07.27.09 - Duluth, GA @ Gwinnett Arena

[marcus]

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

SETLIST - (courtesy of my fellow canadian in the thick of things, kanaduh (http://toolnavy.com/member.php?u=38526))

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

[boobah]

Awesomeness that I expected. Nothing different than previous reviews, no complaints either. Think I know why Flood follows Rosetta and why M leaves early. I will keep that to myself though because I'm mildly schizophrenic. Loved the show though. Haven't been since pre-Lateralus. Visual elements were AMAZING.

Edit:
A few people asked so I started a thread (to share my mildly schizophrenic insights):

http://toolnavy.com/showthread.php?t=114457

[HarryCvrJR]

How can I rate TOOL anything but a 10!? I'm not sure, however, that they did a good sound check at the Gwinnett Center before the show, or maybe that's just how the Gwinnett center sounds, but I could not hear a word that M said. The rest of the band sounded great, but where were the lyrics? Last time I saw them at Bonnaroo 2007. That was a life changing show, the lyrics were clear, the lasers and lights were constant and killer, the videos were massive, it was this show times ten. With that said, I will still never miss a Tool show that comes within 300 miles of where ever I live. I think also if I have a chance to see them outdoors again within 900 miles I'll go too. Lollapalooza.....? here we come!

[kdo615]

Beautiful

[mondegreen]

Setlist was the same as the night before, much like I expected. I was hoping for a surprise, but none was to be had. I think one reason for the setlist not changing night to night is that the show is so intricate. The videos, lights, lasers, etc... all work in conjunction, and I'm sure changing that night to night would be a difficult task. That being said, I wouldn't mind to see the band strip things down a bit to allow for more flexibility in the setlist.

As for the performance, it was a good one. Not the best I've seen, but I don't think they'll ever beat the show I saw at the Tabernacle in May of 2001. For that matter, I enjoyed the 10,000 days show at Gwinnett more than this one as well.

Danny, Adam, and Justin looked like they were having a great time. Maynard put on a decent show, but seemed disengaged. I almost got the feeling that he's ready to move on. I hope I'm wrong, but if there is a weak link in the band it is him.

Adam's vocals on Jambi were fucked up tonight, and he looked pretty pissed about it. Maynard had a few little slip ups, most notably (for me, anyways) at the start of 46 & 2. The vocals during Rosetta Stoned were a complete mess, especially near the "I didn't even graduate from fucking high school" part. the drum solo during Lateralus was cool, espcially watching Justin play the bass with one hand whilst drinking a beer (Stella Artois, anyone?) with the other.

I was positioned near the front of the floor almost directly in front of Maynard. The crowd was pretty awful; it's amazing that so many idiots are attracted to a Tool show. Kind of ironic, really. Standing at the front of the floor I expect things to be tight, and I expect to be bumped, etc... However, I'm not too fond of being constantly elbowed/pushed from the back, and I don't take kindly to people trying to push in front of me (I waited an hour and a half outside to get my spot, if you want a better location get here earlier next time). In any case, the bucktooth rednecks to my left really wanted to ruin the show for me with the constant attempts at moshing, and some old fat dude kept sweating on me until I told him to fuck off at the end of Rosetta Stoned. I can't believe that those people spent $85+ for floor tickets just to act like complete jackasses.

Oh well, the show was still a blast, and I have a feeling it will be the last Tool show I see for awhile. Hopefully Maynard can recapture his energy and Tool can move forward as a complete band.

P.S. I could vaguely hear the soundcheck before the show, and I'm almost positive the played Hooker with a Penis followed by something that sounded totally unfamiliar to me (a new cover, perhaps???). Hopefully they'll work some of that stuff into upcoming sets.

[kanaduh]

...where to begin today?

First of all: I am an idiot.
For most concerts I have purchased the poster right away and carried it/hid it under seat during the show. This is has been tremendously annoying having to worry about losing/theft/ect. So today when I got to the venue, all 3 merch booths were fully stocked with posters. Every show so far has had the previous dates posters still on sale because they don't sell out, so I figured I would wait until after the show to get mine today. As soon as Vicarious ended, I quickly took off while the band did their wave to the crowd in an attempt to grab my poster before the massive crowds exited the arena. I get to the first merch booth - all sold out of signed and unsigned. Run my ass to the second booth - sold out. Same for the third. Was so fucking pissed... just my luck it sells out at the first show I decide to wait for. I rationalize with myself saying "it's just a poster". But then if I am getting the poster for EVERY show on this tour, it will be a fucking bitch months/years down the road if I am missing just one. Needless to say I end up offering $100 (which i technically didn't have) to random people for the unsigned $25 poster. After 4-5 people refused, I finally found a chick who needed rent money desperately and agreed.

And that is how I spent $100 on a $25 poster.

Whatever, on to TOOL:

I wanted to mention this in the dallas thread but I forgot. For the past two shows now they have introduced a new video advertisement that they play 15 minutes before tool takes the stage. It's an overview of this "tool shrine" that alex grey and the chapel of sacred mirrors is doing. It's a pretty neat little video and features a bunch of cool images and mini interviews with adam. I reckon the rest of you going to future shows will see it as well.

It's become pretty clear through the reviews that especially during Rosetta Stoned, maynard has been changing up the lyrics and saying random jibberish for some parts. Today was no exception, however I also noticed this during other songs as well. Specifically during Stinkfist, MJK clearly was saying random individual words at different parts of the song. By the way, that extended stinkfist is fucking incredible. Danny, you monster...

Tweak Bird's drummer is just getting better and better. The crowd generally gives them a positive reception and seem genuinely impressive. I'm definately a fan. The extended lateralus duet was epic, as always.

Adams guitar and/or mic died for the second straight night, this time during jambi. I'm not an expert on guitars so I can't tell you exactly what happened (i'm sure junior will help) - but I believe just as he was about to start the first note of the talk box solo his guitar made a weird noise, then didn't sound the way it should during the solo. Adam walked away from the talk box, looked around, and started improvizing with his pedals trying to fix it? Hopefully other more tech-savy people can comment on this.

I was sitting in a seat that was side stage tonight, so I could see the drum-tech sitting behind Danny for the entire show. It was funny when DC hit his gong during Lateralus, I thought that thing was going to topple over and kill that poor drum tech. Even when he's fixing DC's drumset in the middle of various songs, Danny is still punding away like crazy with the tech in the middle of his kit working around it. I think that guy needs special health insurance for working beside DC every night...

Oh... Lost Keys!
As i said in the text to summersea for the setlist, there was something different tonight. Almost disapointing in a way, to be honest.
They played an audio clip of a voice talking, something new I didn't recognize. Very similar to the intro of "third eye" for a few seconds there... had me super excited/nervous for a bit... but alas, it was just a new intro for lost keys/rosetta stoned.
That shouldn't take away from the song though - LK/RS is still the strongest song live on this tour, in my opinion.

Also, who the hell is the tool booking logistics person?
So far of the 7 shows, 5 of them have been in venues that are virtually in the middle of butfuck nowhere, especially in relation to the closest major city. Very annoying when you don't have a vehicle...

Oh well.
Overall tonight was interesting. A solid show, no doubt.

And it's good to see they are still adding new things to the tour is it progresses. Albeit minor additions, at least we're not getting the exact same thing every night.

G'night folks. Time to go north...

Edit: By the way, I saw Justin today a few hours before the show riding his bike through a local path/park adjacent to the venue. Always good luck with the bikes. I got to meet danny and justin in the kelowna fall 2007 show as well when they went out for a bike ride - rather unsuccessfully - through a canadian winter snowstorm.

[cadgear]

Excellent concert, I had an absolute blast. A few hiccups with the band, but mondegreen and kanaduh covered all the major points. I'd like to add my frustration with Georgia crowds, this is why I don't go to many concerts in the state. Aside from the usual redneck asswipes trying their best to ruin anything anyone tries to do (because they don't know how to do it on their own, of course), I lost track of how many people I watched fall asleep in the seats.

Tweak Bird, the opening band, wasn't absolutely terrible, unlike Tomahawk (2002). Wasn't the greatest, but it had you nodding your head and or tapping your foot. Crowds seemed to enjoy it, I didn't mind one bit. Could barely understand the lyrics, though.

Overall, an excellent show. The entire experience gets a 10 in my book, as is usual for Tool.

[pentonvb05]

Show was excellent, even with the same set list. These guys should be able to play this show in their sleep now. Thought Adam was going to have problems all night after the first portion of the talkbox solo didnt go over the speakers. It seems they got it worked out pretty quickly. I thought before Lost Keys that we were going to hear something new. I think it was the audio form Faaip de Oiad (sp?) but I could be wrong I couldnt hear it very well.

Lighting was beautiful. Excellent job Junior. Although that light that shines on Adam from directly behind him, back of stage right I believe, is a killer on the eyes when he moves out from in front of it.

[Renholder09]

Show was great, though I do agree the lyrics got mucked from time to time. I thought the drum duet was amazing. Especialy for someone (like me) who things Danny Carey is god... or maybe satan, it was amazing. Being able to see them all work again make my year. Barely made it anyways so i'm really happy I got to go. Missed my chance to buy tickets but while out at the DMV a lady say my Tool shirt and said she bought extra tickets for people who ended up bailing out so i got tickets 2 days before the concert at face price, pwn, pwn.

[Prisoner 37]

Just got back,great show,thank you Tool.Not the most tight show,as some of the other posters Stated.The vocal tracks were drowned out in some parts.And yeah the crowd kinda sucked.People just kept filing out 3-4 songs before it was over.Then this girl was throwing up about 2 rows down like 1 -2 songs into the show, cops ensued to take her up the stairs ,other than that,there we're a lot of cool people around.I was in sec.100,near the top.It was weird though,there was a whole section of seats to the right of me(about 30-40 seats)that were completely unoccupied, guess some scalper couldn't sell his tickets.There are a lot of new interludes, some with much more synthy sounds than usual.The lasers were awesome.Those were the Iron Man 2 lasers/lights?On a scale of 1-10,compared against other Tool shows,it was about a 7, although the sound/crowd isn't Tool's fault really.Of course I was sober,at least in psychedelic sense.I did love Tweak bird also,they'll probably wind up with some of my hard earned money in their pockets.
P.S. One thing that did suck was that they were out of medium and large in the tongue tied/connected shirt,and I got my merch before the show.I wanted that shirt, but had to get the skeleton one,although when I got to view the skeleton one in the light,it's better looking than I thought at the show.I'm sure they'll have more at the other shows, probably waiting on a shipment.

[phr34k]

Had a great time tonight. Band was on point as usual. Sound in the arena was crap as it has always been for every band ive seen there, so honestly you cant really blame the guys at all. over all for me it was probably a 7 out of 10 on my scale. I had the honor of taking my buddy to his first show, and i sat beside a husband and wife from pretty close to where im from that were also hearing TOOL for the first time, and it was great to get to see the reactions from them as the show progressed.
Could the show have been better?....Yes...Could they have played more/longer? ....DUH! Did i have a good time?....FUCK YES, and i will go back to every show they play til theyre done :) Highlight of the night for me..... my buddies girl got Justin's copy of the setlist.....Lucky bitch :)

[Jayhawker]

First show on this leg....9 overall.

I thought the show was pretty right on. Caught a few mistakes with Adams guitar early on. Jambi didnt get the mouth part to work??? But he corrected pretty nicely there. Thought Maynard was having fun early on but got pretty quiet towards the end. Kanaduh I must have been pretty close to you as for I was also side stage and was drooling over the drum techs job. But lord knows the ear plugs better be the best ever. The guys overall sounded pretty decent though. First time in the arena and from where I was sitting the echo was pretty bad but nothing I couldnt handle. Got a signed poster which was nice beings there were only 350 of them so that will make a nice keep sake. Hope I can get a cheap ticket for the Charlotte show would be a ton of fun to hit the road and see how that show goes.

I did howver just get in and check the toolband site and notice Blair was having some fun with us....what was with all of that???

Anyways short and sweet. Thought the boys kicked ATL's ass. Hope everyone was safe and like Maynard said found their clothes after taking them off to enjoy themselves during the show.

[Mr. Show]

FIrst time post, third tool show, saw them in knoxville 2002 and last at bonnaroo 2007. Like everyone on here has been saying they did not disappoint. Loved every second, thought Rosetta Stoned and FLood were amazing. Cant wait to see them again

[fazebesnappin]

Fantastic show, as always with Tool. I did notice that Maynard's vocals were not loud and clear but that shit doesn't even matter when you're screaming all the lyrics to the top of your lungs. Flood was special for me because I've been to 3 other shows and this was my first time hearing it live. Tweak Bird was pretty damn good for a band of two guys (with the exception of the flutist who came out every now and then). I don't know if anyone noticed that Justin drank TWO beers with one hand while playing bass, then when one bottle was empty he sat it down and continued drinking the other one for a little bit...whole time NEVER missing a note on his bass. I know ya'll saw him drinking the beer but no one has yet to mention the two beers in one hand that he started out with. Danny really seemed to enjoy his duo with Twink Bird's drummer. When it was over he smiled at the dude and gave him the "sign of the horns" (you fuckin rock) hand gesture. Adam sat and watched them play the drum duo as if he was amazed as well. The crowd was typical for Georgia. You had quite a few people there who just came for live music and alcohol (not really Tool fans). This one dude next to me didn't know shit except for the songs often played on Project 96.1 (local radio station). I met one pretty cool country ass dude in cowboy boots. He seemed out of place there but was nice nonetheless. Needless to say, I had a fuckin BLAST and I'm pretty sad now that it's over because it may be many years before they tour again :( "Everyone take care of each other!" -MJK

[nickg420]

I'm sorry but everyone is giving Maynard more credit than he deserves...The Band was phenomenal but Maynard just plain sucked total ass...I'm sorry someone has to say it.

