Thread: 01.28.2012 - Boston, MA @ TD Garden
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tool8loot
02-03-2012, 07:40 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by prana.surge View Post
TOOL has been my favorite band for 15 year and I've pretty much followed everything they've ever done. Unfortunately, I never saw them in '96, which was their height in my personal opinion, but I did get blown away during their Lateralus tour and more recently at Bonaroo. Seeing them at the Garden a couple nights ago was intensely gratifying and immensely emotional for me.

I DID pay DOUBLE face value for 2 tix -- that's $240. Normally, this would be asking too much if it were a regularly promoted show -- with the money going directly to the big companies we don't feel good about supporting -- but since it was all Tool-Army/Collective Unconscious "word of mouth," all the dough went right into the manager's, PR's, & band members' pockets, which, obviously, I was glad to contribute to. But, of course, this also allows for my personal complaints which will be stated at the end of my review.

The seats were side-luge seats, about halfway up, but I could see Danny perfectly, which was all that really mattered to me except the sound, which, as most of you have been saying was a bit low, but still amazing.

Opening up with Hooker w/a Penis was the coolest thing I've seen the band do, which was obviously for the true fans. I was pretty drunk & rockin' out HARD to every single song (except Intention, 'cause you can't rock out to Intention) and really enjoyed myself at this concert!!!

It was also really easy to smoke pot where I was, which was awesome.

My favorite performance was Lateralus and the visual feasts tantalized me curiously. Those fans on this board who were complaining about Maynard remaining distant and in the shadows obviously don't know TOOL very well; this is a huge element to Maynard's persona as a TOOL counterpart, and it is PART of the band's act & "image" (which isn't an image at all). He has been doing this for as long as I remember, and it is always done on purpose in order for him not to detract from the band's overall presence. As for the rest of the guys, they played in their "zen" positions, as one fan mentioned above, and were comfortable with that.

My only "complaints" about this show are as follows:

TOOL has a BRAND NEW RECORD already recorded. It would have been fuckin' sweet to have heard one new teaser (and no, the alternate opening to Schism isn't good enough for me).

And, another thing ... Danny didn't even seem to HAVE a tabla with him?!!? I know they only played 1 song off of the 10,000 DAYS LP (which has a LOT of tabla in it), but he DID use it occasionally on the LATERALUS LP ... or I wish he could have added new tabla sounds to old songs that they DID play, but he didn't play the tabla AT ALL. I've been pondering over the reasons for this.

None of the songs they played were rearranged at all, or included alternate-sounding bridges to spice up the songs from their original recordings (except the new alternate intro to Schism, which didn't impress me). This usually is a good thing, however, but with TOOL, I mean, they didn't even play the "New Light" / SALIVAL version of my favorite song, PUSHIT -- it was the original --- this is because DANNY DIDN'T BRING A FUCKING TABLA WITH HIM!!! (The song was still amazing to see live though.)

And to not play a SINGLE song from UNDERTOW or OPIATE is extremely disappointing. The reason for this, though, is, as many fans seem all-too-easily to forget, is that TOOL DID have a DIFFERENT BASSIST during the recording of those masterpieces, and, in a way, was a completely different band back then.

Also, the long hypnotizing drone before the closer (Aenima-pefect closer), as we know, very much like SALIVAL's LAMC, was meant to be extremely annoying. The band also seemed to use this time to emotionally prepare to play AENIMA, a very important, relevant song in today's world (also a Grammy winner.). Still, I agree with that one guy that they shoulda used that time to play something from their older records... at least ONE SONG! I mean, I woulda SHIT MY PANTS to have seen them perform the title track "Undertow" or "4 Degrees" (one of my favorite songs of all time), which, sadly, as we all know, will never, EVER happen, EVER.

Overall, this was an INCREDIBLY MEMORABLE experience for a DIE-HARD FAN!!! (In my opinion, we fans should really take the time to appreciate what they DID do great, and not focus so much on the shittier elements of their performance .... at least WE GOT TO SEE TOOL! FUCK YEAH!!!)
Good stuff man! Fan since 1993 and will be until I die. Best band ever! 10th time seeing them (1st in Boston) and it was just as memorable to me as it was seeing them for the first time (Toronto 1996). Would've been nice to hear something from Undertow, something other than Sober, but even that would've been ok.
Old 02-03-2012, 07:40 AM   #56
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Re: 01.28.2012 - Boston, MA @ TD Garden
Quote:
Originally Posted by prana.surge View Post
TOOL has been my favorite band for 15 year and I've pretty much followed everything they've ever done. Unfortunately, I never saw them in '96, which was their height in my personal opinion, but I did get blown away during their Lateralus tour and more recently at Bonaroo. Seeing them at the Garden a couple nights ago was intensely gratifying and immensely emotional for me.

