07.30.09 - Fairfax, VA @ Patriot Center

[marcus]

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

SETLIST (thanks to Southern Cross and jwb)

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

[ROCKMOUSE]

just got online, setlist is right, great job guys, 6th this mini tour, 3 in 06'07 2 on lat, i think most will say the mix was off, but i was 17 rows in front a little to the right, it sounded great to me, and the setlist, it's Tool, i love anything played, 6 rosetta's this tour, each one never the same, making it more all the better, venue staff was helpful, and where i was people seemed to have respect, 60 for tix 40 for a t-shirt 100 bucks doesnt bother me abit, i paid 125 per tix in atl. but got a signed poster, when we get settled in, my wife will post her insight and she misses nothing lol.....travel safe and lets meet again Brian

[WingsForMarie]

What a fantastic show, it's so bizzarre how people have been complaining about these shows. I understand that people want progress and want to see something new out of their favourite bands, but this setlist is pure gold. If TOOL were to put out a greatest hits album, it would probably be this setlist. The band actually left the stage today after AEnema. Totally bizzare, left this trancy danny noodle loop going for about 10 minutes before they came out and Lateralized. Why the guy from Tweak Bird needs to come out is absolutely beyond me but it's still fun to hear Danny rip it up, even though this is his third occasion to do so of the evening (Forty Six & 2 and Schism breakdown being the other two). The intermission was very akin to the lateralus noise intermission, I don't quite understand what's going on there but it's obvious touring is hitting maynard hard. I lost my voice just singing from the audience, so if he's doing that night after night, and he's over 40 I can understand how it's hard. He also threw his megaphone during stinkfist when it wasn't working, which was what caused him to miss the first two lines. After that the backup seemed to be working properly. More Later

[kanaduh]

Tweak Bird is fucking awesome.
Anyone still planning on going to any of the remaining shows, please show up early and check out these guys. The drummer is incredibly talented and has a unique personality and approach during his performances. The chemistry between this guy and Danny during the extended Lateralus duet is by far superior to any previous tours I have seen.
"14....spaceships...." those vocals are absolutely hilarious. The audience reaction is amusing to watch.

Tool takes the stage, and during stinkfist maynard had a problem with his megaphone. He started singing the opening lyrics but nothing was coming out on the speakers. He switched to the regular mic while the tech fixed it, however it still didn't work and maynard turned around and smashed the thing on the floor. I laughed.

More on maynard: rosetta stoned is getting more hilarious every day. I'm convinced he is having a conversation with himself during the fast-pace lyric section. I was laughing my ass off trying to make out what he was saying. I couldn't understand a single word - but needless to say it was nothing even remotely close to the album version.

He also wore something different today for the first time: A green Puscifer Tshirt.

For the third night in a row they played that new intro to Lost Keys. It's some sort of dialogue about aliens or something - a fitting intro to the song I suppose. Although I do think they play it so loud that it partially takes away from the atmosphere of Lost Keys.

Junior and crew - kudos, as always.

Thanks "jwb" for the rides and help over the past 2 days. Once again the toolshed community showing how incredibly generous and supportive they are.

on to new york city. sigh, silly festivals...

[Selassie]

While it wasn't the best tool show I have seen. It was still live tool. Was it worth the drive from Philly... Hell yeah it was like Christmas in july

[mattsihler]

I just got home from the show. I went with my wife and my 3 and a half year old son. We all had a great time. The show was awesome. They rocked tonight and gave my son the show of his lifetime. no complaints here about sound or being off beat or anything- that's what you get at a Tool show! They always play their stuff differently every time! That's the point of going to the show, to see them live and see their true creativity at work! If you want to hear them as they sound on a CD, then sit at home and listen to their CD's...

We were a little disppointed with the prices of the shirts. $40 each...and no kids' sizes. we all wanted a souveneer from the show, but $40 a shirt is a little steep for our budget...I guess the rest of Tool fans have that kind of extra money to spend.

Anyway, I went for the show, not the shirts, and the show was beyond words. Maynard seemed really into the crowd and had us all participate in a cool little excercise of brotherly love and whispering all at once "Welcome Home"...

This was my third Tool show, once in 2002, once in 2007, and tonight's; hopefully they keep coming around because I will always do whatever I can to get to their show.

Lovin' it!

Matt Sihler

[TOOL.Fan]

Just got home from my third TOOL show in eight long years and I have to say this was just about the best one yet. Our seats left something to be desired (section 123, row X) but we had a bird's eye view of Justin and Danny which was pretty sweet. We also got a really good view of the graphics that were being displayed on the stage which people in general admission as well as people in lower rows would have been unable to see. They were incredible! Definitely the best so far. That was the upside of the seating. The downside was although we got a lot of Justin's bass (which was great, don't get me wrong) it was very difficult to hear any vocals, when the mike was working. However, I pretty much know all the lyrics to most TOOL songs, as did every other fan in the audience, or so it seemed. It was quite moving actually to hear the entire venue singing Stinkfist and Schism, etc...

I could have lived without the opening act but what the hell. You have to take the good with the bad. When I saw them last time in 2006 at the Verizon Center they had a band named Isis opening for them and they were incredible. When I saw them in at the Verizon center in October of 2001 the opening band absolutely sucked, so like I said, take the good with the bad. I guess the next opener will be good.

As for the set list, I would have liked a little variation from the '06 tour but these were all damn great songs in '06 and remain great songs tonight in '09. I was particularly happy with Flood as I do not recall ever hearing anything off of Undertow live before. Stinkfist was awesome as it always is. Jambi was a perfect opener, right on the money. Forty Six & 2 was absolutely incredible, and the graphics were amazing. My girlfriend had bought Lateralus while she was in her Emergency & Critical Care Residency program but never really listened to it all that much. She had heard Schism and liked it. This was her first true introduction to the band and she really enjoyed it. She was very happy that they played Schism. Of course, how could you deny the genius that is TOOL. I don't want to sound like a puppet on a string here. I do, however, truly believe that there is definite genius behind the music.

I would have gladly traded Lost Keys & Rosetta Stoned for other tracks such as The Pot and 10,000 Days or The Grudge, Eulogy, Pushit, etc... I couldn't hear or understand a word of Rosetta stoned tonight nor when they played it back in '06 so it was a good time to hit the bathroom and grab a t-shirt. You could still clearly hear the music even in the bathroom which was kind of cool. I felt as though I wasn't really missing anything. The laser show was pretty cool as well.

So all in all I would give this show two thumbs up, five stars, a perfect ten, basically it was exactly what you would expect from a TOOL show - It was perfect.

[cnmp90]

What was the title of the puscifer song before tweak bird and before tool actually came on? It was nice :)

The concert was amazing. Theres music then theres tool.

[ShadoWolf]

This was my 6th Tool show and was fantastic as always. Overall, for reasons that have nothing to do with the band or the music, I would have to rate this as my 2nd favorite show ever. In 2002 I saw them at Baltimore Arena with my wife who happened to be pregnant with my daughter (who is now 6)... at that show I felt my daughter move for first time (during Parabola no less, how fitting...) Now, 6 years later, my daughter was "old enough" to go to her "2nd" Tool concert. She loved it... Tool has always been her favorite band (I guess that neonatal stimulation did have an affect) and she is in love with Maynard (just like the rest of us right?)

Feeling my daughter move for the first time at the '02 show was definitely my #1 Tool experience, but taking her to her first Tool concert she could SEE is a close 2nd. She may just be the only thing I love more than Tool (don't tell my wife!)

The show itself was fantastic, great music, great show. The one comment I have is that it seemed that Maynard was more "at peace" tonight than what I've been reading from the other reviews of this tour. He spoke to the crowd a few times, the first to ask us all to take care of each other and get naked... that's the Maynard I know and love. Maybe he's found a way to have hope again (I could go out on a limb and say that it was because this is the closest show to Washington DC and he has hope that with Bush gone things will start to turn around... but that may be a strech...) In any case, he seemed to be in good spirits tonight. I think my favorite was during Aenima when he did one of his famous lyrical substituions with "fret for your pussy"...

Set list was exactly as expected but still did not disappoint. DC was an animal as usual and Adam and Justin rocked as hard as ever...

[PaistePlayer]

Yes, this show did rock!!