The visuals and band were waaay better than last tour. However Maynard made this show a disappointment for me. I mean come on guys he missed complete verses and just sang gibberish on more than a couple songs....And once he just did make it on stage in time to sing his part...WTF?? Anyway, I enjoyed the music as always and would probably go see them again if they came...but Maynard needs to either shit or get off The Pot...no pun intended.

I had great seats and got my hands on a poster. The people around me were really cool and noone needed their ass kicked after the show or anything. Except for a few people who were completely drunk and lost as to where their seats were and just came barreling down the row...Spilling beer and shit.

Anyway, I'll give this show a 7 out of 10. The crowd was in to it the whoel way through. The band was tight all night. The visuals, lights and lasers were mind blowing. Everything and everyone was there....Except Maynard.

[Odrac69]

A long time fan since '92.....I must say that this was not one of the best shows I've seen. I still loved seeing and hearing them live.....although....

Maynard's vocals were waaaay to low, muffled and mixed too far behind the band.
Technical difficulties happen to the best of them and it was cool to see them recover.
To me, the (Maynard) leaving the stage just before the last notes of the last song is
finished and then not even staying onstage for one second to wave and give thanks has
gotten a little old.
His vocals were either changed or not sung at all......example.....end of vicarious.

But, they're still the best band musically in the past 20 years, I always enjoy seeing them live and I'll continue to go see every last tour until they wave the big goodbye.

[wes]

...where to begin today?

First of all: I am an idiot.
For most concerts I have purchased the poster right away and carried it/hid it under seat during the show. This is has been tremendously annoying having to worry about losing/theft/ect. So today when I got to the venue, all 3 merch booths were fully stocked with posters. Every show so far has had the previous dates posters still on sale because they don't sell out, so I figured I would wait until after the show to get mine today. As soon as Vicarious ended, I quickly took off while the band did their wave to the crowd in an attempt to grab my poster before the massive crowds exited the arena. I get to the first merch booth - all sold out of signed and unsigned. Run my ass to the second booth - sold out. Same for the third. Was so fucking pissed... just my luck it sells out at the first show I decide to wait for. I rationalize with myself saying "it's just a poster". But then if I am getting the poster for EVERY show on this tour, it will be a fucking bitch months/years down the road if I am missing just one. Needless to say I end up offering $100 (which i technically didn't have) to random people for the unsigned $25 poster. After 4-5 people refused, I finally found a chick who needed rent money desperately and agreed.

And that is how I spent $100 on a $25 poster.

Whatever, on to TOOL:

I wanted to mention this in the dallas thread but I forgot. For the past two shows now they have introduced a new video advertisement that they play 15 minutes before tool takes the stage. It's an overview of this "tool shrine" that alex grey and the chapel of sacred mirrors is doing. It's a pretty neat little video and features a bunch of cool images and mini interviews with adam. I reckon the rest of you going to future shows will see it as well.

It's become pretty clear through the reviews that especially during Rosetta Stoned, maynard has been changing up the lyrics and saying random jibberish for some parts. Today was no exception, however I also noticed this during other songs as well. Specifically during Stinkfist, MJK clearly was saying random individual words at different parts of the song. By the way, that extended stinkfist is fucking incredible. Danny, you monster...

Tweak Bird's drummer is just getting better and better. The crowd generally gives them a positive reception and seem genuinely impressive. I'm definately a fan. The extended lateralus duet was epic, as always.

Adams guitar and/or mic died for the second straight night, this time during jambi. I'm not an expert on guitars so I can't tell you exactly what happened (i'm sure junior will help) - but I believe just as he was about to start the first note of the talk box solo his guitar made a weird noise, then didn't sound the way it should during the solo. Adam walked away from the talk box, looked around, and started improvizing with his pedals trying to fix it? Hopefully other more tech-savy people can comment on this.

I was sitting in a seat that was side stage tonight, so I could see the drum-tech sitting behind Danny for the entire show. It was funny when DC hit his gong during Lateralus, I thought that thing was going to topple over and kill that poor drum tech. Even when he's fixing DC's drumset in the middle of various songs, Danny is still punding away like crazy with the tech in the middle of his kit working around it. I think that guy needs special health insurance for working beside DC every night...

Oh... Lost Keys!
As i said in the text to summersea for the setlist, there was something different tonight. Almost disapointing in a way, to be honest.
They played an audio clip of a voice talking, something new I didn't recognize. Very similar to the intro of "third eye" for a few seconds there... had me super excited/nervous for a bit... but alas, it was just a new intro for lost keys/rosetta stoned.
That shouldn't take away from the song though - LK/RS is still the strongest song live on this tour, in my opinion.

Also, who the hell is the tool booking logistics person?
So far of the 7 shows, 5 of them have been in venues that are virtually in the middle of butfuck nowhere, especially in relation to the closest major city. Very annoying when you don't have a vehicle...

Oh well.
Overall tonight was interesting. A solid show, no doubt.

And it's good to see they are still adding new things to the tour is it progresses. Albeit minor additions, at least we're not getting the exact same thing every night.

G'night folks. Time to go north...

Edit: By the way, I saw Justin today a few hours before the show riding his bike through a local path/park adjacent to the venue. Always good luck with the bikes. I got to meet danny and justin in the kelowna fall 2007 show as well when they went out for a bike ride - rather unsuccessfully - through a canadian winter snowstorm.

the charlotte show is downtown. you should have no problems with travels we are staying at the omni charlotte hotel.

[mthurman]

This was my 4th TOOL show since 2001, and it is very apparent that now, TOOL is only Adam, Justin, and Danny. After last nights show, i am convinced that Maynard is not in TOOL anymore, or atleast that he doesnt want to be in TOOL anymore. I was in the floor, dead center about 20 feet away from the stage, and i was waiting for Maynard to quit playing and walk off the stage any second. The band was AWESOME, even the fuck ups were recovered very nicely, but Maynard obviously didnt want to be there. I think, maybe, he has lost his voice, and he knows it. Even in 2007, his vocals are heavy with effects that drown out his actual voice. I remember in 2001, his vocals still had effects used here and there, but he was singing loud and clear with pride. Last night, he was muttering vocals, and his mic effects just elevated his voice. He looked sad the whole show, and the rest of the band patted him on the back a couple times, as if coxing him to keep going. I will say that, the last time i saw TOOL was at Bonnaroo 2007, and that was a completely different vibe then last night. At Bonnaroo, it seemed that the band was there to prove a point, to blow everyone away, including Maynard, and it made me extremely proud to be a TOOL fan. Last night, they were just going through the motions. I will see them again in Charlotte tomarrow, so maybe my faith in TOOL as a whole will be restored. Like i said, Adam, Justin, and Danny were mind blowing and still obviously have their heart in the band, but dont bullshit us Maynard, if you dont want to be there, then dont even walk out onstage.

And one more thing. $40 for a shirt? i mean, they were awesome shirts, but charging your fans $40 for a shirt after they spend $80 to see you? After that, i bought a bootleg shirt for $10 in the parking lot with pride. The poster was cool, and i like how it was numbered and unique to each night, so i could see throwing down $25 for something limited and unique. I will continue to support bootlegs of TOOL until they get off their greedy cloud and quit ripping off their fans.

[spiralout41]

Enjoyed the show.. Always good to take a Virgin to their first live Tool show.. Had a blast..

[spiralout41]

This was my 4th TOOL show since 2001, and it is very apparent that now, TOOL is only Adam, Justin, and Danny. After last nights show, i am convinced that Maynard is not in TOOL anymore, or atleast that he doesnt want to be in TOOL anymore. I was in the floor, dead center about 20 feet away from the stage, and i was waiting for Maynard to quit playing and walk off the stage any second. The band was AWESOME, even the fuck ups were recovered very nicely, but Maynard obviously didnt want to be there. I think, maybe, he has lost his voice, and he knows it. Even in 2007, his vocals are heavy with effects that drown out his actual voice. I remember in 2001, his vocals still had effects used here and there, but he was singing loud and clear with pride. Last night, he was muttering vocals, and his mic effects just elevated his voice. He looked sad the whole show, and the rest of the band patted him on the back a couple times, as if coxing him to keep going. I will say that, the last time i saw TOOL was at Bonnaroo 2007, and that was a completely different vibe then last night. At Bonnaroo, it seemed that the band was there to prove a point, to blow everyone away, including Maynard, and it made me extremely proud to be a TOOL fan. Last night, they were just going through the motions. I will see them again in Charlotte tomarrow, so maybe my faith in TOOL as a whole will be restored. Like i said, Adam, Justin, and Danny were mind blowing and still obviously have their heart in the band, but dont bullshit us Maynard, if you dont want to be there, then dont even walk out onstage.

And one more thing. $40 for a shirt? i mean, they were awesome shirts, but charging your fans $40 for a shirt after they spend $80 to see you? After that, i bought a bootleg shirt for $10 in the parking lot with pride. The poster was cool, and i like how it was numbered and unique to each night, so i could see throwing down $25 for something limited and unique. I will continue to support bootlegs of TOOL until they get off their greedy cloud and quit ripping off their fans.


To the last paragraph........This is the most IGNORANT thing I have EVER heard a so called TOOL fan say... But to each his own.. Enjoyed the show.. Always good to take a Virgin to their first live Tool show.. Had a blast..

[vforvicarious]

I saw em last night for the very first time and was....disappointed.



Lemme start out by saying that Tool is prolly my fave band ever. I have spend the last nine years memorizing the lyrics to just about song of theirs, so needless to say when I heard the opening notes of Jambi I was ready to go.



Adam, Danny, and Justin were great, they were focused, but still loose enough to allow the music breathing room and just let it overtake your senses completely. And they looked like they were having fun and engaged. However, I thought their instruments were turned up way too loud. I saw NIN in the same venue last year and I was right up against the barricade like I was last night and I thought the sound was perfect.



But like I said, I was disappointed, and that came down to one thing. One bright, glaring thing......Maynard. I have idolized Maynard. I think he's the best lyricist in music today and have spent hours analyzing his lyrics. But last night it was like he wasn't even there. He couldn't be bothered to take off his sunglasses or sing directly facing a paying audience. He'd either sing with his side to us or his back to us. But the absolute worst part was his vocals. For one, they were extremely mumbled and turned down way low. He alternated between a traditional mic and this megaphone type thingy and I couldn't hear shit between the two of them. But what I did hear was crap. I'm trying to sing along to Stinkfist and in some spots he's changing the words around to random gibberish. He even skipped an entire verse! And at the end of the night, he said "Thanks for coming out" and walked off while the other three guys riled up the audience and threw out drum sticks, guitar picks, water bottles, and generally seemed humbled and appreciative of the sold out arena's love for them.



This has led me to a terrible conclusion that I never thought I'd ever find myself thinking. Namely that Maynard is the weakest link in Tool. I think he's finally let the fame and accolades go to his head where he's thinking he's too big for Tool and he can act any way he wants to just because of who he is. 10,000 Days was nowhere near as deep or insighftul as Lateralus, even though the music on that record was probably the best on any Tool record. I would not be surprised if their next album takes a sharp decline in quality because of Maynard's ego.



Last Friday night, Marilyn Manson put on the very best show I have ever seen. Yes, he's a pretentious, egotistical artist like Maynard, but he seemed there, he was focused, and YOU COULD UNDERSTAND WHAT THE GODDAMN FUCK HE WAS SAYING!!!! I honestly thought for a moment that Tool would unseat Manson's short lived reign as "Best Show I've Ever Seen", but they didn't even come close. Hell, last Linkin Park show I was at was better than this Tool show.

[mikeyinatl]

Fourth Tool show in my life. Absolutely the worst.

Terrible mixing...which I'll blame partly on a very lame venue (although it did sound better in '07 at the same joint). The only thing worse than the acoustics was the f'd up job at getting traffic out of the parking lot.

I was sitting side stage ten rows up from mjk. He did not want to be seen (as usual). He did not want to be heard (which was new). He just plain did not want to be there. Granted, the music is powerful, but it doesn't need to drown out the vocals completely. And I think that is HIS choice. Maybe he doesn't do Mondays well? Or maybe it is time to find a new singer? Maybe they can hold a special Tool edition of American Idol?

The band was good, but not exactly "tight." The technical difficulties (and some artistic flubs) are inexcusable this many dates into a show that they perform exactly the same every night.

I have been to over 500 concerts in my life since the late 60s. In my old age, there are few bands around for whom I will drag my wrinkled old ass to see more than once. Tool was one of them. Maybe not anymore? Or could it be that I, like mjk, just don't do Mondays well?

[Jayhawker]

Did anyone at all understand any of the new lost keys..... I may be mistaken but I know I heard some talk about extra terrestrials. I wonder if that was the "cover?" Wouldn't surprise me if that was the big surprise....maybe someone will be able to break it all down.

[unconditional1]

Just got back to Tampa, it was a great show. justin was into it the most. he was drinking 2 beers at once and chugged another right after. i got dannys drumstick, mjk was dressed in a black space uniform doing like a robot dance. and adam was plan old adam. Flood rocked the HOUSE!!!