I DID pay DOUBLE face value for 2 tix -- that's $240. Normally, this would be asking too much if it were a regularly promoted show -- with the money going directly to the big companies we don't feel good about supporting -- but since it was all Tool-Army/Collective Unconscious "word of mouth," all the dough went right into the manager's, PR's, & band members' pockets, which, obviously, I was glad to contribute to. But, of course, this also allows for my personal complaints which will be stated at the end of my review.

The seats were side-luge seats, about halfway up, but I could see Danny perfectly, which was all that really mattered to me except the sound, which, as most of you have been saying was a bit low, but still amazing.

Opening up with Hooker w/a Penis was the coolest thing I've seen the band do, which was obviously for the true fans. I was pretty drunk & rockin' out HARD to every single song (except Intention, 'cause you can't rock out to Intention) and really enjoyed myself at this concert!!!

It was also really easy to smoke pot where I was, which was awesome.

My favorite performance was Lateralus and the visual feasts tantalized me curiously. Those fans on this board who were complaining about Maynard remaining distant and in the shadows obviously don't know TOOL very well; this is a huge element to Maynard's persona as a TOOL counterpart, and it is PART of the band's act & "image" (which isn't an image at all). He has been doing this for as long as I remember, and it is always done on purpose in order for him not to detract from the band's overall presence. As for the rest of the guys, they played in their "zen" positions, as one fan mentioned above, and were comfortable with that.

My only "complaints" about this show are as follows:

TOOL has a BRAND NEW RECORD already recorded. It would have been fuckin' sweet to have heard one new teaser (and no, the alternate opening to Schism isn't good enough for me).

And, another thing ... Danny didn't even seem to HAVE a tabla with him?!!? I know they only played 1 song off of the 10,000 DAYS LP (which has a LOT of tabla in it), but he DID use it occasionally on the LATERALUS LP ... or I wish he could have added new tabla sounds to old songs that they DID play, but he didn't play the tabla AT ALL. I've been pondering over the reasons for this.

None of the songs they played were rearranged at all, or included alternate-sounding bridges to spice up the songs from their original recordings (except the new alternate intro to Schism, which didn't impress me). This usually is a good thing, however, but with TOOL, I mean, they didn't even play the "New Light" / SALIVAL version of my favorite song, PUSHIT -- it was the original --- this is because DANNY DIDN'T BRING A FUCKING TABLA WITH HIM!!! (The song was still amazing to see live though.)

And to not play a SINGLE song from UNDERTOW or OPIATE is extremely disappointing. The reason for this, though, is, as many fans seem all-too-easily to forget, is that TOOL DID have a DIFFERENT BASSIST during the recording of those masterpieces, and, in a way, was a completely different band back then.

Also, the long hypnotizing drone before the closer (Aenima-pefect closer), as we know, very much like SALIVAL's LAMC, was meant to be extremely annoying. The band also seemed to use this time to emotionally prepare to play AENIMA, a very important, relevant song in today's world (also a Grammy winner.). Still, I agree with that one guy that they shoulda used that time to play something from their older records... at least ONE SONG! I mean, I woulda SHIT MY PANTS to have seen them perform the title track "Undertow" or "4 Degrees" (one of my favorite songs of all time), which, sadly, as we all know, will never, EVER happen, EVER.

Overall, this was an INCREDIBLY MEMORABLE experience for a DIE-HARD FAN!!! (In my opinion, we fans should really take the time to appreciate what they DID do great, and not focus so much on the shittier elements of their performance .... at least WE GOT TO SEE TOOL! FUCK YEAH!!!)
Good stuff man! Fan since 1993 and will be until I die. Best band ever! 10th time seeing them (1st in Boston) and it was just as memorable to me as it was seeing them for the first time (Toronto 1996). Would've been nice to hear something from Undertow, something other than Sober, but even that would've been ok.
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