[geoffsparky]

i pulled into the parking lot and saw a group of people getting arrested, about 20 minutes later i realized i had locked the keys in my car! Luckily my wallet was the only thing i didn't leave in the car. I walked across the street to buy some papers from a gas station and found a bar and had some jack and cokes. Got some papers from Sunoco, came back to the parking lot and chilled with some people from Florida. Went to get some beer with my friend but had left my drivers license at the gas station. She got me beer so thta was fine. We had perfect seats in my opinion section 102 Row C Seats 7 and 8. I thought the crowd in our section was pretty awesome. I've been going to Patiot Center for years. Did anyone notice how incredibly hot it was? Anyways the keys arrived after the show and now i'm home, so tired! favorite songs were 46&2, Flood, Aenima, and Lateralus.

[ashutton]

Setlist is correct. Thank you, TOOL. More later

[batistuta47]

Solid show, not the best or the worst of the 7 I have seen (Hard Rock in Vegas playing Opiate was unreal, and VA Beach in 2001 was a very disappointing show mostly because the venue is potentially the worst on the East Coast). First time I have been to Patriot Center and was about 12 rows up from Justin even with the stage. Considering that vantage point the sound was good. Flood for the second straight show I have seen was again the highlight. The center of the show(Rosetta Stoned, Flood, and Aenima) was stupendous. All three songs seem to have been tailor-made for the live experience. Maynard was as animated as I have ever seen him (I unfortunately never caught an Aenima or earlier show). Jambi and Stinkfist both seemed marred by technical difficulties, but other than a brief hiccup in the second verse of Lateralus, they seemed tight par usual.

I am not complaining about the setlist, because the songs are great and they are playing the more challenging songs and they play them well and with enthusiasm. That said, it would absolutely make my day to hear them pull out an Opiate or Undertow song or two that I didn't expect (as I already said, Flood was the highlight the past two shows for me).

All in all another very enjoyable evening with Tool and well worth the permanent hearing loss in my left ear!

Tweak Bird wasn't bad at all. Had a bit of old live Who to them (with a little Tull maybe). Lost me when they went a bit avant garde in the middle of their set. One of the better openers I have seen with Tool.

[mindlattice]

Good show. Thanks.

[patbuchholz]

This was a great show, no complaints. I don't understand why everyone is complaining about Maynard, he was great as always and everyone else. He was also vocal with the new dorm room family.
More later

[bentTOOL23]

fucking awesome.
great view, great sound
Maynard seemed in lively spirits
And i thought he sounded good
but the best.

This was my 4th show and i'd have to say my
3rd favorite but its fuckin tool

[jimmyeleven]

Man, where to even begin. I'm gonna do a stream of consciousness to start with because my mind is still racing. 3rd Tool show, 1st and only this tour. Some douche spilled beer (AT the merch booth) on my poster, and the merch guy let me trade it out for a different one. What a great fucking guy. Security was fuckin douchey, since even though I was 20-somethingth row (section 130 row S), they shined this BRIGHT fucking spotlight from the floor to try and catch people filming or toking or whatever and they escorted one kid out but I have no clue what he was doing since he was behind me.

Maynard seemed a bit more talkative than what I have read about the last couple of shows. He said that "take care of eachother.... whisper welcome" thing, and said "now get naked." He then said something later to the extent of "Careful going home. And some of you should put your clothes back on so you don't get marked as terrorists. ...Just kidding. Relax." It also sounded like he said "fret for your congress" instead of "contract" but I could definitely be wrong. Also it definitely sounded like he was just talking to himself during Rosetta, and I really wish I could tell what he was saying. But it was all really short sentences as if he was saying "How are you Maynard. You know just chillin. I like kitty cats. Chocolate is tasty." Seemed very random and was probably much funnier than that. Thanks to previous reviewers for pointing out that he threw the megaphone because I didn't see that.

For people saying he hasn't be into these shows, I agree and disagree, but mostly disagree. He wasn't physically into it as much as previous tours, but vocally he was going all out. He held notes at the ends of certain lyrics really, really long and was giving it his all. He didn't get lazy and skip parts, and he hit all the notes really well, except for the very end of Flood but that's because he dropped it to the lower octave, and I think he actually made it sound better that way. "Cleanse and purge me" was regular, and "in the water" was lower, giving it a creepy and somehow even more climaxy feel. Overall, I think Flood stole the show. It's just... so... GODDAMN HEAVY! When I saw them on the floor in 2007 it was the heaviest musical moment of my life... seemingly shattering my ribcage. This time, 25 rows up, it was the 2nd heaviest musical moment of my life. But every song was fucking fantastic, and I am so damn happy I went. Long live Tool!

The coolest part of the night, other than the band and the music, was when the show was over. We arrived at my friend's house and as she and I laid out on the grass to smoke a cigarette, a huge shooting star shot across the sky like a roman candle, leaving a golden dusty trail behind it. Later, when I got to my house, there were suddenly 5 or 6 little white mushrooms growing in my front yard. Coincidence? Maybe. But I suspect not :-)

[megatom5]

What a fantastic show, it's so bizzarre how people have been complaining about these shows. I understand that people want progress and want to see something new out of their favourite bands, but this setlist is pure gold. If TOOL were to put out a greatest hits album, it would probably be this setlist. The band actually left the stage today after AEnema. Totally bizzare, left this trancy danny noodle loop going for about 10 minutes before they came out and Lateralized. Why the guy from Tweak Bird needs to come out is absolutely beyond me but it's still fun to hear Danny rip it up, even though this is his third occasion to do so of the evening (Forty Six & 2 and Schism breakdown being the other two). The intermission was very akin to the lateralus noise intermission, I don't quite understand what's going on there but it's obvious touring is hitting maynard hard. I lost my voice just singing from the audience, so if he's doing that night after night, and he's over 40 I can understand how it's hard. He also threw his megaphone during stinkfist when it wasn't working, which was what caused him to miss the first two lines. After that the backup seemed to be working properly. More Later

I'm sorry didn't realize a greatest hits album would almost completely ignore 6 of the bands actual hits: Sober Prison Sex, H., Eulogy, Parabola, and The Pot. Also if this is the "Greatest Hits" album as you say then this tour is the equivalent of them releasing two greatest hits discs with the same exact songs on it but calling it different names. Also each CD costs $70.

Additionally the Maynard sympathy is just bullshit, he's done what less than 10 shows? I saw Iron Maiden and Judas Priest both of whom had been touring extensively at the time and neither of their singers had any problems belting it out, and I would say some of their vocal parts are harder. Halford held out the near 30 seconds on Screaming for Vengence, and he's pushing 60! I'm sick of all you sheep acting like this tour of playing the same fucking thing every night (the same as nearly the past year of their last tour) is something hard or incredibly trying. No it's boring, fucking boring, and there is no way Tool themselves can't be bored with it unless they know all the fancy stuff it will be buying. This tour is selling out at it's worst because it ltakes away the artistic value of these songs. It's being sold not performed, the fans are being shit on, and Maynard just sits back thinking how many acres of land to buy up for his next vineyard expansion. Btw fuck Maynard Tool is almost better off without him at this point.

[spittingglass]

Brain Dump:

God I love seeing Tool live. Justin and Danny (who were absolutely beastly tonight) looked like they were having the time of their lives. Adam seemed aloof (as always), and Maynard was pretty-into the show and very animated. Very animated meaning throwing a malfunctioning megaphone, moving/gesturing constantly and performing the patented "Maynard Crab Dance" repeatedly. Love that he's rockin' the hawk.

I hadn't looked at the setlist from past shows so it'd be a surprise, and I nearly jizzed myself when I heard the opening notes of Flood. Lightshow/lasers were amazing, good fucking job boys. I still can't decide whether Flood or Lateralus was the best performance of the night. Couldn't understand a word Maynard was saying during Rosetta Stoned, it was like he was just making shit up as he went along. The only real bitch I have about the show is that the vocals were mixed a little low, and finding the entrance for General Admission was like a quest for the fucking Grail.

Obligatory shitty cellphone pictures:

http://imgur.com/TKh83.jpg
http://imgur.com/u4qLV.jpg
http://imgur.com/eggd6.jpg
http://imgur.com/JUqQm.jpg
http://imgur.com/MwGKz.jpg
http://imgur.com/d7ru9.jpg
http://imgur.com/DMWoJ.jpg


Great fucking show.

