downright anti-climactic and left me frustrated and sad. Since reviews of previous shows on this tour mention vocal issues, it seems it would have been fixed if it was technical. My concern is that Maynard has to lay off using his voice to full capacity for some reason. I can't imagine it is just being lazy...seems illogical, but maybe I'm in denial cause I just respect him and the band so much having experienced every show being mind-blowing over 12 years. Perhaps it's not laziness, but his creative energy moving into puscifer, cadeus, and other artistic pursuits. As an artist, I know creative focus can move into new areas making it impossible to put heart into replication of previous material. It's just a guess and easier for me to accept than laziness. Whatever the reason, I enjoyed experiencing them again, the band as a whole was awesome as always, love to be surrounded by Tool fans (they are a pleasure to be with overall) and would have attended gladly anyway if I had pre-cognizance of the shortfalls of last night. Perhaps this was my last opportunity to experience a live Tool performance if they close shop on it and I look forward to what's next.....whisperings of puscifer in the fall? To add another band shirt worn to last night's show, I chose my old Metallica girlie shirt for cool comfort in the steamy weather conditions....my old Tool T's just too mannish and hot to wear. Wish I could get some of that wine delivered to Vermont, but may be able to get in New Hampshire. Also. am checking into the Alex Grey artist retreat weekend in September in NY. See you all at the next opportunity to revel in the ecstatic moment whatever it is. P.S. The poster created for last night's show was a very nice piece, wanted it, but no $$. Maybe can get one later online. - Marie

[chaosphere33]

Something more to add...I always keep a list of the band t-shirts I see people wearing at shows. Here is a list of what I saw last night:

KISS
Led Zeppelin (at least two)
AC/DC
Pearl Jam
Flogging Molly
The Shins
NIN
August Burns Red
Slayer
White Zombie
Rob Zombie
Guns N Roses
Melvins (me)

Feel free to add any if you recall seeing any others. I noticed quite a few hippies last night; is this typical for a Tool show?





"Sonor shirt for me" and I also saw a few Opeth shirts.

[slamminsalmon]

excellent show, my 6th and for any of you who complained. go fuck yourself! you should be ashamed. because an artist isnt doing wut he used to do, he isnt an artist? i talked to a guy who said the sound quality sucked, and i said "compared to wut". he had nothing to back himself up. half of the people were complaining about the set list while waiting for the show. it just goes to show our overall negative behavior, even when having a good time.

i dunno if its the venue, or the area, but it draws some really high strung people. got denied like 9 out of 10 times, trying to give away free doses. then someone passed me a joint and the security took it! :(

the set list is set for a reason, an over all message. if you dont get it by now you never will.

"hippies" love tool.

the light show was beyond amazing, almost purposely over the top. but during aenima, the line, "festering neon distraction" really stuck to me.

danny's synth jams, were awesome. really outer worlds type shit. the rotating strobes were something ive never seen before. the two went along together superbly. but the more i think about it, i wanna see a more low key visual show, and gear up on some longer jams.

but as usual, each song i had heard, but each sounded different, changes in speed, or a few more delicious guitar riff's. watching justin made me smile, he was having the most fun, he was really working the crowd up front.

over all, another lovely mind fuck of a tool show! if you dont want to see the same setlist, go see a different band.

[kamyar]

15th or 16th show.. i've lost count over the years. First time i was there as a married man though. Had to give the wife ear plugs since she has delicate ears.

So about the show.. The songs were performed well. Adam actually had a few mishaps. He seemed a little anxious at times. The music was top notch but I agree with the others that said maynard's vocals may have been too low at times. It could have been the section in the arena however. I was in 106. Maybe the venue was better suited for those who listen from the center.

Overall I enjoyed myself but I didn't really feel the emotional attachment to the show as I've had in the past. For the first time ever, I left half way through the the last song so we wouldn't get stuck in traffic. Usually, beating traffic isn't what I'm worried about when I'm at a tool show. It could also be that I'm getting older and I guess priorities change in life.

I think I may catch another show if they come around again on a next leg.. but that'll be it for me until hopefully a new album is released some time in the future.

[Amorphis]

This was my 3rd Tool show and I was pretty disappointed. It probably had something to do with the unbelievably long wait after Tweak Bird's set. And they were god awful by the way. So by the time Tool actually hit the stage, my patience had already been worn thin. The songs themselves were fairly tight, but there were just so many delays during the set. So many little intermissions that dragged on and on. There were at least three 10+ minute breaks during the set. I was just begging for it to be over by the time they finally started "Vicarious."

