Faltering

*continued from above*

Well, Maynard sounding unenthusiastic wasn't the greatest of ways to see them leave...and honestly, the way Maynard said "goodnight," there really wasn't a margin of hope...there was no being skeptical that they'd play another song...there WAS no "other song." The night was over...and I think Tool truly planned to walk off stage after Aenema was over...and three of them did just that, save for Danny Carrey who decided to take a seat towards the front of the stage, and examine the roaring crowd, who, much to my surprise was very forgiving, despite the multiple upsets of the evening.

Soon enough though, the other 3 band members joined him down at the front, watching the crowd, hugging eachother in brotherly, loving embraces, and just lying in the afterglow of their "could've been better, but once again we gave it our best" performance. Maynard shook his foot around, which was nice to see..it's a kind of motion that people make when they're trying to be lighthearted, rather than sit in a sullen type of gloom, and negativity. Him and Justin in particular were chatting it up, with the last I saw of their conversation being Adam nodding, and turning back towards the crowd. While those two talked, Justin had sparked his lighter, and held it up, waving it back and forth before him, which had a chain reaction of countless people in the audience following suit. An interesting sight, really...a multitiude of burning flames...much like a room filled with flickering candles as far as you could see...at this point, due to the apparently positive mood of the band, the notion of another song coming along wasn't so far fetched...I started to have second thoughts...hope...Maynard amused the audience with his accusations of everyone being crackheads. For what reason, I don't recall, but I think it had something to do with the color of some of the flames. "Do they check your crackpipes at the entrance?" Something along those lines.

So, all of them standing up, Maynard approaches the mic and says, "We'll play one more if you're good..." and the crowd roared...I believe he then said..."well, better...better...better..." As if, "Well, you guys were pretty good, except for a few assholes, so, we'll play one more if you're 'better'." I could be mistaken on this, but, that's as much as I personally followed.

"This one's for crack," or "This one's for Eddie," the friend of his he mentioned earlier. I believe it was the former. I could be mistaken in both cases though; it wasn't easy to hear him throughout the night.

...And it was at this point that Tool gave us their closing song of Wings for Marie, and 10,000 Days. A very pleasant way to the end the evening, I must say.

Of course, even in this song...Maynard choked at some point...starting in with, "What're they gonna' do when the lights go down..."- and then, strangely, as if he were rushed, he leaped into, "IiIIIiii, only pray that heaven knows when to lift you out, 10,000 days in the fire is long enough...you're going home..." etc. etc...perhaps he came in too late to finish the beforehand verses...overall, you could really tell that Maynard just wasn't feeling too hot.

So, we got our Wings for Marie and 10,000 Days, and Maynard tamely put the mic down, and gave the audience a final wave, which sent the crowd cheering. The remaining members, namely Justin and Danny Carrey made their way to the front of the stage, and humored us all with their cheerfulness, tossing souvenirs to the at least partly undeserving pit section...drum sticks (I counted three of these)...some sort of hovering frisbee-like things...and a bottle of water or two...hahah...right back at you idiots...Danny Carrey gave a bow at some point, even after repeatedly waving and humoring us...really indulging the crowd's admiration and thanks...nice to see the rest of the band in better spirits than Maynard was. And soon enough, the four musicians that are Tool were gone from the stage, and the all-too-familiar background music set in, and the night for the most part was over...

...

Minus the part where immediately afterwards, the guy sitting but two seats to my right (his girlfriend being directly to my right) apparently socked some guy in the row behind us in the face...and that was it...things escalated amazingly fast at that point...the girls accompanying the assaulted individual began yelling and questioning the attacker, who, much to my disbelief was a very small guy...I'm about 6'1, 6'2, and he had to have been a head or two below me...and he was a very thin fellow...maybe he should pick his fights better...especially when the guy you attack ends up having about 5 of his friends leap over the seats and literally jump you until you manage to stumble out of their blood thirsty wolf pack after being savagely roughed up...before the eyes of your helpless girlfriend, no less...

Well, in all honestly, I hope the guy who got socked was the guy who, throughout the entire show had the BIGGEST. MOUTH. EVER. What the hell is wrong with these people? They just don't shut up.

This guy ranted and raved throughout the entire show, practically, screaming idiotic comments, seemingly for the sake of hearing his own voice, assuming himself witty and amusing...it did nothing but infuriate those in close proximity to him...but, someone like that, drunk off his ass with no true appreciation for brilliance such as Tool...

Well, just...what can you expect right?

Anyway, that further soured my evening..."Much better you than I," I thought as I watched the gang-raped individual who had a little more fight in his dog than was good for him. stumble away in a chaotic bewilderement...

Heh, perhaps he was as pissed about the screaming asshole behind us as I was...no one wants to hear a loud-mouthed fuckhead when you're trying to listen to genius like Tool...

Anyway, I was pretty disappointed to have not gotten to hear Jambi..I was really looking forward to that...furthermore...Maynard really copped out at some of the worst possible moments...the ending half of The Pot...all of Forty Six and Two, pretty much, the end of Vicarious, and the enchanting high octaves that he usually makes such a brave effort to replicate for his dedicated fans...Sober would've been nice too, but, hey...another time perhaps...the follow-up album tour for 10,000 Days, anyone? Sounds good to me...

Anyway...overall, I can't say I didn't have a good time...Tool is Tool...crazy shit or no crazy shit, it all adds to the experience...and whether it was entirely positive, or mostly negative, I think everyone walks away from a show like Tool's with something useful of their experience...

A good way to spend a Saturday night...

And was I the only one who noticed the prissy girls with their loud, filthy little mouths, screaming their curses and obscenities while standing in line to buy a shirt for a band who they've probably never even heard, minus maybe a Pot or Vicarious on the radio?

-sigh- I myself purchased a shirt and a poster, which I clung to lovingly throughout the show, as to not have it taken by any shameless asses. Quite a price to pay for a couple of items such as these...and, brought to my attention was the "Los Angeles, CA" on the sleeve...I don't really know what to make of that...disappointing, I suppose. But, what can you do? They probably just had left overs from the Staples Center the night before...

...

Dear God, where are all the amazing fans that I see posting here on The Tool Page? The ones who have a true appreciation for what Tool does for us all? -sigh- Truly disappointing...a crowd full of drunken, unruly fools...inevitable, I suppose...

Well, that's that for TOOL at the Cricket Pavillion in Phoenix Arizona, September 9th, 2006, 8:00 PM.

For the most part?

'Was glad to have been there...