[bigdaddycain]

I enjoyed the show and the crowd was really into it. The Patriot Center is a totally underrated areana and has great sound quallities and very good viewing for all. We had amazing seats to the left of the stage 10 rows up. Very good view of everything.

This was a GOOD Tool show..Good, not Great. Better than the Baltimore show in 2007, but could have been really really good if Maynard decided to show up. I gotta agree with megatom5 and all the posts from the shows prior, Maynard is not there. I'm not sure if he is thinking about remixing his Puscifer CD for the 5th time or what, but he is clearly not the same as we was at the start of the 10,000 Days Tour in 2006. Sitting behind Danny's drum kit during band jams and leaving pretty much immediately after Vicarious was insulting to me. The rest of the band stayed out and "thanked" the crowd while Maynard was no where to be found. That sucks IMO.

I'm not really sure what the purpose of this 'mini' tour is especially seeing that Maynard is not really into it.

With that said, the rest of the band was dead on. Danny is a beast, Justin was very good as usual (although he was a bit subdued) and Adam sounded great, with no miscues at all.

I liked some of the new visuals that were mixed in as well as the synth stuff Danny and Adam had going on. Very cool....

Tool live will always be a great live show, I just wish Maynard would bring the energy that he did on previous tours.

[SING2THEDEATHRATTLE]

Quit your bitching. 'Oh the band didn't play what I wanted' Fuck you buddy!! Tool is awesome for so many different reasons!! Both musically and emotionally. IF YOU WANT TO GO TO THE SHOW THEN BITCH, THEN SAVE YOUR MONEY AND STAY HOME AND ROCK OLD SHITTY BANDS ALL YOU WANT --THEY WANT YOUR MONEY 2 <(reference HOOKER WITH A PENIS). This was my fifth show that my wife and I have been to. My second favorite overall (first being in philly in a venue like the state theatre very intimate) We were four rows from the front. The crowd was great everyone seemed very 'into' it. I would not have changed 1 thing about the show. All my clothes r still wet, including my socks 12 hrs later. THEY GIVE WHAT THEY WANTed TO GIVE US!! Just like christmas just say 'thank you' and enjoy the gift!! NOTE TO ALL FUTURE POSTERS<IT IS NOT 1992!! Tool has grown and changed if you don't like their direction don't come 2 shows or buy their shit (fret for your pussy, fret for your blogging, its a bullshit three ringed side show of freaks) . I am sure a 'tool revolt' by the chosen few idiots will not 'hurt' the band but you can try (assholes) 'Take this feeling and go and create something new' which the band will and everyone will buy it too even the whiners!! LEARN TO SWIM BASTARDS!! Maynard seems detached at times (imo) cause of shitbirds like you that make take this enjoyable experience and shit on it. My rant is over. TOOL IS THE BEST BAND ON THE PLANET!!

[runner64]

Okay, I had to wait until this morning to be able to post this, couldn't even think when I got home last night.

I'll start off by saying the English language doesn't possess an adjective descriptive enough to describe the live Tool Experience (and that's what it is, it goes beyond simply being a show). I took my son (11, first Tool show for each of us- something has always happened to prevent me from seeing them previously). Who knows, maybe Maynard came up with something during the mumbled jibberish at the beginning of Rosetta Stoned that would work.

For those of you who have complained at every show about this being the same set list from 10,000 Days...get over it. They haven't recorded anything since then, what are you looking for? Supposedly the framework for a few new tracks exists, but nothing that's ready for prime time. Could they have played longer? Sure. Are there things I would have liked to hear that they didn't play? Sure. Every one of us could say the same thing. Let's just be grateful that we've been blessed with the opportunity to once again see THE essential band of our generation.

...anyway, back to the Experience...

first, Tweak Bird was just flat out cool as hell. My son had thoroughly checked them out on YouTube and was telling me various things about them and their songs, so he knew everything they played.

Tool.

...what can I say? Since no word exists, we'll make one up...XXaraa (you can pronounce that anyway you like).

From the opening notes of 'Jambi', you just KNEW something of monumental significance was taking place. The lights and visuals, combined with the music, created an absolute hypnotic effect. Some of you have been complaining that Maynard had seemed disengaged or uninterested. Wasn't the case last night. We were in section 110, row V, which was 1-2 sections over from being dead center of stage and about 80% of the way up. Our vantage point was perfect. From where I was sitting, the acoustics were very good (not quite excellent, but VERY good). I was surprised that Maynard was as soft-spoken as he was when he was talking to the audience, didn't expect that and it was a great contrast to the power of the music.

Knowing the set list didn't have an adverse effect, rather, it was interesting to hear the way they blended them together with some of the synthesised intros.

I think one of my favorite parts of the show was right after the finish of Aenema when Danny came down from behind his kit, Maynard stepped down off his platform, and Adam, Maynard, Danny, and Justin just stood in front of the kit shoulder to shoulder for several seconds before walking off, just soaking up the adulation. That moment, perhaps more then any other in the show, really spelled out the magnitude of what we were witnessing. I'm pretty sure I saw God at that moment.

Lateralus was. Nothing else needs to be said. If I had to pick one Tool song as a favorite (an impossible task, I know), it would probably be Lateralus. I was very pleased to see how well they were able to work Vicarious as a closing number, really didn't understand how that was going to fly...but it's like my son and I always say to each other...it's Tool, it's not like it's going to suck.

Leaving was another experience all it's own. I've been going to concerts for 32 years now (since the age of 13, first one was Skynyrd in Portland, Maine, '77, about 3 weeks before the plane crash), and I don't ever remember such an orderly, quiet egress from a concert venue. I'm guessing everybody was feeling the same thing, kind of a "holy SHIT, did that REALLY happen?!?". It was about 20 minutes into the ride home before my son and I even spoke to each other.

Oh, and one more thing...

I'd be remiss if I didn't give huge props to Joe and his buddies from Bel Air who we hung with in the parking lot for 4 1/2 hours before going in, just grooving, tossing a football around, talking about everything from music to sports (far right upper corner of Lot L, black GTI and a light gray Explorer in case any of you were near us).

I sincerely hope I get a chance to do this again someday.

[HolyTears]

This was my first ever Tool show. I remember hearing of Tool back when I was in school, then from my plumber, but I never really checked them out properly. Someone here mentioned Isis - I know that many have discovered Isis through Tool, but I think that I was able to "get" Tool thanks to Isis. I seriously got hooked about a couple of years ago, and now they are one of my favorite bands.

Anyway, it was an awesome experience. I avoided reading any reviews prior to the show, as I wanted to be surprised. First of all - the projection and all that stuff in the background was phenomenal. I know that all you Tool veterans are used to it by now, but it was just fantastic. If you were, god forbid, deaf and showed up to a Tool concert, I think that you might have a decent time. I had a great seat - dead center, third row, right behind the GA floor. Tweak Bird was a very good opener. I picked up their cd afterwards (it kind of has disturbing cover art - I've never done this, but I might actually toss the booklet).

The show rocked - the highlights for me were Jambi, 46&2, Aenema and Vicarious. Although 10,000 Days is a great album, it is not my favorite, but it seems to me that the material from the album rocks live. Maynard nailed 46&2, and he seemed in good spirits. As someone mentioned earlier, Patriot Center is very underrated, as far as large venues go.

As far as MINOR complaints - I too would have preferred something else instead of Rosseta Stoned and Lost Keys. Maynard's voice was quite low in the mix, and I didn't even realize that there were problems. The bass was turned up too loud in the middle of the show, but I think that they fixed the issue. However, the overall vibe in the arena and energy more than made up for everything.

Overall, great first concert for me!

[TheHunter]

Went with my godson and mixed wife, definitely worthwhile!

The whole setlist thing does nag at me, but what can you do?