I got the impression that Maynard was holding back on his vocals. Either that, or he just can't scream anymore. I think the setlist was kind of tailored as a result of this.

And I was wearing a Dark Tranquillity shirt for the record.

[Tommyjon19]

I was wearing a Lamb of God shirt. Didnt see anyone else wearing a LOG shirt :).

This was the third time i've seen Tool, my second at the Verizon wireless arena. I was in section 202 with my cousin and the sound was great, at least alot better than when I saw them back in '06 and I was on the side in one of the upper sections.

Everybody was spot on ,but I must say Danny Carey just flat out impresses me. The man is a machine behind the kit. He looks like he isnt even trying up there, everything looks so effortless. He is the drummer of our generation, I don't care what anybody says.

To all the negative posts about MJK.....what do you guys expect? This is the same Maynard that's always been on stage. He says some weird shit on stage, hangs out in the back and doesnt show his face much. Same ol Maynard....why are people getting on him for the same guy he's been for the last 20 years?

Overall great show. I hope to see them again.....

Hey I did see a Lamb of God t-shirt last night, forgot it on my original list. Must have been you!

[BennyBlanco09]

I have to say I am extremely disappointed

A. There was no reason the make the crowd wait 1+ hrs after the opener to come on other then to piss us off and use up time that could have been spent playing music.

B. The Band was spot on for the most part But Maynard might as well leave the Band now hes useless doesn't do any of his screams anymore clearly has lost it vocally and showed it last night by letting the crowd sing and not doing any of the screams.

C. The set list there is simply no excuse for this using the same set list for 3 tours in a row is both lame and inexcusable.

D. The 10 minute breaks have no place in any set if you need an intermission take a half hour and then come back and play. Anyone know a band called RUSH hell these guys are older then tool by at least 10-15 years and play for 3 hours last night we barely got 1.5 hrs.

E. Maynard running off stage right after the show is lame doesn't even stay with his band mates and say goodbye to the crowd that just shows the bad blood forming in the band.

In conclusion this will be my last TOOL show I in no way will spend money for them again I left unimpressed and pissed off spending 60$ hearing the same old shit only with less songs and more useless breaks hell we didn't even get pushit or a rare track.

Not to mention this seems like a last ditch money grab shirts and souvenirs were way over priced shit a t-shirt was 40$ posters that should be 10$ were 25$ i wont mention the crap signed items for 100$ that's just greedy.

End of Rant fuck you TOOL !!!!!!

[Floydianoise]

So I've skimmed through the other reviews for this show. It's sad to see so many write negative commentary about a TOOL show. Even more sad is that I agree with a lot of it.

I'm seen TOOL about ten times now. . . lost track. I missed them on the last tour due to a near-fatal ATV accident. Needless to say, I was doubly excited to them this time around. It was also the first show for my fiance. We had b;eeder-section seats but straight on with the stage, so it was actually a pretty nice view.

I'm hoping Maynard is just going through some kind of depressive phase that he'll come back out of in order that he be able to help TOOL kick ass again. Lots of people seem to say that Maynard should be replaced. TOOL would not be TOOL without Maynard. He's still a genius, but needs to get back to the form where he actually moves parts of his body in that writhing, convulsive way he always did.

Other than that, the lights and visuals were pretty incredible. The band played well. That drummer from Tweak Bird couldn't keep up with Danny at times, but a valiant effort.

Here's hoping they can come back together as a band. . .

[quicksherm]

Lets not even get into how many times I've seen Tool live, lets just say enough. I'm torn for the 1st time ever on this one. No help that this venue was trash. The sound was pretty crappy from where I was in 206 but I couldn't stand to feed a scalper or his family for floor tickets. I drove 3 hours had great tailgating action in General Stark Park right down the street and got home at 3am only to get up at 6 and go to work. Worth every bit of it! I will agree that Maynard wasn't vocally into every moment. You can tell when he's giving it all. I would like to say that Danny and Justin carried every moment of this show not only with their instruments but their emotional energy as well. I had three "virgins" in on this one and they were impressed and ready for the next one just like I was in 96. Its been a long trip... If you didn't love the show that sucks. If you didn't atleast enjoy the show, don't go again there's plenty of people to fill that seat. PS If you respect the music lets the artists perform it I didn't come to hear your take on Tool. And I don't want to hear about your car durring a instumental laser show either.