[Freshspence]

16th show. definitely towards bottom of list in terms of quality. on floor, slightly off center to Maynard/Adam side. about 10 people deep. i actually thought sound quality was good from where i was at, and i actually heard maynard better than past few shows. but acoustics obviously vary with location.

i am pissed about the set list. i avoided these forums since 7/17 to try out the 'surprise' factor. unfortunately i was only surprised to hear the same show i saw 7 times in 2006/2007. aenima was nice to hear again (last i heard it live was vegas april show in 2007 if my memory serves).

to me, its just a big waste of Tool's time and talent to not vary the setlists. they have such a great catalogue to pull from, and the talent to either do covers or re-work some songs to make it different. even the extended schism and stinkfist (while awesome) are getting old. i dont see how the boys arent bored doing the same thing night in and night out. even the interludes are f-ing identical every night. or at least not different enough that i think its fun for adam to doodle aroudn on his synth machine thingy.

finally, my thoughts on the reasons on unchanging setlists: 1) agree with above that maynard has checked out of tool. hopefully temporarily, but whatever the reason, it seems he's lost the drive. these shows now feel like he's doing it solely out of respect and owing it to Adam, Danny, and Justin. certainly not giving much to the fans. so im thinking these setlists were a comprimise, whereby he wants the safe songs which he's used to doing and dont challenge him too much. 2) they are too tied down to the visual aspects. i love the visuals, and always thought that put Tool over the top from a live concert perspective. but i go to concerts to hear live music. but now the visuals are dominating the timing, pacing, and order of the show. everything is in sync b/w the audio and visual, and leaving no room for flexibility. i understand they want us to see the full 'production' as they intended when they organize the show. but as a longtime fan, id vote for stripped down visuals, and have these brilliant musicians put their talents to work with some improvisation, covers, rarities, re-works, etc. just feels like a waste to have them methodically do the same thing every night. and honestly adam looks mostly bored the entire time. justin and danny seem to love whatever's going on.

and kanaduh, im with you on the poster. being on floor i didnt want to risk getting it messed up during show, so i waited and had same result. except i didnt pay $100 for a $25.....yet. but ill get my CLT one early thats for sure.

[grimLoK]

6th tool show.
not the best but better than at least one, if not two i've seen in similar type venues. the best tool shows i've seen have been at outdoor venues. the sound mix comes though much clearer. in contrast to previous posters opinions, i think maynard intends for his vocals to be muddied and indecipherable at times in order, possibly, to evoke more of an emotional response to the music from the listener as opposed to a "mental" or "logical" response. notice on the 10,000 days album the vocals are mixed way down to almost blend with the instruments at times. i think they replicate this in the live sound mix. i personally don't mind it. tool still puts on a top notch, professional show.
there were a couple of minor mess-ups musically with the band but, as always, they recovered well, which shows their professional skill and showmanship. and it seems at a couple of shows, including this one, there are parts of various songs that originally maynard might sing at a higher octave but i'm guessing due to age and a lot of touring touring the past 15-20 years his voice has taken a beating and he chooses to go at it at a lower register. this is fine with me. i would rather him sing the part lower and hit the note than try to do something he might not be capable of and have his voice crack and sound terrible.
honestly i think the crowd here at gwinnet arena was great. the other shows i've been to at similar venues (pensacola 2002 and biloxi 2002) we had to deal with a bunch of moshers on the floor level which was not the case here. i still prefer "assigned seats" venues such as oak mountain ampitheater in pelham, al or the macfarlin auditorium in dallas. i did enjoy gwinnet arena though. the guys directing the traffic outside did a great job and the staff on the inside was awesome too. no problems.
the setlist was strong although not too much different from what i saw in '07 at oak mountain. i was happy with the changes (eliminating wings 1&2 and pushit, but adding flood and aenima). every time i've seen them it seems like they play at least one new song that i might not have heard live before; flood being that song in this case.
overall great show. the stage show (lasers, lighting, and backdrop art) keeps getting better. definitely adds to the atmosphere. maybe i'm just partial to my hometown and the outdoor venue ( the oak mountain ampitheater which is owned by verizon) but i think the two best shows i've seen were the october '01 show in the monsoon and the may '07 show. nothing beats an outdoor tool show.

[thrdeye]

Well, this was show #6 for me over the course of 11 years. Not my favorite, but still great as usual.

I think the reason this show was not as enjoyable is because there wasn't that "easter egg" like there have been in the past. I really value the times I have gotten to see things like Opiate, Third Eye, Pushit (salival version), etc.
Overall, I really would like to hear a little more earlier stuff from Opiate and Undertow, but oh well. There are so many great songs and their catalog is so extensive now, that I'm sure it's hard to make a setlist. But wouldn't it be nice to just have "that one song" that they pulled outta their ass?

Also, I do agree that Maynard is somewhat out of it. He has always been aloof, but it sure seems like he had a lot more fun in 2002. That said, he behaved about the same as usual IMO, except that he didn't talk quite as much as he has in the past. I hope that we are all just over analyzing his performance. He did do the maynard shuffle during jambi, and that was fun. But there were two times that I really felt like he could have done better.

1 - At the beginning of aenema. He didn't do the breathing thing. Which for me is a big part of the song. It teases you a little because you know what is about to happen.

2 - The end of Vicarious. He pointed the microphone toward the crowd to sing the final "Vicariously, I...." lyrics, which are the most powerful part of that song IMO. I wanted to hear it.

As a vocalist, it is hard to show your passion for the lyrics and the music unless you are somewhat involved. I mean, just imagine him, at the very end of Vicarious, jumping off of his little podium and running out to the front of the stage to sing the final phrase. Woudl have been awesome.

I think what we all should do is take a step back and breathe a little, though. Folks like myself that have immersed themselves in this music over the past 15 years are going have an evolving perspective of what a good TOOL show is. As a whole, this was an excellent concert for those who only have become fans within the last few years.

Oh, the highlight of the evening was my friend getting me an early b-day gift - a signed tour poster.

[vforvicarious]

6th tool show.
not the best but better than at least one, if not two i've seen in similar type venues. the best tool shows i've seen have been at outdoor venues. the sound mix comes though much clearer. in contrast to previous posters opinions, i think maynard intends for his vocals to be muddied and indecipherable at times in order, possibly, to evoke more of an emotional response to the music from the listener as opposed to a "mental" or "logical" response. notice on the 10,000 days album the vocals are mixed way down to almost blend with the instruments at times. i think they replicate this in the live sound mix. i personally don't mind it. tool still puts on a top notch, professional show. I can appreciate this logic, but ultimately, it's bullshit. I paid to hear Adam play guitar, Danny play drums, Justin play bass, and Maynard sing. Three out of those four did their jobs incredibly well.

I'm all for provoking an emotional response, especially when it's a combo of incredible music and an incredible vocal delivery, which Maynard does quite well when he's not being a smug, pretentious twat like he was last night

[dhelton]

Just got back to Knoxville after the show last night. Like everybody else i was a little hesistant about the set list before the show. But I have to say, I thought it was an absolutely incredible performance. Jambi/Stinkfist/46&2 was complete delicious sensory overload scrambling the 12000 brains in attendance and opening them up for the rest of the set. Yes, arena sound sux, that's just the way it is, Tool was originally scheduled to play an ampitheatre in Alpharetta instead of the Gwinnett Arena but something happened so such is life. Sadly, from where i sat stage center in the back of the arena, Danny's drums sounded god-awful, everybody else was pretty good, Maynard was as clear and prominent as i've heard in 12 shows or so, guess it's just a matter of where you sit in these kinds of venues.

Most importantly,. all that is great about Tool, the unparallelled audio/video presentation (especially the monkey/eye thing during 46 & 2, hell yeah!), the spaced out sequences between songs, the contrast of maynards voice and phrasing with the onslaught of the band: to me all the elements were there full force, whatever glitches there were just served to bring me back to earth every once in a while. And it was beautiful to be in the back of the arena and see the enthusiam of the crowd.

I missed 10000 days tour regrettably so this was my first look at the lasers, 95 percent of the time thought they were spectacular, thought there was too much of them a couple of times toward the end of the show, maybe Junior was having a litte fun!

Thanks to the band and crew for putting this mini-tour together, i've been recovering from a near fatal car wreck for the last three months and this really made my summer. Maybe Tool will become a summer tour band like a lot of other successful bands out there, why should Widespread, DMB, and Phil Lesh have all the fun?

[kanaduh]

Actually I think that Junior has nothing to do with the lasers.

Junior does everything with stage lighting.
There is another tech that is dedicated to the lasers, another for the video screens, and another for the sound board.

(I think).

[tmellody]

Duluth show: 7 out of 10: Here's why:

-1: Giant fuck up on Vicarious. How has no one mentioned this? They all were embarassingly off by the last part of the song. We would know b/c we recorded the show and checked after to make sure we had heard it right, and unfortunaly we did. One of the worst fuck ups I have even seen/heard at any live show. I guess odd time signitures cover a lot of mistakes.

-1: Maynard's vocals were lack luster. I'm not speaking of them being low in the mix, I'm talking about messing up verses, not singing cricital parts (Vicarious and Rosetta) and changing lyrics. He seemed to be completely disinterested in Rosetta. Some songs were definitely compromised by this. It's probably really sort of annoying for them I'm sure, but the fans love those parts of the songs and want to sing along with MJK. It's crucial for an optimal live show experience. It leaves me wondering if maybe there was something wrong with MJK's voice... maybe it was shot b/c of 2 consecutive shows in TX just 2 nights before.

The whole thing about MJK's vox being too low in the mix... I think it's by design to follow suit of what is on their records. Tool is never going to (hopefully) be that band that has in your face vox with a frontman... That's the last thing they ever want to be. So if you're reading this and you haven't seen a show yet, just know that Maynard is always in the background and his vox are low in the mix. Visuals and music are the focus, not a frontman.

-1: Setlist. Yes I'm going to beat a dead horse here. To me it seems like they are being lazy and didn't want to learn a new setlist for the mini-tour. Sort of let's do a tour that will make a lot of money, keep us from being too rusty and doesn't require much work... I sort of get that but at the same time, that is very annoying and disappointing. Especially b/c they had liberty to do whatever they wanted since there was no record to promote.

Tool is a mysterious band and lots of mystery surrounds them, but the biggest mystery about Tool that I can see is why the fuck don't they play Eulogy at their live shows? The crowd would go absolutely apeshit. they have so many songs that would be better than Rosetta or Jambi... Flood was freaking crazy amazing.

All that being said, I'm a huge fan. Even on their worst night, you will see an amazing show. My hubby and I spent in excess of $1200 to see them last night (travelled out of state). Not their best, not their worst, but damn fine entertainment for 90 minutes.

[mmike032]

My 2nd show although longtime fan. Seen them on the 10K tour at the same venue last go around. I enjoyed this show more than the last. Probally cause last tour I frequented this site and already knew what was going to happen.
This time I wanted to go in not knowing the setlist and have the element of surprise regardless if it was going to be the same setlist or not.
The new visuals/lasers were great IMO.
Flood and Anema were the highlights of the night for me
As others stated there were some techincal problems but doesnt make bit of difference to me.

Any Tool show is a good show IMO
Hopefully they'll continue to create music and tour in the future.

[boobah]

http://stashbox.org/583625/keychainChewtoy.jpg
I bought a keychain at the show and when I got home my Jack Russell terrier made a supposed indestructible chew toy in its image.

[zombie]

Anyone else get blinded by the hags with flashlights? I was about to get kicked out over it but I really hate being blinded. The show was awesome, but it does feel like 2007. Anyone know what time the soundchecks are? I smell a cover in Charlotte!!! (I'm going)

[lagimatt]

http://stashbox.org/583625/keychainChewtoy.jpg
I bought a keychain at the show and when I got home my Jack Russell terrier made a supposed indestructible chew toy in its image.

You could probably sell it on eBay for hundreds of dollars and then buy kanaduh a signed poster with some of the extra cash. ;-)

[Nicholus]

I was the guy in the front left with the Staw Cowboy hat =) Was a great show. Loved every bit of the actual show. Couldn't really hear his lyrics... but that's ok because the entire crowd sings good and makes up for it :-P Danny is my freakin hero, and possibly the best known drummer of our time.

The bouncer guys were really mean... Danny threw a drum stick right next to us, it hit the gate thing infront of the stage and fell, the guy next to us reached over the gate to get it and the bouncer pushed him back into the audience. Then said "hold on a second" to the kid... thenbouncer folded his arms and stood there. After a few seconds he reached down, picked up the drum stick and handed it to someone else. W T F felt bad for the kid. Another thing they did was throw water at people that were trying to snap a pic with their cell phones in an attempt to damage them. Douche bags man.

[Toology55]

I have to agree that this wasn't Maynard's best, but hey, he is 45 now. Not sure why he stands back next to Danny Carey while rocking back and forth the whole time, given he is a Frontman. Danny Carey is an amazing drummer at 48, Adam and Justin were good too.

I wish they had played Eulogy, Prison Sex or Undertow. I saw them in 1997 in Nashville at Lollapalooza (along with Snoop Dogg, Korn and The Prodigy), they were better (and younger), Maynard's voice was great back then, I guess combination of age + overuse did it.

Good show overall, I bought the tickets (sec 107 next to stage) on Craigslist 15 min before the show start since I wasn't sure I could make it and raced up and was still early, I wish I had stopped at Walgreens to pickup some hearos to reduce the decibels a bit, couldn't hear crap afterwards and I like enjoy my hearing.

[Emericana]

So I ended up going to this show, even though in the Denver thread (saw the show last weekend in Denver and it was horrible) I said I would not... man am I happy i did. This show was SOOOOOO much better than Denver.

Differences between the two shows (other than the addition of Aenema) was a new intro to lost keys (which I thought was real fuckin cool), and a AWESOME visual before the start of lateralus.

Went with my girl and that made all the difference. Got drunk too which made for a great time. As always, flood was fucking epic and the best song of the night.

