The Tool Page: Opinion - View Single Post - 2006/09/11 - The Woodlands, TX

Well, this was my 28th TOOL show, and I just don't know exactly what to say about it. I have a scramble of thoughts and emotions running through my head, and I'm just WAY too tired to try to organize them. So I'll just list a few comments/ hightlights/ lowlights, and then come back tomorrow and edit.

1) I thought Maynard started off ok in Stinkfist... maybe a bit reserved, but ok. Then he really held back at the end of Jambi, and I started to get worried. When he then only sang about 40% of the lines in 46&2, I realized that we were in for a repeat of the LAST Houston show... July 27, 2002. For those that don't remember or weren't there, Maynard left the stage halfway through The Patient and they finished it instrumentally. Then they dropped AEnema and Reflection from the setlist. The reason for this? Maynard was sick... It seems like Houston just has a bad luck streak going with TOOL shows.

Attempting to find a silver lining... As soon as an audience recording of this show starts to circulate, we can all throw TOOL karaoke parties. Just pop in the Houston show and grab a mic. Wooo...

2) Someone else already mentioned the bat, but I have to bring it up again. Honestly it might have been the highlight of my night. If memory serves, while Adam and Justin were starting the buildup at the beginning of Vicarious, a bat fluttered down and began to fly in circles and figure-8s around the stage, at most keeping a foot or so above the stage floor. At times he even circled around Adam's feet, then would fly over behind Justin (who probably didn't even notice, thanks to his Jesus hair) and then made its way over past Maynard's platform. It continued to do this for a good minute or more, and finally found its way offstage and over the pit once Vicarious broke out and the "tv snow" video images began to play. I'm just glad I was able to see this all happen from so close. Both Maynard and Adam were completely entertained as well... It generated a smile from both of them.

3) I really don't know why Danny stood up when Maynard said it was someone's birthday. Inside joke I guess. But I'm sure that 95% of the crowd thought they were singing to Danny. In case you didn't catch it, Maynard was "celebrating" the birth of the Patriot Act... NOT Danny's birthday, which is in May.

4) From where I was standing, the crowd did seem pretty receptive and sympathetic to Maynard being sick, so I was glad the he acknowledged that by thanking us for our patience and understanding. When he admitted that he was "trying his best", it seemed to me like a very genuine moment... truly admitting that something was wrong and that he was unable to do much about it. I dunno... I just found it unexpected.

5) The ABSOLUTE lowlight of the night was not getting Wings pt.1 and 2. Justin had his stool waiting for him on the side of the stage. Adam practiced a little bit of it during soundcheck. I'm positive they were going to play it. Maynard was obviously the one to make the change to the set. He spoke to Adam fairly late in the show, and Adam passed it along to Danny and Justin. I'm sure this was about dropping Wings from the setlist. All I wanted from today was to hear that song. They could have dropped 3 more songs from the set and only played for an hour as far as I was concerned... just as long as they played Wings.... but no luck. *sigh*

6) I liked the visuals more this time than I did at the Gorge show. I think the Gorge was just TOO outdoorsy for it to really work. Where I was standing at the front of the pit tonight, it's almost like actually being inside a venue, and those visuals definitely work better inside. For example, the light bulbs on strings look less cheesy when you can't see the strings on them, like I could at the Gorge.

7) Justin burned his finger a bit while holding up his lighter during their "encore break." I found this funny... but so did he, it seemed.

8) Oh yeah... the other main lowlight of my night was the people who screamed and whistled when Maynard called for a moment of silence in rememberence of those who lost their lives on 9/11. Honestly... HONESTLY... do you people really like to hear yourselves make noise THAT much? I just don't get it. He asks for a MOMENT of silence. 5-10 seconds tops... and you can't keep your damn mouth shut for that long? I guess I'll just never stop being surprised at how stupid some people can be.

9) Normally I hate it when people sing along out loud to songs at a show, but I actually kind of liked it when Maynard decided to hold out his mike towards the crowd those few times during certain songs... calling for the crowd to fill in where he was incapable of singing. It's lousy that he had to do it, but for some reason I liked it... even if just a little.

10) Oh yeah... Isis was great, again. I hope most people are giving them a fair shot.

Ok... it's now 5 am and I've to get some rest and prepare for the San Antonio show. I've got all my fingers and toes crossed that Maynard has some sort of miraculous overnight recovery and can perform a full show this time. I know he's trying his best, but these were some expensive tickets and tonight's show really didn't feel like a complete performance.