[e123]

Maynard (quote):
"i am not the Rolling Stones. i'm not going to tour forever. It's (Caduceus) my legacy."

Make what you will of it :)

[xbalanke]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tommyjon19
Something more to add...I always keep a list of the band t-shirts I see people wearing at shows. Here is a list of what I saw last night:

KISS
Led Zeppelin (at least two)
AC/DC
Pearl Jam
Flogging Molly
The Shins
NIN
August Burns Red
Slayer
White Zombie
Rob Zombie
Guns N Roses
Melvins (me)

Feel free to add any if you recall seeing any others. I noticed quite a few hippies last night; is this typical for a Tool show?



"Sonor shirt for me" and I also saw a few Opeth shirts..

I was wearing my favorite Grateful Dead shirt (the Aztec calendar one) and saw 2 other GD shirts. BTW: I don't look like a hippie - just an old fart.

Also saw:
one Rush tour shirt
one Beatles
one Trail of Dead

Of the ones already listed:
did see the Melvins shirt
a few Led Zeps
the White/Rob Zombies
several NINs
a few AC/DCs
a Pearl Jam
one Opeth

[JPhunk]

So who the hell was that shitty Maynard impersonator on stage for the first half of the show? Did no one else notice that the vocals were completely being drowned out by the music until he came back ot in the cowboy hat (really maynard)? Either having to take a shit made him completely change his movements/mannerisms and sing shittier, or we didn't get the real MJK until the latter part of the show! Now I was in a suite, so I didn't get to see him up close, but I had a pretty damn good view of the entire stage from above and I would bet my life that the dude with the old-school maynard mohawk was his stand-in. Now if it WAS him, then I believe in the frosty the snowman carol, because when he put on the hat, he magically came alive and started actually singing into the microphone cuz all of a sudden you could hear him and he sounded great! As for the rest of the band, they killed it! It was loud, and powerful, but also a little too much like a soundtrack to the laser show as opposed to a rock concert. Maybe I'm a little spoiled from seeing Roger Waters three times, but I really wasn't that impressed with the green lasers either. This was my first TOOL show, and I guess thats probably my problem. I should have seen them back when they were still ALL into it. I still love TOOL, and they are a big influence on my band, but if the frontman is only gonna show up for half the show (either literally OR metaphorically) then I think I'll have to stick to buying their CDs, where at least I know I'm getting what I paid for.

P.S. The show WAS almost redeemed for me when they rocked the shit out of vicariously. THAT was fucking amazing!!! Especially Maynard!

[MrDiggler]

Maynard (quote):
"i am not the Rolling Stones. i'm not going to tour forever. It's (Caduceus) my legacy."

Make what you will of it :)


And what afforded him the opportunity to do this? I rest my case.

[dennis]

"hello Humans"

here's the deal with maynard not singing anymore, is two reasons. one they have been preforming extended stinkfist for YEARS now and
every time,over half of the crowd sings "i'll keep diging" right at the wrong moment (if your new i understand) but im talking about over half of "tool fans"
do this. reason two if i were the "LEAD" singer and the wole show all i could hear was the crowd singing then i would hold the mic toward them and let them sing cause they aren't here to hear me, neither can the guy next to you. and why even sing the right lyrics YOU DONT. you would think after all these years the "tool FANS" wouldnt judge and critize and hate so much but hey IT"S ALL ABOUT YOU AND YOUR EXPERENCE,not the singers, not the fans around you. shit over half of you got to have a beer in each hand with your fucking "FATTY Fingers" WRAPPED AROUND THEM RUNNING TOWARD THE STAGE. glad to see that we have learned so much from our favorite band. how could they offend us with this tour,we dont offend them,yeah right.

"peace the fuck out"

[RiseToYourHalo]

Generally, I enjoyed the show. Despite being completely sober, I had a great buzz on. Less than 48 hours before, I was sitting high (14,000 ft) upon a sacred mountain on Isla Amantani, in the middle of Lake Titicaca, Peru, chewing coca and sharing secrets with the night sky.

I didn’t read the reviews beforehand so I had some hope for something different this time. PM to the fucked-up unconscious dude in our section who was carted off by EMT’s before the show even started: Don’t worry man, if you saw them in 2006/2007, you really didn’t miss much.

My seats sucked. Second in line at a TM outlet and I get nosebleeds in section two-fucking-twenty-three. On a positive note, I was able to enjoy and appreciate the lighting and visuals from that location. Soundwise, there are very few sweet spots in this venue and section 223 is definitely not one of them.