I suppose I liked the mel gibson center better than verizon center, even though it took us almost 2 1/2 hours to make a 50 mile drive. The d.c. beltway is like being stuck in satan's taint, and I wasn't even sure at times we would make it there intact. I've never been to a tool show before where there was a genuine tailgate atmosphere, made me feel like I was at a game (a Ravens game!)

tweakbird seemed to be a bit overhyped. I read some other review saying they were like a mix of rush, led zep, and floyd; and I do believe that's not the case, chums. more like the white stripes if it were two guys and devoid of radio-friendly material.

also wasn't impressed by ashton kutcher or whoever the drummer was, it should have been me up there!

as for tool, they sounded just as solid as in years past from my view. although I was too far away to tell if justin was drunk as sit, he seemed in top form. I don't understand the white suits he and adam wear, but I guess it does complement the shui of the white floor.

nardo did sound a bit low in the mix tonight, and I was disappointed to see him just run off the stage after vicarious. vineyards do need constant attention though.

7/10.

aloof levels - 42%

[mike357]

I was surprised by Tweak Bird, I had read that their drummer was awesome but I was skeptical. I honestly think they need to find a lead singer and then not let any of the existing members sing back up, they are terrible at it. Ozzy doesn't even sound good so they should not be trying to sing like him. Overall though I was impressed. They even managed to make a flute sound badass in a metal song. Also someone needs to let them know that capes aren't really in style anymore. Especially purple capes.

Tool was awesome as expected. I was towards the front 25 percent of the floor just to the left of the middle and the audio was horrible. Danny,Justin, and Adam sounded loud and clear and awesome, but strangely enough even though I could hear Maynard loud and clear when he spoke, I could only hear him singing about 20 percent of the time. What I heard was very good though. Just wish his mic was turned up to a decent level.
I'd say vicarious was the highlight of the night for me, because I could actually hear him the whole way through. Rosetta Stoned was also a great experience.

P.S. the guy a few posts up is not kidding about Tweak Bird's Album art. If Michael Jackson designed the cover of Nirvana's "Nevermind", it would look identical to Tweak Bird's. REALLY CREEPY.

[Galstan]

This was my first Tool concert and I must say I was thoroughly impressed. Even the slight technical difficulties didn't bother me that much. My only complaint was the assholes like 15-20 feet in front of Justin (these two really big guys in particular) who kept moshing at every song. It was totally unnecessary and almost broke my concentration from the show a couple times.

[sinfall]

This was the 5th show for the Wife and I since 2006. This time also included the presence of our first child (Son) enjoying the concert from the womb. As someone else mentioned in an earlier post, I too got to feel my son kick for the first time last night at the Tool show. We had noticed the past few weeks that he gets VERY active when Tool is on the radio or I am jamming it on the guitar, so we were excited to see how he reacted movement wise during their concert. My wife said he was most active during Lateralus.

Anyway, on to the review... We got there around 2pm and headed straight to the tour bus are as we usually do. Not to scream at any of the guys, but to just relax and kind of take in the day of work for the band and crew. As soon as we walked up, Adam and his dog were leaving the bus and heading in to the arena. A few minutes later Justin came out on his bike and took a ride around campus, through the parking lots where everyone was parked. At this point my wife and I noticed more security and event staff around the area and of course were were asked to leave the "balcony" that overlooked the tour buses and crew. If I had to guess the sudden change, I would say Maynard was probably ready to leave his bus and come inside and didn't want people screaming at him or throwing things. You never know...

So the doors finally opened and I immediately went and got an even poster for the night. tonight's was about half the size of the previous stops on the tour, but did have an embossed seal on the back. From there we made our way to our seats in section 116 row U. At this point I realized I should have just taken the lower seats at the opposite end of the arena from the stage. We were up a eye level or a little above the lighting truss, so while the birds eye view of Adam was different, it would have been better to be closer to the floor.

Tweak Bird was certainly different. I thought the drummer had a lot of talent, but not a band I would go out and buy their CD. They were definitely a better opener than Melt Banana LOL.

TOOL was great as usual. Could I hav dreamed for a different setlist, of course. As mentioned during Stinkfist there were some technical issues with Maynard's mics, but other than that anything else went unnoticed from my vantage point. The crowd seemed really into it, although every time we see them it seems our section is the section that likes to sit down... WTF. My wife sat down a couple of time because her feet were swelling and back was hurting. I think there were a few times where it was myself and the guy next to me as the only people left standing in our section. No big deal, but just funny to me. Everyone already knows the highlights, etc. so there you have it.

Here are quite a few of our pics from the night. All shot with just an iphone, so no highres, sorry.

http://s19.photobucket.com/albums/b164/studiosinfall/Concerts/TOOL%20-%20Fairfax%20-%207302009/

[runner64]

Oh, one other thing I forgot to mention-

the signed poster.

I had originally told my son that I would try to get him one, but at $100 after 2 t-shirts and a keychain it wasn't happening. Ended up getting the poster with the stickman and the dates.

...but, back to the poster...

it had pictures of the guys on it. Besides the fact that the signatures looked cheesy (guy sitting next to me had one, told me he regretted buying it after the fact), it was just so un-Tool like (to me, anyway) that I couldn't see myself buying it.

[apoollo13]

Hey guys, this is my first post and first tool show... very intelligent crowd, as Maynard put it. With the exception of a few assholes pushing to the front, the crowd was really great. At one point some girl was being carried out from the front of the floor area and a couple that was standing next to me helped the guy carry her out (he was a smaller guy who couldn't carry her on his shoulder). They lost their place on the floor, which happened to be dead center and about 30 feet back but it really was good to see people stepping up and helping each other out like that. I was looking for em to see if they needed an escort back to where we were, but if you're out there reading this, you guys were awesome.

As for the show, I had a blast. I knew the setlist going in and while I would have loved to hear parabola, the selections were great. Justin in particular impressed the hell out of me... I'm still new to the band, and parts that I thought were guitar turned out to actually be him wailing on the bass... in particular on schism, that interlude in the middle was amazing. Dannys drumming was sensational despite the Lakers jersey. Adam was completely expressionless, but you could tell he appreciated the crowds enthusiasm with his sheepish grin at the end and his slight wave to the crowd. He played great too, and I don't know Tool enough to say he hit every note like an earlier poster, but it sure did seem that way. Maynard was himself from what I've read on here. I noticed on stinkfist too him slamming down the equipment, which was hilarious. Very interesting quotes out of him, and that welcome home whisper thing and terrorist line was pretty fucking weird. Whoever said earlier that it seems he doesn't like touring has to be 100% right... he might as well have signed his time sheet at the end of the show. All in all though he seemed like he generally liked the crowd. It wouldn't hurt to come a little closer to the crowd, but I guess that's him.

The last two live acts I've seen are Metallica and Mastodon, and this was definitely the best show of all of them. That being said, if Metallica did a setlist with only pre black album music... then I'd think differently. But overall one helluva show, and a very unique experience.

I took four shots from the show, heres the link. Much like the earlier poster... no high res, sorry.

http://s774.photobucket.com/albums/yy22/apoollo13/

[GelatiCruiser]

Really enjoyed the show...had a couple 1st timers there with me and they enjoyed it as well. I'm a sucker...I bought the signed poster...fuck it, why not? The setlist was good albeit predictable, but I still enjoyed the shit out of the show. Wanted to make sure I said thanks to the fruit pop in the Peter Pan outfit "sitting" in front of me for the ENTIRE show...I'm fine with people doing whatever they want for the whole show, but standing there...in my way...for the entire show...and playing with your hair and trying to make out with your mushroom top of a girlfriend and not knowing ANY of the songs...yea, that'll taint the experience for other people just a tad. Regardless I enjoyed the show except for they stopped selling beer way early. I did like the Maynard comment (during Lateralus) which was something to the effect of "you guys have fun, I'm going to get another beer"...I lol'd a bit.

[Mr. Show]

First i have to give infinite thanks to Dystocia for hooking me up with a great ticket, 116 section (adam side) five rows back! He hooked up given the fact that i am also a poor grad student trying to bum around to as many tool shows as possible.

Before the show i met the people sitting on the other side of me and they were alright one lady it was her first show and the other dudes had seen them before. The funniest thing happened tho, the other guy (not Dystocia) who was next to me, grabs me and starts telling me how we just heard a new song and how special and 'FUCKING AWESOME' it was. After he calmed down and there was a moment for him to hear me I told him that it was just Rosetta Stoned, and then turned around and just started laughing. So after that i told him which song was gonna be played before they played it.

I saw the ATL show and this one was not necessarily a better show, but aenima destroyed at the patriot center. I also liked the fact that it seemed more crowded. In atlanta like half the pit floor was open.

