I could sum the show up as:

'Wow that was awesome!'

As a warning this was my first Tool concert, and my first Rock concert in years. I also may have been *cough*rolling *cough* ;) But whatever...


Got to the show early and waited in line on the curb. A guy was walking about selling posters but I passed thinking I'd just wait till I got inside. Sadly once I got inside every booth said they got the posters pulled at the last minute and nobody knew why. I was rather bummed out as the only thing I wanted to buy was a poster. But right before the opening band started I broke down and paid the -holy shit 40 bucks- for a T shirt.

In spite of the price, the T shirt was pretty cool with a blue skull like face made out of pillars of light.

Finding my seat on floor 1 I was pretty happy to find myself about 10 or 11 rows back dead center in front of the large overhead speaker. The place was still semi empty when the opening bad started. And while they had a lot of energy they were just... Not my kind of music. But they looked like they were really into their performance so I give them an A for effort.

Over the next 20 minutes I looked back to find that the place was really starting to fill up. And almost as soon as the lights went down everybody on the floor got up (some trying to get forward pass security).


As others have said before Third Eye was just an amazing opener. Being a stones throw away and almost dead center to the bass (Justin) I felt like the music was going to blow me away.

By the time Jambi started the crowd around me was just about going nuts. The big mean looking security guard close by seem pretty mellow as I saw a couple people taking pictures and a few others getting high.

Visually the show just got better and better and it got to the point where it all felt so surreal and dreamlike. At one point the back stage displayed straight pillars of blue light that from left to right slowly formed into the skull like face on the very same shirt I bought.

A very memorable bonus I thought.


As for the band members they all seem to be really into the show. I admit I had a slight fear that seeing a concert this late in the tour might make for some burned out musicians but this was not the case at all. MJK was dancing about in the back between vocals. During vicariously he tried to get the crowd to sing the words for him but being back there I don't think many people would notice his hand gestures. He also had some paper cards with exclamation marks and a frown face that he turned upside down at the end.


Drums (Danny) was truly an impressive sight and I can see why this guy gets so much credit. The drum off was amazing. And beat of the songs was echoing in my head the whole drive home.

I did not get to see much of Adam on the Guitar from where I was but he seem to be very focused on playing every time I looked over.

Having a very good view of Justin I gotta say that unless he is a very good actor he was certainly having a good time. At a couple points he waved the crowed up on his side.

By the end of the show MJK gave a wave and a smile (or was it a grin?) before darting off while the other guys tossed out stuff to the crowd.


Now the bad:

People that get up to get beers every other song.

Fuck you.

I mean really you pay all this money for great seats only to get up and miss half the song getting a beer only to go on and do it the next song. I try to think "To each their own" But you get in my way and kill the buzz of the moment.


More bad: Tinnitus! I hope this shit goes away... Oh and 40 bucks for a shirt? Really? And pulled posters? 4 bucks for water? I may sound cheap here but you don't let me bring water in then charge me a 300% mark up on something? I wonder if supply and demand plays a role in the price or what.


So in closing, the show and the band/music was awesome. The crowd was really into it and the venue and prices sucked.