I thought Flood was the best performance of the evening. Rosetta Stoned vocals are just a garbled mess. I wish they didn’t screw with the rhythm of Lateralus. I enjoyed watching and listening to two drummers flailing like madmen on their kits, but that gig should stand by itself. Lateralus is an epic and sacred song and the drum duel only interrupted my ‘spiraling out’. Aenima was kick ass and would have been a much better closer than Vicarious.

Live Tool is one of life’s greatest pleasures IMO and will always be worth my $65. Meditating to Lateralus in its entirety atop Machu Picchu was, well, priceless and literally a whole other realm :)

Peace in.

[seeveedee]

So I've skimmed through the other reviews for this show. It's sad to see so many write negative commentary about a TOOL show. Even more sad is that I agree with a lot of it.

I'm seen TOOL about ten times now. . . lost track. I missed them on the last tour due to a near-fatal ATV accident. Needless to say, I was doubly excited to them this time around. It was also the first show for my fiance. We had b;eeder-section seats but straight on with the stage, so it was actually a pretty nice view.

I'm hoping Maynard is just going through some kind of depressive phase that he'll come back out of in order that he be able to help TOOL kick ass again. Lots of people seem to say that Maynard should be replaced. TOOL would not be TOOL without Maynard. He's still a genius, but needs to get back to the form where he actually moves parts of his body in that writhing, convulsive way he always did.

Other than that, the lights and visuals were pretty incredible. The band played well. That drummer from Tweak Bird couldn't keep up with Danny at times, but a valiant effort.

Here's hoping they can come back together as a band. . .

They could change the name

[yac03]

IT"S ALL ABOUT YOU AND YOUR EXPERENCE

...we've all experienced this before. 3 years and counting.

To quote a famous prima-donna: "If I can't heal and grow from my art...how can you?"

Give us something new. We need it. If you don't...we're capable of finding it elsewhere. It might not be as good...but it'll be new and different. There's no need to waste time, money, emotion etc...

We want to hear the old shit because we like it and haven't heard it live in forever. That simple. Refresh the people that love you. We've earned it.

Chaos in. Chaos out...whatever.

[nbourque]

5th tool show and def the poorest. I was on alot of drugs so who knows what really happned. delay was gay...w/e. tweak bird made alot of sound for 2 guys...not bad. jambi was the best song of the night, then after that I could not hear maynard, then after seeing him not move at all i stopped looking at him. i was up in the balcony and during stinkfist some stupid bitch fell over a couple of rows and knocked me into the row in front of me. the guy looked at me like I did it on purpose...I put my finger right up to his face and said..."fuck you". that was the end of that. setlist was gay, sound was fucked up, too much time between songs. this was a lame lame tool show. thank god I was fucked up. also in my section the first 8 rows in front of me had asses in them, everyone sat for the whole show. it was fucking disgusting. i tried to rock out as best I could and I probably looked like a weirdo, at least I moved more than maynard.

Were you the guy in sec. 202 rocking out like a fucking asshat in the stairs? Yeah, you were a weirdo even for a tool fan....

[wins32767]

5th or 6th Tool show, decidedly the worst one I've been to. Still, I wouldn't go as far as to say it was bad and my wife (who never really liked Tool before) enjoyed it a bunch. The mix was pretty terrible and the delay sucked badly.

Did anyone hear all of what Maynard said about the band after Jambi? It sounded to me like he said at one point "I really want to be in this band" just before they started playing again but the acoustics were horrible.

[deathmetalhead767]

This was my 4th time seeing Tool. I saw them on Aenima, Lateralus and this is my 2nd time seeing them on 10,000 Days. That being said, this was by far the worst performance I have seen of theirs. The band were excellent in their execution but Maynard was lost in the mix. The set list flat out sucked!! They've forgotten that the main reason for their success and their best work are Undertow and Aenima. They only played Flood, Stinkfist, 46 & 2, and Aenima. from those albums. In place of those incredible songs they substituted in 5 minutes standing still for applause followed by 13 minutes of drone while they set up a 2nd drum kit for a very mediocre drummer to join them. If you already have Danny Carey , why waste our time with a 2nd drummer. Completely pointless. Songs that should've have been played: Prison Sex, Sober, Swamp Song, Crawl Away, Jerk-Off, Hush, The Pot, Parabola, The Grudge. Plus, I've lost all respect for Maynard as he has become the typical Rockstar. The rest of the guys were very cool to the crowd but he could have cared less. Complaining about riding in a car for 4 hours does not hold up when speaking to the fans that have been standing on a concrete floor for the same 4 hours waiting for his ass to show up. The crowd gave Tool their effort, how about some in return.