I dont even know why its still a question, maynards participation in this tour is down. While i understand we dont get the intense vocals and screams like we use to, he is on stage for half the show. He bounces right after vicarious is done, while the danny, justin, and adam stand there and basically thank the audience and accept there applause. Tho he did talk to us more than the Atlanta show, which was cool, and said some funny shit about terrorists and whispering. But i will still have to give, 'I smell patchouli' my number one maynardism quote

Either way i love TOOL and could see them play the same songs over and over and probably never get tired of it. I would like tho if they just changed up one song each show, but that is probably asking to much from maynard the king of cunt. still love you ya bastard

[rydthespiral]

Third Tool Show. I haven't seen them since Greenville, SC in '07, so, needless to say, I was shitting bricks in anticipation for this show. Now...

[Nonplussed]

I agree with the "good, not great" theme. Obligatory Tool credentials: Listening since Aenima but have only had access to one show before (used to live in the boonies), on the summer tour '07. That show was much better.

First of all, our seating. I've been reading a lot of compliments about the sound at Patriot Center. Was anybody in the seats in the corner sections? I could not hear Maynard AT ALL, and his lyrics are what makes Tool Tool, for me. So that was by far the biggest disappointment. The overall sound seemed a bit muddled too; I even got lost a few times and I know the material back to front. Guitars were deliciously loud and crunching my brain, but I would have sold my soul for more vocals. Long story short: Don't sit in the corner section. And especially don't pay $60 apiece to do so (although admittedly that's a steal compared to the small-venue tour of '07).

Second, the performance. I feel like especially Maynard but the rest of the band too, save Danny, called it in a bit, going through the motions to an extent. Maynard's energy is unquestionably down, and he's gone for half the show (gonna go have a beer? Would be funny if it weren't true). Justin made two major mistakes coming in too early (I think perhaps on 46 and Schism?). The ambient parts are too long for such a short concert. And I really could have done without the Tweak Bird drummer duet -- just give it to Danny. Lateralus is sacred.

BUT -- despite all my bitching, it was a grand spectacle worthy of Tool. The visuals are as haunting and mind-blowing as ever. The setlist was near-perfect (I could really do without Keys/Rosetta, blasphemy I know -- but it gets no better than Lateralus, Aenima, Jambi and Schism).

One last thing to perhaps betray my naiveté: is this Chapel of Sacred Mirrors shit for real? The "Tool Church"? Are you fucking KIDDING me?

[TabbyA]

This was my third Tool show... saw them for the first time in DC '06 and then again in Baltimore '07. I have to agree with the person that said that this show was better than the one in Baltimore. The DC show was my favorite- I guess I'm partial to that one because it was my first. Overall, I really enjoyed Tool's performance- and think that the venue is pretty kick ass. I was happy I could actually hear what Maynard was saying when he talked. I was a little disappointed that the signed poster I bought was from the NC show... and regret not getting an unsigned one from last night... but what can you do?

[The_Color_Green]

This was my first Tool show, and it will be hard to top:

I was on the rail directly in front of Justin (even made eye contact) and I could see everything clearly. Its really easy to tell that he has a ton of fun playing the concerts.

It was really incredible being that close (never been on the rail before). Although, as I saw mentioned, there was group of people to my back right absolutely crushing people who did not want to take part in a mosh. Luckily I only had to deal with the security guards getting up on the step in front of me. (I was the kid in the Zildjian shirt).



The music sounded great, had a little trouble understanding Maynard, but I knew the words anyway. As for Maynard. I was not expecting much from him hearing how he has been out of it. I was happy he was facing us the whole time except for when he left the stage. He did his little half assed movements but still seemed to be there, I know on Rosetta Stoned he was into it, he was acting out a lot of it, although probably not visible to the people in the back. He also didn't seem to be holding out too much, save for the end of vicarious.

I would not care if they removed Schism, although I think the sped up part makes up for its "rather have better song"-ness.

While my friend and I were waiting for the show to start I mentioned that we were in a spot where we might get a drumstick... and as fate would have it, Danny threw It our way and it was on the right rotation so I could get a firm grip dead center and rip it away from the other hands. It made my night.

While I could look at the cons of the show, I have much more pros to look at and remember all my life.


and in response to Nonplussed, it is not a church for Tool, just a fancy name for a showcase of the art Alex Grey had done for them.

[jazo]

I'll begin by saying the day could not have gone any better.

We got to the Patriot Center parking lot at 3:30 and avoided paying to park there. Also snagged a spot right beside the road that led out of there, so once the show was over we jetted out and was on 66 with in 10 minutes.

Sitting around waiting for friends to get there, we spotted Justin riding on his bike away from the tour buses. One of my friends shouted "JUSTIN!" and he looked over at us like "WTF?.. oh hey" hahaha. It was awesome to make that little connection even though it meant nothing.

When we got in it was disheartening once again to see the prices on the merch. I have yet to buy any TOOL merch from the 4 shows I've been too because of this... but oh well.

Our seats were in section 103 row U so we were up a little higher than I would have liked, but I honestly have no complaints at all about the sound. Every note and beat I felt just like I could have asked for. Maynard's voice carried up to us as well and the only time I couldn't hear was when the megaphone malfunctioned.

Setlist is what it is. I'm thankful for whatever I hear and what I heard last night was fucking epic. I don't care if I've listened to the songs a thousand times and now heard all of those songs pretty much at every TOOL show I've been to... plain and simple it ROCKED.

Highlights: Forty Six & 2, Lost Keys and Rosetta for the sheer precision they showcase, FLOOD! wow they truly rock the house with that song, and Lateralus of course since IMHO, that song really just says what TOOL is all about (if any of their songs are capable of doing that, it is probably Lateralus).

Anyways this will certainly not be the last time I make the trip to see them so good day to all and SPIRAL OUT. KEEP GOING.

\m/,

[EdgeDC]

First post, second Tool concert, longtime fan since I first heard Sober at a club in college, circa 1993.

I was at last night's show, along with a lady friend who is a fresh Tool virgin - after discovering that she was a big fan of Nine Inch Nails (as I am), it was an easy "no brainer" to introduce her to Tool as well, since there's a healthy amount of fandom crossover between the two. :)

I first saw them at Richmond Coliseum in June, 2007. Overall, I think that the Richmond show was the better concert - the energy there in the crowd, the overall feeling was just that much more powerful... although it being my first Tool show and the amazement realized in witnessing their unique live style (Before: "Why are they all wearing white?" During: "OMG THAT'S SO AWESOME") probably played a role there.

However, the smaller sized, more personal feeling of the Patriot Center, plus the fact I had a much more engaged and enthusiastic partner-in-crime with me made last night's show just plain awesome.

True enough, Maynard's vocals were not entirely decipherable at all times... but from where we sat (section 130, row Q), it still seemed he was having a good time for the most part. I really appreciated when he said "Pretend this is home, and the people around you are all your new roommates" - it made me smile... very cool to encourage us all to peacefully enjoy the moment together.

The set, the light show and projects were, as expected, just plain awesome. I had been "selling" the entire Tool concert experience to my friend for several weeks now, and I am very happy that it delivered - and then some!

I blew way too much money on merchandise (one shirt for me, one for my date, plus a keychain and 2 posters, including a signed one), but I figured "you only live once" and who knows when I'll get a chance to see them again? I can't afford to travel the country with them like some of you groupies (how in the heck does anyone manage to do that and keep a job? Unless you're all wealthy students on summer break?).

My friend brought earplugs for both of us - she lasted through 3 or 4 songs without them, but had to put them in eventually. I tried mine, but changed my mind after only 20 seconds or so - it was just too muted - I need to HEAR as well as FEEL the power of those riffs! My ears are still ringing today but I'm smiling from one to the other. Thanks to Adam, Danny, Justin and yes, Maynard for a fantastic experience... and to all of the rest of you Toolheads for just being plain cool people to share the moment with for a few hours! :)

[madscientist]

This was my 4th Tool show, and I have to say that it was better than I had expected. My husband and I had read the reviews of the previous two shows before going, and I was a bit concerned with the level of negativity in those posts. What I saw was Maynard was being Maynard in Tool. He spoke to the crowd more than what the previous reviews in this forum said, so I wasn't upset about it. He still sang like crazy and danced a good amount. If people want to hear Maynard talk more during a concert, then they should have gone to an APC show.

