first off i gotta say...FUCK THE TWEETER CENTER!

not only was traffic absolutely stupid (left from what should have been 1 hour away at 5:30 and missed the entire opener...finally got in around 8:05) but the sound at tweeter is never great.

I was in section 7, row W, pretty much on the opposite side of where I was for the last show (5, row M). There very some low points on the sound quality. I know its not just me expecting too much because the Orpheum last May sounded absolutely perfect and the two tweeter shows pale in comparison. My complaints are twofold...the vocals were quite low at times and there was a definite echo that brought the quality of the sound down a lot. Pretty annoying for a show that was as good as this one was.

secondly...the setlist. Holy fucking shit. Couldn't have asked for anything better. It took me over a minute to fully realize that this was truly pushit, not a joke and this was actually happening. THEN FLOOD. WHAT THE FUCK!!! I was holding out for RiT or The Pot (because those seemed actually possible...with the feint possibility of opiate or swamp song in the back of mind keeping me burning with excitement) after that combo but 10kdays and lateralus were good enough.



Jambi...I can't believe they started early. We got fucked for this one. It came on as we were walking to our seats. It sounded REALLY good though, perhaps because I wasn't yet at the place where sound goes to die at tweeter (sections 5,7 and those nearby). I was skeptical about Jambi opening but I feel like it went extremely well, especially after hearing extended stinkfist open my last 2 shows. EDIT: Forgot to mention that the talkbox here was the best of the 3 shows I've been to. Orpheum's was that night's low point and the previous tweeter show wasn't as good as last nights. It was very well played.

Stinkfist...too bad it wasn't extended (I feel like if it was this setlist would be that much more insane).

46 & 2...started to notice the sound issues more on this one. Unless my seats have been dead zones they really need to up the vocal mix.

Schism...worst extended schism I've seen of the 3. Orpheum was the best...last time at tweeter 2nd...I just feel like the extended parts didn't flow as well with the parts in the song that it bridges.

Rosetta Stoned...meh. They need to either rework it or take it out of their sets. There are so many other songs we'd all rather hear. The megaphone-thing NEVER sounds right (not even in a venue that sounds perfect - like the orpheum) and maynard just went in and out with the vocals, not singing at the same times as on the album. Overall a jumbled, slightly enjoyable mess.

PUSHIT............................................ ..................................all I really have to say. Wish I heard it in a better sounding venue but it doesn't really matter. Wish maynard didn't fuck up the second line...but oh well. WHILE YOU WERE BEGGING ME TO STAY. The people to our left left to go to the bathroom or get beer or something during pushit (tards, they even sat down during 10k days...lol) so we were able to spread out and enjoy it in all its glory. I turned to my friend who's first tool show this was to tell him how lucky he was (only to do it again after flood) and me and my other friend just looked at each other completely dumbfounded when the opening riff let off. IM SO GLAD IT WAS AENIMA VERSION! I like Aenima slightly better than the old live (Salival) and once I realized that this was album version it became that much more special. I got off a "..." text to Sully at the start. I still can't believe this happened. Second favorite tool song?...check!

FLOOD...The people to our left came back BUT WHATEVER!! Anybody that follows Tool or reads this forum probably started freaking out/orgasming/taking it all in with awe when flood started and the water visuals kicked in. I know I did. Not only did this elevate the show from ridiculous (PUSHIT!) to LEGENDARY but Flood is my favorite Undertow song and one of the last Tool songs that I really came to appreciate. It wouldn't have meant as much if I had heard it at a previous show because I just started listening to flood a lot in the last half a year or so. Turned to jeff and we both had this look of utter amazement. This setlist WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO EXIST. Yet it was unfolding before our eyes and there was a possibility it was going to get even crazier.

Wings For Marie (Pt 1)...lol some douchebag behind me kept asking his friend if this was "Lateralus?...Vicarious?...Aenima?...Lateralus ?". I'm glad I didn't turn to him and tell him...fool. The bad quality vocals hurt this song but you gotta love when the guitar breaks in for a few precious moments.

10,000 Days (Wings Pt 2)...vocals hurt the song but excellent overall. I was too high and kind of missed "You are the light and way that they will only read about." partly because of that, partly being distracted by the visuals and partly because the vocals were TOO LOW!. So I missed the climax, whatever, at least that'll make the next 10k days I hear even better.

Lateralus...the drum off was fucking sick. I wish justin mixed up the bass line during it, not too fond of what he was doing but it worked. And he chugged the beers which I didn't even see (combination of distance and focusing on danny/the other guy) so whatever. Wish they made it flow a little bit better in and out of the drums but whatever. Orpheum lateralus still reigns supreme in my book.

Vicarious...I really wish Maynard would sing the songs as opposed to not. Still a solid vicarious performance but knowing it was all over after it (cuz Maynard said see you real soon) was dissappointing. How absurd would Aenima or RiT/The Pot have been either before or after vicarious? Nothing much to complain about. The end of a ridiculous night.



Oh and snagged the XL Baja Blast on the way home from that Belle open till 1 off of 495. And some cheesy gordita crunches. I haven't had the sweet nectar of the Baja Blast since school up in ithaca ended in may because the hudson TBelle doesn't have it for some reason. Whoever is out there deciding the fate of the universe and all of it constituents really decided to make my night tonight. Absolutely fucking insane.