[Chadbourne]

Something more to add...I always keep a list of the band t-shirts I see people wearing at shows. Here is a list of what I saw last night:

KISS
Led Zeppelin (at least two)
AC/DC
Pearl Jam
Flogging Molly
The Shins
NIN
August Burns Red
Slayer
White Zombie
Rob Zombie
Guns N Roses
Melvins (me)

Feel free to add any if you recall seeing any others. I noticed quite a few hippies last night; is this typical for a Tool show?

saw some good ones - van halen. alice in chains. stone temple pilots. janes addiction.

[canorus]

Were you the guy in sec. 202 rocking out like a fucking asshat in the stairs? Yeah, you were a weirdo even for a tool fan....

nah I was in 221 with a brown punisher shirt on and pupils the size of my eyeballs.

[Chadbourne]

i was in sec 212 too - and to that guy who posted earleir you are right - there was 1 guy in the front row (im guessign you?) who was standing. i was 3 or 4 rows behind you to the left, and the 3 of us were standing. it felt weird to think i may be blockign someones view. sorry, i guess, but i dont go to concerts to sit down. tool should be enjoyed however an indivudual sees fit. if that means zoning out and releshing in the moment thats great. you want to mosh it up thats fine too - but when appropriate. i swear some guys wanted to slam around during a 13 minute interlude.

anyway - i was at the All Popints West festival so i did the drive MJK was bitching about. relax guy - i highly doubt you were the one behind the wheel in the 1st place. To his credit, i will say his performance Sat night in NJ was very good. the music wasnt as loud but i could hear him pretty well. he danced around a lot more than i expected after reading reviews. they were late at APW too - 945 turned into 1010 - but they didnt have the rediculous gaps in between songs. they didnt play lost keyes but swaped it for a shorter intro. i was very pleased with that performance despite stading in shit-smelling NJ mud. then came the NH show.

talk about uninterested. maynard barely moved. maybe he was a bit tired - i get that, but c'mon. the guys on the floor standing for 3 hours arent? and way to take the steam out of the crowd. they chanted for 20 minutes until it got to be 930 then they all gave up. beer stands closed before tool went on. people were yawning before the show. yawning before a tool show. can you picture that?

there is no doubt in my mind they delayed the show so they can play the bare minimum requirement - 1.5 hrs. yes, 90 minutes has been their normal set length, but not with 5, 9,13 minutes delays in between songs. so frustrating. i love to meditate and ponder my existence too - but not at the expense of missing a few more songs. we came to hear the songs, not loud drones or a recorded vocal remix of lsot keyes. say waht you will about naynard, but the whole band is to be blamed for this. if your not on the same page or are going to pout forth the bare minimum and gimic the rest of our time and money - dont tour.

When they are in the act of playing music - one quickly forgives. then you wait another 6 minutes for the next song.

DC is so damn good (wonders why they even invite another drummer on stage? ohh, to kill set time. right) i kinda feel for him - hes got to be wonderign how much longer this is goign to last. i feel the band tried to up the intensity to get MJK into it, but once his mind is made up theres nothing anyone can do.

overall the show was ok. a lot of issues that i share with others on here. dont take the negativity the wrong way - tool has demonstarated a unique ability to perform live. its what we have come to expect. we can tell when their efforts are sincere and when they clearly are not.

i hope this is a bump in the road and the issues on the inside (there has got to be at this point) get cleared up. the old tool we know will not be back, but the here and now tool could certainly be better.

[Chadbourne]

i have to mention the security folks here sucked hardcore. they need to settle down a bit and relax. they had 2 cops to each door entrance, then 2 along the wall once you get inside, then the seating people and thier damn flashlights. make like jurassic park and "turn the lights off." seriosly. you can tell not much action happens up there , they were ready for WWIII.

[MickDrum]

This was my first Tool experience and the best concert I have ever been to. This is the greatest band I have ever seen! So, it is just total BS to me - the stuff written here about Maynard's vocals or attitude... The people who write this are the ones who have been like 7 times to see them... Maynard is a genius in my book and this band is the best. Being a drummer - Danny Carey is the total package. I seem to think that the experienced fans should consider themselves fortunate to have seen Tool so many times. There isn't a band out there that compares.