Maynards vocals were turned down too low. Only complaint other than setlist and the 2009 show being shorter than the 06/07 shows.

The band was flawless last night. Was cool to see the talkbox solo of jambi played with a guitar. Lateralus drum duel was fucking awesome. way better than the dude from the black keys in denver. fun show. not my fave i have been too (see signature for shows I have been too), but right up there.

[mondegreen]

I have to agree that this wasn't Maynard's best, but hey, he is 45 now. Not sure why he stands back next to Danny Carey while rocking back and forth the whole time, given he is a Frontman. Danny Carey is an amazing drummer at 48, Adam and Justin were good too.

Maynard positions himself like that to try to get the sound right. The band doesn't want Danny's monster drumset blowing away Maynard's mic.

I've read several people saying that Maynard has always been a bit of a dick, and I've been around long enough to know that. Regardless of how pretentious he acts, he has always taken the task of delivering a solid performance very seriously. In eight years of seeing Tool play live and collecting various live CDs and DVDs, last night was the first time that Maynard really looked like he did not care about the music. I think that is what has people so upset about the show.

[kanaduh]

hmm.

i'm slightly confused to be honest with most of these posts.

compared to every other show since 2006, I don't see how maynard was any different last night?

[Linus84]

He was different guys. I saw them 3 times during the 10,000 Days tour and he was animated and waving his cowboy hat around, dancing, etc. Tonight he just stood there singing or fucking around with the screens (looked like he was trying to pick the nose of the guys in the stinkfist videos...also did anyone see him waving his clinched fist around at the end of stinkfist...it looked just like what the song implies). I was on the rail right in front of him and I could see him walking off and sitting behind the speakers directly to his left. Adam went back there once or twice and was talking to him. He was throwing back the water too. Not sure if he's just not feeling well or what but he did look like he was having a tough time last night. My brother also agreed with me.

The only other complaint I have is the crowd in the pit...WTF GA? I'm from the Savannah area and I thought we had ignorant people here...nothing like what was in Gwinette last night. YOU DO NOT FUCKING THRASH OR PUNCH EACH OTHER DURING A TOOL CONCERT YOU IDIOTS!

[mondegreen]

He was different guys. I saw them 3 times during the 10,000 Days tour and he was animated and waving his cowboy hat around, dancing, etc. Tonight he just stood there singing or fucking around with the screens (looked like he was trying to pick the nose of the guys in the stinkfist videos...also did anyone see him waving his clinched fist around at the end of stinkfist...it looked just like what the song implies). I was on the rail right in front of him and I could see him walking off and sitting behind the speakers directly to his left. Adam went back there once or twice and was talking to him. He was throwing back the water too. Not sure if he's just not feeling well or what but he did look like he was having a tough time last night. My brother also agreed with me.

The only other complaint I have is the crowd in the pit...WTF GA? I'm from the Savannah area and I thought we had ignorant people here...nothing like what was in Gwinette last night. YOU DO NOT FUCKING THRASH OR PUNCH EACH OTHER DURING A TOOL CONCERT YOU IDIOTS!

I agree on all points.

Especially about behavior in GA. I ended up getting pulled over the rail because I was trying to keep some stupid fucker from continuously ramming his elbows into my back. Not just coincidental contact, I mean actually running into my back with his elbows pointing toward me. I turned around to tell him to stop and he was coming at me full force for the third time. I shoved him away from me and the dumb assed security pulled me out instead of the trouble maker. Typical.

[dancingflame]

Highlight of the night for me..... my buddies girl got Justin's copy of the setlist.....Lucky bitch :)

the highlight would be: getting to know that they still need a setlist...sorry i couldn`t resist that stupid joke :D

[junior]

I think one reason for the setlist not changing night to night is that the show is so intricate. The videos, lights, lasers, etc... all work in conjunction, and I'm sure changing that night to night would be a difficult task. That being said, I wouldn't mind to see the band strip things down a bit to allow for more flexibility in the setlist.


2) they are too tied down to the visual aspects. i love the visuals, and always thought that put Tool over the top from a live concert perspective. but i go to concerts to hear live music. but now the visuals are dominating the timing, pacing, and order of the show. everything is in sync b/w the audio and visual, and leaving no room for flexibility. i understand they want us to see the full 'production' as they intended when they organize the show. but as a longtime fan, id vote for stripped down visuals, and have these brilliant musicians put their talents to work with some improvisation, covers, rarities, re-works, etc. just feels like a waste to have them methodically do the same thing every night. and honestly adam looks mostly bored the entire time. justin and danny seem to love whatever's going on.

I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it until I am hoarse: THE VISUAL ASPECT OF THE SHOW DOES NOT DICTATE THE SETLIST.
At least a few people must have seen that coming.

All visual aspects of the show are operated 100% by humans, and played like an instrument. The band do not play along to the visuals. There is no time code or click track. Those aspects are in sync only because the lighting, video, and laser operators are pushing the right buttons at the right times.

A 'stripped down' Tool show would only be that: stripped down. You'd still get the setlist that they've decided to play based on whatever criteria it may be. If all of the lights, lasers, and video gear got sent back to the vendors tomorrow you'd just end up with a Tool show that doesn't have any lights, lasers, and video. It wouldn't magically transform into some awesome opportunity for the band to play different songs every night.


As for the particular mood Maynard may have been in at this show, there were an unusual amount of flash cameras in the front and it was bothering him. I'm not going to judge on whether that SHOULD affect a singer in a band, but in the case of Tool and Maynard it DOES. People know about it. It's no secret. He hates flash cameras during the show. It frustrates him to no end. That's not going to change.

[nusense]

That new "intro" to Lost Keys was fucking UNREAL!

I'll post more thoughts later...

short version: Show was amazing, as always. Visuals have been kicked up 10 notches. Maynard definitely seemed... "restrained." Not bad, just not one of his more 'animated' performances.

Glad I didn't look at Tool Army BEFORE the fucking show! Seems they might have been set to drop the cover last night... but of course... decided not to (probably at the last minute. Reason for the delay, perhaps?)

[nusense]

As for the particular mood Maynard may have been in at this show, there were an unusual amount of flash cameras in the front and it was bothering him. I'm not going to judge on whether that SHOULD affect a singer in a band, but in the case of Tool and Maynard it DOES. People know about it. It's no secret. He hates flash cameras during the show. It frustrates him to no end. That's not going to change.

I did notice a slightly inordinate number of "clueless" people who seemed to simply be there because it was the big rock concert of the month/weekend/etc.

Granted, once you become an "arena sized band," that comes with the territory. Just ask Roger Waters... ;)



BTW: tremendous job, Junior. The visual aspect of the show really reached a new pinnacle last night, largely thanks to your lighting. The lack of a full floor-visual seemed to provide you with more shadows to play with, which was quite refreshing. I loved the full floor-screens/visuals, but ultimately they seemed to make everything a wee bit bright (for a Tool show). Shadows favor this band more (obvious as that might be).

[Jayhawker]

THANK YOU JUNIOR.

[Toology55]

He should still face the audience from time to time, I ended up just relaxing in my chair and didn't really care about standing & watching, just listened.

Maynard positions himself like that to try to get the sound right. The band doesn't want Danny's monster drumset blowing away Maynard's mic.

[justaddh3o]

First time poster, long time lurker of the shed. This was my 3rd show and I just could not let this one go unreviewed because of how disappointing it was.

Like nickg420 and many others have stated, Maynard was a real downer. I took a virgin to the show, and she ended up being mildly entertained as was I, but I had to explain on more than 1 occasion that this was a piss poor performance on Maynard's part. Honestly, about halfway through the show I was getting much more excited for the songs that didn't require much input from Maynard so he wouldn't have the opportunity to underwhelm. Seriously, get Maynard off the fucking stage because he clearly does not want to be there. He sat down for HALF THE SHOW for fuck's sake!!! Some of the time all of the guys would be huddled in one spot trying to get something going and maynard would be off in the shadows.

I hate to complain about ticket prices, but given that this is a recycled tour with a static setlist, the effort that the guys put into performing is what is SO CRITICAL. I feel like danny, justin, and adam were laying it all out there. But Maynard, however, was beyond disappointing. Missing some lyrics, butchering others with no regard, and sometimes his timing was so far off you thought somebody staggered his vocals 1/2 second. During Rosetta Stoned and Vicarious I actually found myself wondering if he could actually be that far off and not be doing it intentionally. On that note, I didn't pay out my ass to have a microphone held out to me so I could sing the lyrics to Vicarious...hate it when musicians do that.

The visuals were appropriate and nice. Maybe I'm asking for a little too much but I would like to see more original content instead of music videos we've all seen a million times. If the visuals and stage directions are holding back the setlist then I'd be perfectly happy with some simplified display of random colors if they'd just play some different shit every once in a while. I heard so many people saying things like this on the way out..."Man I want to hear more from opiate" but I understand that's old. But why not more recent jams like The Pot...god forbid Disposition or Reflection.

Flood was by far the best. Drum duet was also nice simply because it was the only point during the show when at least 50% of the fatasses in the building moved a muscle. The crowd...my god...lamest collection of assholes I have ever been around.

This is my 2nd time going to Gwinnett Arena (last was for APC) and I will not be going back. The acoustics in this building are shit. Thumbs up to security though, probably the nicest group I've ever been around.

Bottom line: the show was entertaining but not great by any means, visuals were good, maynard sucked hard, flood rocked.
Was it worth the price of admission? No, in hindsight I would have rather sold my tickets and chilled at the house.


And last but not least, what the FUCK is up with CoSM commercial before the show? Somebody explain to me how this is OK. As soon as I heard "Tool has always pushed the boundaries, even with their stage displays..." I almost raged. Since when did we get commercials at a fucking concert??? I pay out my ass to get in the door (don't get me started on merchandise) and then the CoSM is going to ask for a donation. Seriously they should be ashamed. And I now that you guys love Tool but this type of slacking and selling out cannot be tolerated. People need to stop attending these shows and buying merchandise for the time being until it is warranted

[skagitize]

I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it until I am hoarse: THE VISUAL ASPECT OF THE SHOW DOES NOT DICTATE THE SETLIST.
At least a few people must have seen that coming.

All visual aspects of the show are operated 100% by humans, and played like an instrument. The band do not play along to the visuals. There is no time code or click track. Those aspects are in sync only because the lighting, video, and laser operators are pushing the right buttons at the right times.

A 'stripped down' Tool show would only be that: stripped down. You'd still get the setlist that they've decided to play based on whatever criteria it may be. If all of the lights, lasers, and video gear got sent back to the vendors tomorrow you'd just end up with a Tool show that doesn't have any lights, lasers, and video. It wouldn't magically transform into some awesome opportunity for the band to play different songs every night.


As for the particular mood Maynard may have been in at this show, there were an unusual amount of flash cameras in the front and it was bothering him. I'm not going to judge on whether that SHOULD affect a singer in a band, but in the case of Tool and Maynard it DOES. People know about it. It's no secret. He hates flash cameras during the show. It frustrates him to no end. That's not going to change.

sounds like we have a few patrons more worried about maynard's feelings... last time i checked i went to concerts to hear music.

how many people are usually on the crew to complete visual tasks?

[Freshspence]

I realize its manual (and impressed, for that matter). when i said 'in sync' i know its not as simple as pushing a button at the beginning of the show and letting it run out. i meant more from a conceptual point of view. they have certain videos/images/coloring (with your input as you stated in another post somewhere) that they want for certain songs. so unless there is a pre-made video montage for every single song available for every show, they are inherently limited to play the songs for the videos they have prepared. cuz if they decided to play Hooker with a Penis on the fly, the Rosetta video sure wouldnt make any sense (except maybe for the guy walking down the highway, who could be a HWAP). im sure there is stock footage available for spontaneous one-offs, but inherently, they've developed a show that combines specific video with specific audio elements (with the timing precision resting on both the band and the lighting crew) ahead of time, and in their quest for this overall experience, spontaneity is vastly limited. its their decision and i respect it on one level. but its frustrating on another.

by stripped down i also meant something more along the lines of simple videos that arent unique to the song being played. upon re-reading my post, i see the ambiguity in my wording. but its just my thoughts. i certainly dont know the reason, i just have my thoughts and opinion on the matter.


All visual aspects of the show are operated 100% by humans, and played like an instrument. The band do not play along to the visuals. There is no time code or click track. Those aspects are in sync only because the lighting, video, and laser operators are pushing the right buttons at the right times.

[Jayhawker]

the new 46&2 stuff I am pretty sure went with the Right in Two videos from last tour....I may be wrong but I think they probably do have the visuals for on the fly change or else they wouldnt be as big as they are. The band and the visual team (Junior) probably have the power to do whatever song is in the entire TOOL library....if they intend to play No Quarter at Lolla I wouldn't be surprised if everyone on the team already know about this and are already working on what colors, visuals, lights, videos, etc are going to work.

[tool/rush/mars]

Tool is always amazing, but a few things were frustrating. Maynard only really sang well on 46&2 and Aenema...every other song the Vocals were just bland. I think he just got into those songs, more than others.

The drum solo deal in Lateralus was a disaster, it really kind of ruined a song that is generally a religious experience. Please Tool...there are certain songs that do not need "jam" sections and Lateralus is easily the number one song that should never have anything added or taken away, the way it is on the album is epic.

Also, they play everything a bit slow live, maybe that is to make the show seem longer...not really sure. I really hope they come out with a new album, invigorated and prove me wrong....but this show left a lot to be desired from what I have always considered to be one of the best bands of all time.

None the less a Tool show is better than any other show, except for Maybe Rush.

[Rblee2]

This was my 6th Tool show. I'd rate this one somewhere in the middle. Good show, but not great.