As for Maynard going off stage, it was during the instrumental parts of the show - interludes and solos. The main reason that he stands in the back of the stage is that he wants people to pay attention to his band mates. He doesn't want to be the "front man" of Tool; his voice is just another awesome instrument in the band. Earlier this week, a neighbor told me that he had seen Tool before and kept referring to the band as "he" (meaning MJK). If this is common, I can see why MJK does what he can to put the focus back on his fellow band members. There was a lot of focus on him the last tour because of the intensely personal nature of 10,000 Days for him, so he may be trying to remedy that. Also, it seemed that there were a lot more interludes this show than in past shows I've seen, so that may explain Maynard's multiple absences on this tour. This is just speculation since I'm not a mind reader, but none of it is truly out of character for MJK, so it shouldn't detract from the show.

I enjoyed the set list, including the revised Lost Keys and Rosetta Stoned. The lighting and visuals during those two songs really added to the experience. Well, the lighting and visuals were great throughout the show, but they were really well coordinated with the theme of the music at that point. I was expecting Danny to do more of a solo after the drummer from Tweak Bird during Lateralus, but the kid was decent, so I wasn't too disappointed. It wasn't mindblowing like when they had John Stanier sit in on Triad during the Lateralus tour, but it was still good. I like when they change things up a bit like that. I didn't know that Maynard was having trouble with the mic/megaphone. It seemed like when the sound dropped, it was during sections where people were singing along, so it didn't stand out to me. I think there was only one time when I noticed it. I was losing my voice by the time Aenema started, but I could still hear others in the crowd singing.

I have no problems with the venue. I saw APC there a few years back, and now I live less than 15 minutes away, so no worries about the awful DC area traffic. Our seats were directly across from the stage, about 2/3 of the way up, which gave us a great view and good acoustics. The crowd in the arena seemed cool for the most part, with most everyone standing and "dancing" to various degrees. I say "for the most part" because most of the people in our section and the one to our left were sitting, except for the lowest tier of seats and some scattered people the rest of the way up. If I'm paying $60 to see Tool (really $120 for the 2 of us), then I'm going to enjoy myself.

My husband and I have never stood through a whole show (unless the people in front of us are standing), but we will get up and dance/sing with our favorite songs. We will move in our seats as well - tapping out rhythms, bobbing our heads, etc. I guess the 2 people to our right didn't like that, because after giving us some nasty looks for a while, they got up and left. They didn't seem to be into the show anyway. During Schism, the guy behind us told me to sit down so he could see (didn't have the nerve to say it to my husband). I told him that it was a concert, so he should stand up. He said that "everyone else was sitting", and I pointed out that almost every other section was standing up. We sat down for Lost Keys through Flood, which we would have done anyway, but were back up with the ovation and then through Aenema. We sat during the latter part of Lateralus, and during the drum solo, I could hear the girl behind us complaining for the duration about people standing up. We were back up singing/dancing through Vicarious anyway. If you want to sit and listen to music, go to the opera. I guess the people around us didn't get what Maynard meant by welcoming each other like the show was our home. If a guest in my home was dancing to music, I'd be joining them instead of telling them not to do it.

Overall, we had a great time. It didn't beat our best Tool concert experience so far, but we left feeling happy and looking forward to the next one. I hope that the rest of the shows in this tour have the overall positive reviews that this one does instead of going back to the reviews from Charlotte and Atlanta.

[handicapable]

pros: this was my 6th time seeing tool. the band was fantastic, they really do great variations on each and every of the songs.

cons: my only complaint, performance wise. specifically is that maynard didn't sing the last few lines of vicarious. i had read on this site he did that before, i read that there was a technical issue on stinkfist but read they've been having issues quite a bit on this tour...
whatever the reason, it's disappointing when the rest of the band go above and beyond to play the music and he doesn't sing his parts.. i'd certainly be annoyed if danny stopped drumming, etc..

this was the 3rd time i've seen this setlist, i saw it at the '07 Baltimore show and minus/plus a few different tracks at bonnaroo.
i certainly enjoyed it but to answer a poster above who seems angry at fans criticisms. they have plenty of material they could play.. asking what i'd rather hear?
something i didn't hear at the very last tour.

this certainly wasn't my favorite show of theirs i've seen but it was still very, very entertaining despite the few cons.

unrelated: traffic was absolutely terrible. i know i don't live in the biggest city but there are much, much better venues i'd have rather had them play.
i'd love to see them play outside again.
i'd love to see them play third eye just one fucking time.
i'd love to win the lottery and become immortal.


finally, sing2thedeathrattle.. thank you for posting that. white knuckled and angry.
unintentional humor is my favorite brand of comedy and for that i am appreciative.

[Typhoeus]

This was my 3rd Tool show, driving 4 hrs to see them, and I wasn't disappointed. My girlfriend and I arrived late and missed Jambi and Stinkfist (hence missing the throwing of the megaphone, as a sound engineer I laugh bc that channel could've been muted and not un-muted before said throw, but then again, there could have been a couple reasons why the mic didn't work.) Forty-Six & 2 was sick! Danny Carey is a drumming phenom. Schism was great as well. Lost Keys>Rosetta Stoned, Flood, Aenima segment was the meat of the show, producing some some really heavy moments. Lost Keys intro was something I had never heard. I remember thinking that Maynard must have recorded something new. He didn't scream like I've heard him before, but maybe his voice wasn't up to screaming par, or maybe he just didn't feel like it. Flood was the titties! Aenima had no breathing intro and only 2 riffs maybe before driving right into the song. Not complaining, just making note. Not sure if they have been playing the song this way as I have yet to read any previous reviews.

I have some gripes, but I'll finish the positive before the negative. Upon returning from intermission, a thunderous Lateralus raged the Patriot Center with Danny overshadowing the guest drummer like the clouds of Mordor. Then again, Danny would destroy many a drummer IMO. Vicarious was a great closer as it brings enough energy to endure a 4 hr ride home a full 20hrs later. All in all, amazing show. I thought the show was great, light show killer, and the video awesome, especially being cast upon the marley(white stage floor).

Ok, so now with the negative. I think they could've chosen a few different songs. I'm not going to say swap this song for this song(that's their job), but I would love to hear Parabol>Parabola, the Pot, Third Eye, Reflection>Disposition>Triad, etc. I've heard this setlist each time I've seen Tool, minus Wings pt 1 & 2. That said, I still loved what I heard. Next is Maynard. He seemed that he just wasn't into being there. Maybe being close to D.C. had the opposite effect of what ShadoWolf posted. He walked behind Danny's kit several times, maybe to tribute the latter 3 raging their instrumental parts. I don't know. I know he said, "I'm gunna go have a beer" while they do their thing, but he didn't, just water. Plus, upon returning from intermission, he was swatting his arms at who knows what as he walked on stage and up center. Reminded me of the SNL Uncle Jemima'a Malt Liquor skit (Maaan, What chooo swattin at??). He lacked in climactic screams and just seemed to be tired. Could have been a number of things. And finally, stop bringing drummers on stage to dual, or duet, or whatever with Danny. As much as I love to see Danny anniahlate other drummers publicly, it's really not that entertaining. Unless they're going to bring up a drummer with some real chops to duet with Danny, they should seriously stop.

All that said, I'd like to say thank you to Adam, Justin, Maynard, and Danny (personal idol) for an amazing show. I'll be either front row or at the mix position for APW. See you there.

"Today, in 2009, we were here."

[aephaesis]

Second Tool show (first one Reading, PA 07). I read the reviews of this mini-tour each day and based on that, I was preparing for quiet vocals, overuse of the vocal sound effects and overall: to leave being dissapointed (like a repeat of 07 but not as good), so I came in kinda blah about it instead of pumped. I was excited to bring my husband since this was his first Tool show, so I figured it would be really good for a first timer. We didn't hear but the tail end of the opener, so it sucks to hear they were good :) The reviews didn't talk too highly of them that I felt it worth it to pay the babysitter an extra hour. But now I wish I forked out the $15. Oh well. When the drummer came out to play with Tool, I noticed his style is like he played quad toms in marching band. I hate watching a drummer and saying, "I can do that!" But I wouldn't want to be out there with Danny.. he is so freaking amazing.

