Yea... well... in response... the show was great. It was Tool so unless there are major technical problems or MJK's voice takes a dump (these things happen, even at Tool shows) it's going to be better than virtually everything else out there. That being said... come on now people now people now... even the biggest fans among us have to admit that the break during Sober last night was a let down, and if you've seen them on this tour at another venue, you possibly saw them better than last night. I don't want to tread on anyone's mystical journey, but... well, I am treading on your mystical journey. They are getting old. They are tired after bouncing up and down the eastern seaboard (after all these years they still get caught in the NJ, MA, CT, NY hassle where you can't hit them in geographical order)... they are going to have nights that are better than others (especially the vocalist). It's just the way it is. They are still incredible live, and every show has goosebumps moments, but they didn't have their A game last night. Relax, it doesn't mean the game is over for them... it's just changing and they are a different animal than they were 5 years ago, 10 years before that, etc. But man... that Sober break was a worse failure than Tricky rapping on Reflection back in '01 (which was OK in a way)... never thought I'd see a complete failure like that at a Tool show but at least they tried... shows balls. But it sucked... lol...

More to the crowd... I don't think that the band has anything against NJ or NY, and as pros they should treat each audience individually as it comes, but yea... that crowd last night deserved a shortened setlist. Floor was not rocking at all, and the aforementioned conversationalists were EVERYWHERE. In Camden, the row in front of us had some striped-shirt clubgoers who looked like they were in Situation and Snookie look-alike contests before the show. I was appalled when they sat in front of me and certain they'd be an annoyance and possibly distract from the show. They had no place at a Tool show based on their appearance, and guess what? They were stone cold awesome. Rocking out, not talking above the music, and pounding beers, totally into it. Last night, the people around us were the exact opposite... black shirts abound with bad goatees and pale skin and fishnets, and those bastards wouldn't shut up and wouldn't dance or mosh or headbang or anything. It was like they were there for the scene and not the music.