I think pretty much everything has been covered at this point, but here are my pros/cons...

Cons: 1) Setlist: what more is there to say. Even two rotating songs in the setlist would have made my night. Just something different. I shouldn't have expected anything different, but sadly I let myself believe this show would be different and that they would throw in something special into the setlist. I can only blame myself. I should know better by now.

2) The Gwinnett Arena: I caught the show at Phillips Arena during the Lateralus tour and I've never heard better acoustics for a band before. I can't say the same for the Gwinnett Arena. All the instruments were extremely loud to the point where they began to drown each other out at certain points. I wasn't horrible. But not great either. Plus you could barely hear Maynard (although this was possibly by design).

3) Maynard - I know this has been covered too. But it really seems like he's checked out at this point. His voice is obviously not what it use to be.

Pros: 1) Adam, Justin, & Danny: These guys never cease to amaze me. They seem to get better and better as time goes along. I can't thank you guys enough for the impact you guys have had on my life all these years. I hope to keep attending Tool concerts for years to come.

2) Section 105 comrads: You guys were great. Thank you so much for not being the '07 Birmingham, AL crowd. I refuse to go back to that place. Fucking idiots!

3) Lateralus: This is probably the greatest live song I've ever heard. Its not my favorite Tool song. But I can't think of a better show ender and more inspiring song to go out on (I still don't have a clue why they close w/ Vicarious instead).

One final comment on Maynard. I know time takes a toll on a vocalist. And I'd say its safe to assume that's why they choose such a static setlist, use so much vocal distortion (I could really do without the megaphone on every song), and why he just downright refuses to sing certain parts of songs. But why on earth does he dash offstage after Vicarious while the other band members remain on stage. Its almost downright disrespect for all the people who have shelled out $60+, traveled an ungodly amount of miles to get to the show. And the worst part, had to put up with some of the dumbasses that actually show up to Tool concerts. Anyway, I must say I'm just not the biggest fan of the man right now.

I fear that Tool as we currently know it may cease to exist sooner than most of us think. I hope I'm completely wrong on this. Only time will tell I guess.

[junior]

The lack of a full floor-visual seemed to provide you with more shadows to play with, which was quite refreshing. I loved the full floor-screens/visuals, but ultimately they seemed to make everything a wee bit bright (for a Tool show). Shadows favor this band more (obvious as that might be).

I agree

[Toology55]

I completely agree, but below are just some lyrics to lighten the mood :-)

-------------------------------
I, met a boy, wearing Vans, 501s, and a
Dope beastie-tee, nipple rings,
New tattoos that claim that he
Was OGT,
back in '92,
from the first EP.

And in between
Sips of Coke
He told me that
He thought
We were sellin' out,
Layin' down,
Suckin' up
To the man.

Well now I've got some
Advice for you, little buddy.
Before you point your finger
You should know that
I'm the man,

And if I'm the man,

Then you're the man, and
He's the man as well so you can
Point that fuckin' finger up your ass.

All you know about me is what I've sold you,
Dumb fuck.
I sold out long before you ever even heard my name.

I sold my soul to make a record,
Dip shit,
And then you bought one.

And last but not least, what the FUCK is up with CoSM commercial before the show? Somebody explain to me how this is OK. As soon as I heard "Tool has always pushed the boundaries, even with their stage displays..." I almost raged. Since when did we get commercials at a fucking concert??? I pay out my ass to get in the door (don't get me started on merchandise) and then the CoSM is going to ask for a donation. Seriously they should be ashamed. And I now that you guys love Tool but this type of slacking and selling out cannot be tolerated. People need to stop attending these shows and buying merchandise for the time being until it is warranted

[junior]

I realize its manual (and impressed, for that matter). when i said 'in sync' i know its not as simple as pushing a button at the beginning of the show and letting it run out. i meant more from a conceptual point of view. they have certain videos/images/coloring (with your input as you stated in another post somewhere) that they want for certain songs. so unless there is a pre-made video montage for every single song available for every show, they are inherently limited to play the songs for the videos they have prepared. cuz if they decided to play Hooker with a Penis on the fly, the Rosetta video sure wouldnt make any sense (except maybe for the guy walking down the highway, who could be a HWAP). im sure there is stock footage available for spontaneous one-offs, but inherently, they've developed a show that combines specific video with specific audio elements (with the timing precision resting on both the band and the lighting crew) ahead of time, and in their quest for this overall experience, spontaneity is vastly limited. its their decision and i respect it on one level. but its frustrating on another.

by stripped down i also meant something more along the lines of simple videos that arent unique to the song being played. upon re-reading my post, i see the ambiguity in my wording. but its just my thoughts. i certainly dont know the reason, i just have my thoughts and opinion on the matter.

I stand by my statement that the production is not holding up the evolution of the setlist.
I've moved my response here: http://toolnavy.com/showthread.php?p=2766072#post2766072
as I don't think this directly pertains to the Gwinnett show reviews.

[kevinero]

First time poster, 4th Tool show. Everything has already been posted that I had even thought of mentioning. My take on the show is pretty much spot on with Rblee2. I drove all the way from Western Kentucky for this show, 450 miles, and this was probably the one I enjoyed the least out of the four I've been able to experience (Cape Girardeau, MO '07, St. Louis, MO '07, Tulsa, OK 07'), Tulsa being the best out of the four. For the first time I decided to not look at the setlists and I believe this was a bad decision on my part. I too was expecting some other songs to be played and got my hopes up too high. Don't get me wrong I still enjoyed the music, the visual experience, Adam, Danny, and Justin. The highlight of the show for me was definitely Aenema, first time hearing it live. However, Maynard was the real downer for me on this one. This was the only out of the four shows I've been too where he acted like this. I had read about shows where he acted this way but never experienced it and it sure does suck. He didn't do the scream at the end of Rosetta Stoned, or finish Vicarious. Seems like any chance he had to get off the stage he did, especially at the end of show, he was nearly gone before they finished. He could not wait to get out of there. Maybe I shouldn't blame him, maybe I should blame all those people who snuck their cameras in when it's obvious the band doesn't want all the flashes and such going on and don't realize how sensitive he can be. Anyways, I'm still glad I drove all that way, and was able to be there. I would have really regretted it if I hadn't gone. The next time they are on tour, hopefully after a new album, I'll drive wherever I have to to seem them.

PS Thanks junior for all the work you do and the extra insight/info you provide on the forums, been reading for a long time.

[junior]

sounds like we have a few patrons more worried about maynard's feelings... last time i checked i went to concerts to hear music.

how many people are usually on the crew to complete visual tasks?

The operation of the show is 1 Lighting Director (me), 1 Video Director, and 1 Laser Director.
The lighting crew consists of 4 more people : a crew chief, 2 system technicians, and 1 tech in charge of the motor operation and power distribution.
The video crew consists of 2 more people : one of them is the projectionist for the stage and back screen, and the other one is the projectionist for the side screens. There was a 3rd guy on the 2006-2007 tour because there were 9 more projectors in the air for the stage video.
The laser crew has 2 more people : they monitor the laser heads during the show to make sure the voltage is ok and the water keeps flowing properly.

All told: 5 lighting, 3 video, and 3 laser crew. In addition to this there are local stagehands every day that help with the heavy stuff and hanging and cabling everything.

[seznar]

Well, I drove a total of 18 hours by myself to see this show. I live in South Florida, and knew that this was potentially my only chance to see my favorite band. First I want to say that Tweak Bird was awesome!

Everybody was bitching about them around me. Which leads me to say that the "tool fans" I met were some of the biggest douches I have encountered. Don't get me wrong, there were some cool people, but my god drunken hick baffoons moshing and punching and fighting. I understand if you want to get a little rowdy during aenima and such, and I know that it is a "rock" concert.. I've been in plenty of pits, but basically what I saw were people who A. were trying to start fights. B. people filming and shooting pictutres the whole time, and c. the kids who would freak out if you decided to clap or hoot because they couldn't focus on the color of Adam's pants for 2 seconds.

With that aside, now comes the part that actually matters:

Well, what can I say I have finally had my Tool cherry popped. It was bound to happen eventually and I wouldn't have it any other way. The show rocked from the start. I was about 5 rows of people back from the front; between Adam and Maynard. The whole experience was quite surreal because I couldn't believe how close I was to my favorite band. I don't really feel like breaking down every song, but overall I was extremely pleased with the performance. I swear I heard the opening of the song H. during Lost Keys, but I was duped. The sound wasn't crystal clear, but that has to be expected when so close to the stage.

Maynard's vocals at least from where I was and what I could hear were definitely lacking. Maybe it was just where I was, but even without the megaphone his voice sounded robotic and distorted ( of course even then he still is in my opinion one of the best vocalists around) .
It seemed like he was into much more in the beginning, and then the energy sort of wavered. I did like his outfit though. It reminds me of the Lateralus tour bootlegs that I've seen. Overall though I'd give him a 7/10 vocal wise.

The rest of the band was definitely on their game. Adam moved around the stage quite a bit. Justin was grooving, and Danny is satan. They played very tight for the most part, and it was fascinating watching them look at each other during certain parts to make sure that they were on the same beat for the big climaxes.

The light show and visuals were incredible. I really like the stage setup compared to bootlegs of previous tours. It seems to be the perfect balance of simplicity and high tech tripiness. I liked the enochian magick board making a reappearance high up by the lights.

So this little review has been very sloppy, but I'm exhausted. Basically the show rocked, and I am grateful to have see my favorite band. The set list was a little disappointing but that is just because I knew what to expect from reading the forums. Maynard lacked, but hey I kinda lacked energy too when I was there... shit happens, and I still think he did a good job. Adam and the rest of the boys really seemed to enjoy themselves, and I did as well. Overall, I'd give the show an 8.5.

I do wish that I would have been blown away by seeing them. Of course, I'm stoked after it, but not blown away. I'd see them again in a hearbeat though.

[Ocajinoj]

I thought the show was great and I had way too much fun to nitpick to the level of some.

I really doubt Maynard would be there if he didn't want to be. There's lots of history to back this up, and I think it's kinda funny to see supposed hardcore fans of the band bitching about ticket prices and the like. This band has given me years of enjoyment and I'd honestly be happy to pay more than the 70+ dollars I payed for floor access.

Thanks junior for posting here and giving us little tidbits of info. I thought your post brought a little light and clarity to what unfortunately seems to be turning into an ugly thread. Major kudos to you and the other guys who made the visual aspect of the show pure eyecandy.

I thought Maynard and the rest of the boys sounded fucking great on Jambi, Flood and Aenema. I spent the evening about 20 rows deep in front of Justin. DC was just..... holy fuck it's hard to believe anyone is that good. Him ALONE is worth the price of admission imo. The one complaint I do agree with was the end of the show when Maynard didn't sing to me what is the most powerful lines of Vicarious and the static set list. I could have sworn they were about to play Third Eye at one point and Prison Sex at another... Justin did a pick scrape on his bass that sounded to me exactly like the intro to PS - But w/e. I got over it before leaving the arena.

Praying for a new album > hopefully another new direction for the band > and more opportunities to see them live. Ty Tool.

[mbwa]

I do wish that I would have been blown away by seeing them. Of course, I'm stoked after it, but not blown away. I'd see them again in a hearbeat though.


same here.

[RF_]

Believe it or not, this is actually my first post to any forum! Oh, I would bet it all that you've chosen not to believe it! I am 28, and technologically literate (we'll see).

I am posting solely to give some propers to Junior for participating at all on here, and taking the time to address everyone's issues with last night. I guess I feel compelled because I haven't seen anyone say a simple thank you....(for posting here I mean....of course the devotees always thank him for his show performance). I'm sure some moron will reply to this with a compilation of every thank you ever written to Junior on this site.

Junior, thanks for the input on last night. I've worked many crews, and the fact that you get on here sometimes after load-out is pretty freaking amazing!

I've been a musician for the last 14 years, so I definitely have some thoughts on certain aspects of last night's performance. All I will say is that I agree with many of the reviewers (everyone except for that dude that posted something about how sick the Linkin Park show was, haha. Maybe another thread I read that in.) Positive note: obviously, TOOL has a pretty amazing crew! I can't emphasize that enough. Unless you've worked on a stage team, you would never appreciate how hard creating the physical/visual aspects of a TOOL show really is. Most people just think a lot of the stuff is already in the venue! haha.

Bottom line: it's already been said more than a few times. :/. Unfortunately, the Atlanta show will be the only one I will be able to attend.

[RF_]

Okay with the time it took me to post mine above, I see that several people have shown some love! Good stuff.

[Octave13]

I've been to so many Tool shows that I can't remember which number this one was for me. I'd say it was about average, for a Tool show, in this area, anyway. I don't think Maynard likes GA very much, but I don't blame him. Idiot rednecks are the sole reason why I never try to get floor tickets in this state anymore, and the flashing lights were getting on MY nerves too. Regardless, they put on a bad ass show, as always. Junior, I'd like to thank you too, I LOVE the lighting and projectors... everything was a visual treat and you've definitely improved the spectacle since the last tour. Thanks also for providing some insight here, we really appreciate that.

I'll go to a Tool show anytime they come here, and I'll tolerate the sheer stupidity that goes on around me, as long as I get to hear my favorite band play live. Now, granted, the crowd experience for me this time wasn't that bad. I wasn't in the pit and people around me in my area were relatively mellow and didn't scream bloody murder with every other breath. I could see some idiocy taking place down in the pit, however, and it made me that much more thankful for being up in the seats.