Maynard sang great. Not good, but GREAT. Loud, crystal, GREAT, I tell you. It seems like we, at the Patriot Center, were lucky because that was the biggest complaint of the previous shows this mini-tour. It was clearer than when I saw them in 07. It was just plain great. Good seats and view, Section 117, K.

Flood was GREAT to hear again.. you can't listen to Flood on a cd and expect it to be anything close to what it is live.. that is a true live song.

I am 5 months pregnant, so I got some interesting looks, someone said "now THAT'S dedication!" Damn, right! But this was the little guys first Tool concert and he liked it a lot! I can't wait to take him to his next one(s)!! I saw some other pregnant girls there too.. never noticed them at a show before, but I probably never was looking before either.

Traffic was great to and from. I live in Fairfax, so very convienent. I paid a lot because of buying through a website. But it was worth it.. seriously worth it.

To the guy who saw Judas Priest and Iron Maiden.. I have seen Judas Priest and I know what you are talking about with his 30 second scream thing.... (on bullet train, right?) he is just a freak of nature with that talent.. that does not in any way negate how awesome Maynard sounded last night. I would prefer Mayards voice over Ripper any day.

NOT DISSAPOINTED IN ANY WAY-AT ALL.

BTW, I created this account in NC and now live in VA.. anyone know how to change my location on the profile?

[Inmate_666]

First Time at a TOOL Concert. Wow. "Holy Fucking Shit." As said before, I can't really put words to this experience. This show took you places. Most importantly, it was a life-changing experience.

First, I was on the floor near the front, and was on the left edge of the circle pit (and sometimes in it) which allowed me to move up closer, about 6 or 7 people behind the front gate. So I was right in the thick of it. The crowd rocked, and at points it almost felt like everyone in the arena were one. Between Jambi and Flood you really got it going.

Second, the music. God dammit, I can't listen to music again and not have it be the same. They rocked the house and minus some technical issues / failures it was perfect. The Setlist was fantastic (I don't get why some people complain about wanting this or that or that this was from 2007, fuck you its their music let them play what the fuck they want to. If you don't like it, don't come next time.)

Third, Maynard was great based on the comments from previous nights. I didn't know too much shit being thrown on stage or too many flashes, so I guess that helped him. As for him being in the shadows, I liked it because it goes back to the "its the music not the people" paradigm that TOOL has. He thanked us, and at the end of the show bowed and waved goodbye and left on his own terms. It is his style and I can live with that. His "take care of each other" and "welcome home" comments made an impression on me, and the more I think about his comments, it really set the mental tone and helped with that "taking you places" aspect of the show.

Fourth, the visuals. Jesus. They took it on a whole different level, and made the music something entirely different.

The crowd, music, and visuals just combined to make something greater and took you places. You never realized it until the show was over and you got in your car to go home. Even a day after the show I am still in awe how fucking amazing and mindblowing these guys are. Hands down the best show I have ever seen.

I would like to thank Adam, Danny, Justin, and Maynard and everyone else who made that show possible. You guys have turned music into something more than just music.
To quote Napoleon "Music is the voice that tells us that the human race is greater than it knows. " Thank you TOOL.

EDIT -- The Judas Priest comment is lame. His voice has something like a 4 octave range, which is crazy. You might as well be comparing Maynard to Pavarotti.

[Thatsarealzinger]

FANTASTIC show!

Every song was great. No complaints at all.

Can't wait until next time...

[BramBonesBadass]

FANTASTIC show!

Every song was great. No complaints at all.

Can't wait until next time...



Ditto!

Did anyone notice the weird section they played before vicarious? It was kind of "electronic"/techno sounding.....mostly led by danny....did they play this at any of the other shows? It was strange to say the least....the band followed right along, could this be a glimpse of what their new album will be like?

More details later!......I dont know what all the complaining was about....maynard was fucking ON!

instead of the leatherman/underwear getup....he was rocking the "old" 10KD outfit with jeans and bullhorn.....I wonder if he was just on his period for the last 2 weeks....I didnt know leather briefs were mega absorbent...

[Thatsarealzinger]

Ditto!


More details later!......I dont know what all the complaining was about....maynard was fucking ON!



I couldn't agree more.

[Thatsarealzinger]

I also thought it was really cool how they started Lateralus in a circle formation near Danny. They did that a lot in 01/02 but I don't remember them doing it in 06/07. I was glad to see them do that again. It is like they are starting a journey together. Awesome.

[sinfall]

I am 5 months pregnant, so I got some interesting looks, someone said "now THAT'S dedication!" Damn, right! But this was the little guys first Tool concert and he liked it a lot! I can't wait to take him to his next one(s)!! I saw some other pregnant girls there too.. never noticed them at a show before, but I probably never was looking before either.



My wife is 6 months pregnant and was there with me as well. She noticed some weird looks in her direction too LOL.

[profane]

One last thing to perhaps betray my naiveté: is this Chapel of Sacred Mirrors shit for real? The "Tool Church"? Are you fucking KIDDING me?
Yes it is, except it's called The Tool Shrine and I donated to it.

This was my 6th TOOL show, but my first one on the rail, dead center. I can't say this show beat out the Lateralus tour, but this was easily superior to the 10,000 Days shows I saw.

It was a long day waiting outside the venue - I got there with my friend. We were the 2nd and 3rd people there at 11am. Well worth the wait to get front row center, I know that much. But we met some cool people and I noticed a lot of first timers at the show, so evidently TOOL is still reeling them in.

Anyhow, I don't understand the people being negative about this tour, or how Maynard is acting like he doesn't give a shit. He sounded great to me, talked a lot to the crowd (considering this is TOOL) and seemed to really be in a great fucking mood. Adam, Justin and Danny all did amazing as far as I'm concerned. Then again, when the bass from Jambi kicked in, it damn near shattered my chest. Ahhhh, bliss!

Ultimately, no complaints from me and I picked up one of the Adam Jones silkscreened posters (the smaller one) with the Star of Babalon.

I can say with a full-heart that this was a truly transcendental experience and often I found myself closing my eyes to get lost in a sort of meditative trance. It was a cleansing experience... One that I will always remember.

Great fucking show.

[blair's man sausage]

k, my take on the beginning vocals of rosetta:

I distinctly heard mjk say, "this is all a joke, you should laugh." It was like he was doing a standup comedy conversation with himself and I'm pretty fucking sure I heard a Michael Jackson joke.

Great show though, thanks for the tix Sean. They were actually pretty money, a lot better than I had thought, that's the vantage point I really like.

[yourealizethis]

So this was my 6th show I believe. We got there about an hour b4 Tool hit the stage and we realized that we left the tickets @ the hotel which was really only about 15 min. away. Because of traffic lights, silly GPS systems and "special" brownies we got back in the middle of "Forty Six and 2". i was pretty irked. i couldnt believe that my brother and boyfriends saved my parking spot. I wish i wouldve just drove back to where they were, but i didnt. i parked in the middle of bum-fuck nowhere. each time i see Tool it's a different experience, so even if they do play the same setlist night after night, as annoyed as i am, i can focus on some new things. there are 4 of them onstage and always mind-blowing lights. I don't always end up w/general admission tix but did this time because of ebay. Ebay sucks and so does the fact that their official site said that tickets would be on sale on the wrong date. anyhoo...

I loved the little alien-abduction eye thing b4 Lost Keys/Rosetta Stoned. I'm not really sure if Maynard was into the show or not. I think he performed pretty well minus those last lines of "Vicarious". I wouldve liked to hear Rosetta Stoned more clearly. i wonder if he was mouthing of random jibberish or "conversing w/himself" as others have so aptly put.
Usually I get a T-shirt but they did'nt have the one I wanted in my size @ that particular merch booth. They said I could walk to one of the other different ones to see if they have it....blah fuck that.

i wouldve rather them come to some place like Merriweather. just someplace closer. i love Tool I really do. they are my favorite band. they are something to be experienced, but they should breathe some new life in their setlists. i realize that w/an elaborate set production, all that is limited. theres only so long they can do that b4 i go "okay whats up guys? what kinda shenanigans is this 900 shows in a row w/the same setlist thing? your fans really are tools, huh"

im not disappointed. im not suprised. im just glad, my love, got to experience one of my loves for himself.