09-12-2006, 01:47 AM	#11
optimistic-pessimist Level 7 - Loquacious Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Baton Rouge, LA, USA Posts: 411 Bincount™: 4	Re: 2006/09/11 - The Woodlands, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion Well, this was my 28th TOOL show, and I just don't know exactly what to say about it. I have a scramble of thoughts and emotions running through my head, and I'm just WAY too tired to try to organize them. So I'll just list a few comments/ hightlights/ lowlights, and then come back tomorrow and edit. 1) I thought Maynard started off ok in Stinkfist... maybe a bit reserved, but ok. Then he really held back at the end of Jambi, and I started to get worried. When he then only sang about 40% of the lines in 46&2, I realized that we were in for a repeat of the LAST Houston show... July 27, 2002. For those that don't remember or weren't there, Maynard left the stage halfway through The Patient and they finished it instrumentally. Then they dropped AEnema and Reflection from the setlist. The reason for this? Maynard was sick... It seems like Houston just has a bad luck streak going with TOOL shows. Attempting to find a silver lining... As soon as an audience recording of this show starts to circulate, we can all throw TOOL karaoke parties. Just pop in the Houston show and grab a mic. Wooo... 2) Someone else already mentioned the bat, but I have to bring it up again. Honestly it might have been the highlight of my night. If memory serves, while Adam and Justin were starting the buildup at the beginning of Vicarious, a bat fluttered down and began to fly in circles and figure-8s around the stage, at most keeping a foot or so above the stage floor. At times he even circled around Adam's feet, then would fly over behind Justin (who probably didn't even notice, thanks to his Jesus hair) and then made its way over past Maynard's platform. It continued to do this for a good minute or more, and finally found its way offstage and over the pit once Vicarious broke out and the "tv snow" video images began to play. I'm just glad I was able to see this all happen from so close. Both Maynard and Adam were completely entertained as well... It generated a smile from both of them. 3) I really don't know why Danny stood up when Maynard said it was someone's birthday. Inside joke I guess. But I'm sure that 95% of the crowd thought they were singing to Danny. In case you didn't catch it, Maynard was "celebrating" the birth of the Patriot Act... NOT Danny's birthday, which is in May. 4) From where I was standing, the crowd did seem pretty receptive and sympathetic to Maynard being sick, so I was glad the he acknowledged that by thanking us for our patience and understanding. When he admitted that he was "trying his best", it seemed to me like a very genuine moment... truly admitting that something was wrong and that he was unable to do much about it. I dunno... I just found it unexpected. 5) The ABSOLUTE lowlight of the night was not getting Wings pt.1 and 2. Justin had his stool waiting for him on the side of the stage. Adam practiced a little bit of it during soundcheck. I'm positive they were going to play it. Maynard was obviously the one to make the change to the set. He spoke to Adam fairly late in the show, and Adam passed it along to Danny and Justin. I'm sure this was about dropping Wings from the setlist. All I wanted from today was to hear that song. They could have dropped 3 more songs from the set and only played for an hour as far as I was concerned... just as long as they played Wings.... but no luck. sigh 6) I liked the visuals more this time than I did at the Gorge show. I think the Gorge was just TOO outdoorsy for it to really work. Where I was standing at the front of the pit tonight, it's almost like actually being inside a venue, and those visuals definitely work better inside. For example, the light bulbs on strings look less cheesy when you can't see the strings on them, like I could at the Gorge. 7) Justin burned his finger a bit while holding up his lighter during their "encore break." I found this funny... but so did he, it seemed. 8) Oh yeah... the other main lowlight of my night was the people who screamed and whistled when Maynard called for a moment of silence in rememberence of those who lost their lives on 9/11. Honestly... HONESTLY... do you people really like to hear yourselves make noise THAT much? I just don't get it. He asks for a MOMENT of silence. 5-10 seconds tops... and you can't keep your damn mouth shut for that long? I guess I'll just never stop being surprised at how stupid some people can be. 9) Normally I hate it when people sing along out loud to songs at a show, but I actually kind of liked it when Maynard decided to hold out his mike towards the crowd those few times during certain songs... calling for the crowd to fill in where he was incapable of singing. It's lousy that he had to do it, but for some reason I liked it... even if just a little. 10) Oh yeah... Isis was great, again. I hope most people are giving them a fair shot. Ok... it's now 5 am and I've to get some rest and prepare for the San Antonio show. I've got all my fingers and toes crossed that Maynard has some sort of miraculous overnight recovery and can perform a full show this time. I know he's trying his best, but these were some expensive tickets and tonight's show really didn't feel like a complete performance. __________________ Live TOOL: 08.03.97, 07.25.98, 08.06.98, 08.07.98, 07.01.01, 08.06.01, 08.07.01, 10.07.01, 10.13.01, 10.25.01, 10.27.01, 10.28.01, 07.26.02, 07.27.02, 07.29.02, 07.31.02, 08.01.02, 11.07.02, 11.08.02, 11.09.02, 11.15.02, 11.16.02, 04.30.06, 05.08.06, 05.19.06, 05.20.06, 08.27.06, 09.11.06, 09.14.06, 05.15.07, 05.17.07, 05.21.07, 05.22.07, 05.24.07, 05.25.07, 05.26.07...
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