for all of you who had an amazing experience during tool's set at bonnaroo, i'm happy for all of you. i had a great time too. for all the naysayers who've been bitching about the set list since the beginning of this tour, i feel sorry for you. with all do respect, if i took anyone to that show and they didn't have the best time of their life or had any complaints, i would assume they were profoundly fucked in the head. i know that all of you read the message boards and knew what the set list was going to be heading in, give or take a few songs. this is the 10,000 days tour people. if you show up expecting half their set to consist of songs from aenima, undertow, and opiate, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. end of story. if you're expecting john paul jones to show up during their set even though he had a show scheduled moments after tool, you're setting yourself up for disappointment.

tool is many things: innovative, groundbreaking, technically and visually brilliant. one thing they are not is improvisational. in concert their music is too married to the visuals to vary their set list too much. the band members are also staunch perfectionists. they would never think of playing any of their materiel live without meticulous rehearsals and practice time. since that's the way it's been since the band's inception, it is really mind-boggling to me that so many people feel betrayed in some way when "their" show isn't different from all the others.

here's what i took away from tool's performance at bonnaroo:

1) the thrill of seeing rosetta stoned, wings pt. 1 and 2, and flood, live for the first time. wings pt. 1 and 2 was a particular high-point. hearing these songs live, i was struck with the realization that 10,000 days is a much more significant album than i first surmised - more than a worthy addition to their previous work.

2) danny carey is the best drummer on the face of the earth. his speed and precision is almost frightening at times, and he'd never sounded better than he did on friday. even maynard commented mid-song that "[he] like[s] watching him too." i'm sure you do, maynard, you've got the best seat in the house every night.

3) tool is the most original, brilliant, compelling band of their generation. there's not another band on the planet that sounds like these guys do, and their live shows are unmatched. they likely gained thousands of new fans during their bonnaroo set, and for good reason.

i left feeling grateful to band for sharing their art with the world, for having the dedication and commitment to deliver nothing but perfection and excellence each time they step on the stage, and wondering when, if ever, i would have the chance to see them again. if that is the last tool show i ever have the good fortune of seeing, i could live with that. i think it was one of their finest moments.