[whateveron3]

This was show number 12 for me, not the best, not the worst (though I can't really think of any truly bad ones).

Was expecting the same setlist. I just tried to enjoy it for what it was as always. Tool won't be around forever, so I'm going to get my fix while I can.

I must make mention of the long wait between sets. I don't mind a wait, but it was a large crowd that was getting rather restless as time went by and it was creating a negative energy in the arena that dampened my excitement. It would've been decent if someone would've just come out and told us it would be a few, but they don't owe us anything right?

It was pretty surreal though. Sitting for an hour expecting the show to start any second packed in a building with thousands of drunk people screaming for blood made me briefly wonder if I had died on my way to the show and was now confined to some sort of purgatory that looked like the Verizon Wireless Arena.

The one positive that came from the wait is that it allowed me the chance to pick up one of the signed posters. People can complain all they want about a $100 poster, but the fact is that this is a beautiful piece of memorabilia. Considering what you would pay on ebay for a numbered and limited print (450 total printed, 100 signed) poster signed by the whole band that was authenticated by the band themselves, I'd say that $100 is completely reasonable (especially when compared to the $40 t-shirts). It's not only a beautiful piece, but a great reminder of the show.

Here's a picture of it:
http://i748.photobucket.com/albums/xx125/whateveron3/08042009445.jpg

I was concerned that the delay would mean a shortened set, but when they began Aenima, I knew all was well. Aenima was the highlight of the night for me because it had been a while since I had heard it live and the energy was great.

Thought the band played well and I enjoyed the stage production, but the sound was shit. I could hear Maynard well enough, but something (low-end on the bass?) was up WAY too high and kept causing everything to distort and reverberate throughout the arena.

Security was TIGHT. I was planning on making an audio recording of the show, but at the last second I decided to leave my gear in the car. This was a good decision because the way I was searched going into the building I couldn't have concealed my gear in any way short of sticking it up my ass (no thanks). It's just as well though because the sound was atrocious anyways.

I can totally see where someone having a bad day might have really seen this show as a total let down, but I was in a good mood, and I had zero expectations. I feel like Flood was a great choice for the middle of the set because it always helps me keep things in perspective.

Great band, good show. If they come around again I'll be there. Hopefully they will be supporting a new album. But no expectations, no disappointments.

[ifrigginghatethis]

I would like to take this opportunity to point out that I predicted, about three years ago, that Maynard had stopped giving a shit about Tool. It shouldn't have taken that much time and a crappy new hampshire concert to figure this out -- just listen to 10,000 days.

http://toolnavy.com/showpost.php?p=1015929&postcount=49

[jwb]

I would like to take this opportunity to point out that I predicted, about three years ago, that Maynard had stopped giving a shit about Tool. It shouldn't have taken that much time and a crappy new hampshire concert to figure this out -- just listen to 10,000 days.

http://toolnavy.com/showpost.php?p=1015929&postcount=49

After catching 3 shows on this current tour, it certainly appears that Tool has dropped down a bit on MJK's priority list.

[Somethinghastochange]

excellent show, my 6th and for any of you who complained. go fuck yourself! you should be ashamed....if you dont want to see the same setlist, go see a different band.

Thank you so much for the advice salmon I will be taking full advantage of it, not the part about self fornication but rather the later about going to a different band. This was tool show #12 for me and it saddens we to say that it will indeed be my last. MJK is done yeah he never has gave a shit about the fans before but the display he put on @ the "Manchester Massacre" was reprhensible. It sucks too because the rest of the group still tries and still plays their asses off. Maybe its time to think about a personnel change in the group. Could you imagine these 3 musicians playing a double digit setlist for once?!?! Or how bout if they had a lead singer who sang the lyrics instead of just pointing the mic @ the crowd evertime it came to a part of the song where he had to use his instrument. Instead of standing at the back of the stage with your back to crowd take it one step further dont stand on it at all. Peace the fuck out bitch.

[The real Edward]

1st and last Tool show. Unbelievable how arrogant those ungrateful pricks are. Bring earplugs if you don't enjoy lengthy periods of nothing but excruciating amplifier feedback. (Great music dirtbags) Expect more than quarter of "show" to be stagnant pauses of nothing or the "band" standing motionless. Fans deserve at least a "thanx for coming" or "being so patient while we were over an hour late to the stage". Not complaints about how sore your back is! I saw at least one Iron Maiden shirt. That's a real band. Too bad it was associated with a Tool concert.

