Shmooove

I dragged a few newbies to the show with me their response afterwards was:

"Im speechless" and
"I never knew."

Fucking classic.

The Set List:

Stinkfist - Extended version was good. Crowd kept singing during it. I love how they loop the intro back in right before "I'll keep digging ...".

The Pot - The previously mentioned sound quality could have affected this but the beginning seemed thin to me. It definitely picked up though. Most people knew and cheered this one cause of it's recent heavy radio play.

Forty Six & 2 - Everyone was screaming the chorus but got kinda lost for most of the other lyrics. I always love seeing this song live. "I choose to live and to lie, kill and give and to die, learn and love and to do what it takes to step through." Badass.

*Random Lawn seat moment* When the crowd noise had lulled for a second, some guy yelled out ver clearly: “Tool is too intense for you people.” Cracked me up.

Jambi - I really enjoyed the visuals and the song live. Love that heavy opening riff.

Schism – Wow, that was just awesome. The visuals onstage were phenomenal when the screens all showed flames and the band was silhouetted against it. When Maynard finished with “I know the pieces fit”, I thought “You certainly do.”

Rosetta Stoned – I totally agree with everyone who said it before me … this song kicks so much ass live. I didn’t even mind the lack of an intro. Enjoy this song while you can because knowing Tool, after this album’s tour they’ll probably never play it again.

Opiate – I have seen this song live numerous times and this was BY FAR the best I have seen it done. When it started off normally, I was thinking that there were definitely other songs I would have rather heard in its stead but when the breakdown went in the complete opposite direction of the studio version and got heavy, drawn out and trippy as all hell, I was blown away. I actually felt like I had just taken an opiate, which was perfect for the song. I can never listen to this song in the same way again.

Sober – I have seen Tool 6 times over 14 years (I am 32) and Sober has been there for every one. Normally they perform it well enough for me to never explicitly mind it, but tonight this honestly bored me. Don’t get me wrong: they played it well, but there was just nothing different about it from all the other times I have seen it. Luckily it went quick. Damn it irks me that I have even gotten to the point of saying this. How I wish they would substitute another Undertow song in its place – at least for one entire tour.

Lateralus – Fuck yeah. Seriously. Fuck yeah. One of my all time favorite songs and they always kill it live. Sweet visuals with lasers and images on Lateralus. Only question is: why didn’t they break out the lasers like 4 songs earlier? Crowd looked a bit disoriented coming into the outro: “Spiral out, keep going …” That rhythm is sick. I sang a lot during this song … sorry to the peeps around me :P

Vicarious – Sound got a bit off on this one cause I think Fiddler’s management was signaling to the band that their time was almost up. Either that or the sound just sucked. No matter … great song and well played. I truly enjoyed it all the way through.

Ænema – Another perennial live song but one that I have no problem ever seeing. It was played perfectly and the speakers didn’t clip too much so it sounded good too. I was actually very surprised at how many people knew the lyrics to Ænema, since at other shows the crowd has appeared to be oblivious to wtf Maynard is talking about. On the last beat, the lights shone out to the audience, which was an excellent touch. Oh, and I still love that Tool won a Grammy for this one. Utterly and ironically priceless.

The Stage:

I have to say that the visuals and stage set-up for this tour is the best I have seen. Being in lawn I had a full, unobstructed view of the floor and background screens, including the side mounted ones. Since the sound quality was so-so (it is sad when you can hear normal volume conversations when the band is playing), the visuals being that well done really helped get into the music. At times I was completely floored, actually.

Some notes on the Venue (drop off now if you are over all the Fiddler’s rants):

Fiddler's Green/Coors Amphitheatre fucking sucks my balls. I have seen 3 shows there in the last 9 or so years and every time I swear I will never go back (I will obviously drag my hypocritical ass to wherever Tool is playing, though). All the reasons mentioned previously are accurate; the sound levels, the staff, parking, etc. But, here is the *real* reason I think that place is over the top terrible: their water policy.

Most venues now charge for bottled water. I am used to it. More and more venues are charging just for cups. BS but I'll deal. Fiddler's does all that (I was told from 2 different vendors that the venue inventories their plastic cups) and takes it a step further. That place has hidden their water fountains (if they exist at all) and not told any of their staff (volunteers, actually) where the fuck they are. I literally asked 4 different people where the fountains were and not ONE knew. I remember having this issue the last time I was there too. I don't mind buying water if I have too, but with the band starting and there being a 20 minute line to buy a bottle, I'll go without. Someone mentioned corporate greed and that is right on the money, pun intended.

Please Tool, take heed of this mistake and never play there again. When the sound quality actually affects your enjoyment of a show, I would hope that you, as muscians, would take it to heart. You guys *have* to enjoy playing at Red Rocks – the audience definitely does. Location, sound quality and staff are all superior. Fiddler’s probably just paid you more $$ to play there but I do hope for a bit more artistic integrity. Then again, if you are over the whole artistic integrity thing then how about coughing up some more live material for us to buy? Money will be in my hand the moment I hear about it.

See you all at the next CO show.

__________________
Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.

Sir Winston Churchill