My advice to the fucking crybabies; Release any expectations for what you'd like to see or hear and just enjoy something great for what it is. You're lucky they're even touring at all, so stop acting like spoiled little shits who were born with silver spoons in your mouth and a premature sense of entitlement. Tool does things their way, you guys should know this by now.

[nbcrompton]

Thanks junior for all the great info.

Give these guys a break our standards are way to high when it comes to this band.
Did you ever think they might want to give all the fans that didn't get to see the last tour a chance to see it before a new cd comes out...

Chill out they are going to raise a few bucks for the new cd and they will be out with an all new tour in the spring of 2010... < Maynard>---Play Eulogy, if you dont want to sing it I will..

[Bundahead]

I agree on all points.

Especially about behavior in GA. I ended up getting pulled over the rail because I was trying to keep some stupid fucker from continuously ramming his elbows into my back. Not just coincidental contact, I mean actually running into my back with his elbows pointing toward me. I turned around to tell him to stop and he was coming at me full force for the third time. I shoved him away from me and the dumb assed security pulled me out instead of the trouble maker. Typical.

You guys have hit the nail on the head! I had GA tickets and stood in that line for 2 hours in the hot ass blazing sun. There were about 20 people ahead of us in line. My husband and i secured our spaces just a few feet from the stage right before the show began. We were so excited...the stage wasn't set as high as the last concert and it felt intimate...safe.
But boy were we wrong.
The push from the people behind us began with the first song; and i expected that. What i didn't expect was the attack that followed. All of a sudden a large group of guys started bum rushing their way through the crowd towards the front. It was like a tidal wave pushing through and everyone in their way were pushed back several feet. This happened over and over again. My husband spent the duration of the concert keeping the two of us upright as these assholes beat the crap out of one another and innocent bystanders alike. Near the end of the concert I couldn't stand it anymore. I worked my way backwards, out of the crowd, and went upstairs.
I just can't believe that this was my experience. I never got to enjoy any of the show. So all of you guys who want to nitpick Maynards performance or the sound quality of the guitars count yourself lucky that you were able to see and hear well enough to be so discerning. Maybe the reason Maynard lacks charisma each time he returns to atlanta is because of how poorly we represent ourselves. And now i'm left with such a deep sense of disappointment. This was the only vacation time my husband had taken in a year; and the first time we'd been anywhere together alone since the birth of our little girl 14 months ago. I needed this so badly. I deserved just one night to enjoy something i love so much: Tool's music. No one cared, nobody thought of anyone else, they stole something very valuable from me and i am left with no way to redeem what was lost. I left the arena in tears. What a huge disappointment.

[tmellody]

I really think MJK might have been sick after reading some of these posts (sitting down behind amps and drinking water a ton of water). It will be interesting to see how the show goes tonight. We saw them on the 10k tour in Chicago, and he was sick. He came right out and told us he was sick but gave an unbelievable performance anyway. If memory serves, the next couple shows were cancelled.

Re flash cameras. We went to 4 shows on the 10k tour, and in 3 out of 4 shows, he told the crowd outright to put the flash cameras away. "No flash cameras". He usually said it right before Wings. So I think if he was bothered by flashes, he would have said something. Who takes concert photos with a flash anyway? Are you a retard? They won't turn out with the flash on. Try taking them without a flash next time. Save MJK's eyes and have cooler pics.

MJk always does weird stuff so running off the stage is not that odd to me really. But after his performance it makes me wonder if he was too embarassed to stick around and receive adulation..

[mondegreen]

I needed this so badly. I deserved just one night to enjoy something i love so much: Tool's music. No one cared, nobody thought of anyone else, they stole something very valuable from me and i am left with no way to redeem what was lost. I left the arena in tears. What a huge disappointment.

I think I saw you and your husband leaving, and I feel your pain entirely.

I'm a relatively sturdy guy, and I spent the majority of the upbeat songs (Jambi, 46&2, Stinkfist, Anema, Vicarious, etc...) acting as a "wall" for the people in front of and to the right of me. In most cases I was able to keep people from pushing through, but in some cases I ended up running into the person next to me because of the size of the crowd that was rushing the stage.

In hindsight, a decent 100 level seat ticket would have been the way to go. It's been a long time since I went to a show with people who behaved as badly as they did Monday night.

[btravis311]

7th Tool show for me. 3 Lateralus shows, 3 10,000 Days shows, now this one.

I should preface this by saying that I LOVE this band and love to see them live and appreciate what goes into the production and execution of such a transcendent A/V experience. Thanks to band and crew. Money well spent.

Most of the reviews I'm seeing here echo what I would say. I was on the floor about 30 feet back from the stage. The folks around me were cool, pretty much bullshit-free, which is a nice change. Danny was a beast, and worth the price of admission alone. I rate the sound from my location a C+. As has been mentioned already, MJK's just not bringing it like I've seen him do in the past. The Lateralus-era performances were inspired. These days, not so much. Maybe one day we'll get some un-filtered answer as to why this is. At the end of the day, though, it's up to each of us to decide whether it's worth our money or not.

It was my first time hearing "Flood," so it was all worth it, really.

A Tool gig was leaps and bounds more fun than ANYTHING else I might have had going that night. Even a Tool gig where MJK pretty much phones it in.

[grimLoK]

i'm not going to name any names but i've read several posts that are complaining in one way or another about the crowd. now i've seen 6 tool shows in 5 different states and read the reviews to all of these shows and in every thread there are always ppl complaining about their fellow concert goers. what makes them think that somehow they are superior to the rest of the ppl in the crowd? if what these complainers say is true, then that means that they are the only decent human beings in the cities of birmingham, dallas, biloxi, pensacola, and atlanta. i find that hard to believe. i've enjoyed the crowd (for the most part) at every show i've been to. and when they complain about the "crowd" they're griping about ppl like you and me who might've driven hundreds of miles to see a great band. i'm from birmingham, al and some uninformed person stated his opinion about the crowd at the oak mountain show and how he would not go back to that place. well, fine. but don't lump everyone into one category. just because you ran into some jerks, don't assume everyone is that way. for all you know those ppl might've driven from out of state and aren't even from b'ham.


same goes for every show. i can promise that in every concert thread on here some are going to complain about the other tool fans in the audience. but think before you label the whole crowd terrible on account of a few numbskulls. once again, i was on the floor level at this venue and had no problems with anyone (in particular, moshers). this ends my rant. thank you for your patience.

[btravis311]

I was on the floor level at this venue and had no problems with anyone (in particular, moshers). this ends my rant. thank you for your patience.

Well put. I was also on the floor, and was pleasantly surprised by the well behaved nature of my neighbors. That said, I did see a fair amount of horseshit-type violence a bit closer to the stage in front of Adam. I was thankful to not be any closer to that.

[nusense]

First... to satiate the naysayers, YES, it would be amazing and excellent if Tool would switch up the setlist, either radically or just a bit. And yes, on this night Maynard was clearly not in the greatest of spirits. As Junior mentioned above, there was an unusual amount of flash photography going on, and we all know how Maynard feels/reacts to that. However, that said and acknowledged...

The boys were fucking on point Monday night. They have consistently tightened up these songs since they've been touring. Little flourishes were all over the place, particularly with Maynard's vocals. I LOVED the new notes he hit (in damn near every song). Aside from sections that he just flat out didn't sing (namely the beginning of Ænema, ending of Vicarious), this was one of the better sounding vocal performances I've heard him give.

At this point, it's probably worth noting that I was blessed with a seat in the middle of Section 100, RIGHT in the middle of the stage and a little closer to the floor. Basically... right in the sweetspot sound-wise as far as seats go.

As I stated earlier, the visuals and lighting have been stepped up tenfold, in my opinion. That is, I suppose, one of the benefits to an unwavering setlist. The production and performance has been tweaked and built to a whole new pinnacle with this tour, and for that reason (as well as just loving every piece of music these guys have ever written), I was more than happy to sit through the same basic setlist.

I did like the placement of Ænema right before the Intermission. Made it feel like an actual encore (for those that are into that sort of thing), and was a good place to break up the set.

The absolute highlight of the night had to be Rossetta Stoned, personally. Since the beginning of the 10K Days tours that has been where the set/show really switches into high gear and starts to go "balls out." But they've really taken that to a whole new level. The "lights out"/green squiggly cue was phenomenal before, but with the addition of the lasers, it's one of the coolest moments I've ever seen (live music wise).

Not sure if you get the effect from the floor, but from where I was (dead center and slightly above the floor), if felt as if this huuuuuuge wall of green ectoplasm (or laser beam if you want to be simplistic) was slamming down from the ceiling onto your head, threatening to smack you, repeatedly, all in sync with that wonderful music. And then again, when it switches gears to the next tribally bit and the lasers go all "jagged"... jesus. Just perfection.

I'm reminded of a quote... "What became of subtlety?"

Indeed. Sure, this was the same basic set from last go 'round. But there were subtle additions all over the place that made my jaw hit the floor. I understand that many fans have no need for subtleties and need drastic changes. Ambient/Synth interludes don't do shit for some people.

But for this geek of all things synth/psychedelia/tech/gear/visual related, this show was a mindfuck like no other. (and I was dead sober, in case you're wondering)

The new Lost Keys intro (with Tim Leary samples?) was un-fucking-real. Some may say "who gives a shit," but the atmosphere created by that mind-blowing masterpiece of mood and synth/sound manipulation was worth the price of admission alone. So awesome.

Ditto that for the new Intermission. I know many people, once again, couldn't care less. But for me, the visuals + the sound were amazing during this. Junior: big props on the lighting for this section of the show. I love those new fixtures (with some super bright LED's I imagine?). Forget what they are, Showco's? I remember someone linking me to them once... I'm no lighting expert though. Whatever they were, they looked amazing, as they did in 2007.

New Lateralus visuals were nuts. The drum off with Tweak Bird's drummer (Ashton?) was really tight. One of the better extended Lateralus' I've seen. Also LOVED Justin playing those extra notes/chords at the end. The only other Lateralus's I've enjoyed more were w/ Kinski in Pensacola in 07, and Danny just going at it solo in Orlando 07.

In many ways, this was the best show I've seen on all of the 10K Days tours. In others, not so much. But, there are always highs and lows. Still a phenomenal performance from both band and crew.

ETA: If Maynard hadn't gotten so pissed of, and they would've just added one more song (ESPECIALLY this new cover, but even The Pot would've sufficed)... this would've been my top show of all the 10K Days tours, and that's saying A LOT.

[Bundahead]

i'm not going to name any names but i've read several posts that are complaining in one way or another about the crowd. now i've seen 6 tool shows in 5 different states and read the reviews to all of these shows and in every thread there are always ppl complaining about their fellow concert goers. what makes them think that somehow they are superior to the rest of the ppl in the crowd? if what these complainers say is true, then that means that they are the only decent human beings in the cities of birmingham, dallas, biloxi, pensacola, and atlanta. i find that hard to believe. i've enjoyed the crowd (for the most part) at every show i've been to. and when they complain about the "crowd" they're griping about ppl like you and me who might've driven hundreds of miles to see a great band. i'm from birmingham, al and some uninformed person stated his opinion about the crowd at the oak mountain show and how he would not go back to that place. well, fine. but don't lump everyone into one category. just because you ran into some jerks, don't assume everyone is that way. for all you know those ppl might've driven from out of state and aren't even from b'ham.


same goes for every show. i can promise that in every concert thread on here some are going to complain about the other tool fans in the audience. but think before you label the whole crowd terrible on account of a few numbskulls. once again, i was on the floor level at this venue and had no problems with anyone (in particular, moshers). this ends my rant. thank you for your patience.

Dude, i don't understand where you coming from here. I can't wrap my mind around how the behavior of the people around me is at all justified. I paid more money so that i could be closer to the stage...i waited in a long line for hours so that my short ass could see. I don't think anyone in here has said anything about the crowd as a whole. My only complaint is with the people who thought so much of themselves that they ruined the experience for me and my husband. It sounds as if you may have been one of the people knocking others out of your way. Or perhaps you're a big fella who can bounce the idiots off of you. I myself am 5 foot 3 inches tall and weigh around 145 lbs, there wasn't much i could do except get out of the way. Oh yeah, i did try to rationalize with a couple of them but they didn't care. It was the strangest thing, though, to see the look on this one guys face as i tried reasoning with him, "Please man, could you please stop and get them to stop too. " He never answered. He just looked in my eyes, hesitated, and then went back to shoving. If you are one of the aformentioned "moshers" then i would beg of you too, "Please stop" or at least limit your chaos to the shows in your area. There's definitely no need for you to cross state lines. I don't think i'm superior at all. I really don't. And i resent you making that assumption based on the fact that I feel victimized by the violence which surrounded me. I am a very open minded, loving human being that just feels I deserve better than the hand that i was dealt. I deserved to enjoy the show as long as i didn't infringe upon your rights to do the same. and vice-versa

[mekk]

This was my first tool show and I enjoyed it greatly. This thing sold out in 40 minutes on a Saturday and I was ready to pay an extra $40 per ticket to the scalpers on stubhub. However, I thought I would try one more time on Monday and sure enough they opened a few more sections. I feel pretty fortunate to get the tickets at face. I was on justin's side of the arena in section 108. During tweet bird, we were watching out of a window and saw maynard pull up in a black lincoln with his little doggy. Kinda funny that he brings his puppy on tour and that he shows up only 10 minutes before he gets on stage.

As for maynard's singing, I thought he did a good job. You could tell he seemed tired - I also saw him sitting next to the drum tech looking exhausted. I still thought he sang well. It did seem like they mixed his vocals down or due to the shitty venue. As for his performance, Maynard has said before he stands in the back so he can be in his own little world and be in tune with the music. He is purposely disengaging. This is nothing new from the 2007 10000 days tours. Personally, I would rather have him in front. I think we can expect this for the rest of tool's touring life. He was directly facing our section throughout the entire show, so it seemed as if he actually engaged with us.