[mrplowNH]

My 13th show and in my home state.We knew what songs were gonna be played,but I wanted to know if Danny was gonna wear his Lakers jersey! Nope.So much respect! No scream for Rosetta,mjk didnt get down to his speedos and the pits were SO hard for flood,vicarious and a few others.Not disappointing but the other 2 NH shows were better. Seeing the band play from the 3rd row dead center on the floor was quite an experience.




9.20.01 - 8.18.02 - 10.28.02 - 4.30.06 - 5.21.06 - 9.29.06 - 10.3.06 - 6.15.07 - 7.13.07 - 12.13.07 - 12.14.07 - 8.1.09 - 8.2.09

[Chadbourne]

This was my first Tool experience and the best concert I have ever been to. This is the greatest band I have ever seen! So, it is just total BS to me - the stuff written here about Maynard's vocals or attitude...Maynard is a genius in my book and this band is the best.

you can be a genius and an asshole at the same time. look, he didnt sing any of the great buildup or hightlights to the songs. no "heh heh heh" or "learn to swim" at any point durung aenima. held out the mic for the end of vicarious and hid behind the megaphone far too much. didnt hit the best part of flood. the band did so well, and to have MJK mess it up - on most every night from what the vets have been saying - takes away the that little extra that makes tool so great.

i know hes 45, so he gets a mulligan when he cant do what he could at 25 - but you can tell when someone is engaged in a performance and when they are not. at least make up for it in other areas, like add a song rather than a 10 minute drone. or mix up the setlist a bit. screw the videoes for 1 song - you think anyone woudl really care about the screens if they threw Bottom or Prison Sex at us?

i saw them in NJ the night before and maynard was much better - but its still not fair to those that didnt get to see a good show. i have to say it sounds like i saw one of the better shows of this and last tour in NJ, so im fortunate and lucky. times are tough, money is hard to come by - but you can hang your hat knowing your going to see an epic band perform. then you get this show in NH, and it just sucks. if you cant rely on Tool kicking ass, then what can you rely on?

its really become hit or miss with them - and if you miss with only playing 8 songs then we have a real problem.

[jestermonkey1345]

I was there in the gen ad and was amazing The vocals weren't low it was just every one singing along with him I love the fact he teased the tweakbird drumer to get the fuck off his stage it was funny and in the end right before the last song he said fuckin peace out he is the best once I moved back I could hear him perfectly and the visal part of the concert was great too

8/2

[deathmetalhead767]

This was my first Tool experience and the best concert I have ever been to. This is the greatest band I have ever seen! So, it is just total BS to me - the stuff written here about Maynard's vocals or attitude... The people who write this are the ones who have been like 7 times to see them... Maynard is a genius in my book and this band is the best. Being a drummer - Danny Carey is the total package. I seem to think that the experienced fans should consider themselves fortunate to have seen Tool so many times. There isn't a band out there that compares.

Agreed that Carey is the best drummer. I am a drummer too. But I feel bad for you that this was your first experience seeing them. They are the best live show I've ever seen but that was the Aenima tour when the were hungry and pissed. But this particular performance, I can name several other shows by other bands I've seen that were much better as a whole. (Iron Maiden '85, Judas Priest '91 & '04, Clutch '05, Slayer '04, Lamb Of God '04 & '09, Opeth '09, Soulfly '98, Queensryche '89, Kiss '85, Black Sabbath '99, Scorpions '88)

[sodamlucky46]

This was my third Tool show and first since Ozzfest 98...The difference in performance from the Lola 97/Ozz 98 Tour and this tour is night and day. Danny,Justin and Adam were great as usual and the visual show is 1000 times better but the Maynard I remember NEVER stood still during a performance. He used to beall over the floor jamming like it was his last gig. I am grateful just to see Tool and the ONLY problem I have is with the sound guy...I have never heard a show that sounded worse. I was in th lower level dead center 104 ROW K. The acoustics should've been perfect there. All I heard was BASS, couldn't hear Danny, didn't hear Maynard after Jambi and barely coulf hear Adam. Where did they find the sound guy, it is nOT the Venue. I have seen shows there before and never heard something so pathetic as far a LIVE MIXING. Otherwise the set was amazing, experience even better and people unforgettable. I really hope Maynard decides to either hang it up or put 100% effort into the few months each decade he decides to spend on the road playing for us. I will never miss another Tool show and hope the next time I can hear the bands WHOLE and not just feedback and bass. I enjoyed the Tool Army gathering and the post party at teh Hotel was Amazing. The wait between bands was pathetic and extremely uncalled for but a bad live Tool show is better then 99% of other bands BEST LIVE SHOW.