[BramBonesBadass]

So does nobody remember that "electronic" sounding vamp before vicarious started? They all went into a strange musical movement during which DC was laying down some crazy techno-ish sounding stuff. Its sounded like it was planned out, and not just improvised. I've listened to boots from the SA and NC show, but they both lack this section that was performed in Fairfax, VA.

I wonder if anyone got a recording of the show, seeing how the goose stepping security had everything on lock down.

I also recall most of the songs being played at full speed...especially rosetta.... - although lateralus seemed slowed down.

[Galstan]

i agree lateralus was a tad bit slow

and to be honest i dont remember the technoy part before vicarious but it would be interesting to find out

maynard is saying the words to rosetta stoned but he is not doing them in the way he does on the CD. he is saying them in a kind of monotone voice but i could kind of follow along (i have it all memorized) and he was saying them. i distinctly heard the part about the sweaty L Ron Hubbard upper lip and the Birkenstock sandals. he is saying them though, that is for sure, at least he did at the patriot center

[Novus_]

This Fairfax show was the 11th time I've seen them in concert since 1998. They were just as passionate and as genuine as I've ever seen them. And Maynard was definitely in a good mood and talkative. He only got upset when he was having trouble with his distortion walkie during Stinkfist (and a little trouble during Vicarious). Speaking of which, it was pretty odd to see Maynard use distortion throughout the entire Vicarious song. I went to 4 other 10,000 Days shows in 2006 and 2007 and never saw that. Interesting. He was also experimenting with his foot pedals throughout the song. Vicarious was a great closer with the new video being played on the screens, though. Gave me chills.

I was stage-left, right in front of Justin on the rail. It was great to see him getting into the music so much... and he was smiling and making eye contact with the crowd most of the time.

These 10,000 Days shows have been the best I've seen TOOL. And honestly, although Schism and 46&2 have been staples for years now and ones I probably would've liked switched up going into the concert, they were the songs I connected emotionally to the most during the show. Funny how that happens.

The rest of the earlier reviews covered the highlights.

I just can't wait to see our boys again in a couple years... with a new album to support!

[bigdaddycain]

<Great show though, thanks for the tix Sean. They were actually pretty money, a lot better than I had thought, that's the vantage point I really like.>

No problem, Brendan....glad they worked out to your liking. Kind of a 'top down' view, huh? That's what I remember from the STP show.

Our seats were ridiculous....I was so close to Adam I could see everything he was doing...Maynard to. I had no one blocking my view since we were at the end of the row.....no one seated in the next section to my left because it was blocked off.

This was a cool point of view, seeing that we sat in almost the same seats on Justins side for the Baltimore show in 07.

[WhyLand]

Hello all :) First post... and amazingly this was also my first T00L show. I've seen every other band I could ever want 10 times over, leaving T00L as the lone remaining band I felt I "had" to see before I died. (A tad dramatic, but not much...). Anyway, took care of that situation with this show in VA on Thursday. It was fantastic. Personally, if I was too "Fan out", and pledge allegiance, it would be to Scott Weiland & STP (if that's not apparent :). I LOVE what Weiland does on stage (not to mention the other factors that lead to his inspiring me). That said, T00L is basically the absolute ANTITHESIS of STP live. STP plays 18 songs, and nearly everyone is a radio hit sing-a-long party. T00L with their extended brilliance, play 10 in contrast. While @ STP, you can't take your eyes off Weiland (whether you're a guy or girl, he's just a total Rockstar), and while watching T00L, you sometimes never get to lay your eyes ON Maynard. My whole point being, I love what T00L is doing. I always have. I COMPLETELY appreciate the evolution in their art. And I REALLY loved the live show, loved how Maynard stayed in the dark back by Danny...playing his role as just another instrument in the production, rather than "Front Man". I love diversity, and T00L covers "that other" end of the spectrum for me, and boy do they ever do it well. I know a lot of fans apparently were upset by the lack of changes in the setlist this tour, compared to last (essentially the same, I'm hearing?). I do understand people being upset by it. Although, STP's sets rarely change on tour, give or take a song rotation or two at most. This summer STP did play about 6 or 7 song's they weren't playing last summer though, but had they not, and had they played the same exact set as last summer, I would've been totally fine with it. With them each time you get it all. Get what you want. I guess since T00L can only play 10 song's live, that REALLY leaves so many song's potentially unplayed, and that leads to understandable frustration. Seeing it in that light, it definitely makes more sense. Initially, I was going to say that it's a wonderful thing to still have these bands together, much less playing @ the level they are live. In hind-sight now, with "only" a 10 song set, yeah, it would irritate me a little I suppose. There's so many song's by them you want to hear live, and they really have the potential of making every show infinitely different than the last (beyond the digitial images looped on the screens)... anyway that's more than enough rambling out of me, especially for a 1st post, and without any paragraphs or formatting what-so-ever. All Apologies :) ~ T00L ROCKS!!!~ (I can't turn Aenema off. Or Forty-Six & 2. or Parabola, which I wish they had played!!!). Okay. Peace

[A Tad Bit Catatonic]

Sixth show for me, since the Lateralus tour. Was bittersweet for several reasons. I took a newer friend, and he ended up not enjoying it, unfortunately - his whining sort of dragged me down. Also had some nosebleeder tix, primarily due to the fact that Blair announced the sale date of this show one day late on the website. I really do like Blair, and have emailed with him on a few occasions - always pleasant, but damnit man, Blair, you let me down this time... have always enjoyed reading his stuff, however ridiculous, but for a guy who probably gets payed a six or possibly seven figure salary to simply post whatever he wants on a website, and has achieved obscure fame due to it, please at least get the concert sale dates right. I'm sure some of you were aware of this issue and are with me on this.

Anyway, I give it about a 7 out of 10. All this bullshit about Maynard and the setlist, is exactly that. It's an exacted and powerful thing they do, and have been doing for 20 years now... to have been able to sustain it for that long, and share it with us has been an inspiring thing. You know a large part of it's subjective anyway - where you're sitting, your state of mind, every venue is different in every way, what you may have ingested heh, etc., etc. If I have accomplished half what they have and have half that energy in my late 40s I'll be content. And personally, I'd rather Maynard doesn't sing the last bit of Vicarious, and so on, so he can save what he does have left in him for the next album.

So does nobody remember that "electronic" sounding vamp before vicarious started? They all went into a strange musical movement during which DC was laying down some crazy techno-ish sounding stuff. Its sounded like it was planned out, and not just improvised. I've listened to boots from the SA and NC show, but they both lack this section that was performed in Fairfax, VA.

I wonder if anyone got a recording of the show, seeing how the goose stepping security had everything on lock down.

I also recall most of the songs being played at full speed...especially rosetta.... - although lateralus seemed slowed down.

And yes, there were some new things I observed. At least the first part of Pink Floyd's "On the Run" was played leading into Lost Keys. It's nothing special, and almost seems like a sarcastic offering to all those complaining about the setlist and lack of new material - But interesting none the less, in conjunction with Blair's "Ode to Gwinnett" poem. I have a few theories on it. Maybe they will eventually end up leading into and covering Time/Breathe, or since "Dogs" are mentioned in like every line of that poem, who knows. Also the "electronic sounding vamp" before Vicarious was definitely there - big time!, and if I go with my gut it was most definitely the seeds of something new. They always do those electronica interludes at every concert I've ever seen live and most post Aenema bootlegs, but this time it was different: Adam played a new little chord progression (nothing special, but still new to me), and Danny got into it with the pads - didn't see what Justin was doing. Then after quite a while of that Adam was on his knees playing his stomp boxes with his hands (for like a minute)... some pretty damn cool sounds, I thought. I got pretty excited thinking they were gonna play something new... then got the visuals and first notes of Vicarious. But yeah man it was there, it was definitely there. So I pray for the rest of you guys that by the end of the tour, maybe you'll get a cover of Time or even Dogs.

Oh yeah, since I don't post here much anymore - don't be surprised if 46&2 ends up on the Iron Man II soundtrack. Tom Morello is actually in the first one if you didn't know that (he plays a terrorist =), and for everyone who thinks they have never done a soundtrack - well Sweat is on "Escape From LA".

Peace out my new "roomates" heh...