[grimLoK]

Dude, i don't understand where you coming from here. I can't wrap my mind around how the behavior of the people around me is at all justified. I paid more money so that i could be closer to the stage...i waited in a long line for hours so that my short ass could see. I don't think anyone in here has said anything about the crowd as a whole. My only complaint is with the people who thought so much of themselves that they ruined the experience for me and my husband. It sounds as if you may have been one of the people knocking others out of your way. Or perhaps you're a big fella who can bounce the idiots off of you. I myself am 5 foot 3 inches tall and weigh around 145 lbs, there wasn't much i could do except get out of the way. Oh yeah, i did try to rationalize with a couple of them but they didn't care. It was the strangest thing, though, to see the look on this one guys face as i tried reasoning with him, "Please man, could you please stop and get them to stop too. " He never answered. He just looked in my eyes, hesitated, and then went back to shoving. If you are one of the aformentioned "moshers" then i would beg of you too, "Please stop" or at least limit your chaos to the shows in your area. There's definitely no need for you to cross state lines. I don't think i'm superior at all. I really don't. And i resent you making that assumption based on the fact that I feel victimized by the violence which surrounded me. I am a very open minded, loving human being that just feels I deserve better than the hand that i was dealt. I deserved to enjoy the show as long as i didn't infringe upon your rights to do the same. and vice-versa i was not nor have i ever been a mosher. i've fought a few off of me in my day, but i don't condone that type of behavior. i thought that the context of my previous post would make clear this point. so no, i was not one of the ppl knocking others out of my way. i was just stating that the section of the floor area i was standing in was relatively peaceful.

and i'm sorry if i made it sound as though anyone who complains about moshers is arrogant. that was not my point. my point was that although there are "moshers" and other types of "bad fans", the majority of the fans i saw at this show and have seen at other shows were really into the music and not disturbing anyone (the flash photography and maynard is a different story, though). so for someone (not necessarily you) that might go lumping EVERYONE at the show into a category of being a bad crowd just because of some inconsiderate ppl they witnessed, think of all the ppl being good little boys and girls at the show (like most of the posters on this site that have been to multiple shows and travled a long way to get to some of them). sorry bundahead. no offense intended:) hope you enjoy your next show.

i would also like to add that the show rocked. i think i basically said this in my post on page 1 of this thread. i absolutely loved the drumming duet during lateralus. waaaaay better than the kinski jam session i witnessed a couple of years ago.

[P. Rogue]

TOOL has been my favorite band for well over a decade and this was my first time seeing them live. I loved every minute of it. I was in the middle of the floor, and didn't have any problems with the crowd. I did notice some rowdier people but them seemed mostly in front of where I was at. I agree more with "nusense" up above in that my mind was blown by the whole experience.

The worst part for me was the drive from Chattanooga. It took me four hours to make a two and an half hour drive due to horrible traffic on 285 and I-85, plus I had some car trouble. I was questioning whether or not I was going to make it after being so excited since I decided to not let another Tool tour pass me by. But I did get there around ten after seven, finally.

I enjoyed Tweak Bird a lot too, especially their energy and enthusiasm. They remind me of early Sabbath mixed with a little Mars Volta progginess.

Maybe because I don't have another Tool show to compare it too, I loved it. Maynard did seem more energetic toward the beginning of the show than at the end, but I could hear his vocals pretty good except when I wasn't paying attention because I was too caught up in yelling the lyrics myself. I especially liked the occult/ufo visuals during Rosetta Stoned. I can't wait too see them again, but hopefully in Knoxville or Nashville.

[Bundahead]

i was not nor have i ever been a mosher. i've fought a few off of me in my day, but i don't condone that type of behavior. i thought that the context of my previous post would make clear this point. so no, i was not one of the ppl knocking others out of my way. i was just stating that the section of the floor area i was standing in was relatively peaceful.

and i'm sorry if i made it sound as though anyone who complains about moshers is arrogant. that was not my point. my point was that although there are "moshers" and other types of "bad fans", the majority of the fans i saw at this show and have seen at other shows were really into the music and not disturbing anyone (the flash photography and maynard is a different story, though). so for someone (not necessarily you) that might go lumping EVERYONE at the show into a category of being a bad crowd just because of some inconsiderate ppl they witnessed, think of all the ppl being good little boys and girls at the show (like most of the posters on this site that have been to multiple shows and travled a long way to get to some of them). sorry bundahead. no offense intended:) hope you enjoy your next show.

Thanks for clearing that up. I appreciate you taking the time. No offense taken. And yes you are very right in saying there were many extremely cool people there. I shouldn't have left that out of my posts.

[boobah]

I am an Atlanta "Metal Head". I grew up with Tool though. I outgrew moshing YEARS ago. My Last Concerts I went to were: (from the most recent) Tool, Springsteen, Lamb of God & friends, Slipknot, Barry Manilow.

The most expensive of those shows was Springsteen. And I left after half an hour. The people at that show were the snottiest bunch I've ever encountered.
Slipknot's crowd was just a bunch of self-loathing angry teenage "maggots" (I have since decided I'm not a slipknot fan)
Uhm, Yeah I thoroughly enjoyed the Barry Manilow concert :) At 30, I was still among the youngest people there, But the others were friendly folks happy to interact with each other.
Metal Concerts (Not mainstream pop metal like slipknot) Have the friendliest crowds of all. They know who WANTS to mosh and who doesn't. They respect each other. You can have a conversation with anybody there. I think the reason is, at Metal shows, everyone is there more to have a good time than to take in the music. (and if you are a metal outsider and see us as a bunch of angry people, well that's the "maggots" that there are too many of running around, and I would rebut, The metal community I am speaking of is like unto what you see in movies like Wayne;s World and Tenacious D: Pick of Destiny)

Tool is a large enough sell to attract a lot of "maggots". I gave up two opportunities to be on the floor because I knew they'd be down there. They're always down there. Even at the metal shows, they don't know the polite moshing manners (example, see a brother fall, number one priority GET HIM BACK ON HIS FEET) At some of the heaviest shows I've been to, When it gets REALLY thrashing on the floor, as soon as an ass or an elbow touches the ground, ten pairs of hands are already down there picking him back up.
"Maggots" are happy to stomp you.

Sorry for being presumptuous all you Slipknot fans, but too many of your kind have proven me right.

The Tool Crowd actually wasn't as bad as I expected. I thought it would be like Springsteen, everyone in their own snotty place enjoying the songs they love. (Last time I saw Tool was before Lateralus so I had a presumption of what the fanbase had become)
I was pleasantly surprised by the friendliness. (not that friendly, A lot of you ARE assholes, but Not NEARLY as much as Springsteen Fans)

I would rate Tool Fans a distant Second, on friendliness alone, Just a Notch above Barry Manilow Fans.

Edit: I am a "Tool Fan" by the way. I came to this show to enjoy the music and I was getting very annoyed by the people sitting next to me for having loud conversations, So please consider all of the above OBJECTIVE. I am lumping Myself in WITH you.

[pentonvb05]

It was clear something pissed on MJK. The show started off great, Nard killed Jambi and Stinkfist, you could see during 46 & 2 was when he started to get annoyed. It was after that was when he mailed it in. I didnt expect to get aenima at all because of this. What makes some folks think "Oh that no flash photog rules dont apply to me"? You directly ruin the show for everyone else. If Maynard wanted to be have lights on him then Junior would take care of it. Ever since the Lateralus tour MJK was NEVER in the spotlight. PAY ATTENTION PEOPLE!!

[FinneusPinkelheimer]

I'm the ogt guy from '92 the first ep. The first time I saw tool they played the masquerade, if you're familiar with that place. I thought the show was great. I'm kinda pissed at maynard as well, he didn't give me a reach around. As far as the floor section goes, I just stood away from the impacted doodoo and I was fine. I was thinking it was going to be a mixture of songs that included more undertow and opiate, but I wasn't let down.

[mondegreen]

and i'm sorry if i made it sound as though anyone who complains about moshers is arrogant. that was not my point. my point was that although there are "moshers" and other types of "bad fans", the majority of the fans i saw at this show and have seen at other shows were really into the music and not disturbing anyone (the flash photography and maynard is a different story, though). so for someone (not necessarily you) that might go lumping EVERYONE at the show into a category of being a bad crowd just because of some inconsiderate ppl they witnessed, think of all the ppl being good little boys and girls at the show (like most of the posters on this site that have been to multiple shows and travled a long way to get to some of them). sorry bundahead. no offense intended:) hope you enjoy your next show.

I guess I should have more specific, too. I was standing directly in front of Maynard, and the vast majority of problems came from my left (in front of Adam). Specifically, there was a group of guys in Tool shirts who looked like they had all come together (If you're from Georgia you know what I mean - they just had "that look"). They seemed to be the ones starting most of the problems in that area. There were some cool people there, especially the small-ish woman who thanked me for taking the brunt of the punishment from the assholes.

[Toology55]

I feel bad for people on the floor, Section 107 was well behaved, a few drunks here and there but no problems except the guy next to me who kept talking about linux before the show :-)

[Anon-Imus]

4th show: 2001 Roanoke Civic Center, 2006 Pittsburg (sucky ass arena), and 2007 Roanoke the sequel. My wife has missed them all, and complained every time that I never invited her/she couldn't go. She took up drums on GHWT, and was impressed by the Tool songs being the hardest. I talked her into going on the argument that she needed to see why. She said afterwards that she now knows why I think they are the best supergroup of our generation, and bumped them up to five on her top ten list. I thought that was cute.

Regardless, Maynard did not want to do this tour. I heard a radio show out of Chicago doing an interview with him. He was smack dab in the middle of his wine tour, and refused to talk about anything about Tool. The favor was called in, quote, and he had to go, like being called into duty. This tour will be lackluster for this reason on his vocals and participation. He still earned my $40 an hour for just showing up and giving me something, anything!

To add to the lyrics comments, I distinctly heard "Fret for your monkey" on Aenima. Did anyone hear that?! Then, I thought, MJK may have been commenting on LA's obession with MJ's death. Just a thought. And for Rosetta Stoned, I heard "and they fucked me up the ass" instead of "And I didn't graduate from fucking high school." These could have been auditory hallucinations, but I made a point to go stone cold sober, so someone please confirm.

And Justin was fucking on! He played like he was the lead, and in most of the songs he was! I found myself thrusting my pelvis in the same manner he was thrusting into his bass. They did a lot of playing on the ground too. I remembered from the 06/07, that the distortion parts were done with him standing. All I know is one or both of them made the loudest, highest pitched tone that I have ever heard, and held it for at least 5 or 6 minutes. That made Rosetta Stoned so much more sweeter when they released into it. Ahhh.

Lateralus is their Stairway hands down. Flood was awesome to hear. Aenima, 46 & 2, and Stinkfist would have been singles for that album, if they were as big as they are now at that time, which they are played often on the radio as they are edited well. Jambi, Vicarious, and Rosetta Stoned, outside of the Pot, are the greatest sound they have made yet. I cannot complain about the setlist, and I don't think you should go to the same show in a different city expecting different. At your job, do you do whatever you do differently and more complex every time? No, you find the easiest and fastest way to get the desired effect. Efficient setlist.

I liked the vocals volume, it helped you pick out the "maggots" (as I read before as an appropriate label) who were there to brag about going and not try to hear every sweet word coming out of MJK's mouth. In Roanoke, he actually commented on how well we were behaving in regards to the flash. I saw an interview from Aenima that he expects people to buy the ticket to experience the spectacle they offer, not to post it to the non-payers or for us to look back on later. We are there for the moment, and I try to forget it as soon as possible to not be disappointed with everyday life! The drive home 96.1 played every song in their Tool library back to back, much love and unheard of with today's pre-picked radio setlists!

Adam, Justin, and Danny were all wearing white; Adam and Justin were in jump suits and Danny had a white cut-off. Maynard was wearing the all black jump suit similar to the one he wore when I saw them in Roanoke in 2001 with his black mohawk. And, MJK is not the apex, frontman, or focal point. He is the last to touch the music. He is the softest part of the songs. He turns his back to us, but I have seen if we earn his trust he will face the audience and come up to the front. He did that at Roanoke 2001, and I have not seen it again. He is the temperamental cowbell in the band basically. You got to listen very closely and be good little Toolies if you want more cowbell. But, I still got that fever in Gwinnett, and I could not have asked for more from what I saw from us. Shame on you Georgia!

And to comment on the venue, it could have been worse! They were originally going to play an outdoor theater on that Sunday in the south side of Atlanta at the Amphitheater, with a John Myer wannabe playing at 7:30. Be thankful my droogies, and eat your eggy-weggies with pride you saw the boys, maybe for one of the last times! But that's what keeps us coming back, isn't it?!

[marsss]

This was my first TOOL show ever and I was ecstatic, but a bit disappointed. I cried during Jambi, just because it was an intense start to the show and because I felt so amazed to finally be in the midst of my favourite band EVER... LIVE.

Well, the first 4 songs went on in this manner with minor glitches. Then I started to notice that these 4 songs would probably be as good as it got. LK/RS was amazing, but I just felt the energy die down after the first half. I would have loved to hear Maynard sing those last beautiful lines of Vicarious, but alas, he pinned that chore on us.