Damn I miss those 97/98 shows...Hooker opener, swamp song, part of me, jerk off, H., Eulogy, Jimmy, Third Eye, Sober, OpiatePrison Sex, bottom etc...I am unsure I will EVER see a show, nevermind a set like that again. Long live live Tool .

ALSO: They are Playing the "Cover"...I heard it LOUD and clear and have video of it from the show...On The Run by Pink Floyd...When the pink, red and white lights were turning in circles the audio was Pink Floyds"oN the Run...simply amazing and the highlight for me.

[sodamlucky46]

Agreed that Carey is the best drummer. I am a drummer too. But I feel bad for you that this was your first experience seeing them. They are the best live show I've ever seen but that was the Aenima tour when the were hungry and pissed. But this particular performance, I can name several other shows by other bands I've seen that were much better as a whole. (Iron Maiden '85, Judas Priest '91 & '04, Clutch '05, Slayer '04, Lamb Of God '04 & '09, Opeth '09, Soulfly '98, Queensryche '89, Kiss '85, Black Sabbath '99, Scorpions '88)


VERY WELL SAID....Lola 97 and Ozz 98 as well as the Lewiston,ME show in 08 were the 3 BEST live shows I've EVER seen.

[Unchi]

I was @ this show as well i think its #5 or 6 for me.

I was sitting on some cabinets @ FOH behind the video effects guy (my buddy)
I could hear everything much clearer than any other show, i even caught 90% of Rosetta stoned (and not all of it is the song lyrics)

Maynards flight was cancelled that morning / afternoon from NJ to NH and he had to get in a car and make the drive ( i dont know if he drove the car himself) but i know how bad that drive from NJ to NH is on a SUNDAY in the SUMMER, and i know 90% of you do too. He wasnt late on purpose, even the crew didn't know where he was at or when he would arrive due to travel issues. I sure as f*ck know that after 7 hours in a car i don't wanna do shit, but Maynard did try.

Justin, Adam, and Danny put on a great show and the Visual effects were stellar (thanks breck!!) Sometimes people have a bad day and it is hard to get out of that funk. After the show i went backstage and never saw Maynard, i saw Danny, adam and his dog, and hung out with Justin and his super nice GF. They had a great time and really enjoyed playing for us.....

I also saw them on the last show of the last tour @ The Pearl in vegas. Insane show with insane energy..... idk win some lose some, i do know ill go see them in Pomona when they return to CA in AUG..... and if they go out again, ill be there too.. Why? because its TOOL, PERIOD.

[MrDiggler]

VERY WELL SAID....Lola 97 and Ozz 98 as well as the Lewiston,ME show in 08 were the 3 BEST live shows I've EVER seen.

Agreed! I'm not one to live in the past but 7/7/98 thru 7/9/98 were 3 untouchable days in my book. They will never be topped. Just look at these setlists!!!

Mansfield 7/7/98
Part Of Me
46 & 2
Crawl Away
H.
Sober
Eulogy
Ænema
Jerk-Off

Lewiston, ME 7/8/98
Sweat
Hush
46 & 2
Stinkfist
Swamp Song
Third Eye
Pushit (Salival version)
Merkaba
Sober
Opiate
Flood
Ænema

Mansfield 7/9/98
Hooker With A Penis
Stinkfist
Prison Sex
Bottom
Merkaba
Sober
Pushit (Salival version)
Opiate
Flood

Like I said, UNFUCKINGTOUCHABLE!!!

[nowistoolate]

This was my third tool show. I've never seen them live pre-10,000 days release, but I was pretty amazed when I first saw them. I thought this was a good show, but I was a little annoyed by the mixing and irritated by Maynard's total disinterest. The show's setlist was an abridged version of the other two shows I've seen. It was my brother's first tool show and I had to keep explaining to him that I've seen Maynard actually belt out the stuff that's on the album. It was nice to see the rest of the band really putting a lot into the performance though - Adam seemed happy to be there! I would pay to see these guys play out of a second hand PA system on a crappy stage if that's what the performances came to, but I don't understand why they couldn't make this tour a little different than the last ones. The different visuals were cool, but the whole feel of the show is no different than it was a few years ago. They should take a tip from someone like Trent Reznor and make high production-value concerts in different calendar years substantially different from one another.

[chunga]

It was okay. The presentation was top notch.