This was not only my first Tool show, it was my first concert having GA tickets. The experience was by far one of the best experiences of my life. The show was completely indescribable. Here were these four guys that I held on the highest pedestal for as long as I can remember. To me, they were legendary. Yet, for two hours I was able to witness them in all their glory front and center, right on the rail.

I have read a lot of people talking about how bad the crowd us. Honestly, I can't say enough good things about the crowd I was with. In fact, I came away with a few new friends.

My girlfriend and I arrived at the Family Arena at 8:30AM yesterday morning, and were greeted by 3 campers that had been there since 2AM that morning (that's true fucking dedication). They were so nice to us they even let us share their tent. By 10AM we had a small group of around 7 people, and that's the way we stayed until others started lining up around noon. We were all swapping stories and sharing snacks, just sitting around a little stereo doing the best it could to blare the Tool discography from Opiate to 10,000 Days.

I know anybody who was standing outside in the 105 degree heat index remembers the exhilaration they felt as they were greeted by the sweet embrace of the air conditioning as they rushed into the venue as the doors opened. We both snagged a spot at the rail, right in front of the Danny's kit.

Wovenhand was pretty good. I was really relieved because I had heard some horror stories about the previous Tool openers. I was impressed by their sound. It's easy to see why they were chosen this year. You could not only hear the Tool influences in their music, but the frontman was so intense -- just like another frontman we all know and love.

Like I said previously, the Tool set was almost completely indescribable. The music, the visuals -- everything. This morning my girlfriend compared it to taking drugs. The Third Eye opening was fucking amazing and it set the tone for the rest of the show. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, the next song would start and completely kick my ass. It was good to see the Wovenhand drummer come out and play with Danny on Lateralus. There was playful back and forth, like Danny was basically teaching the guy how to play. I hope somebody got video of the Aenema finish for posterity because it was truly epic.

It's my opinion that the entire band was working like a well oiled machine. I also liked the fact that Adam, Danny and Justin all hung around at the end of the show and soaked up the applause. To me, it showed that they were still having fun and enjoyed playing the show. Maynard didn't stick around, but come on.. is anybody surprised? That's just Maynard.

If you are thinking about going to a show, but still have doubts or reservations: GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY! YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!

I will never forget my first Tool show, and I'll be counting down the days until the next tour.