I did, however, FREAKING LOVE being on the floor RIGHT IN FRONT. I just love the feeling of being on the floor versus seats. It's almost as if the entire floor crowd is one entity, passionately fused together through the shared love of the music. My boyfriend kept picking me up above the crowd, which made me feel amazing. I was just SO into it, I didn't even really notice all of the big uh-oh's the band made. Even Maynard's verse-skip. I do wish they would have played Wings for Marie pt. 1 and 2, just because I feel it to be the most guttural, emotional song to ever flow out of Maynard's brain. My boyfriend saw them in 2007 in New Orleans and claims they played for a full SIX HOURS...

All in all, it was a great experience, even if it wasn't as good as it could have been. I'm looking forward to more, better TOOL concerts in my future.

[TheDude420]

i cant say im suprised with the setlist, but i am a little bit dissapointed. Schism was really good as well as flood, LOVE that intro. met some really cool people in the parking lot, so Stevie, Sara, and the other ladies and gents, whats up, its the dude.

PS, to the poster above me i saw them in Nawlins at the N.O. Arena in 07 and while they did play a while it surely wasnt 6 hrs.

[nusense]

Marsss:

You can now rest easy knowing that Tool played about 5 minutes longer at the New Orleans show than they did Monday night in Duluth (i.e. 2 hours). I was there. ;)

Although, that New Orleans gig was a fantastic performance, to be sure. Setlist was the same as Monday except instead of Ænema, they went straight into the Intermission after Flood and played Wings 1 + 2 after.

I really would love to see a LINK to this now infamous Maynard interview where he apparently claims he didn't want to tour. I've heard a lot of people echoing it like an overblown rumor, but have never seen/heard any proof.


I really wish they could figure out a way to stamp out this flash photography bullshit once and for all. I know it's impossible though. Aside from really searching people hard and just taking away any and all cameras. Aside from pissing off the "frontman," they're just plain annoying to see.

And as a photographer, it frustrates me to NO END knowing that all their pictures are going to turn out like SHIT for the sole reason that they're using flash (not considering how weak most of these cameras are anyway). Don't they realize that their pics are going to come out shitty and really not be any kind of "memory" at all? Just search the web and find one from Toolband or something. Jesus.


ETA:

Did anyone else find it odd/jarring that they began Ænema without Maynard's part? Have they been doing it that way at all the other gigs? Or is Maynard having vocal troubles again (i.e. getting sick)? I did see him really throwing back the water, as well as avoiding almost anything resembling a scream (even more-so than he's known to do these days).

[TheDude420]

yea the "Hey hey hey hey" beginning from aenema was sorely missed

[phr34k]

4th show: 2001 Roanoke Civic Center, 2006 Pittsburg (sucky ass arena), and 2007 Roanoke the sequel. My wife has missed them all, and complained every time that I never invited her/she couldn't go. She took up drums on GHWT, and was impressed by the Tool songs being the hardest. I talked her into going on the argument that she needed to see why. She said afterwards that she now knows why I think they are the best supergroup of our generation, and bumped them up to five on her top ten list. I thought that was cute.

Regardless, Maynard did not want to do this tour. I heard a radio show out of Chicago doing an interview with him. He was smack dab in the middle of his wine tour, and refused to talk about anything about Tool. The favor was called in, quote, and he had to go, like being called into duty. This tour will be lackluster for this reason on his vocals and participation. He still earned my $40 an hour for just showing up and giving me something, anything!

To add to the lyrics comments, I distinctly heard "Fret for your monkey" on Aenima. Did anyone hear that?! Then, I thought, MJK may have been commenting on LA's obession with MJ's death. Just a thought. And for Rosetta Stoned, I heard "and they fucked me up the ass" instead of "And I didn't graduate from fucking high school." These could have been auditory hallucinations, but I made a point to go stone cold sober, so someone please confirm.

And Justin was fucking on! He played like he was the lead, and in most of the songs he was! I found myself thrusting my pelvis in the same manner he was thrusting into his bass. They did a lot of playing on the ground too. I remembered from the 06/07, that the distortion parts were done with him standing. All I know is one or both of them made the loudest, highest pitched tone that I have ever heard, and held it for at least 5 or 6 minutes. That made Rosetta Stoned so much more sweeter when they released into it. Ahhh.

Lateralus is their Stairway hands down. Flood was awesome to hear. Aenima, 46 & 2, and Stinkfist would have been singles for that album, if they were as big as they are now at that time, which they are played often on the radio as they are edited well. Jambi, Vicarious, and Rosetta Stoned, outside of the Pot, are the greatest sound they have made yet. I cannot complain about the setlist, and I don't think you should go to the same show in a different city expecting different. At your job, do you do whatever you do differently and more complex every time? No, you find the easiest and fastest way to get the desired effect. Efficient setlist.

I liked the vocals volume, it helped you pick out the "maggots" (as I read before as an appropriate label) who were there to brag about going and not try to hear every sweet word coming out of MJK's mouth. In Roanoke, he actually commented on how well we were behaving in regards to the flash. I saw an interview from Aenima that he expects people to buy the ticket to experience the spectacle they offer, not to post it to the non-payers or for us to look back on later. We are there for the moment, and I try to forget it as soon as possible to not be disappointed with everyday life! The drive home 96.1 played every song in their Tool library back to back, much love and unheard of with today's pre-picked radio setlists!

Adam, Justin, and Danny were all wearing white; Adam and Justin were in jump suits and Danny had a white cut-off. Maynard was wearing the all black jump suit similar to the one he wore when I saw them in Roanoke in 2001 with his black mohawk. And, MJK is not the apex, frontman, or focal point. He is the last to touch the music. He is the softest part of the songs. He turns his back to us, but I have seen if we earn his trust he will face the audience and come up to the front. He did that at Roanoke 2001, and I have not seen it again. He is the temperamental cowbell in the band basically. You got to listen very closely and be good little Toolies if you want more cowbell. But, I still got that fever in Gwinnett, and I could not have asked for more from what I saw from us. Shame on you Georgia!

And to comment on the venue, it could have been worse! They were originally going to play an outdoor theater on that Sunday in the south side of Atlanta at the Amphitheater, with a John Myer wannabe playing at 7:30. Be thankful my droogies, and eat your eggy-weggies with pride you saw the boys, maybe for one of the last times! But that's what keeps us coming back, isn't it?!



Actually, youre wrong... they were slated to play Verizon Wireless in Alpharetta, which in my opinion wouldve been SICK. I did enjoy the ride home with the project though :)

[Anon-Imus]

I really would love to see a LINK to this now infamous Maynard interview where he apparently claims he didn't want to tour. I've heard a lot of people echoing it like an overblown rumor, but have never seen/heard any proof.

I swear on my left big toe I heard a radio interview online during Maynard's wine signings at whole foods back in June in what I recall a rock station in Chicago (or some other major city he went to) that was 10 minutes of him talking about wine, and at the end of the interview when asked of the current tour, he said the "call in the favor" comment.

Since I read you post today and since I have nothing better to do, I searched high and low for this interview. But, for the life of me I could not find it or the link I had used to get to it. I hate to quote without references, but I did hear it. Maybe (conspiracy theory) it was pulled because it was bad for Tool.

At any rate this thread is probably dead now, and I just wanted to post my efforts. Sorry!

[Anon-Imus]

Actually, youre wrong... they were slated to play Verizon Wireless in Alpharetta, which in my opinion wouldve been SICK. I did enjoy the ride home with the project though :)

Oh I'm sorry for the misquote about South Atlanta thing, but if you look at Verizon Amphitheater's event list it was Starfest 2009: Jason Mraz on Monday, July 27 at 7:00 pm. Follow the link: http://www.vzwamp.com/e26-starfest-2009-jason-mraz.php

Still think it would have been, "sick"?

[dr funkmaster]

My 8th show and the highlights were definitely Rosetta Stoned and Flood. I was about 10 people from the stage on the floor right in front of Maynard. The sound was fantastic (didn't even need earplugs) and the view of the lasers was my favorite yet (4th laser show...very well done Junior). Of course I was hoping for a crazier set like everyone else, but it was nice hearing Aenema for the first time since '02. Before Lateralus, Adam was playing around on the guitar and I thought we were about to get Prison Sex, hah. Still absolutely no complaints though.

The one benefit of the very similar setlist was my friends and I were more loose and just enjoying it all rather than seriously taking it in like the spiritual experience it can often be.

The pit during Lateralus was befuddling but I only took one elbow to the liver while in the wall so it wasn't too bad, hah. I had to break up a fight at one point early in the show and save a few chicks and smaller dudes from the pit so it was a unique evening in that manner, haha. I've gone to enough shows over the years that I know any show in the south with loud music can turn into a mosh pit regardless of how inappropriate it may be for a particular song, so I can't say I was that surprised.

If I hit your car after the show with a frisbee I apologize again...though it seriously only hit the front grill, hah. And if you joined us for beer and shootin' the shit afterwards it was good to meet you. And thanks for sharing some of your brews when we ran out.

[phr34k]

Oh I'm sorry for the misquote about South Atlanta thing, but if you look at Verizon Amphitheater's event list it was Starfest 2009: Jason Mraz on Monday, July 27 at 7:00 pm. Follow the link: http://www.vzwamp.com/e26-starfest-2009-jason-mraz.php

Still think it would have been, "sick"?


That was the reason the show had to be moved, as VZW amp. was double booked...And honestly yes, ive seen the facilities there, and they blow hi fi buys out of the water... But i guess its merely a matter of opinion

[TAILPIPE05]

THAT WAS AN AMAZING SHOW BY THE ONE AND ONLY TOOL !

EVERYONE AROUND ME ON THE FLOOR IN FRONT OF ADAM HAD A BLAST AND HAD THEIR HANDS IN THE AIR THE WHOLE SHOW!


HEY TOOL _ _ GREAT FUCKING SHOW AS ALWAYS !
HEY MAYNARD --- GREAT FUCKING SHOW AS ALWAYS !
HEY TOOL FANS THAT LOVED THE SHOW--YOU GUYS ROCK!

[Anon-Imus]

That was the reason the show had to be moved, as VZW amp. was double booked...And honestly yes, ive seen the facilities there, and they blow hi fi buys out of the water... But i guess its merely a matter of opinion

I have never been there as this was my first concert in GA. It will probably be my last as I am a displaced Yankee, but if I get a cheap ticket there I will consider. I have heard good things, and I do like outdoor events!

[insaner]

hmm.

i'm slightly confused to be honest with most of these posts.

compared to every other show since 2006, I don't see how maynard was any different last night?

damn man i meant to hook up with you for this show and charlotte, but my computer died.

anyways, i was on shrooms for this show and since they are an empathetic drug, i felt what these people are saying for the first time. i always defend tool and have no problem with setlists changing and all that shit, but maynard really seemed to be phoning it in this time. it just felt sad to me, that was the emotion i was feeling. i was high, but ive seen tool like 50 times now and this was the first time i ever got that kind of energy from maynard. i was way close to the stage and i could see and feel that he really didnt give a fuck. its almost like the sea of cell phones just ruined it for him after the first couple songs. the energy was really good until then, and he was talking but then he just shut it down. he went through the motions and if i remember correctly he played the rest of the show with his back to the sudience. of course in my state of mind, it made it all alittle worse but kind of like metallica at bonnaroo, he almost seemed like a sad caricature of the old version. a cartoon with a mohawk if you will. alas, tool isnt just maynard and the band got off as always. they made the show great, but as a veteran of shows since the very beginning, im sad to say that i think tool is boring for maynard now. lets hope im wrong.

charlotte was a little better but the same set and same maynard. thnaks to nobby and junior for the hospitality on my drunken state. and my dumbass left my setlist in the hotel room :( no fake songs this time but it did have sound and lighting direction on it with some funny stuff.

[insaner]

i meant to say atlanta was a little better. and a bored maynard is better than most any other lead singer.

[Anon-Imus]

i meant to say atlanta was a little better. and a bored maynard is better than most any other lead singer.

Fuckin A MAN! That is right on so many levels. When Maynard gets on stage, whether you can see him, whether you can hear every word, he still can sell out shows with a single song. And all that metal shit out there now, you can't understand a damn word they say either! And I'd rather not see some of them, they most of the time look like they bathed in french fry grease.

Not every band has their own new age, prog-metal, wine-making, West Point graduate/vocalist/DJ/producer. Yes, our anti-frontman is a sleak, stream-lined, sarcastic sonnova bitch that makes people feel pissed when he doesn't give them what they want. Of course, the main point and the reason why you paid good money to see him and the other guys, is you get to feel, "pain" and simple!

[Prisoner 37]

Not every band has their own new age, prog-metal, wine-making, West Point graduate/vocalist/DJ/producer. Yes, our anti-frontman is a sleak, stream-lined, sarcastic sonnova bitch that makes people feel pissed when he doesn't give them what they want. Of course, the main point and the reason why you paid good money to see him and the other guys, is you get to feel, "pain" and simple!

MJK never went to West Point,much less graduated.He went to West Point Prep school.I imagine he could've moved on to West Point,but decided not to,so he could study art instead.

[enterangement]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2FA9A1l-q8 Maynard wasn't singing gibberish or skipping verses... now ya'll are just making up stuff to continue bashing the man...

[grimLoK]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2FA9A1l-q8 Maynard wasn't singing gibberish or skipping verses... now ya'll are just making up stuff to continue bashing the man...ha! good point.

[mondegreen]

Maynard wasn't singing gibberish or skipping verses... now ya'll are just making up stuff to continue bashing the man...

See below:

i was way close to the stage and i could see and feel that he really didnt give a fuck. its almost like the sea of cell phones just ruined it for him after the first couple songs. the energy was really good until then, and he was talking but then he just shut it down.

In any case, I'm glad I got to see Tool play again, and I would probably go to another show if I have the chance.